title: Ovarian stimulation reduces IL-6 release from mouse and human pre-implantation embryos.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In our previous study, ovarian stimulation retarded post-implantation development and caused 92 genes, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), to be differentially expressed in mouse blastocysts. None of them had been tested at protein level, In this study, we confirm the level change of IL-6 mRNA in mouse blastocysts and IL-6 protein release to the culture medium from mouse and human pre-implantation embryos.
  
  
  METHODS
  IL-6 mRNA were measured by PCR and IL-6 release to the culture medium were measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Superovulation caused a 1.95-fold reduction in IL-6 mRNA in mouse blastocysts and reduced IL-6 secretion into the culture medium in mouse zygotes which were developed to the blastocyst stage (6.397 ± 0.635 versus 4.799 ± 0.312 pg/mL). Ovarian stimulation also significantly reduced IL-6 release into the culture medium in human zygotes which were cultured for 2 days (4.713 ± 0.945 versus 4.543 ± 0.796 pg/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that IL-6 might serve as a candidate marker for evaluating embryo developmental competence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, TangDu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xinyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D015536:Down-Regulation; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013480:Superovulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015053:Zygote / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003470:Culture Media; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone