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Sample records for drosophila ovarian follicle

  1. Alginate: A Versatile Biomaterial to Encapsulate Isolated Ovarian Follicles.

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    Vanacker, Julie; Amorim, Christiani A

    2017-07-01

    In vitro culture of ovarian follicles isolated or enclosed in ovarian tissue fragments and grafting of isolated ovarian follicles represent a potential alternative to restore fertility in cancer patients who cannot undergo cryopreservation of embryos or oocytes or transplantation of frozen-thawed ovarian tissue. In this regard, respecting the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of isolated follicles is crucial to maintaining their proper follicular physiology. To this end, alginate hydrogel has been widely investigated using follicles from numerous animal species, yielding promising results. The goal of this review is therefore to provide an overview of alginate applications utilizing the biomaterial as a scaffold for 3D encapsulation of isolated ovarian follicles. Different methods of isolated follicle encapsulation in alginate are discussed in this review, as its use of 3D alginate culture systems as a tool for in vitro follicle analysis. Possible improvements of this matrix, namely modification with arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide or combination with fibrin, are also summarized. Encouraging results have been obtained in different animal models, and particularly with isolated follicles encapsulated in alginate matrices and grafted to mice. This summary is designed to guide the reader towards development of next-generation alginate scaffolds, with enhanced properties for follicle encapsulation.

  2. Follicle stimulating hormone alleviates radiation-induced degeneration of mouse ovarian follicles

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    Lee, C.J. [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, J.K.; Chun, K.J.

    2000-05-01

    The present study was performed to analyze the influences of (FSH) follicle stimulating hormone and {gamma}-radiation on the morphological changes of ovarian follicles and serum concentrations of testosterone, and estradiol-17{beta} in prepubertal mice. Female mice (ICR strain, three weeks old) were irradiated with 8.33 Gy of {gamma}-ray and followed by a 5 IU i.p.-injection of FSH to know the effect of FSH on the ovarian follicles. Left ovaries were collected at 0 h, 1 d, and 2 d after irradiation or saline/ FSH injection. Another group was received 5 IU of FSH 2 hours before irradiation to analyze the changes of ovarian steroidogenic abilities. By the morphometrical analysis, the number of normal or atretic follicles was counted and the ratio of normal to atretic follicle numbers was calculated. The percentage of atretic follicles was significantly reduced by the treatment of FSH. In the case of the FSH-injected group, the cellular debris caused by radiation was engulfed by the immune cells and the neighboring granulosa cells within the follicles. In concurrence with the morphometric analysis, the changes of the serum concentrations (pg/ml) of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E{sub 2}) were determined by radioimmunoassays. The concentration of T was 336.8{+-}61.3 in the control mice. One day after irradiation, the concentration went up to 484.8{+-}80.0 in the irradiated group, and down to 243.5{+-}80.7 in the FSH-treated one. The concentration of E{sub 2} was 174.9{+-}15.0 in the control group. One day after irradiation, however, the concentration was decreased to 94.8{+-}19.8, and 155.9{+-}8.7 in the irradiated and FSH-treated group, respectively. The alleviation of the follicular degeneration by the treatment of FSH is closely related to the elimination of the cellular debris and to the activities of the steroidogenic enzymes. (Author)

  3. Ultrastructural observations of previtellogenic ovarian follicles of dove.

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    Zarnescu, Otilia

    2004-11-01

    Dove ovarian follicle is a complex structure composed of oocyte surrounded by a somatic compartment consisting of theca externa, theca interna and granulosa. The structure of ovarian follicle (1 and 2 mm) of dove was studied by electron microscopy. The granulosa was pseudostratified in the 1-mm-diameter follicles and stratified with two or three irregular rows of cells in the 2-mm-diameter follicles. In the larger follicle indentations between oocyte and granulosa cells become more numerous and the microvilli of granulosa cell elongated to form a zona radiata with similarly elongated oocyte microvilli. Lining bodies were present at the tips of granulosa microvilli and in the cortical region of the oocyte. In the oocyte cortex were observed coated pits, coated vesicles, dense tubules, multivesicular bodies and primordial yolk spheres. Primordial yolk spheres may contain lining bodies and were observed fused with dense tubules and multivesicular bodies or associated with smooth cisternae.

  4. Maternal undernutrition significantly impacts ovarian follicle number and increases ovarian oxidative stress in adult rat offspring.

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    Angelica B Bernal

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We have shown recently that maternal undernutrition (UN advanced female pubertal onset in a manner that is dependent upon the timing of UN. The long-term consequence of this accelerated puberty on ovarian function is unknown. Recent findings suggest that oxidative stress may be one mechanism whereby early life events impact on later physiological functioning. Therefore, using an established rodent model of maternal UN at critical windows of development, we examined maternal UN-induced changes in offspring ovarian function and determined whether these changes were underpinned by ovarian oxidative stress. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our study is the first to show that maternal UN significantly reduced primordial and secondary follicle number in offspring in a manner that was dependent upon the timing of maternal UN. Specifically, a reduction in these early stage follicles was observed in offspring born to mothers undernourished throughout both pregnancy and lactation. Additionally, antral follicle number was reduced in offspring born to all mothers that were UN regardless of whether the period of UN was restricted to pregnancy or lactation or both. These reductions were associated with decreased mRNA levels of genes critical for follicle maturation and ovulation. Increased ovarian protein carbonyls were observed in offspring born to mothers UN during pregnancy and/or lactation and this was associated with peroxiredoxin 3 hyperoxidation and reduced mRNA levels; suggesting compromised antioxidant defence. This was not observed in offspring of mothers UN during lactation alone. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that maternal UN, particularly at a time-point that includes pregnancy, results in reduced offspring ovarian follicle numbers and mRNA levels of regulatory genes and may be mediated by increased ovarian oxidative stress coupled with a decreased ability to repair the resultant oxidative damage. Together these data are suggestive of

  5. The effects of electromagnetic fields on the number of ovarian primordial follicles: An experimental study.

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    Bakacak, Murat; Bostancı, Mehmet Sühha; Attar, Rukset; Yıldırım, Özge Kizilkale; Yıldırım, Gazi; Bakacak, Zeyneb; Sayar, Hamide; Han, Agahan

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an electromagnetic field (EMF), generated close to the ovaries, on primordial follicles. A total of 16 rats were used in this study. The study group consisted of rats exposed to an EMF in the abdominal region for 15 min/d for 15 days. Both the study and control group were composed of eight rats. After the treatment period of 15 days, the ovaries of the rats were extracted, and sections of ovarian tissue were taken for histological evaluation. The independent samples t test was used to compare the two groups. In the study group, the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers were 34.00 ± 10.20 and 36.00 ± 10.53, respectively. The average total ovarian follicle number was 70.00 ± 19.03. In the control group, the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers were 78.50 ± 25.98 and 71.75 ± 29.66, respectively, and the average total ovarian follicle number was 150.25 ± 49.53. The comparisons of the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers and the means of the total ovarian follicle numbers between the study and control groups indicated that the study group had significantly fewer follicles (p < 0.001, p = 0.011, and p = 0.002, respectively). This study found a significant decrease in the number of ovarian follicles in rats exposed to an EMF. Further clinical studies are needed to reveal the effects of EMFs on ovarian reserve and infertility. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

  6. The effects of electromagnetic fields on the number of ovarian primordial follicles: An experimental study

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    Murat Bakacak

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an electromagnetic field (EMF, generated close to the ovaries, on primordial follicles. A total of 16 rats were used in this study. The study group consisted of rats exposed to an EMF in the abdominal region for 15 min/d for 15 days. Both the study and control group were composed of eight rats. After the treatment period of 15 days, the ovaries of the rats were extracted, and sections of ovarian tissue were taken for histological evaluation. The independent samples t test was used to compare the two groups. In the study group, the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers were 34.00 ± 10.20 and 36.00 ± 10.53, respectively. The average total ovarian follicle number was 70.00 ± 19.03. In the control group, the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers were 78.50 ± 25.98 and 71.75 ± 29.66, respectively, and the average total ovarian follicle number was 150.25 ± 49.53. The comparisons of the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers and the means of the total ovarian follicle numbers between the study and control groups indicated that the study group had significantly fewer follicles (p < 0.001, p = 0.011, and p = 0.002, respectively. This study found a significant decrease in the number of ovarian follicles in rats exposed to an EMF. Further clinical studies are needed to reveal the effects of EMFs on ovarian reserve and infertility.

