title: Zinc concentrations in serum and follicular fluid during ovarian stimulation and expression of Zn2+ transporters in human oocytes and cumulus cells.
abstract: Serum and follicular fluid zinc concentrations were investigated in patients undergoing assisted reproductive treatment. No correlation was found between zinc and oestradiol concentrations in serum. At the time of oocyte retrieval, zinc concentrations in follicular fluid were significantly lower than serum concentrations (P<0.0001). The expression of the two families of zinc transporters, ZnT and ZiP, as well as the metal regulatory transcription factors, MTF1 and 2, and metallothioneins, which are both involved in regulatory aspects of zinc transport, was assayed in cumulus cells and in germinal-vesicle oocytes. Most of the zinc transporters, metallothioneins and metal regulatory transcription factor are expressed in oocytes and not in cumulus cells. This may indicate an important role for zinc, in particular with potential linking to genome stability during early embryonic development. In contrast, cumulus cells seem to be at the end of their life's journey, with weak expression of transcriptional activity linked to cellular housekeeping.
authors.affiliation: UNILABS Laboratoire d'Eylau, 55 rue Saint Didier, Paris, France. yves.menezo@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ménézo
authors.forename: Laurène
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pluntz
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chouteau
authors.forename: Timur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gurgan
authors.forename: Aygul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demirol
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalleac
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benkhalifa
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; C017800:zinc-binding protein; D004958:Estradiol; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc