Virus analog decreases estradiol secretion in FSH-treated human ovarian granulosa cells

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of virus infection on estradiol (E₂) production in human ovarian granulosa cells. Polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid [Poly (I: C)], a synthetic analog of viral double stranded RNA that can be recognized by Toll like receptor 3 (TLR3), was used to imitate virus infection. Granulosa cells (GCs) obtained from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) were cultured in vitro and treated with Poly (I: C), FSH, or both. Concentration of E₂ was assayed by electrochemiluminescence. The mRNA and protein expression of TLR3 and aromatase were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot, respectively. The results showed that expression of TLR3 mRNA was significantly increased after Poly (I: C) stimulation. Poly (I: C) decreased E₂ synthesis in FSH-treated GCs. Poly (I: C) inhibited the expression of aromatase in FSH-treated GCs. This study demonstrated that Poly (I: C) inhibits the synthesis of estradiol by granulosa cells under the stimulation of FSH, which might contribute to disturbance of follicular development and ovulation.

摘要

本研究旨在评估病毒感染对人卵巢颗粒细胞分泌雌二醇(E2)的影响。多聚次黄嘌呤胞嘧啶核苷酸[Poly(I∶C)]是一种人工合成的可被Toll样受体3 (TLR3)识别的病毒双链RNA模拟物, 用其模拟病毒感染。对来自体外受精和胚胎移植(IVF-ET)患者的颗粒细胞(GCs)进行体外培养, 并用Poly (I∶C)、FSH或两者共同对其进行处理。用电化学发光法测定E2浓度。分别用实时定量PCR（qPCR)和Western blot测定TLR3和芳香化酶的mRNA和蛋白表达。结果显示：Poly(I∶C)刺激后TLR3 mRNA的表达显著增加。Poly(I∶C)使FSH处理的GCs其E2合成减少。Poly(I∶C)抑制FSH处理的GCs内芳香化酶的表达。研究显示Poly(I∶C)抑制经FSH刺激的颗粒细胞的雌二醇合成, 这或许能破坏卵泡的发育及排卵。

The Chinese abstracts are translated by Prof. Dr. Xiangyan Ruan and her team: Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100026, China.

Keywords:

• Aromatase
• estradiol
• granulosa cell
• ovary
• polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant [No. 81070535]; Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning under Grant [No. 201640185]; Programs Foundation of Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University under grant [No. YJ-12 2016–2018]; and the Key Laboratsory of Reproductive Genetics (Zhejiang University), Ministry of Education, P. R. China under Grant [No. 2012-RG-BF-03].