  7. Activation of dormant ovarian follicles to generate mature eggs.

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    Li, Jing; Kawamura, Kazuhiro; Cheng, Yuan; Liu, Shuang; Klein, Cynthia; Liu, Shu; Duan, En-Kui; Hsueh, Aaron J W

    2010-06-01

    Although multiple follicles are present in mammalian ovaries, most of them remain dormant for years or decades. During reproductive life, some follicles are activated for development. Genetically modified mouse models with oocyte-specific deletion of genes in the PTEN-PI3K-Akt-Foxo3 pathway exhibited premature activation of all dormant follicles. Using an inhibitor of the Phosphatase with TENsin homology deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) phosphatase and a PI3K activating peptide, we found that short-term treatment of neonatal mouse ovaries increased nuclear exclusion of Foxo3 in primordial oocytes. After transplantation under kidney capsules of ovariectomized hosts, treated follicles developed to the preovulatory stage with mature eggs displaying normal epigenetic changes of imprinted genes. After in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, healthy progeny with proven fertility were delivered. Human ovarian cortical fragments from cancer patients were also treated with the PTEN inhibitor. After xeno-transplantation to immune-deficient mice for 6 months, primordial follicles developed to the preovulatory stage with oocytes capable of undergoing nuclear maturation. Major differences between male and female mammals are unlimited number of sperm and paucity of mature oocytes. Thus, short-term in vitro activation of dormant ovarian follicles after stimulation of the PI3K-Akt pathway allows the generation of a large supply of mature female germ cells for future treatment of infertile women with a diminishing ovarian reserve and for cancer patients with cryo-preserved ovaries. Generation of a large number of human oocytes also facilitates future derivation of embryonic stem cells for regenerative medicine.

  8. Non-coding RNAs in the Ovarian Follicle

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    Rosalia Battaglia

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The mammalian ovarian follicle is the complex reproductive unit comprising germ cell, somatic cells (Cumulus and Granulosa cells, and follicular fluid (FF: paracrine communication among the different cell types through FF ensures the development of a mature oocyte ready for fertilization. This paper is focused on non-coding RNAs 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 FF by high-throughput analysis and identified 267 microRNAs in FF and 176 in oocytes. Most of these were FF microRNAs, while 9 were oocyte specific. By bioinformatic analysis, independently performed on FF and oocyte microRNAs, we identified the most significant Biological Processes and the pathways regulated by their validated targets. We found many pathways shared between the two compartments and some specific for oocyte microRNAs. Moreover, we found 41 long non-coding RNAs able to interact with oocyte microRNAs and potentially involved in the regulation of folliculogenesis. These data are important in basic reproductive research and could also be useful for clinical applications. In fact, the characterization of non-coding RNAs in ovarian follicles could improve reproductive disease diagnosis, provide biomarkers of oocyte quality in Assisted Reproductive Treatment, and allow the development of therapies for infertility disorders.

  9. Anti-Müllerian hormone inhibits activation and growth of bovine ovarian follicles in vitro and is localized to growing follicles.

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    Yang, M Y; Cushman, R A; Fortune, J E

    2017-05-01

    Does anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) inhibit activation (initiation of growth) of primordial follicles and attenuate the growth of primary follicles in cattle, an excellent animal model for human ovarian follicular development? AMH inhibited activation of bovine primordial follicles and attenuated the growth of activated follicles in vitro. In mice null mutant for AMH, the pool of primordial follicles is depleted prematurely and AMH inhibits follicle activation in vitro. Results of studies with human ovarian tissue in vitro were inconsistent. Our previous work provided indirect evidence that AMH inhibits follicle activation in bovine ovaries. Pieces of fetal bovine ovarian cortex (2 pieces/culture well), obtained during mid or late pregnancy, were cultured in control medium or with graded doses of AMH for 2, 10 or 12 days. Effects of treatment on follicle activation and growth were determined by histological morphometry; follicles in every 20th histological section were staged (primordial or primary), counted, and measured. In addition, AMH was immunolocalized in bovine ovaries obtained at various times during pregnancy (n = 20 ovaries). Bovine fetal ovaries at mid or late gestation were obtained at a commercial abattoir. Pieces of ovarian cortex were cultured without or with AMH and fixed for histological morphometry on Day 0 and at the end of culture. Treatments were applied to duplicate cultures from each of two or three fetuses. In 12-day cultures, addition of AMH was delayed until the third day. Histological analysis provided information about the types, numbers and sizes of follicles in cortical pieces before and after treatments. Ovaries obtained during the second and third trimesters were assessed for the presence of AMH by immunohistochemistry. AMH (100-500 ng/ml) inhibited follicle activation in response to an activator (insulin) in ovarian cortical pieces from fetal ovaries in late gestation. Dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the diameters of primary

  10. Ovarian volume and antral follicle count assessed by MRI and transvaginal ultrasonography: a methodological study.

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    Leonhardt, Henrik; Gull, Berit; Stener-Victorin, Elisabet; Hellström, Mikael

    2014-03-01

    Ultrasonographic measurements of ovarian volume and antral follicle count are of clinical importance as diagnostic features of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and as a parameter in estimation of ovarian follicular reserve in infertility care. To compare two-dimensional (2D)/three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for estimation of ovarian volume and antral follicle count, and to assess reproducibility and inter-observer agreement of MRI measurements. Volumes of 172 ovaries in 99 women aged 21-37 years were calculated (length x width x height x 0.523) with conventional 2D TVUS and 2D MRI. Semi-automatic estimates of ovarian volumes were obtained by 3D MRI. Antral follicles were counted manually on 2D MRI and automatically by 3D TVUS (SonoAVC), and stratified according to follicle size. Mean ovarian volume assessed by 2D TVUS (13.1 ± 6.4 mL) was larger than assessed by 2D MRI (9.6 ± 4.1) and 3D MRI (11.4 ± 4.5) (P 0.77. 2D MRI reveals more antral follicles, especially of small size, than 3D TVUS. Ovarian volume estimation by MRI provides smaller volumes than by the reference standard 2D TVUS. Ovarian volume estimation by 3D MRI, allowing independence of non-ellipsoid ovarian shape measurement errors, provides volumes closer to 2D TVUS values than does 2D MRI. Reproducibility and inter-observer agreement of 2D MRI measurements of ovarian volume and total follicle count are good.

  11. Variation in ovarian follicle density during human fetal development.

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    Geber, Selmo; Megale, Rodrigo; Vale, Fabiene; Lanna, Ana Maria Arruda; Cabral, Antônio Carlos Vieira

    2012-09-01

    To obtain a precise estimate of ovarian follicle density and variation in the number of follicles at several gestational ages during human fetal development. Twelve necropsied ovaries from 9 fetuses (gestational age: 24 to 36 weeks) and 3 neonates (who died within the first hours of life) were studied. Ovaries were fixed with 4 % formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. Serial, 7 mm thick sections of the ovaries were cut and evaluated at every 50 cuts. Follicles were counted in 10 regions (each measuring 625 μm(2)) of the ovarian cortex and the number of follicles per mm³ was calculated. The number of follicles per 0.25 mm² ranged from 10.9 (± 4.8) in a neonate to 34.7 (± 10.6) also in a neonate. Among fetuses, follicle density was lowest at 36 weeks of gestation (11.1 ± 6.2) and highest at 26 weeks (32 ± 8.9). The total number of follicles ranged from 500,000 at the age of 22 weeks to > 1,000,000 at the age of 39 weeks. Our results show a peak in the number of follicles during intrauterine life at approximately 26 weeks, followed by a rapid reduction in this number before birth, providing a step forward towards the understanding of primordial follicular assembly in humans and, ultimately, the identification of the determinants of reproductive capacity.

  12. Development of molecular markers for zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian follicle growth assessment following in-vitro culture in cryopreservation studies.

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    Anil, Siji; Rawson, David; Zhang, Tiantian

    2018-05-29

    Development of in vitro culture protocol for early stage ovarian follicles of zebrafish is important since cryopreserved early stage ovarian follicles would need to be matured in vitro following cryopreservation before they can be fertilised. Development of molecular markers for zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian follicle growth assessment following in vitro culture of early stage zebrafish ovarian follicles in ovarian tissue fragments is reported here for the first time although some work has been reported for in vitro culture of isolated early stage zebrafish ovarian follicles. The main aim of the present study was to develop molecular markers in an optimised in vitro culture protocol for stage I and stage II zebrafish ovarian follicles in ovarian tissue fragments. The effect of concentration of the hormones human chorionic gonadotropin and follicle stimulating hormones, and additives such as Foetal Bovine Serum and Bovine Serum Albumin were studied. The results showed that early stage zebrafish ovarian fragments containing stage I and stage II follicles which are cultured in vitro for 24 h in 20% FBS and 100mIU/ml FSH in 90% L-15 medium at 28 °C can grow to the size of stage II and stage III ovarian follicles respectively. More importantly the follicle growth from stage I to stage II and from stage II to stage III were confirmed using molecular markers such as cyp19a1a (also known as P450aromA) and vtg1 genes respectively. However, no follicle growth was observed following cryopreservation and in vitro culture. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Hydrogel Based 3-Dimensional (3D) System for Toxicity and High-Throughput (HTP) Analysis for Cultured Murine Ovarian Follicles

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    Zhou, Hong; Malik, Malika Amattullah; Arab, Aarthi; Hill, Matthew Thomas; Shikanov, Ariella

    2015-01-01

    Various toxicants, drugs and their metabolites carry potential ovarian toxicity. Ovarian follicles, the functional unit of the ovary, are susceptible to this type of damage at all stages of their development. However, despite of the large scale of potential negative impacts, assays that study ovarian toxicity are limited. Exposure of cultured ovarian follicles to toxicants of interest served as an important tool for evaluation of toxic effects for decades. Mouse follicles cultured on the bottom of a culture dish continue to serve an important approach for mechanistic studies. In this paper, we demonstrated the usefulness of a hydrogel based 3-dimensional (3D) mouse ovarian follicle culture as a tool to study ovarian toxicity in a different setup. The 3D in vitro culture, based on fibrin alginate interpenetrating network (FA-IPN), preserves the architecture of the ovarian follicle and physiological structure-function relationship. We applied the novel 3D high-throughput (HTP) in vitro ovarian follicle culture system to study the ovotoxic effects of an anti-cancer drug, Doxorobucin (DXR). The fibrin component in the system is degraded by plasmin and appears as a clear circle around the encapsulated follicle. The degradation area of the follicle is strongly correlated with follicle survival and growth. To analyze fibrin degradation in a high throughput manner, we created a custom MATLAB® code that converts brightfield micrographs of follicles encapsulated in FA-IPN to binary images, followed by image analysis. We did not observe any significant difference between manually processed images to the automated MATLAB® method, thereby confirming that the automated program is suitable to measure fibrin degradation to evaluate follicle health. The cultured follicles were treated with DXR at concentrations ranging from 0.005 nM to 200 nM, corresponding to the therapeutic plasma levels of DXR in patients. Follicles treated with DXR demonstrated decreased survival rate in

  14. Hydrogel Based 3-Dimensional (3D System for Toxicity and High-Throughput (HTP Analysis for Cultured Murine Ovarian Follicles.

