ISSN:
1573-7330
Keywords:
single-cell reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction
;
human embryos
;
apoptosis related genes
;
Tunel labeling
;
annexin V staining
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Purpose: The objective was to study whether apoptosis occurs in human embryogenesis. Methods: Human viable, arrested, and nonviable embryos and immature, and nonfertilized oocytes donated by our patients were used to detect apoptosis by Tunel labeling, annexin staining, and single-cell reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: DNA fragmentation and phosphotidylserine translocation, the two markers for apoptosis, were detected frequently in fragmented human embryos derived from in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Using RT-PCR, apoptotic genes also were detected in these embryos. The frequencies of gene expression in viable embryos, arrested embryos, nonviable embryos, immature oocytes, and nonfertilized oocytes were: 7/8, 5/5, 5/6, 0/6, 0/3, for Bax; 8/8, 5/5, 7/7, 0/4, 0/5 for Fas; 2/8, 0/2, 0/3, 0/5, 0/3 for BCL-2; 0/8, 1/3, 0/2, 0/3, 0/2 for Fas-ligand; and 8/8, 17/17, 21/21, 24/24, 15/15 for actin, respectively. Conclusions: Our preliminary data did not show a significant difference in the expression frequency of all studied genes between viable embryos and nonviable or arrested embryos. However, the expression of Bax and Fas was noticeably higher in nonviable embryos than in viable embryos as judged by the intensities of amplicons visualized after ethidium bromide staining. In addition, BCL-2 was only detected in viable embryos. Whether embryos quality is related to the regulation of BCL-2, Bax, and Fas expressions requires further study.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1009497925862
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