Reproductive Biology

Fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) plays critical roles in oocyte maturation and embryonic development; however, the specific pathway by which FGF10 promotes in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes remains elusive. The present study was aimed at investigating the mechanism underlying effects of the FGF10-mediated extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) pathway on oocyte maturation and embryonic development in vitro. MEK1/2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase) inhibitor U0126, alone or in combination with FGF10, was added to the maturation culture medium during maturation of the cumulus oocyte complex...

Deregulation of the relaxin family peptide system (RFPS) appears to increase the risk of range of cancers, including epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC). The present study examines the effect of relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1) level on the biological properties of human epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma cells (OVCAR4 and SKOV3). RXFP1 was downregulated (RXFP1↓) in the cells using the RXFP1 sgRNA CRISPR All-in-One Lentivirus set (pLenti-U6-sgRNA-SFFV-Cas9-2A-Puro), and upregulated (RXFP1↑) using the RXFP1 CRISPRa sgRNA Lentivector (pLenti-U6-sgRNA-PGK-Neo) kit, which activates the RXFP1 gene when paired with dCas9-SAM...

The impact of estrogen supplementation during the follicular/proliferative phase on the endometrial lining thickness (EMT) prior to intrauterine insemination (IUI) remains largely unstudied. Our study examined changes in EMT and rates of clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth for all patients who completed an IUI cycle at Stanford Fertility Center from 2017-2023 (n = 2281 cycles). Cycles with estradiol supplementation (n = 309) were compared to reference cycles without supplementation (n = 1972), with the reference cohort further categorized into cycles with a pre-ovulatory EMT of < 7 mm ("thin-lining", n = 536) and ≥ 7 mm ("normal-lining", n = 1436)...

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This study aims to elucidate the effects of Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in fibrosis development in intrauterine adhesion (IUA), and the associated underlying mechanisms are also explored, which are expected to be a potential therapeutic scheme for IUA. In this research, PRP was obtained and prepared from the peripheral venous blood of rats. A rat model was induced by mechanical injury. Further, PRP was directly injected into the uterus for treatment. The appearance and shape of the uterus were assessed based on the tissues harvested...

Women may be more susceptible to infections in the luteal phase, supposedly as a consequence of the hormone progesterone and its immunosuppressive action. While immunosuppression may be important for successful oocyte implantation and pregnancy, it makes women more vulnerable to pathogens. According to theory, to compensate for reduced immunocompetence, women in the luteal phase exhibit proactive behavioral responses, such as disgust and avoidance of disease-associated stimuli, to minimize contagion risk. However, previous studies yielded inconsistent results, and did not account for accompanying proactive immune responses, like the increase of secretory immunoglobin A (sIgA)...

Since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there have been rising concerns about the virus's possible ability to affect male and female fertility. Although effective vaccines were introduced and the vaccination rate of the general population is high, some reproductive-age individuals are still hesitant to receive the vaccine, because of an unestablished belief that the vaccine might impair fertility. In this single-center retrospective study, encompassing data from 387 medical files of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) patients we compared IVF cycle outcomes and sperm characteristics in vaccinated couples before and after vaccination, as well as between vaccinated patients and a control group of individuals who were neither vaccinated nor infected with COVID-19 before or during the cycles...

Conflicting findings have emerged regarding the levels of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in individuals experiencing adverse pregnancy outcomes. Here we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between maternal blood HMGB1 levels and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Utilizing databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), a systematic literature search was conducted in January 2024. Eligible literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria...

It was reported previously that in adult males disruption of both androgen and Notch signaling impairs spermatid development and germ cell survival in rodent seminiferous epithelium. To explain the molecular mechanisms of these effects, we focused on the interaction between Notch signaling and androgen receptor (AR) in Sertoli cells and investigate its role in the control of proteins involved in apical ectoplasmic specializations, actin remodeling during spermiogenesis, and induction of germ cell apoptosis...

Pre- and/or post-natal administrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in experimental animals cause alterations in the spermatogenesis. However, the mechanism by which DEHP affects fertility is unknown and could be through alterations in the survival and differentiation of the gonocytes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a single administration of DEHP in newborn mice on gonocytic proliferation, differentiation and survival and its long-term effects on seminiferous epithelium and sperm quality...

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological condition characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity., accounting for 7% of all female malignant tumors and 20%- 30% of malignant tumors of the female reproductive system. Multiple studies have shown that circular RNA (circRNA) has the potential to become a targeted target and marker for EM. However, the roles of circ_0001495 in EM are still unclear. Our research aims to reveal the molecular mechanism of circ_0001495 in EM...