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    Hong Zhou

    Full Text Available Various toxicants, drugs and their metabolites carry potential ovarian toxicity. Ovarian follicles, the functional unit of the ovary, are susceptible to this type of damage at all stages of their development. However, despite of the large scale of potential negative impacts, assays that study ovarian toxicity are limited. Exposure of cultured ovarian follicles to toxicants of interest served as an important tool for evaluation of toxic effects for decades. Mouse follicles cultured on the bottom of a culture dish continue to serve an important approach for mechanistic studies. In this paper, we demonstrated the usefulness of a hydrogel based 3-dimensional (3D mouse ovarian follicle culture as a tool to study ovarian toxicity in a different setup. The 3D in vitro culture, based on fibrin alginate interpenetrating network (FA-IPN, preserves the architecture of the ovarian follicle and physiological structure-function relationship. We applied the novel 3D high-throughput (HTP in vitro ovarian follicle culture system to study the ovotoxic effects of an anti-cancer drug, Doxorobucin (DXR. The fibrin component in the system is degraded by plasmin and appears as a clear circle around the encapsulated follicle. The degradation area of the follicle is strongly correlated with follicle survival and growth. To analyze fibrin degradation in a high throughput manner, we created a custom MATLAB® code that converts brightfield micrographs of follicles encapsulated in FA-IPN to binary images, followed by image analysis. We did not observe any significant difference between manually processed images to the automated MATLAB® method, thereby confirming that the automated program is suitable to measure fibrin degradation to evaluate follicle health. The cultured follicles were treated with DXR at concentrations ranging from 0.005 nM to 200 nM, corresponding to the therapeutic plasma levels of DXR in patients. Follicles treated with DXR demonstrated decreased

  15. Leptin receptor signaling inhibits ovarian follicle development and egg laying in chicken hens

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Nutrition intake during growth strongly influences ovarian follicle development and egg laying in chicken hens, yet the underlying endocrine regulatory mechanism is still poorly understood. The relevant research progress is hindered by difficulties in detection of leptin gene and its expression in the chicken. However, a functional leptin receptor (LEPR) is present in the chicken which has been implicated to play a regulatory role in ovarian follicle development and egg laying. The present study targeted LEPR by immunizing against its extracellular domain (ECD), and examined the resultant ovarian follicle development and egg-laying rate in chicken hens. Methods Hens that have been immunized four times with chicken LEPR ECD were assessed for their egg laying rate and feed intake, numbers of ovarian follicles, gene expression profiles, serum lipid parameters, as well as STAT3 signaling pathway. Results Administrations of cLEPR ECD antigen resulted in marked reductions in laying rate that over time eventually recovered to the levels exhibited by the Control hens. Together with the decrease in egg laying rate, cLEPR-immunized hens also exhibited significant reductions in feed intake, plasma concentrations of glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein. Parallelled by reductions in feed intake, mRNA gene expression levels of AgRP, orexin, and NPY were down regulated, but of POMC, MC4R and lepR up-regulated in Immunized hen hypothalamus. cLEPR-immunization also promoted expressions of apoptotic genes such as caspase3 in theca and fas in granulosa layer, but severely depressed IGF-I expression in both theca and granulosa layers. Conclusions Immunization against cLEPR ECD in egg-laying hens generated antibodies that mimic leptin bioactivity by enhancing leptin receptor transduction. This up-regulated apoptotic gene expression in ovarian follicles, negatively regulated the expression of genes that promote follicular development

  16. Targeting of follicle stimulating hormone peptide-conjugated dendrimers to ovarian cancer cells

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    Modi, Dimple A.; Sunoqrot, Suhair; Bugno, Jason; Lantvit, Daniel D.; Hong, Seungpyo; Burdette, Joanna E.

    2014-02-01

    Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Current treatment modalities include a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, which often lead to loss of fertility in premenopausal women and a myriad of systemic side effects. To address these issues, we have designed poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers to selectively target the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), which is overexpressed by tumorigenic ovarian cancer cells but not by immature primordial follicles and other non-tumorigenic cells. Fluorescein-labeled generation 5 (G5) PAMAM dendrimers were conjugated with the binding peptide domain of FSH (FSH33) that has a high affinity to FSHR. The targeted dendrimers exhibited high receptor selectivity to FSHR-expressing OVCAR-3 cells, resulting in significant uptake and downregulation of an anti-apoptotic protein survivin, while showing minimal interactions with SKOV-3 cells that do not express FSHR. The selectivity of the FSH33-targeted dendrimers was further validated in 3D organ cultures of normal mouse ovaries. Immunostaining of the conjugates revealed their selective binding and uptake by ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) cells that express FSHR, while sparing the immature primordial follicles. In addition, an in vivo study monitoring tissue accumulation following a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of the conjugates showed significantly higher accumulation of FSH33-targeted dendrimers in the ovary and oviduct compared to the non-targeted conjugates. These proof-of-concept findings highlight the potential of these FSH33-targeted dendrimers to serve as a delivery platform for anti-ovarian cancer drugs, while reducing their systemic side effects by preventing nonspecific uptake by the primordial follicles.Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Current treatment modalities include a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, which often lead to loss of fertility in premenopausal women and a myriad of systemic side

  17. Viability of zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian follicles after vitrification in a metal container.

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    Marques, Lis S; Bos-Mikich, Adriana; Godoy, Leandro C; Silva, Laura A; Maschio, Daniel; Zhang, Tiantian; Streit, Danilo P

    2015-12-01

    Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue has been studied for female germline preservation of farm animals and endangered mammalian species. However, there are relatively few reports on cryopreservation of fish ovarian tissue and especially using vitrification approach. Previous studies of our group has shown that the use of a metal container for the cryopreservation of bovine ovarian fragments results in good primordial and primary follicle morphological integrity after vitrification. The aim of this study was to assess the viability and in vitro development of zebrafish follicles after vitrification of fragmented or whole ovaries using the same metal container. In Experiment 1, we tested the follicular viability of five developmental stages following vitrification in four vitrification solutions using fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide fluorescent probes. These results showed that the highest viability rates were obtained with immature follicles (Stage I) and VS1 (1.5 M methanol + 4.5 M propylene glycol). In Experiment 2, we used VS1 to vitrify different types of ovarian tissue (fragments or whole ovaries) in two different carriers (plastic cryotube or metal container). In this experiment, Stage I follicle survival was assessed following vitrification by vital staining after 24 h in vitro culture. Follicular morphology was analyzed by light microscopy after vitrification. Data showed that the immature follicles morphology was well preserved after cryopreservation. Follicular survival rate was higher (P < 0.05) in vitrified fragments, when compared to whole ovaries. There were no significant differences in follicular survival and growth when the two vitrification devices were compared. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Promotion of ovarian follicle growth following mTOR activation: synergistic effects of AKT stimulators.

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    Yuan Cheng

    Full Text Available Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR is a serine/threonine kinase and mTOR signaling is important in regulating cell growth and proliferation. Recent studies using oocyte- and granulosa cell-specific deletion of mTOR inhibitor genes TSC1 or TSC2 demonstrated the important role of mTOR signaling in the promotion of ovarian follicle development. We now report that treatment of ovaries from juvenile mice with an mTOR activator MHY1485 stimulated mTOR, S6K1 and rpS6 phosphorylation. Culturing ovaries for 4 days with MHY1485 increased ovarian explant weights and follicle development. In vivo studies further demonstrated that pre-incubation of these ovaries with MHY1485 for 2 days, followed by allo-grafting into kidney capsules of adult ovariectomized hosts for 5 days, led to marked increases in graft weights and promotion of follicle development. Mature oocytes derived from MHY1485-activated ovarian grafts could be successfully fertilized, leading the delivery of healthy pups. We further treated ovaries with the mTOR activator together with AKT activators (PTEN inhibitor and phosphoinositol-3-kinase stimulator before grafting and found additive enhancement of follicle growth. Our studies demonstrate the ability of an mTOR activator in promoting follicle growth, leading to a potential strategy to stimulate preantral follicle growth in infertile patients.

