MicroRNA profiling of human follicular fluid and MII oocytes

This study is focused on microRNAs in ovarian follicles and their predicted role in the pathways involved in oocyte growth and maturation. We determined the expression profiles of microRNAs in human oocytes and follicular fluid by high-throughput analysis, and identified the most significant Biological Processes and the pathways regulated by microRNA validated targets. The aim of this study was to identify the miRNAs in the follicular microenvironment and position them within the different compartments of the ovarian follicle identifying the pathways regulated by miRNA targets. Human oocytes and follicular fluid (FF) samples were collected from healthy women undergone intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI). FF of individual follicles was kept separated until decumulation of the oocytes to collect only the FF in which nuclear mature oocytes (metaphase II) had been identified. A total of 12 mature MII oocytes, two oocytes per woman, showing normal morphology, and 6 pools of FF were collected from individual follicles of 6 and 15 healthy women respectively, and used for miRNA expression profile analysis.