The quality of oocytes depends on interactions with surrounding granulosa cells. Granulosa cells are essential in normal follicular maturation process since they produce steroidal hormones and growth factors, and they play a crucial role in follicular atresia. The success in reproductive biology and medicine depends on reliable assessment of oocyte and embryo viability which presently mainly bases on oocyte and embryo morphology. Recent investigations have tried to establish an evaluation system for oocyte quality and to predict outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF) based on the incidence of granulosa cells and cumulus cells apoptosis. Apoptosis of granulosa cells seems to have a negative effect on conception and pregnancy rates in IFV programs. Thus, in this review we present a brief outline of clinical correlation of apoptosis in human granulosa cells and cumulus cells, and its influence upon oocyte quality and IFV outcome. Taken together, understanding the influence of granulosa cell apoptosis on oocyte quality and maturity as well as on embryo health may ultimately allow scientists and clinicians to harness better protocols of ovarian stimulation for infertility treatments.

Melanoma is aggressive cancer with fast metastatic spread and reduced survival time. One common event during the neoplastic progression is the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which enhances invasiveness, cell migration, and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the effects of metformin at EMT in melanoma cell lines B16-F10 and A-375, in vitro, and the impact of EMT downregulation on melanoma progression in vivo. The metformin cells treatment reduces the migration potential in vitro and reduced the development of pulmonary metastases and the expressions of N-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB1, and ZEB2 at the metastases site, in vivo. These results indicate that metformin can promote EMT downregulation impairing the metastatic potential of melanoma cells.

No abstract

No abstract

Melanoma is an aggressive cancer with fast metastatic spread and reduced survival time. One common event during the neoplastic progression is the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), which enhances invasiveness, cell migration, and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the effects of metformin at EMT in melanoma cell lines B16-F10 and A-375, in vitro, and the impact of EMT downregulation on melanoma progression in vivo. The metformin cells treatment reduces the migration potential in vitro and reduced the development of pulmonary metastases and the expressions of N-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB1, and ZEB2 at the metastases site, in vivo. These results indicate that metformin can promote EMT downregulation impairing the metastatic potential of melanoma cells.