  19. Ovarian antral follicle subclasses and anti-mullerian hormone during normal reproductive aging

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    Bentzen, J G; Forman, J L; Johannsen, T H

    2013-01-01

    CONTEXT: The interindividual variation in the age-related decline of ovarian follicles is wide. Hence, it is important to identify reliable, sensitive, and specific markers to assess the ovarian reserve of the individual woman. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize the relation bet...

  20. Effects of follicle stimulationg hormone on {gamma}-ray irradiated immature mouse ovarian follicles

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    Kim, Jin Kyu; Lee, Chang Joo; Lee, Young Keun [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Song, Kang Won; Yoon, Yong Dal [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-06-01

    To assess the radioprotective effects of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) on ovarian follicles, 3 week-old female mice were irradiated with 8.33 Gy of {gamma}-ray (group R) and followed by 5 IU ip-injection of FSH (group RF). For control groups, 5 IU of saline (group C) or 5 IU of FSH (group F) was ip-injected. Ovaries were collected 0h, 6h, 12h, 1d, 2d, 4d, and 8d after irradiation or saline/FSH injection, and followed by fixation in neutral buffered formalin for routine histochemistry. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the status of follicles and DNA fragmentation was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis for total DNA. Staining specific for apoptotic follicles showed high intensity at 6h and 12h in group R and RF. On the other hand, staining specific for proliferating follicles showed noticeably high intensity at 8d in group R and RF. DNA fragmentation of 185bp increased with time in all experimental groups. Especially 370bp appeared at 6h in group R, then disappeared after 1d. In case of group RF, it appeared at 12h and disappeared after 1d. From the above results, the irradiated antral follicles become completely disappeared from 4d to 8d, and then new follicles started to grow again at 8d. FSH had delaying or suppressing effects on follicular atresia after irradiation. In addition, it became clear that radiation-induced follicular atresia was mediated by granulosa cell apoptosis.

  1. Impaired insulin signaling pathway in ovarian follicles of cows with cystic ovarian disease.

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    Hein, G J; Panzani, C G; Rodríguez, F M; Salvetti, N R; Díaz, P U; Gareis, N C; Benítez, G A; Ortega, H H; Rey, F

    2015-05-01

    Cystic ovarian disease (COD) is an important cause of infertility in dairy cattle. Follicular cell steroidogenesis and proliferation in ovulatory follicles is stimulated by hormones such as insulin and its necessary post-receptor response. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of insulin receptor (IR), IR substrate-1 (IRS1) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), key intermediates in the insulin pathway, in control cows and cows with spontaneous COD and ACTH-induced COD. IR and IRS1 mRNA levels were greater in granulosa cells and lower in follicular cysts than in control tertiary follicles. PI3K mRNA levels were similar in all follicles evaluated, whereas the expression of IR, IRS1 and PI3K was similar in theca cells. Protein expression of IR was higher in control tertiary follicles than in the same structures in animals with COD and with cysts. IRS1 and PI3K protein expression showed the same pattern in tertiary and cystic follicles. However, the protein expression of subunit alpha p85 of PI3K was greater in theca cells from tertiary follicles than in cystic follicles. These results provide new insights into the insulin response in cows with COD. The lower gene and protein expressions of some insulin downstream effectors at an early stage of the signaling pathway could negatively influence the functionality of ovaries and contribute to follicle persistence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Follicle Online: an integrated database of follicle assembly, development and ovulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hua, Juan; Xu, Bo; Yang, Yifan; Ban, Rongjun; Iqbal, Furhan; Cooke, Howard J; Zhang, Yuanwei; Shi, Qinghua

    2015-01-01

    Folliculogenesis is an important part of ovarian function as it provides the oocytes for female reproductive life. Characterizing genes/proteins involved in folliculogenesis is fundamental for understanding the mechanisms associated with this biological function and to cure the diseases associated with folliculogenesis. A large number of genes/proteins associated with folliculogenesis have been identified from different species. However, no dedicated public resource is currently available for folliculogenesis-related genes/proteins that are validated by experiments. Here, we are reporting a database 'Follicle Online' that provides the experimentally validated gene/protein map of the folliculogenesis in a number of species. Follicle Online is a web-based database system for storing and retrieving folliculogenesis-related experimental data. It provides detailed information for 580 genes/proteins (from 23 model organisms, including Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Mesocricetus auratus, Bos Taurus, Drosophila and Xenopus laevis) that have been reported to be involved in folliculogenesis, POF (premature ovarian failure) and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). The literature was manually curated from more than 43,000 published articles (till 1 March 2014). The Follicle Online database is implemented in PHP + MySQL + JavaScript and this user-friendly web application provides access to the stored data. In summary, we have developed a centralized database that provides users with comprehensive information about genes/proteins involved in folliculogenesis. This database can be accessed freely and all the stored data can be viewed without any registration. Database URL: http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/sdap1/follicle/index.php © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  3. Disordered follicle development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, R. Jeffrey; Cook-Andersen, Heidi

    2013-01-01

    Alterations of ovarian follicle morphology and function have been well documented in women with PCOS. These include increased numbers of growing preantral follicles, failure of follicle growth beyond the mid-antral stage, evidence of granulosa call degeneration, and theca cell hyperplasia. Functional abnormalities include paradoxical granulosa cell hyperresponsiveness to FSH which is clinically linked to ovarian hyperstimulation during ovulation induction. In addition, there is likely a primary theca cell defect that accounts for the majority of excess androgen production in this disorder. The precise mechanisms responsible for altered follicle function are not completely clear. However, several factors appear to influence normal advancement of follicle development as well as impair ovarian steroidogenesis. These include intra- as well as extraovarian influences that distort normal ovarian growth and disrupt steroid production by follicle cells. PMID:22874072

  4. Mlh1 is required for female fertility in Drosophila melanogaster: An outcome of effects on meiotic crossing over, ovarian follicles and egg activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vimal, Divya; Kumar, Saurabh; Pandey, Ashutosh; Sharma, Divya; Saini, Sanjay; Gupta, Snigdha; Ravi Ram, Kristipati; Chowdhuri, Debapratim Kar

    2018-03-01

    Mismatch repair (MMR) system, a conserved DNA repair pathway, plays crucial role in DNA recombination and is involved in gametogenesis. The impact of alterations in MMR family of proteins (bacterial MutS and MutL homologues) on mammalian fertility is well documented. However, an insight to the role of MMR in reproduction of non-mammalian organisms is limited. Hence, in the present study, we analysed the impact of mlh1 (a MutL homologue) on meiotic crossing over/recombination and fertility in a genetically tractable model, Drosophila melanogaster. Using mlh1 e00130 hypomorphic allele, we report female specific adverse reproductive outcome for reduced mlh1 in Drosophila: mlh1 e00130 homozygous females had severely reduced fertility while males were fertile. Further, mlh1 e00130 females contained small ovaries with large number of early stages as well as significantly reduced mature oocytes, and laid fewer eggs, indicating discrepancies in egg production and ovulation. These observations contrast the sex independent and/or male specific sterility and normal follicular development as well as ovulation reported so far for MMR family proteins in mammals. However, analogous to the role(s) of mlh1 in meiotic crossing over and DNA repair processes underlying mammalian fertility, ovarian follicles from mlh1 e00130 females contained significantly increased DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and reduced synaptonemal complex foci. In addition, large proportion of fertilized eggs display discrepancies in egg activation and fail to proceed beyond stage 5 of embryogenesis. Hence, reduction of the Mlh1 protein level leads to defective oocytes that fail to complete embryogenesis after fertilization thereby reducing female fertility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  5. Assessment of follicle viability using fluorescence microscopy before and after ovarian thawing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sofoudis, C; Zervomanolakis, I; Galani, I; Grigoriou, V; Botsis, D; Vlahos, N

    2017-01-01

    The incidence of young women diagnosed with cancer has been globally increasing. In many cases the surgical approach followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormonal therapy could lead to infertility or premature ovarian failure. Several options are available in order to preserve fertility and increase the future gestation rate. Among embryo cryopreservation and oocyte cryopreservation, ovarian tissue cryopreservation represents an ideal option, especially for premenopausal women and for those who cannot delay the start of chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the follicle viability using fluorescence microscope before and after ovarian thawing.

