Melatonin modulates granulosa cell angiogenesis differently in female- and male-factor infertility

Objective: To analyze the effects of melatonin on angiogenesis in cultured granulosa cells from women undergoing in vitro fertilization, comparing those with female-factor versus male-factor infertility. Methods: Granulosa cells were obtained from 47 women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment, including 31 women with female-factor (FFG) and 16 women with male-factor infertility (MFG). Cells from both groups were cultured and divided into four treatment conditions for 96 h: a) control (culture medium without melatonin); b) vehicle (melatonin diluent–ethanol); c) 0.1 µM melatonin; and d) 10 µM melatonin. Expression of 84 genes involved in angiogenesis signaling pathway was analyzed by real-time PCR. Results: Cultured granulosa cells from both groups expressed aromatase and melatonin receptors. In both groups, cell proliferation peaked at 72 h when exposed to 10 µM melatonin. Of the 84 analyzed genes, three showed significant differential mRNA expression. In the MFG, melatonin at 10 µM upregulated VEGF-B mRNA expression in granulosa cells but downregulated PDGFA and HGF mRNA expression, in contrast to the higher expression of these genes in the FFG under identical conditions. Conclusion: Melatonin differentially modulates angiogenesis-related gene expression in granulosa cells, indicating that its effects may depend on infertility type and melatonin dose in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.