To improve the outcome of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for patients with ovulation problems, it is necessary to retrieve and select germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes with high developmental potential. Oocytes with high developmental potential are characterized by their ability to undergo proper maturation, fertilization, and embryo development. In this study, we analyzed morphologic...

Cumulus cells play an essential role during oocyte maturation and the acquisition of fertilizability and developmental competence. Micro(mi)RNAs can post-transcriptionally regulate mRNA expression, and we hypothesized that miRNA profiles in cumulus cells could serve as an indicator of oocyte quality. Cumulus cell biopsies from cumulus−oocyte−complexes that either yielded a blastocyst or failed ...

This study examined the effects of human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) or human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) priming on cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) morphology, oocyte maturation and embryo development in patients undergoing in-vitro maturation (IVM) cycles. The patients were primed with nothing (group 1), low-dose HMG (group 2) or 10,000 IU HCG (group 3) before oocyte retrieval. COC with dis...

Empty follicle syndrome (EFS) is a condition in which no oocytes are obtained after an apparently successful ovarian stimulation. Genuine EFS (GEFS) is differentiated from false EFS by an optimal level of human chorionic gonadotropin on the day of oocyte retrieval. Some believe that GEFS does not exist and that it is only a reflection of the margin of error attendant upon the procedure of oocyt...

Fertilization of the mammalian oocyte requires interactions between spermatozoa and expanded cumulus extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds the oocyte. This review focuses on key molecules that play an important role in the formation of the cumulus ECM, generated by the oocyte-cumulus complex. In particular, the specific inhibitors (AG1478, lapatinib, indomethacin and MG132) and progesterone...

The mine hoisting headframe is a typical towering truss structure, and its damage complicated after long-term service, which affects the safety of structure. To achieve rapid identification corrosion on steel headframe, degradation law under different was analyzed via parametric modeling method verified field measurement. results show that influence range element localized, 50% rate bottom colu...

background: over the past several years, mammals have been successfully cloned by either the splitting of an early stage embryo or nuclear transfer of adult somatic cells (nt) into oocytes. although it has been 15 years since the generation of the first cloned mammals from somatic cells by nt, the success rate for producing live offspring by this technique is low regardless of the cell type and...

In the growing follicle, communication between the oocyte and its surrounding follicular cells is essential for normal oocyte and follicular development. Maturation of the fully grown oocyte in vivo is associated with the loss of cumulus cell-oocyte gap junctional communication, preventing entry of meiotic-modulating factors such as cAMP into the oocyte. We have previously shown that oocyte and...

BACKGROUND GJA1 and PTX3 were proposed as gene markers for oocyte and embryo developmental competence, while SERPINE2 was reported to be associated with pregnancy outcome. PRSS35, which is exclusively expressed in the ovary, may be correlated with oocyte competence. This study was conducted to evaluate the correlation of cumulus GJA1, PRSS35, PTX3, and SERPINE2 gene expression levels with oocyt...