  6. Androgen receptor-mediated non-genomic effects of vinclozolin on porcine ovarian follicles and isolated granulosa cells: Vinclozolin and non-genomic effects in porcine ovarian follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wartalski, Kamil; Knet-Seweryn, Malgorzata; Hoja-Lukowicz, Dorota; Tabarowski, Zbigniew; Duda, Malgorzata

    2016-05-01

    The present study investigated the influence of the androgen receptor (AR) agonists testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and vinclozolin (Vnz), a fungicide with antiandrogenic activity, on non-genomic signal transduction within ovarian follicles. Porcine granulosa cells (GCs) isolated from mature follicles were cultured for 48h. For the last 24h of culture, they were exposed to T (10(-7)M), DHT (10(-7)M), Vnz (1.4×10(-5)M), T and Vnz (T+Vnz), or DHT and Vnz (DHT+Vnz) at the same concentrations. To better imitate in vivo conditions, whole follicles (4-6mm in diameter) were incubated (24h) in an organ culture system with the same factors. Expression of AR mRNA and protein was determined by real-time PCR and western blot analyses. To demonstrate AR localization in cultured GCs and whole follicles, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry were performed, respectively. To elucidate the possible non-genomic action of Vnz in GCs, protein expression and the activity of ERK1/2 and Akt kinases were determined by western blot and ELISA analyses. The immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry results showed that exposure of GCs and follicles to Vnz resulted in cytoplasmic and perinuclear AR localization. Real-time PCR and western blot analysis showed that AR mRNA and protein expression increased (P≤0.001) in GC cultures after combined treatment with an androgen and Vnz. In whole follicles, such treatment also increased AR mRNA with a decrease in the respective protein expression (P≤0.001). Moreover, addition of T or DHT with Vnz increased the activity of ERK1/2 and Akt kinases in cultured GCs (P≤0.001). The results suggest a novel mechanism for Vnz action in porcine ovarian follicles on both AR mRNA and protein levels. Thus, this environmental antiandrogen activates non-genomic signaling pathways, as indicated by the increased activity of both investigated kinases observed within minutes of Vnz addition. Given the widespread presence of Vnz in the

  7. Matrix metalloproteinase 2 is required for ovulation and corpus luteum formation in Drosophila.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lylah D Deady

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Ovulation is critical for successful reproduction and correlates with ovarian cancer risk, yet genetic studies of ovulation have been limited. It has long been thought that the mechanism controlling ovulation is highly divergent due to speciation and fast evolution. Using genetic tools available in Drosophila, we now report that ovulation in Drosophila strongly resembles mammalian ovulation at both the cellular and molecular levels. Just one of up to 32 mature follicles per ovary pair loses posterior follicle cells ("trimming" and protrudes into the oviduct, showing that a selection process prefigures ovulation. Follicle cells that remain after egg release form a "corpus luteum (CL" at the end of the ovariole, develop yellowish pigmentation, and express genes encoding steroid hormone biosynthetic enzymes that are required for full fertility. Finally, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (Mmp2, a type of protease thought to facilitate mammalian ovulation, is expressed in mature follicle and CL cells. Mmp2 activity is genetically required for trimming, ovulation and CL formation. Our studies provide new insights into the regulation of Drosophila ovulation and establish Drosophila as a model for genetically investigating ovulation in diverse organisms, including mammals.

  8. Hypothyroidism Reduces the Size of Ovarian Follicles and Promotes Hypertrophy of Periovarian Fat with Infiltration of Macrophages in Adult Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Rodríguez-Castelán

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Ovarian failure is related to dyslipidemias and inflammation, as well as to hypertrophy and dysfunction of the visceral adipose tissue (VAT. Although hypothyroidism has been associated with obesity, dyslipidemias, and inflammation in humans and animals, its influence on the characteristics of ovarian follicles in adulthood is scarcely known. Control and hypothyroid rabbits were used to analyze the ovarian follicles, expression of aromatase in the ovary, serum concentration of lipids, leptin, and uric acid, size of adipocytes, and infiltration of macrophages in the periovarian VAT. Hypothyroidism did not affect the percentage of functional or atretic follicles. However, it reduced the size of primary, secondary, and tertiary follicles considered as large and the expression of aromatase in the ovary. This effect was associated with high serum concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C. In addition, hypothyroidism induced hypertrophy of adipocytes and a major infiltration of CD68+ macrophages into the periovarian VAT. Our results suggest that the reduced size of ovarian follicles promoted by hypothyroidism could be associated with dyslipidemias, hypertrophy, and inflammation of the periovarian VAT. Present findings may be useful to understand the influence of hypothyroidism in the ovary function in adulthood.

  9. Hypothyroidism Reduces the Size of Ovarian Follicles and Promotes Hypertrophy of Periovarian Fat with Infiltration of Macrophages in Adult Rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-Castelán, J; Méndez-Tepepa, M; Carrillo-Portillo, Y; Anaya-Hernández, A; Rodríguez-Antolín, J; Zambrano, E; Castelán, F; Cuevas-Romero, E

    2017-01-01

    Ovarian failure is related to dyslipidemias and inflammation, as well as to hypertrophy and dysfunction of the visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Although hypothyroidism has been associated with obesity, dyslipidemias, and inflammation in humans and animals, its influence on the characteristics of ovarian follicles in adulthood is scarcely known. Control and hypothyroid rabbits were used to analyze the ovarian follicles, expression of aromatase in the ovary, serum concentration of lipids, leptin, and uric acid, size of adipocytes, and infiltration of macrophages in the periovarian VAT. Hypothyroidism did not affect the percentage of functional or atretic follicles. However, it reduced the size of primary, secondary, and tertiary follicles considered as large and the expression of aromatase in the ovary. This effect was associated with high serum concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In addition, hypothyroidism induced hypertrophy of adipocytes and a major infiltration of CD68+ macrophages into the periovarian VAT. Our results suggest that the reduced size of ovarian follicles promoted by hypothyroidism could be associated with dyslipidemias, hypertrophy, and inflammation of the periovarian VAT. Present findings may be useful to understand the influence of hypothyroidism in the ovary function in adulthood.

  10. Preservation of primordial follicles from lions by slow freezing and xenotransplantation of ovarian cortex into an immunodeficient mouse

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wiedemann, C; Hribal, R; Ringleb, J

    2012-01-01

    follicles within the ovarian cortex survived culture when the original sample was from a young healthy lion collected immediately after euthanasia. Within the xenotransplants, the number of primordial follicles decreased after 28 days by 20%, but the relation between primordial and growing follicles changed...

  11. Chemoprotection of ovarian follicles of mice against gamma irradiation by MPG (2-mercaptopropionylglycine)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, A.; Uma Devi, P.

    1982-01-01

    Adult virgin female Swiss albino mice were irradiated with 2.5, 5 and 10 Gy of gamma radiation in the presence and absence of the drug MPG and changes in the ovarian follicular population were scored at various post irradiation intervals of 3 hours to 14 days. The results indicate that the drug has partially prevented the rapid reduction in the follicular number. Primordial follicles are protected to a greater extent than the growing and large follicles. The difference between the number of follicles of drug treated and non-drug treated animals is greater at low dose group. (author)

  12. Gonadotropin binding sites in human ovarian follicles and corpora lutea during the menstrual cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shima, K.; Kitayama, S.; Nakano, R.

    1987-05-01

    Gonadotropin binding sites were localized by autoradiography after incubation of human ovarian sections with /sup 125/I-labeled gonadotropins. The binding sites for /sup 125/I-labeled human follicle-stimulating hormone (/sup 125/I-hFSH) were identified in the granulosa cells and in the newly formed corpora lutea. The /sup 125/I-labeled human luteinizing hormone (/sup 125/I-hLH) binding to the thecal cells increased during follicular maturation, and a dramatic increase was preferentially observed in the granulosa cells of the large preovulatory follicle. In the corpora lutea, the binding of /sup 125/I-hLH increased from the early luteal phase and decreased toward the late luteal phase. The changes in 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in the corpora lutea corresponded to the /sup 125/I-hLH binding. Thus, the changes in gonadotropin binding sites in the follicles and corpora lutea during the menstrual cycle may help in some important way to regulate human ovarian function.

  13. Superficial ovarian cortex vascularization is inversely related to the follicle reserve in normal cycling ovaries and is increased in polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado-Rosas, F; Gaytán, M; Morales, C; Gómez, R; Gaytán, F

    2009-05-01

    The superficial ovarian cortex constitutes the micro-environment where resting and early growing follicles reside. As small follicles do not possess an independent capillary network, both their survival and early growth depend on their proximity to the cortical vessels. Little is known about the possible changes in superficial ovarian cortex vascularization in normal women throughout reproductive life or in pathological conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) involving abnormal early follicle growth. We studied the vascularization of the superficial and deep cortical stroma (DCS) in normal cycling ovaries from 21 to 50 years of age and in infertile women with PCOS. We used archival ovarian samples and specific CD34 immunostaining to determine blood vessel density and to analyse correlation with age and with the ovarian follicle reserve. Normal cycling ovaries showed an age-related increase in the superficial cortical stroma vascularization that was inversely correlated with the density of small (primordial and primary) follicles. In contrast, blood vessel density in the DCS significantly decreased in women aged >or=40 years. Ovaries from PCOS showed a 2-fold increase in blood vessel density in both superficial cortical stroma and DCS with respect to age-matched controls. The increased vascularization of the superficial cortical stroma in normal ovaries in relation to age and in ovaries from PCOS could have profound effects on cortical metabolic rate, primordial follicle survival/activation and early follicle growth, and may underline changes in follicle dynamics in mid-aged women and in PCOS.

