Follicular metabolic changes and effects on oocyte quality in polycystic ovary syndrome patients Follicular metabolic changes and effects on oocyte quality in polycystic ovary syndrome patients

Poor oocyte quality is responsible for female infertility. Multiple studies have been carried out to find supplements to enhance oocyte quality and mitigate infertility problems. l‐carnitine and its derivatives have diverse roles in developing oocytes and early embryos. This review focuses on the in vitro and in vivo studies that using l‐carnitine alone or in combination with other supplements for oocyte quality enhancement. The key roles of l‐carnitine in oocyte quality and embryo growth were summarized, and the underlying mechanism was also elucidated. l‐carnitine helps in the lipid metabolism process by controlling the transfer of fatty acids to mitochondria for β‐oxidation. l‐carnitine modulates glucose metabolism and enhances respiratory chain enzyme activity. Furthermore, it acts as an antioxidant to prevent oxidative damage and inhibit apoptosis, a signal in response to oxidative stress. Results show the potential of l‐carnitine as a potential agent in assisted reproductive technology to improve oocyte quality and the subsequent embryonic development.

The HLA class Ib molecule is an alloantigen that causes transplant rejection on behalf of individual human and plays an important role in maternal-fetal immune tolerance. Early studies on HLA class Ib focused on the mechanism of HLA-G-induced immune escape, but in recent years, studies on the mechanism of HLA-G have deepened and gradually explored the mechanism of HLA-E and HLA-F, which are also HLA class Ib molecules. In the maternal-fetal interface, trophoblast cells express HLA class Ib molecules to protect the fetus from maternal immune cells by binding to inhibitory receptors of decidual immune cells (DICs) and shifting Th1/Th2 balance toward Th2 bias. Further studies on the molecular mechanism of HLA class Ib molecules provide a reference for its application in the field of clinical assisted reproduction.

A series of pairwise alkyl-decahydronaphthalene isomers were identified in petroleum geological samples by GC × GC/TOFMS.

Renal calculi (RC) represent a prevalent disease of the urinary system characterized by a high incidence rate. The traditional clinical diagnosis of RC emphasizes imaging and stone composition analysis. However, the significance of metabolic status in RC diagnosis and prevention remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate serum metabolites in RC patients to identify those associated with RC and to develop a metabolite-based diagnostic model. We employed nontargeted metabolomics utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry (UPLC‒MS) to compare serum metabolites between RC patients and healthy controls. Our findings demonstrated significant disparities in serum metabolites, particularly in fatty acids and glycerophospholipids, between the two groups. Notably, the glycerophospholipid (GP) metabolic pathway in RC patients was significantly disrupted. Logistic regression models using differentially abundant metabolites revealed that elevated levels of 2-butyl-4-methyl phenol and reduced levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (P-16:0/22:6(4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)) had the most substantial effect on RC risk. Overall, our study indicates that RC induces notable alterations in serum metabolites and that the diagnostic model based on these metabolites effectively distinguishes RC. This research offers promising insights and directions for further diagnostic and mechanistic studies on RC.