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Expression data of human cumulus cells treated with follicle stimulating hormone in the presence of absence of an insulin-like growth factor 1 inhibitor

ABSTRACT: Ovulatory dysfunction affects nearly 40% of women of reproductive age that are struggling with infertility. Ovulation is the culmination of a complex and long process during which most follicles undergo atresia instead of developing into preovulatory follicles. The rescue of follicles from atresia and their maturation towards ovulatory competence requires “a pas de deux” between endocrine and locally-produced factors. Unequivocally, the most crucial endocrine factor is follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are among the most important local factors and are an irreplaceable partner of FSH. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms involved in the regulation of granulosa cell (GC) differentiation by FSH and IGF in humans will contribute to improve infertility treatments. In this report, we characterize a novel experimental approach to study human GC differentiation using cumulus cells from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Our findings demonstrate that human cumulus cells from IVF patients respond to FSH with the expression of genes that are known to be markers of granulosa cell differentiation during follicle maturation from the preantral to the large antral stage. Moreover, these results demonstrate that a large number of FSH-regulated genes require IGF1R activity and suggest that several aspects of follicle growth are coordinately regulated by FSH and the IGF system in humans. We used microarrays to detail the global effects of FSH on gene expression and to determine the effect that IGF1R inhibition has on FSH-induced stimulation.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE86427 | GEO | 2016/09/06

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA341844

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Experiments were designed to evaluate changes in the transcriptome (mRNA levels) in the ovulatory, luteinizing follicle of rhesus monkeys, using a controlled ovulation (COv) model that permits analysis of the naturally selected, dominant follicle at specific intervals (0, 12, 24, 36 hours) after exposure to an ovulatory (exogenous hCG) stimulus during the menstrual cycle. Total RNA was prepared from individual follicles (n=4-8/timepoint), with an aliquot used for microarray analysis (AffymetrixTM Rhesus Macaque Genome Array) and the remainder applied to quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR) assays. The microarray data from individual samples distinctly clustered according to timepoints, and ovulated follicles displayed markedly different expression patterns from unruptured follicles at 36 h. Between timepoint comparisons revealed profound changes in mRNA expression profiles. The dynamic pattern of mRNA expression for steroidogenic enzymes (CYP17A, CYP19A, HSD3B2, HSD11B1, HSD11B2), StAR, and gonadotropin receptors (LHCGR, FSHR) as determined by microarray analysis correlated precisely with those from blinded q-PCR assays. Patterns of mRNA expression for EGF-like factors (AREG, EREG) and processes (HAS2, TNFAIP6) implicated in cumulus-oocyte maturation/expansion were also comparable between assays. Thus, several mRNAs displayed the expected expression pattern for purported theca (e.g., CYP17A, AREG), granulosa (CYP19A, FSHR), cumulus (HAS2, TNFAIP6) cell, and surface epithelium (HSD11B) related genes in the rodent/primate preovulatory follicle. This database will be of great value in analyzing molecular and cellular pathways associated with periovulatory events in the primate follicle (e.g. follicle rupture, luteinization, inflammatory response, and angiogenesis), and for identifying novel gene products controlling mammalian fertility. Keywords: time course Total RNA was prepared from individual follicles (n=4-8/timepoint). Dominant follicles were selected specific intervals (0, 12, 24, 36 hours) after exposure to an ovulatory (exogenous hCG) stimulus during the menstrual cycle.

Project description:Antral follicle size might be a valuable additive predictive marker for IVF outcome. However, while some studies show positive relations between follicle size and reproductive outcome, others have not been successful in establishing this relation. To better understand consequences of antral follicle size for reproductive outcome, we aimed to obtain insight in follicle size-related granulosa cell processes, as granulosa cells play an essential role in follicular development via the production of growth factors, steroids and metabolic intermediates, needed for follicular growth and oocyte development. Using pigs as a model, we compared gene and protein expression in granulosa cells of smaller and larger follicles in the healthy antral follicle pool at the start of the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. In sows, the early antral follicle pool is very heterogeneous when e.g. size and steroid content of the follicular fluid are considered. To which extent this variety contributes to the developmental competence of the follicles is not clear. Therefore, sows with high variation in antral follicle size (HighVAR) as well as sows with low variation in antral follicle size (LowVAR) were used. Granulosa cells of smaller antral follicles in the healthy antral follicle pool show increased cell proliferation, which was accompanied by a metabolic shift towards aerobic glycolysis (i.e. the Warburg effect), similar to other highly proliferating cells. High granulosa cell proliferation rates in smaller follicles might be regulated via increased granulosa cell expression of AR and EGFR which are activated in response to locally produced mitogens. While granulosa cells of smaller follicles in the pool were more proliferative, indicative of higher follicular growth, granulosa cells of larger follicles in the pool showed less proliferation and were more differentiated, as they showed a higher expression of follicular maturation marker IGF1 and ANGPT1. Our results imply that the inclusion of strict criteria of antral follicle size in IVF protocols might improve reproductive outcome. In addition, we have granulosa cell gene expression of healthy follicles to unravel underlying mechanisms of differences in COC morphology. We compared gene expression in sows with low vs. high-COC-health and found a decreased expression of genes involved in ovarian steroidogenesis (e.g. CYP19A1, ADM, SPP1) and higher expression of genes involved in follicular atresia (e.g. GADD45A, INHBB) in sows with low-COC-health. Thereby we have identified several genes which may serve as markers for follicle developmental competence.

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Expression data of human cumulus cells treated with follicle stimulating hormone in the presence of absence of an insulin-like growth factor 1 inhibitor

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