Effects of light quality on the growth, mineral, and functional contents of green and red amaranth

Amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) is a highly nutritious leafy vegetable, and the varieties have bright light green (green amaranth) and red (red amaranth) leaves. Light quality control is an important factor for high vegetable productivity in plant factories; however, the effects of light quality on growth, mineral compositions, and functional contents of amaranth have not been investigated. In this experiment, green and red amaranth seedlings were transplanted 28 days after sowing to a plant factory, with three LED treatments with different red/blue ratios and the presence or absence of far-red light, and cultivated for 24 days. Results showed that the growth of red amaranth was enhanced by the white and far-red light with the lowest blue light ratio, whereas the betalain and β-carotene contents in green amaranth were considerably enhanced by the middle blue light ratio. The highest iron content in both varieties was obtained under the light condition with the highest blue light ratio. Our findings suggest that amaranth yield can be increased, and their carotenoid, betalain, and mineral contents can be controlled by adjusting far-red and blue light intensities. The results of this study will help in light quality control during amaranth production in plant factories

#258 : Evaluating the Clinical Utility of Physiological ICSI

Background and Aims: Physiologic ICSI (PICSI) is a method of ICSI in which sperm attached to hyaluronic acid (HA) are selected. It is known that mature sperm express receptors for adhesion to the HA due to reconstruction of the protoplasmic membrane. In fact, it has been confirmed that sperm that can adhere to HA are mature sperm, and it has been reported that their DNA is highly normal. However, previous studies on the clinical outcomes of PICSI have shown inconsistent results. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of PICSI using sibling oocytes. Method: The 365 cycles in which two or more mature oocytes were obtained in ICSI cycles were included, and the sibling oocytes of the same cycle were equally divided between conventional ICSI and PICSI methods. Sperm selection was based on sperm morphology and motility in the conventional method, while adhesion to HA was taken into account in the PICSI method. The evaluation items were embryonic developmental potential and clinical pregnancy and miscarriage rates after single frozen thawed blastocyst transfer. Results: The normal fertilization rates for the conventional and PICSI methods were 81.3% and 80.8%, respectively; the blastocyst rates were 64.7% and 68.2%, respectively; and the good blastocyst rates were 30.8% and 31.8%, respectively. There were no significant differences in any of the endpoints (Table 1). There were no significant differences between the two groups in clinical pregnancy and miscarriage rates after single frozen thawed blastocyst transfer (Table 2). Conclusion: In the patients in this study, the clinical outcomes of PICSI were equivalent to those of the conventional method, and the clinical benefit of PICSI was not demonstrated. In the future, it will be necessary to examine the conditions under which PICSI is effective

Meiotic spindle size is a strong indicator of human oocyte quality

Abstract Purpose To investigate the relationship between the meiotic spindle size in human metaphase II oocytes and embryo developmental potential after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Methods Analyzed were 1302 oocytes with a visible meiotic spindle from 281 patients aged under 40 years undergoing ICSI cycles. The meiotic spindle was imaged by using PolScope before ICSI. The oocytes were classified into three groups, according to spindle size: group A (120 μm2). Results Overall, 389 (29.9%) oocytes were classified into group A, 662 (50.8%) into group B, and 251 (19.3%) into group C. The fertilization rate of the group B oocytes was significantly higher than for the A and C oocytes. The blastocyst formation rate in group B was significantly higher than in group A. In addition, the pregnancy rate in group B was significantly higher than in the other two groups. Conclusion The oocytes with a spindle size of 90‐120 μm2 showed higher fertilization, blastocyst formation, and clinical pregnancy rates than those with larger or smaller spindles. The measurement of the meiotic spindle size thus has a positive predictive value for identifying human embryo developmental potential clinically

Phase II trial of a non‐platinum triplet for patients with advanced non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) overexpressing ERCC1 messenger RNA

Background We prospectively evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of a non‐platinum triplet regimen for patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) expected to be platinum‐resistant. Methods Patients were diagnosed with NSCLC using endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath as a core biopsy. RNA was immediately isolated from unfixed biopsy specimens, and quantitative real‐time reverse transcription‐PCR assays were performed to determine ERCC1 messenger RNA expression. Patients with advanced, untreated NSCLC showing high ERCC1 levels (ΔCt ≧ 6.5) were assigned a non‐platinum triplet regimen of irinotecan and paclitaxel plus bevacizumab. The primary end point was the objective response rate (ORR). Results A total of 141 untreated patients were evaluated and 30 patients were entered into this phase II trial. The ORR was 66.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 47.2–82.7) and median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 215 days. Grade 4 thrombosis occurred in one patient, but other toxicities were mild and controllable. Fifty‐six patients were treated with platinum‐containing regimens and 24 patients responded (ORR 42.8%, 95% CI 29.7–56.7). Twenty‐nine of these patients had high ERCC1 levels, of which 6 patients responded; 27 patients had low ERCC1 levels, 18 patients responded (P = 0.0053 by Fisher’s exact test). Conclusion The triplet combination might be effective for patients with advanced, untreated NSCLC overexpressing ERCC1. ERCC1 messenger RNA levels may be a predictive factor for response to platinum‐containing regimens

Contribution of senescence in human endometrial stromal cells during proliferative phase to embryo receptivity

Successful assisted reproductive technology pregnancy depends on the viability of embryos and endometrial receptivity. However, the literature has neglected effects of the endometrial environment during the proliferative phase on implantation success or failure. Human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs) were isolated from endometrial tissues sampled at oocyte retrieval during the proliferative phase from women undergoing infertility treatment. Primary hESC cultures were used to investigate the relationship between stemness and senescence induction in this population and embryo receptivity. Patients were classified as receptive or non-receptive based on their pregnancy diagnosis after embryo transfer. Biomarkers of cellular senescence and somatic stem cells were compared between each sample. hESCs from non-receptive patients exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.01) proportions of senescent cells, mRNA expressions of CDKN2A and CDKN1A transcripts (P < 0.01), and expressions of genes encoding the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (P < 0.05). hESCs from receptive patients had significantly higher (P < 0.01) mRNA expressions of ABCG2 and ALDH1A1 transcripts. Our findings suggest that stemness is inversely associated with senescence induction in hESCs and, by extension, that implantation failure in infertility treatment may be attributable to a combination of senescence promotion and disruption of this maintenance function in this population during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle. This is a promising step towards potentially improving the embryo receptivity of endometrium. The specific mechanism by which implantation failure is prefigured by a loss of stemness among endometrial stem cells, and cellular senescence induction among hESCs, should be elucidated in detail in the future