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Localization and gene expression of steroid sulfatase by RT-PCR in cumulus cells and relationship to serum FSH levels observed during in vitro fertilization

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Assisted Reproduction volume 2, Article number: 6 (2005) Cite this article

Abstract

Background

The purpose of this study was to localize the expression of steroid sulfatase (STS) in cumulus cells and to determine the relationship between STS mRNA expression and the serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol and progesterone.

Methods

The subject group included 49 women (29 to 44 years old) for whom in vitro fertilization treatment was indicated. All subjects gave informed consent. One hundred fourteen samples of cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) were obtained under microscopic observation. Part of the COC was stained by STS antibody. RNA was extracted by phenol-chloroform method and real-time PCR was performed. Serum of each patient was collected and was measured by ELISA.

Results

Some of the cumulus samples were stained by STS antibody. The expression of STS mRNA in all samples was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. Although there was no significant correlation between the level of STS mRNA and the serum levels of estradiol, progesterone and LH, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the level of STS mRNA expression and the serum level of FSH (n = 105, p = 0.018, r = -0.22).

Conclusion

These results have demonstrated for the first time the expression of STS in cumulus cells by immunohistological stainings and real-time RT-PCR. STS expression in cumulus cells may be related to the control of the local steroidal environment in the oocyte. Serum FSH may control STS mRNA expression from the results of RT-PCR, although the correlation was low.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Miss. Momoko Negishi for her technical assistance. We are grateful to TOSOH Corporation and EIKEN CHEMICAL CO., LTD. for providing us with AIA-600II and enzyme immunoassay Kit. This study was supported by Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8, Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Yukiko Otsuka, Atsushi Yanaihara, Shinji Iwasaki, Junichi Hasegawa, Takumi Yanaihara & Takashi Okai

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  1. Yukiko Otsuka
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  2. Atsushi Yanaihara
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  3. Shinji Iwasaki
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  4. Junichi Hasegawa
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  5. Takumi Yanaihara
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  6. Takashi Okai
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Correspondence to Atsushi Yanaihara.

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Open Access This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Otsuka, Y., Yanaihara, A., Iwasaki, S. et al. Localization and gene expression of steroid sulfatase by RT-PCR in cumulus cells and relationship to serum FSH levels observed during in vitro fertilization . J Exp Clin Assist Reprod 2, 6 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-1050-2-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-1050-2-6

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Assisted Reproduction

ISSN: 1743-1050