Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26553294›Full record

ArticleReproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E2015

Metabolites involved in cellular communication among human cumulus-oocyte-complex and sperm during in vitro fertilization.

María José Gómez-Torres, Eva María García, Jaime Guerrero, Sonia Medina, María José Izquierdo-Rico, Ángel Gil-Izquierdo, Jesús Orduna, María Savirón, Leopoldo González-Brusi, Jorge Ten and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Techniques to Determine Mammalian Sperm Capacitation.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

María José Gómez-TorresDepartment of Biotechnology, University of Alicante, 99, Carretera de San Vicente s/n, Alicante, 03016, Spain. mjose.gomez@ua.es.
Eva María GarcíaDepartment of Biotechnology, University of Alicante, 99, Carretera de San Vicente s/n, Alicante, 03016, Spain.
Jaime GuerreroInstituto Bernabeu of Fertility and Gynecology, Alicante, 03016, Spain.
Sonia MedinaResearch Group on Quality, Safety and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, Food Science and Technology Department, CEBAS-CSIC, Espinardo (Murcia), Spain.
María José Izquierdo-RicoDepartment of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Mare Nostrum, Espinardo 30100 and IMIB, Murcia, Spain.
Ángel Gil-IzquierdoResearch Group on Quality, Safety and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, Food Science and Technology Department, CEBAS-CSIC, Espinardo (Murcia), Spain.
Jesús OrdunaInstitute of Materials Science of Aragon, CSIC-University of Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain.
María SavirónInstitute of Materials Science of Aragon, CSIC-University of Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain.
Leopoldo González-BrusiDepartment of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Mare Nostrum, Espinardo 30100 and IMIB, Murcia, Spain.
Jorge TenDepartment of Biotechnology, University of Alicante, 99, Carretera de San Vicente s/n, Alicante, 03016, Spain.
Rafael BernabeuInstituto Bernabeu of Fertility and Gynecology, Alicante, 03016, Spain.
Manuel AvilésDepartment of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Mare Nostrum, Espinardo 30100 and IMIB, Murcia, Spain.
Instituto Bernabeu · ESUniversidad de Murcia · ESCentro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura · ESInstituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla · ESUniversity of Alicante · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFertilization is a key physiological process for the preservation of the species. Consequently, different mechanisms affecting the sperm and the oocyte have been developed to ensure a successful fertilization. Thus, sperm acrosome reaction is necessary for the egg coat penetration and sperm-oolema fusion. Several molecules are able to induce the sperm acrosome reaction; however, this process should be produced coordinately in time and in the space to allow the success of fertilization between gametes. The goal of this study was to analyze the metabolites secreted by cumulus-oocyte-complex (COC) to find out new components that could contribute to the induction of the human sperm acrosome reaction and other physiological processes at the time of gamete interaction and fertilization.

methodsFor the metabolomic analysis, eighteen aliquots of medium were used in each group, containing: a) only COC before insemination and after 3 h of incubation; b) COC and capacitated spermatozoa after insemination and incubated for 16-20 hours; c) only capacitated sperm after 16-20 h in culture and d) only fertilization medium as control. Six patients undergoing assisted reproduction whose male partners provided normozoospermic samples were included in the study. Seventy-two COC were inseminated.

resultsThe metabolites identified were monoacylglycerol (MAG), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and phytosphingosine (PHS). Analysis by PCR and in silico of the gene expression strongly suggests that the cumulus cells contribute to the formation of the PHS and LPC.

conclusionsLPC and PHS are secreted by cumulus cells during in vitro fertilization and they could be involved in the induction of human acrosome reaction (AR). The identification of new molecules with a paracrine effect on oocytes, cumulus cells and spermatozoa will provide a better understanding of gamete interaction.

Indexed as

Acrosome ReactionCell CommunicationCumulus CellsFemaleFertilization in VitroHumansLysophosphatidylcholinesMaleMonoglyceridesOocytesSpermatozoaSperm CapacitationSperm-Ovum InteractionsSphingosineLysophosphatidylcholinesMonoglyceridesphytosphingosineSphingosine

Identifiers

PMID26553294
PMCPMC4640411
OpenAlexW2135615448

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.