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Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor and its receptor in preimplantation embryos
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei.
Objective:
To examine the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and its receptor (LIF-R) transcripts in human and murine preimplantation embryos.
Design:
Prospective study.
Setting:
University medical center.
Patient(S):
Human oocytes were obtained from patients undergoing IVF treatment. Two-cell murine embryos were obtained from ICR strain mice.
Intervention(S):
Second-day intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedures were performed on oocytes that failed to be fertilized by IVF. Embryos were cultured to various stages and collected for study.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
The transcript levels of LIF and LIF-R in these embryos were examined and semiquantitated using single-cell reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction methodology.
Result(S):
Leukemia inhibitory factor and LIF-R transcripts were detectable in most human preimplantation embryos (30 of 34 and 31 of 34 embryos showed LIF and LIF-R messenger RNA, respectively). There was a trend toward decreased expression of both transcripts in embryos at the four-cell stage and in embryos in which growth had been arrested for 24-48 hours. The expression of LIF and LIF-R genes in murine embryos was inconsistent.
Conclusion(S):
Preimplantation human embryos express LIF and LIF-R messenger RNA. It is suggested that LIF may be able to affect embryo development through its action at stages before implantation in an autocrine or paracrine manner.