No abstract

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are expected to become a powerful tool for future regenerative medicine and developmental biology due to their capacity for self-renewal and pluripotency. The present study involves characterization and particularly, the ultrastructure of ESC-derived cardiomyocytes (ESC-CMs). Spontaneously differentiated murine (C57BL/6) ESC-CMs were cultured for 21 days. At different stages, growth characteristics of the CMs were assessed by immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, transmission electron microscopy, and by addition of chronotropic drugs. EB-derived spontaneously beating cells expressed markers characteristic of CMs including alpha-actinin, desmin, troponin I, sarcomeric myosin heavy chain (MHC), pan-cadherin, connexin 43, cardiac alpha-MHC, cardiac beta-MHC, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), and myosin light chain isoform-2V (MLC-2V) and responded to drugs in a maturation- and dose-dependent manner. At the ultrasructural level, maturation proceeded with increasing time in culture. In 7+21 days CMs, all sarcomeric components, such as Z-discs, A-, I- and H-bands as well as M-lines, T-tubules, intercalated discs, and the sarcoplasmic reticulum were present. Our data suggest that ESCs can differentiate into functional mature CMs in vitro. Furthermore, ESC-CMs may provide an ideal model for the study of cardiomyocytic development and may be useful for cell therapy of various cardiac diseases.

In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), substantial genetic and environmental alterations, along with hyperandrogenism, affect the quality of oocytes and decrease ovulation rates. To determine the mechanisms underlying these alterations caused specifically by an increase in plasma androgens, the present study was performed in experimentally-induced PCOS mice. As the study model, female B6D2F1 mice were treated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA, 6mg per 100g bodyweight). After 20 days, oocytes at the germinal vesicle and metaphase II stages were retrieved from isolated ovaries and subsequent analyses of oocyte quality were performed for each mouse. DHEA treatment resulted in excessive abnormal morphology and decreased polar body extrusion rates in oocytes, and was associated with an increase in oxidative stress. Analysis of fluorescence intensity revealed a significant reduction of DNA methylation and dimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9) in DHEA-treated oocytes, which was associated with increased acetylation of H4K12. Similarly, mRNA expression of DNA methyltransferase-1 and histone deacetylase-1 was significantly decreased in DHEA-treated mice. There was a significant correlation between excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and increased histone acetylation, which is a novel finding and may provide new insights into the mechanism causing PCOS. The results of the present study indicate that epigenetic modifications of oocytes possibly affect the quality of maturation and ovulation rates in PCOS, and that the likely mechanism may be augmentation of intracytoplasmic ROS.

although vit(1) treatment had lower survival rate compared to control group, it demonstrated better stability comparing to vit(2) based on the transcript analysis.

IGF-I and IGF-II were appeared to play major roles in the adhesive and migratory events that are considered to be crucial in the implantation process. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of IGF-I on trophoblast adhesion to extracellular matrix. Trophoblast cells obtained from early gestation at artificial abortion were incubated with the indicated doses of IGF-I at the indicated times. Trophoblast cells were treated with IGF-I in the presence or absence of RGD peptide and an antibody against alpha-subunit of IGF-I receptor (alphaIR3). Morphometric and morphological changes were studied using light and electron microscopy. Furthermore, vinculin, actin stress fibers, phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (FAK), phosphotyrosine, and paxillin were immunolocalized in trophoblast cells after IGF-I treatment in the presence or absence of alphaIR3. Immunoprecipitation and anti-phosphotyrosine immunoblotting were carried out to detect the phosphorylated FAK and phosphorylated paxillin contents of the IGF-I-treated and untreated trophoblast cells. The results showed that IGF-I promoted trophoblast adhesion to fibronectin substrate in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and addition of RGD peptide and alphaIR3 monoclonal antibody abolished the effects of IGF-I in these cells. Morphological studies exhibited an increase in the lamellipodia formation upon IGF-I treatment, and confocal images of immunofluorescent staining revealed localization of phosphorylated FAK, paxillin, and vinculin at focal adhesions as well as redistribution of actin microfilaments and formation of actin stress fibers inside the cell. Western blotting, using antiphosphotyrosine demonstrated proteins with molecular masses of 125 kDa (FAK) and 68 kDa (paxillin) present in the IGF-I-treated cells, which were lacking in the control groups. In conclusion, these findings suggest that IGF-I can stimulate lamellipodia formation and promote adhesion of trophoblast cells to extracellular matrix by activating their adhesion molecules that must be activated within the implantation window.