YF: Patients attitudes towards the surplus frozen embryos

Background. Assisted reproductive techniques have been used in China for more than 20 years. is study investigates the attitudes of surplus embryo holders towards embryos storage and donation for medical research. Methods. A total of 363 couples who had completed in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and had already had biological children but who still had frozen embryos in storage were invited to participate. Interviews were conducted by clinics in a narrative style. Results. Family size was the major reason for participants' (dis)continuation of embryo storage; moreover, the moral status of embryos was an important factor for couples choosing embryo storage, while the storage fee was an important factor for couples choosing embryo disposal. Most couples discontinued the storage of their embryos once their children were older than 3 years. In our study, 58.8% of the couples preferred to dispose of surplus embryos rather than donate them to research, citing a lack of information and distrust in science as signi�cant reasons for their decision. Conclusions. Interviews regarding frozen embryos, including patients' expectations for embryo storage and information to assist them with decisions regarding embryo disposal, are bene�cial for policies addressing embryo disposition and embryo donation in China

Patients' Attitudes towards the Surplus Frozen Embryos in China

Background. Assisted reproductive techniques have been used in China for more than 20 years. This study investigates the attitudes of surplus embryo holders towards embryos storage and donation for medical research. Methods. A total of 363 couples who had completed in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and had already had biological children but who still had frozen embryos in storage were invited to participate. Interviews were conducted by clinics in a narrative style. Results. Family size was the major reason for participants’ (dis)continuation of embryo storage; moreover, the moral status of embryos was an important factor for couples choosing embryo storage, while the storage fee was an important factor for couples choosing embryo disposal. Most couples discontinued the storage of their embryos once their children were older than 3 years. In our study, 58.8% of the couples preferred to dispose of surplus embryos rather than donate them to research, citing a lack of information and distrust in science as significant reasons for their decision. Conclusions. Interviews regarding frozen embryos, including patients’ expectations for embryo storage and information to assist them with decisions regarding embryo disposal, are beneficial for policies addressing embryo disposition and embryo donation in China

The Involvement of p53-miR-34a-CDK4 Signaling During the Development of Cervical Cancer

Aim: The aim was to explore the epigenetic mechanisms underlying cervical oncogenesis, we compared the level of microRNA-34a (miR-34a), p53, and cell cycle-related protein CDK4 within normal cervical tissue, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III (CINIII) tissue, and cervical cancer tissue. Methods: Fresh normal cervical tissue, CINIII tissue, and cervical cancer tissue specimens were collected from patients not receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy prior to surgery. Stem-loop real-time polymerase chain reaction was employed to analyze the level of miR-34a. p53 was detected by immunohistochemistry, and cell cycle-related protein CDK4 was detected by Western blot. Results: The positive rates of p53 in CINIII and cervical cancer tissues were 35% and 68%, respectively (P < 0.01) while no p53 was detected in normal cervical tissue. miR-34a levels in CINIII and cervical cancer tissues were significantly down-regulated (0.53 ± 0.13-fold and 0.11 ± 0.07-fold, compared with normal cervical tissue, P < 0.01). CDK4 level in CINIII (0.31 ± 0.02) and cervical cancer (0.64 ± 0.04) tissue were significantly higher than that of normal cervical tissue (0.18 ± 0.01, P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the differences between the levels of these molecules in cervical cancer tissue and in CINIII tissue were notable (P < 0.05). Conclusion: With the progression of cervical cancer lesions, the positive rate of p53 was greatly increased which may indicate its mutation, while miR-34a was down-regulated and CDK4 was up-regulated, which suggested that all these factors might be involved in the process of cervical oncogenesis

Selenium Dioxide Induced Apoptosis in Cervical Cancer Cells via Regulating Apoptosis-related Let-7a MicroRNA and Proteins

Aim: To investigate the effects of selenium dioxide (SeO2) on the apoptosis and the involved epigenetic mechanisms in two cervical cancer cell lines. Methods: Human cervical carcinoma cell lines HeLa and CaSki were treated with 1.875–30 µmol/L SeO2 for 24 h. Morphological changes were observed by optical microscope; anti-proliferative effects were examined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay; flow cytometry (FCM) was employed to detect the cell apoptosis; real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of let-7a; and the levels of caspase-3 and p53 proteins in HeLa cells were determined by Western blot analysis. Differences between the mean values of multiple groups were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance or Student's t test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Compared to control group, obvious morphological changes were observed in the SeO2 group. SeO2 significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited cell proliferation and viability in a dose-dependent manner (7.5 μmol/L, 15 μmol/L, and 30 μmol/L of SeO2), as demonstrated by MTT assay. FCM analysis revealed that SeO2, dose dependently, increased the apoptotic rate of the treated cells. SeO2 up-regulated the caspase-3 and p53 levels which peaked at the concentration of 7.5 μmol/L in HeLa cells. It also significantly (P < 0.05) induced the expression of apoptosis-related microRNA let-7a in both cell lines, which reached its peak at the concentration of 7.5 μmol/L. Conclusion: SeO2 showed anti-tumor properties via apoptotic pathway by up-regulating the expressions of let-7a, as well as caspase-3 and p53 in cervical cancer cells