Comparing various protocols of human and bovine ovarian tissue decellularization to prepare extracellular matrix-alginate scaffold for better follicle development in vitro

Background: Nowadays, the number of cancer survivors is significantly increasing as a result of efficient chemo/radio therapeutic treatments. Female cancer survivors may suffer from decreased fertility. In this regard, different fertility preservation techniques were developed. Artificial ovary is one of these methods suggested by several scientific groups. Decellularized ovarian cortex has been introduced as a scaffold in the field of human fertility preservation. This study was carried out to compare decellularization of the ovarian scaffold by various protocols and evaluate the follicle survival in extracellular matrix (ECM)-alginate scaffold. Results: The micrographs of H&E and DAPI staining confirmed successful decellularization of the ovarian cortex in all experimental groups, but residual DNA content in SDS-Triton group was significantly higher than other groups (P < 0.05). SEM images demonstrated that complex fiber network and porosity structure were maintained in all groups. Furthermore, elastin and collagen fibers were observed in all groups after decellularization process. MTT test revealed higher cytobiocompatibility of the SDS-Triton-Ammonium and SDS-Triton decellularized scaffolds compared with SDS groups. Compared to the transferred follicles into the sodium alginate (81), 85.9 of the transferred follicles into the decellularized scaffold were viable after 7 days of cultivation (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Although all the decellularization procedures was effective in removal of cells from ovarian cortex, SDS-Triton-Ammonium group showed less residual DNA content with higher cytobiocompatibility for follicles when compared with other groups. In addition, the scaffold made from ovarian tissues decellularized using SDS-Triton-Ammonium and sodium alginate is suggested as a potential 3D substrate for in vitro culture of follicles for fertility preservation. © 2021, The Author(s)

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017 : A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Vitamin D decreases CD40L gene expression in ulcerative colitis patients: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The interaction of CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD40 triggers the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. It has been proposed that vitamin D deficiency might be an important factor, which causes or aggregates the autoimmune situations. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of vitamin D on CD40L gene expression in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety mild-to-moderate UC patients were randomized to receive a single injection of 7.5 mg cholecalciferol or 1 mL normal saline. At baseline and 90 days following the intervention, RNA samples from whole blood were obtained. Fold changes in CD40L mRNA expression were determined for each patient using the 2-��Cq method. The data were analyzed. RESULTS: The serum levels of vitamin D and calcium increased only in the vitamin D group (p<0.05). Relative to baseline values, the CD40L gene expression fold change was significantly lower in the vitamin D group compared with the placebo group (median±interquartile range: 0.34±0.30 vs 0.43±1.20, respectively, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that vitamin D administration in mild-to-moderate UC patients led to the downregulation of the CD40L gene, which is an essential part of inflammatory pathways

The myo-inositol effect on the oocyte quality and fertilization rate among women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing assisted reproductive technology cycles: a randomized clinical trial

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of myo-Inositol administration on oocyte quality, fertilization rate and embryo quality in patients with PCOS during assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles. Methods: Fifty infertile PCOS patients were randomly designated in two groups. In the study group, patients received daily doses of 4 g myo-Inositol combined with 400 mg folic acid and in the control group patients received only 400 mg folic acid from 1 month before starting the antagonist cycle until the day of ovum pick up. Oocyte and embryo qualities were assessed according to European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) guidelines. The gene expression of PGK1, RGS2 and CDC42 as a factor of oocyte quality in granulosa cells was analyzed using real-time RT-PCR. Levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated by chemiluminescence assay in follicular fluid. Results: The percentage of metaphase II oocyte, fertilization rate and embryo quality significantly improved in the study group (p < 0.05), but the number of retrieved oocytes and follicle count were not statistically different between groups. Furthermore, the gene expression of PGK1, RGS2 and CDC42 was significantly higher in the study group (p < 0.05) but no differences were found between two groups in terms of TAC and ROS levels. Conclusions: The present study findings suggest that myo-Inositol alters the gene expression in granulosa cells and improves oocyte and embryo quality among PCOS patients undergoing ART. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature