Abstract
The study was aimed at investigating the influence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone on oocyte maturation in the patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A total of 54 patients with PCOS who received in vitro maturation (IVM) treatment in the Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, were divided into two groups: one group who underwent hCG injections was the observation group (OG; n = 27) and other was the control group (CG; n = 27) with no hCG injection. The oocyte development and the expression of steroid hormone synthesis-related genes including gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), Conexin43, epidermal growth factor-related genes, luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR), epiregulin (EREG), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were examined. The human ovarian granulosa cell line (SVOG cells) and ovarian epithelial cell line (HOSEpiC cells) were employed to analyze the effect of hCG on the biological behaviour of cells. As a result, OG showed higher normal fertilization, cleavage, and high-qualified embryo rate than CG. Expression levels of GnRHR, Cx43, LHCGR, EREG, and VEGF were significantly elevated in granulosa cells in the OG group. Western blot revealed that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and rapamycin (mTOR) proteins were decreased in granulosa cells under hCG intervention. A biological behaviour test indicated that the multiplication capacity of hCG-intervened SVOG and HOSEpiC was increased, while the apoptosis was decreased. In conclusion, hCG could accelerate follicular development and oocyte maturation by activating oocyte maturation genes in PCOS patients, which could significantly improve and popularize the application of IVM technology.