Calpain role has been shown in the cumulus cell-oocyte complexes and, corpus luteum. We investigated the association of calpains-1 and -2 in ovarian folliculogenesis using the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model and steroidogenesis in the human granulosa cells (hGCs). We induced PCOS in 42-day-old SD rats by letrozole oral gavage for 21 days. Premature ovarian failure (POF) was induced in 21-day-old SD rats by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD). Ovulation and ovarian hyperstimulatory (OHS) syndrome were induced by pregnant mare gonadotropin (PMSG) + human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatments in 21 days SD rats, respectively...

Glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor and can act on the activity of certain enzymes of metabolism subsequently altering some functions such as reproduction. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the involvement of glyphosate based-herbicide (GBH) in spermatogenesis disruption and to investigate which cells of the adult Wistar rat testis are most affected by short-term exposure to GBH. Treated groups received a diluted solution of GBH orally for 21 days (D1: 102.5 mg/Kg; D2: 200 mg/Kg; D3: 400 mg/Kg)...

The quality of the recipient cytoplasm was reported as a crucial factor in maintaining the vitality of SCNT embryos and SCNT efficiency for dairy cows. Compared with oocytes matured in vivo, oocytes matured in vitro showed abnormal accumulation and metabolism of cytoplasmic lipids. L-carnitine treatment was found to control fatty acid transport into the mitochondrial β-oxidation pathway, which improved the process of lipid metabolism. The results of this study show that 0.5 mg/ml L-carnitine significantly reduced the cytoplasmic lipid content relative to control...

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common endocrine disorder in reproductive-age women. Accordingly, abnormal microenvironment may negatively influence oocyte developmental competence as a result of the altered expression profile of cumulus cells (CCs), mainly the key players of oocyte maturation, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and prostaglandin E receptor-2 (PTGER2). This study aimed to examine the expression levels of miR-514, miR-642b, and their candidate target genes (EGFR and PTGER2, respectively) in CCs of immature and mature oocytes in patients with PCOS...

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) refers to endometrial fibrosis caused by irreversible damage of the endometrial basal layer. As the key regulators in tissue repair, regeneration, and fibrosis, macrophages play an essential role in endometrial regeneration and repair during the normal menstrual cycle. However, the mechanism of macrophages involved in IUA remains unclear. METHODS: In the late stages of proliferation, the endometrium was collected to make paraffin sections...

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a well-studied member of the lysophospholipid family, is known to exert an important bio-effect on oocyte maturation and ovulation in mammals. We attempted to determine how follicle maturation in the rat ovary affects the levels of LPA and its precursor lysophospholipids, as well as mRNA levels of LPA-producing and -degrading enzymes and LPA receptors in rats that received gonadotropin-hyper-stimulation. Tissue levels of lysophospholipids were quantified by LC-MS/MS, and relative mRNA expression levels of LPA-producing and -degrading enzymes, and LPA receptors were measured by RT-PCR...

Calorie restriction (CR) is an intervention that promotes longevity and preserves the ovarian reserve. Some studies have observed that the positive impacts of CR can be linked to restriction of protein (PR) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) independent of calorie intake. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of protein and BCAA restriction to 30% CR on the ovarian reserve of female mice. For this, 3 month-old C57BL/6 female mice (n = 35) were randomized into four groups for four months dietary interventions including: control group (CTL; n = 8), 30% CR (CR; n = 9), protein restriction (PR; n = 9) and BCAA restriction (BCAAR; n = 9)...

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious complication, and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFLT1) released from the placenta is one of the causes of PE pathology. Trophoblasts are the primary source of sFLT1; however, monocytes/macrophages exist enough in the placenta can also secrete sFLT1. Sterile inflammatory responses, especially NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream gasdermin D (GSDMD)-regulated pyroptosis, may be involved in the development of PE pathology. In this study, we investigated whether human monocyte/macrophage cell line THP-1 cells secrete sFLT1 depending on the NLRP3 inflammasome and GSDMD...

Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening disease that severely harms pregnant women and infants' health but has a poorly understood etiology. Peptidomics can supply important information about the occurrence of diseases. However, application of peptidomics in preeclamptic placentas has never been reported. We conducted a comparative peptidomics analysis of PE placentas and performed bio-informatics analysis on differentially expressed peptides. Effects of differential peptide 405 SPLFMGKVVNPTQK418 on the behaviors of trophoblasts and angiogenesis were assessed by CCK8, transwell assays, and tube network formation assays...