  14. Overriding follicle selection in controlled ovarian stimulation protocols: Quality vs quantity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zelinski-Wooten Mary B

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Selection of the species-specific number of follicles that will develop and ovulate during the ovarian cycle can be overridden by increasing the levels of pituitary gonadotropin hormones, FSH and LH. During controlled ovarian stimulation (COS in nonhuman primates for assisted reproductive technology (ART protocols, the method of choice (but not the only method has been the administration of exogenous gonadotropins, either of nonprimate or primate origin. Due to species-specificity of the primate LH (but not FSH receptor, COS with nonprimate (e.g., PMSG hormones can be attributed to their FSH activity. Elevated levels of FSH alone will produce large antral follicles containing oocytes capable of fertilization in vitro (IVF. However, there is evidence that LH, probably in lesser amounts, increases the rate of follicular development, reduces heterogeneity of the antral follicle pool, and improves the viability and rate of pre-implantation development of IVF-produced embryos. Since an endogenous LH surge typically does not occur during COS cycles (especially when a GnRH antagonist is added, a large dose of an LH-like hormone (i.e., hCG may be given to reinitiate meiosis and produce fertilizable oocytes. Alternate approaches using exogenous LH (or FSH, or GnRH agonist to induce an endogenous LH surge, have received lesser attention. Current protocols will routinely yield dozens of large follicles with fertilizable eggs. However, limitations include non/poor-responding animals, heterogeneity of follicles (and presumably oocytes and subsequent short luteal phases (limiting embryo transfer in COS cycles. However, the most serious limitation to further improvements and expanded use of COS protocols for ART is the lack of availability of nonhuman primate gonadotropins. Human, and even more so, nonprimate gonadotropins are antigenic in monkeys, which limits the number of COS cycles to as few as 1 (PMSG or 3 (recombinant hCG protocols in macaques

  15. Luteinizing hormone receptors in human ovarian follicles and corpora lutea during the menstrual cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamoto, M.; Nakano, R.; Iwasaki, M.; Ikoma, H.; Furukawa, K.

    1986-01-01

    The binding of 125 I-labeled human luteinizing hormone (hLH) to the 2000-g fraction of human ovarian follicles and corpora lutea during the entire menstrual cycle was examined. Specific high affinity, low capacity receptors for hLH were demonstrated in the 2000-g fraction of both follicles and corpora lutea. Specific binding of 125 I-labeled hLH to follicular tissue increased from the early follicular phase to the ovulatory phase. Specific binding of 125 I-labeled hLH to luteal tissue increased from the early luteal phase to the midluteal phase and decreased towards the late luteal phase. The results of the present study indicate that the increase and decrease in receptors for hLH during the menstrual cycle might play an important role in the regulation of the ovarian cycle

  16. Cisplatin and doxorubicin induce distinct mechanisms of ovarian follicle loss; imatinib provides selective protection only against cisplatin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie Morgan

    Full Text Available Chemotherapy treatment in premenopausal women has been linked to ovarian follicle loss and premature ovarian failure; the exact mechanism by which this occurs is uncertain. Here, two commonly used chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin and doxorubicin were added to a mouse ovary culture system, to compare the sequence of events that leads to germ cell loss. The ability of imatinib mesylate to protect the ovary against cisplatin or doxorubicin-induced ovarian damage was also examined.Newborn mouse ovaries were cultured for a total of six days, exposed to a chemotherapeutic agent on the second day: this allowed for the examination of the earliest stages of follicle development. Cleaved PARP and TUNEL were used to assess apoptosis following drug treatment. Imatinib was added to cultures with cisplatin and doxorubicin to determine any protective effect.Histological analysis of ovaries treated with cisplatin showed oocyte-specific damage; in comparison doxorubicin preferentially caused damage to the granulosa cells. Cleaved PARP expression significantly increased for cisplatin (16 fold, p<0.001 and doxorubicin (3 fold, p<0.01. TUNEL staining gave little evidence of primordial follicle damage with either drug. Imatinib had a significant protective effect against cisplatin-induced follicle damage (p<0.01 but not against doxorubicin treatment.Cisplatin and doxorubicin both induced ovarian damage, but in a markedly different pattern, with imatinib protecting the ovary against damage by cisplatin but not doxorubicin. Any treatment designed to block the effects of chemotherapeutic agents on the ovary may need to be specific to the drug(s the patient is exposed to.

  17. Ovarian volume and antral follicle count for the prediction of low and hyper responders with in vitro fertilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elting Mariet E

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The current study was designed to compare antral follicle count (AFC and basal ovarian volume (BOV, the exogenous FSH ovarian reserve test (EFORT and the clomiphene citrate challenge test (CCCT, with respect to their ability to predict poor and hyper responders. Methods One hundred and ten regularly menstruating patients, aged 18–39 years, participated in this prospective study, randomized, by a computer designed 4-blocks system study into two groups. Fifty six patients underwent a CCCT, and 54 patients underwent an EFORT. All patients underwent a transvaginal sonography to measure the basal ovarian volume and count of basal antral follicle. In all patients, the test was followed by a standard IVF treatment. The result of ovarian hyperstimulation during IVF treatment, expressed by the total number of follicles, was used as gold standard. Results The best prediction of ovarian reserve (Y was seen in a multiple regression prediction model that included, AFC, Inhibin B-increment in the EFORT and BOV simultaneously (Y = -3.161 + 0.805 × AFC (0.258-1.352 + 0.034 × Inh. B-incr. (0.007-0.601 + 0.511 BOV (0.480-0.974 (r = 0.848, p Conclusion In conclusion AFC performs well as a test for ovarian response being superior or at least similar to complex expensive and time consuming endocrine tests. It is therefore likely to be the test for general practise.

  18. Effects of maturation-inducing hormone on heterologous gap junctional coupling in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshizaki, G.; Patino, R.; Thomas, P.; Bolamba, D.; Chang, Xiaotian

    2001-01-01

    A previous ultrastructural study of heterologous (granulosa cell-oocyte) gap junction (GJ) contacts in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker suggested that these contacts disappear late during the process of resumption of oocyte meiosis. This observation suggested that, unlike scenarios proposed for a number of other species, uncoupling of GJ is not necessary for the onset of meiotic resumption in croaker follicles. However, the functionality of heterologous GJ contacts and the temporal association between maturation-inducing hormone (MIH)-induced changes in heterologous coupling and resumption of oocyte meiosis have not been examined in Atlantic croaker. These questions were addressed with a cell-cell coupling assay that is based on the transfer of a GJ marker, Lucifer Yellow, from oocytes to granulosa cells. Follicle-enclosed oocytes injected with Lucifer Yellow allowed transfer of the dye into the follicle cell layer, thus confirming that there is functional heterologous coupling between the oocyte and the granulosa cells. Dye transfer was observed in vitellogenic, full-grown/maturation-incompetent, and full-grown /maturation-competent follicles. Treatment of maturation-competent follicles with MIH caused a time-dependent decline in the number of follicles transferring dye. However, although GJ uncoupling in some of the follicles was observed before germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD, index of meiotic resumption), about 50% of the follicles maintained the ability to transfer dye even after GVBD had occurred. Further, a known GJ inhibitor (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) blocked heterologous GJ within a time frame similar to that seen with MIH but without inducing any of the morphological changes (including GVBD) associated with follicular maturation. In conclusion, uncoupling of heterologous GJ seems insufficient and unnecessary for the onset of meiotic resumption in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science.

  19. Preservation of human ovarian follicles within tissue frozen by vitrification in a xeno-free closed system using only ethylene glycol as a permeating cryoprotectant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheikhi, Mona; Hultenby, Kjell; Niklasson, Boel; Lundqvist, Monalill; Hovatta, Outi

    2013-07-01

    To study the preservation of follicles within ovarian tissue vitrified using only one or a combination of three permeating cryoprotectants. Experimental study. University hospital. Ovarian tissue was donated by consenting women undergoing elective cesarean section. Ovarian tissue was vitrified in closed sealed vials using either a combination of dimethyl sulfoxide, 1,2-propanediol, and ethylene glycol (EG), or only EG as permeating cryoprotectants. Ovarian tissue was vitrified with the use of two vitrification methods. Tissue from the same donor was used for comparison of two different solutions. The morphology of the follicles was evaluated after vitrification, warming, and culture by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Apoptosis was assessed by immunohistochemistry for active caspase-3 in fresh and vitrified tissue. Light and electron microscopic analysis showed equally well preserved morphology of oocytes, granulosa cells, and ovarian stroma when either of the vitrification solutions was used. No apoptosis was observed in primordial and primary follicles. Using only EG as a permeating cryoprotectant in a closed tube gives as good ultrastructural preservation of ovarian follicles as a more complicated system using several cryoprotectants. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Should we isolate human preantral follicles before or after cryopreservation of ovarian tissue?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanacker, Julie; Luyckx, Valérie; Amorim, Christiani; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Van Langendonckt, Anne; Donnez, Jacques; Camboni, Alessandra

