The role of sperm cell morphology in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

Cytokines are key modulators of the immune system and play an important role in the ovarian cycle. IL-18 levels in serum and follicular fluid were analyzed in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. The cohort study group consisted of 90 women, who were undergoing IVF or ICSI. The body mass index (BMI) was determined in all patients; IL-18 levels were measured in follicular fluid and serum. IL-18 levels in serum were significantly higher than those in follicular fluid. The median level in serum was 162.75 (80.21) pg/mL and that in follicular fluid, 138.24 (91.78) pg/mL. Women undergoing IVF treatment had lower IL-18 levels in serum (median, 151.19 (90.73) pg/mL) than those treated with ICSI (median, 163.57 (89.97) pg/mL). The correlation between IL-18 levels in serum and BMI was statistically significant, as well as the correlation between IL-18 levels in follicular fluid and ovarian stimulation response (p=0.003). IL-18 was correlated with the response to ovarian stimulation and was the reason for successful pregnancy after IVF or ICSI treatment. Among other cytokines, IL-18 appears to be a promising prognostic marker of success in reproductive treatment and should be evaluated as such in further prospective studies.

Download Full-text

Novel role of the muskelin–RanBP9 complex as a nucleocytoplasmic mediator of cell morphology regulation

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.200801133 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 182 (4) ◽

pp. 727-739 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Manojkumar Valiyaveettil ◽

Amber A. Bentley ◽

Priya Gursahaney ◽

Rajaa Hussien ◽

Ritu Chakravarti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Morphology ◽

Subcellular Fractionation ◽

Cytoplasmic Localization ◽

Intracellular Protein ◽

Morphological Alterations ◽

C Terminus ◽

Evolutionarily Conserved ◽

The Status ◽

Interfering Rna

The evolutionarily conserved kelch-repeat protein muskelin was identified as an intracellular mediator of cell spreading. We discovered that its morphological activity is controlled by association with RanBP9/RanBPM, a protein involved in transmembrane signaling and a conserved intracellular protein complex. By subcellular fractionation, endogenous muskelin is present in both the nucleus and the cytosol. Muskelin subcellular localization is coregulated by its C terminus, which provides a cytoplasmic restraint and also controls the interaction of muskelin with RanBP9, and its atypical lissencephaly-1 homology motif, which has a nuclear localization activity which is regulated by the status of the C terminus. Transient or stable short interfering RNA–based knockdown of muskelin resulted in protrusive cell morphologies with enlarged cell perimeters. Morphology was specifically restored by complementary DNAs encoding forms of muskelin with full activity of the C terminus for cytoplasmic localization and RanBP9 binding. Knockdown of RanBP9 resulted in equivalent morphological alterations. These novel findings identify a role for muskelin–RanBP9 complex in pathways that integrate cell morphology regulation and nucleocytoplasmic communication.

Download Full-text