    2013-04-01

    To evaluate the survival and growth potential of human preantral follicles isolated before and after cryopreservation. Pilot study. Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. Six women aged 27 to 32 years. Six ovarian biopsy samples were cut into two equal parts, half subjected to slow-freezing followed by follicle isolation (cryo-iso group) and alginate-matrigel embedding, and half immediately processed for follicle isolation and alginate-matrigel embedding followed by slow-freezing (iso-cryo group) or used as fresh controls (fresh group). Follicle number, viability, diameter, and morphology. After 1,134 preantral follicles had been isolated from fresh biopsy samples and 1,132 from frozen specimens, the three groups were compared before and after 7 days of in vitro culture (IVC) in alginate-matrigel beads. No statistically significant differences in viability were found between the three groups before or after IVC, but follicle diameter increased in all three groups after IVC. Morphology analysis revealed well-preserved follicles in both the iso-cryo and cryo-iso groups after IVC. Human preantral follicles can be successfully cryopreserved before or after isolation without impairing their ability to survive and grow in vitro. This could lead to development of new protocols for follicle cryopreservation, IVC, and grafting in clinical and research settings for fertility preservation. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibits growth of mouse ovarian antral follicles through an oxidative stress pathway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Wei, E-mail: weiwang2@illinois.edu; Craig, Zelieann R., E-mail: zelieann@illinois.edu; Basavarajappa, Mallikarjuna S., E-mail: mbasava2@illinois.edu; Gupta, Rupesh K., E-mail: drrupesh@yahoo.com; Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu

    2012-01-15

    Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer that has been shown to inhibit growth of mouse antral follicles, however, little is known about the mechanisms by which DEHP does so. Oxidative stress has been linked to follicle growth inhibition as well as phthalate-induced toxicity in non-ovarian tissues. Thus, we hypothesized that DEHP causes oxidative stress and that this leads to inhibition of the growth of antral follicles. To test this hypothesis, antral follicles isolated from CD-1 mice (age 31–35 days) were cultured with vehicle control (dimethylsulfoxide [DMSO]) or DEHP (1–100 μg/ml) ± N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, an antioxidant at 0.25–1 mM). During culture, follicles were measured daily. At the end of culture, follicles were collected and processed for in vitro reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays to measure the presence of free radicals or for measurement of the expression and activity of various key antioxidant enzymes: Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT). The results indicate that DEHP inhibits the growth of follicles compared to DMSO control and that NAC (0.25–1 mM) blocks the ability of DEHP to inhibit follicle growth. Furthermore, DEHP (10 μg/ml) significantly increases ROS levels and reduces the expression and activity of SOD1 compared to DMSO controls, whereas NAC (0.5 mM) rescues the effects of DEHP on ROS levels and SOD1. However, the expression and activity of GPX and CAT were not affected by DEHP treatment. Collectively, these data suggest that DEHP inhibits follicle growth by inducing production of ROS and by decreasing the expression and activity of SOD1. -- Highlights: ► DEHP inhibits growth and increases reactive oxygen species in ovarian antral follicles in vitro. ► NAC rescues the effects of DEHP on the growth and reactive oxygen species levels in follicles. ► DEHP decreases the expression and activity of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, which can be rescued by NAC, in antral

  2. Luteinizing hormone receptors in human ovarian follicles and corpora lutea during the menstrual cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamoto, M.; Nakano, R.; Iwasaki, M.; Ikoma, H.; Furukawa, K.

    1986-08-01

    The binding of /sup 125/I-labeled human luteinizing hormone (hLH) to the 2000-g fraction of human ovarian follicles and corpora lutea during the entire menstrual cycle was examined. Specific high affinity, low capacity receptors for hLH were demonstrated in the 2000-g fraction of both follicles and corpora lutea. Specific binding of /sup 125/I-labeled hLH to follicular tissue increased from the early follicular phase to the ovulatory phase. Specific binding of /sup 125/I-labeled hLH to luteal tissue increased from the early luteal phase to the midluteal phase and decreased towards the late luteal phase. The results of the present study indicate that the increase and decrease in receptors for hLH during the menstrual cycle might play an important role in the regulation of the ovarian cycle.

  3. The ovarian DNA damage repair response is induced prior to phosphoramide mustard-induced follicle depletion, and ataxia telangiectasia mutated inhibition prevents PM-induced follicle depletion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ganesan, Shanthi, E-mail: shanthig@iastate.edu; Keating, Aileen F., E-mail: akeating@iastate.edu

    2016-02-01

    Phosphoramide mustard (PM) is an ovotoxic metabolite of cyclophosphamide and destroys primordial and primary follicles potentially by DNA damage induction. The temporal pattern by which PM induces DNA damage and initiation of the ovarian response to DNA damage has not yet been well characterized. This study investigated DNA damage initiation, the DNA repair response, as well as induction of follicular demise using a neonatal rat ovarian culture system. Additionally, to delineate specific mechanisms involved in the ovarian response to PM exposure, utility was made of PKC delta (PKCδ) deficient mice as well as an ATM inhibitor (KU 55933; AI). Fisher 344 PND4 rat ovaries were cultured for 12, 24, 48 or 96 h in medium containing DMSO ± 60 μM PM or KU 55933 (48 h; 10 nM). PM-induced activation of DNA damage repair genes was observed as early as 12 h post-exposure. ATM, PARP1, E2F7, P73 and CASP3 abundance were increased but RAD51 and BCL2 protein decreased after 96 h of PM exposure. PKCδ deficiency reduced numbers of all follicular stages, but did not have an additive impact on PM-induced ovotoxicity. ATM inhibition protected all follicle stages from PM-induced depletion. In conclusion, the ovarian DNA damage repair response is active post-PM exposure, supporting that DNA damage contributes to PM-induced ovotoxicity. - Highlights: • PM exposure induces DNA damage repair gene expression. • Inhibition of ATM prevented PM-induced follicle depletion. • PKCδ deficiency did not impact PM-induced ovotoxicity.

  4. Effects of ionizing radiation and pretreatment with [D-Leu6,des-Gly10] luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ethylamide on developing rat ovarian follicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarrell, J.; YoungLai, E.V.; McMahon, A.; Barr, R.; O'Connell, G.; Belbeck, L.

    1987-01-01

    To assess the effects of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, [D-Leu6,des-Gly10] luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ethylamide, in ameliorating the damage caused by ionizing radiation, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist was administered to rats from day 22 to 37 of age in doses of 0.1, 0.4, and 1.0 microgram/day or vehicle and the rats were sacrificed on day 44 of age. There were no effects on estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing, or follicle-stimulating hormone, nor an effect on ovarian follicle numbers or development. In separate experiments, rats treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in doses of 0.04, 0.1, 0.4, or 1.0 microgram/day were either irradiated or sham irradiated on day 30 and all groups sacrificed on day 44 of age. Irradiation produced a reduction in ovarian weight and an increase in ovarian follicular atresia. Pretreatment with the agonist prevented the reduction in ovarian weight and numbers of primordial and preantral follicles but not healthy or atretic antral follicles. Such putative radioprotection should be tested on actual reproductive performance

  5. Left-right differences in ovarian volume and antral follicle count in 1423 women of reproductive age

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Korsholm, Anne-Sofie; Hvidman, Helene Westring; Bentzen, Janne Gasseholm

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate side differences in antral follicle count (AFC) and ovarian volume in left versus right ovaries in relation to chronological and "biological" age, the latter estimated by anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. The cohort comprised 1423 women...... ≤ 0.003). AFC was significantly higher in the right compared to the left ovary in the three upper AMH quartiles (p ≤ 0.005). The findings were similar when stratified in age quartiles. More than half (54.8%) had polycystic ovarian (PCO) morphology in at least one ovary. Of these women, 46.3% (n = 361......: 1014 fertile and 409 infertile. All were examined by transvaginal sonography and serum AMH. Overall the right ovary contained 8.1% more antral follicles (p = 0.002) and had 10.7% larger volume compared with the left (p right ovarian volume was larger than the left (p...

  6. Influence of mating on ovarian follicle development in Triatoma infestans (Klug, 1834

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    S. Asin

    1992-09-01

    Full Text Available This works examines the influence of mating on ovarian follicle development in Triatoma infestans. The observations were carried out on both virgin and mated females, wich were killed at various times after their emergence. There was no difference in the ovarian development of both experimental groups during the first gonadotrofic cycle. By the 7th day mated females as well as virgn females showed vitellogenic oocytes. The coriogenesis and ovulation process began on the 13th day after imaginal moulting. However we could observe that egg-laying was dependent on mating. Mated females laid eggs whereas virgin females did not lay eggs. However ovarian production was significantly greater in the mated females. It is suggested that in T. infestans mating stimulates egg-laying but it does not influence the oogenesis and ovulation process.

  7. Comparative analysis of the pituitary and ovarian GnRH systems in the leopard gecko: signaling crosstalk between multiple receptor subtypes in ovarian follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikemoto, Tadahiro; Park, Min Kyun

    2007-02-01

    GnRH regulates reproductive functions through interaction with its pituitary receptor in vertebrates. The present study demonstrated that the leopard gecko possessed two and three genes for GnRH ligands and receptors, respectively, though one of the three receptor subtypes had long been thought not to exist in reptiles. Each receptor subtype showed a distinct pharmacology. All types of ligands and receptors showed different expression patterns, and were widely expressed both inside and outside the brain. This report also shows a comparison of the pituitary and ovarian GnRH systems in the leopard gecko during and after the egg-laying season. All three receptor subtypes were expressed in both the whole pituitary and ovary; however, only one receptor subtype could be detected in the anterior pituitary gland. In situ hybridization showed spatial expression patterns of ovarian receptors, and suggested co-expression of multiple receptor subtypes in granulosa cells of larger follicles. Co-transfection of receptor subtypes showed a distinct pharmacology in COS-7 cells compared with those of single transfections. These results suggest that distinct signaling mechanisms are involved in the pituitary and ovarian GnRH systems. Seasonal and developmental variations in receptor expression in the anterior pituitary gland and ovarian follicles may contribute to the seasonal breeding of this animal.

  8. Transposable element dynamics and PIWI regulation impacts lncRNA and gene expression diversity in Drosophila ovarian cell cultures.

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    Sytnikova, Yuliya A; Rahman, Reazur; Chirn, Gung-Wei; Clark, Josef P; Lau, Nelson C

    2014-12-01

    Piwi proteins and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) repress transposable elements (TEs) from mobilizing in gonadal cells. To determine the spectrum of piRNA-regulated targets that may extend beyond TEs, we conducted a genome-wide survey for transcripts associated with PIWI and for transcripts affected by PIWI knockdown in Drosophila ovarian somatic sheet (OSS) cells, a follicle cell line expressing the Piwi pathway. Despite the immense sequence diversity among OSS cell piRNAs, our analysis indicates that TE transcripts are the major transcripts associated with and directly regulated by PIWI. However, several coding genes were indirectly regulated by PIWI via an adjacent de novo TE insertion that generated a nascent TE transcript. Interestingly, we noticed that PIWI-regulated genes in OSS cells greatly differed from genes affected in a related follicle cell culture, ovarian somatic cells (OSCs). Therefore, we characterized the distinct genomic TE insertions across four OSS and OSC lines and discovered dynamic TE landscapes in gonadal cultures that were defined by a subset of active TEs. Particular de novo TEs appeared to stimulate the expression of novel candidate long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in a cell lineage-specific manner, and some of these TE-associated lncRNAs were associated with PIWI and overlapped PIWI-regulated genes. Our analyses of OSCs and OSS cells demonstrate that despite having a Piwi pathway to suppress endogenous mobile elements, gonadal cell TE landscapes can still dramatically change and create transcriptome diversity. © 2014 Sytnikova et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  9. Rhodamine B triggers ovarian toxicity through oxidative stress, decreases in the number of follicles, 17B-estradiol level, and thickness of endometrium

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    Syiska Atik Maryanti

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of exposure to rhodamine B on ovarian oxidative stress, ovarian follicles, hormone 17beta-estradiol and thickness of endometrium. Methods: A total of 28 female rats were divided into four groups consisting of control; groups treated with rhodamine B at doses of 4.5; 9, and 18 milligram/200 gram body weight. Rhodamine B was administered orally for 36 days with the probe. Analysis of MDA level was done spectrophotometrically. Analysis of the number of ovarian follicles and thickness of endometrium was done histopathologically by hematoxylin eosin staining. Analysis of 17-estradiol level was done by ELISA. Results: Rhodamine B administered in different doses in female rats can increase ovarian MDA levels significantly than the control (P 0.05. Administration of rhodamine B of the second and third doses in female rats can reduce the number of primary, secondary, and De Graaf follicles significantly compared to the control (P 0.05. Administration of rhodamine B of the second and third doses in female rats can reduce 17-estradiol level significantly compared to the control (P 0.05. The administration of rhodamine B could reduce thickness of endometrium significantly compared to the control (P 0.05. Conclusion: It was concluded that administration of rhodamine B triggered ovarian toxicity through oxidative stress, a decrease in the number of follicles, and decreased level of 17-estradiol which ultimately lowered the thickness of endometrium. [Cukurova Med J 2014; 39(3.000: 451-457

  10. Comparing the effect of aqueous extract of green tea and catechin on gonadotropins, β-estradiol, Progesterone, testosterone and ovarian follicle in polycystic ovarian syndrome rat model

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    Sayed Damoon Sadoughi

    2017-09-01

    Conclusion: Compared with green tea, catechin has a more favorable effect on improving hormonal parameters, especially FSH hormone and increasing the number of ovarian follicles in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome.

  11. First transplantation of isolated murine follicles in alginate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanacker, Julie; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Luyckx, Valérie; Donnez, Jacques; Amorim, Christiani A

    2014-01-01

    Our aim is to develop an artificial ovary allowing survival and growth of isolated follicles and ovarian cells, to restore fertility in women diagnosed with pathologies at high risk of ovarian involvement. For this, alginate beads containing isolated preantral follicles and ovarian cells were autografted to immunocompetent mice. One week after grafting, the beads were invaded by proliferating murine cells (12.1%) and capillaries. The recovery rate of follicles per graft ranged from 0% to 35.5%. Of the analyzed follicles, 77% were Ki67-positive and 81%, TUNEL-negative. Three antral follicles were also identified, evidencing their ability to grow in the matrix. Our results suggest that an artificial ovary is now conceivable, opening new perspectives to restore fertility in women.

  12. Association of Exon 10A and 10B inactivating mutation of follicle stimulating hormone receptor gene (FSHR) and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Vellore cohort

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekar, Nishu; Kulkarni, Rucha; Ozalkar, Sharvari; Prabhu, Yogamaya D.; Renu, Kaviyarasi; Ramgir, Shalaka S.; Abilash, V. G.

    2017-11-01

    Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common heterogenous endocrine disorder in women. Follicle stimulating hormone receptor is associated with normal development as well as maturation of follicles and triggers estrogen production in granulosa cells of the ovary. Inactivating mutation in FSHR gene correlated with reduction of ovarian function in women is due to damage to receptor function. This study aims to investigate whether inactivating mutations, in follicle stimulating hormone receptor gene is related to polycystic ovarian morphology in women with PCOS. Genomic DNA isolated from 15 subjects from Sandhya Hospital, Vellore (10 patients with PCOS and 5 healthy controls) was taken for this study. Patient data included a clinical report, hormonal levels, and ovarian morphological details. DNA isolation was followed by DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction using Exon 10 A and Exon 10 B primers. The PCR-RFLP analysis was performed using Dde1 restriction enzyme. Here we discuss inactivating mutation found in Exon 10 of FSHR gene in patients with PCOS.The absence of inactivating mutation was observed through PCR-RFLP study on Exon 10A and Exon 10B.

  13. Drosophila Glypicans Regulate Follicle Stem Cell Maintenance and Niche Competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Tsu-Yi; Nakato, Eriko; Choi, Pui Yee; Nakato, Hiroshi

    2018-04-09

    Adult stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments, called niches, which provide signals for stem cells to maintain their undifferentiated and self-renewing state. To maintain stem cell quality, several types of stem cells are known to be regularly replaced by progenitor cells through niche competition. However, the cellular and molecular bases for stem cell competition for niche occupancy are largely unknown. Here, we show that two Drosophila members of the glypican family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), Dally and Dally-like (Dlp), differentially regulate follicle stem cell (FSC) maintenance and FSC competitiveness for niche occupancy. Lineage analyses of glypican mutant FSC clones showed that dally is essential for normal FSC maintenance. In contrast, dlp is a hyper-competitive mutation: dlp mutant FSC progenitors often eventually occupy the entire epithelial sheet. RNAi knockdown experiments showed that Dally and Dlp play both partially redundant and distinct roles in regulating Jak/Stat, Wg and Hh signaling in FSCs. The Drosophila FSC system offers a powerful genetic model to study the mechanisms by which HSPGs exert specific functions in stem cell replacement and competition. Copyright © 2018, Genetics.

  14. In vitro effects of diethylstilbestrol, genistein, 4-tert-butylphenol, and 4-tert-octylphenol on steroidogenic activity of isolated immature rat ovarian follicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myllymaeki, Sari; Haavisto, Tapio; Vainio, Minna; Toppari, Jorma; Paranko, Jorma

    2005-01-01

    Isolated rat ovarian follicles grow and produce steroid hormones in vitro and so provide a good model for studying the effects of hormonally active compounds on follicular steroidogenesis. We have evaluated the effects of diethylstilbestrol (DES), genistein (GEN) and two alkylphenols, 4-tert-butylphenol (BP) and 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) on the growth, survival, and steroid hormone and cAMP production by isolated 14-day-old rat (Sprague-Dawley) ovarian follicles. During a 5-day culture, FSH was obligatory for follicle growth and increased estradiol and testosterone secretion in a dose-dependent manner. DES (10 -6 M) caused the strongest decline in estradiol and testosterone levels but did not have detectable effects on either cAMP production or aromatase enzyme activity. GEN caused a prominent decrease in cAMP and testosterone levels without significant changes in secreted estradiol. The latter, apparently, was due to a dose-dependent stimulation of aromatase enzyme activity in the presence of genistein. Both BP and OP decreased estradiol and testosterone secretion in a dose-dependent manner while no effect on aromatase activity was observed. OP, unlike BP, decreased forskolin-induced cAMP levels. Xenoestrogens at the used concentrations did not interfere with the growth and survival of the follicles. The results indicate that isolated ovarian follicles representing intact morphological and functional units offer a sensitive model system for elucidating the female-specific reproductive effects of environmental chemicals

  15. Comparison of anti-mullerian hormone and antral follicle count for assessment of ovarian reserve

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    Sonal Panchal

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: This study aims to compare the efficacy of AFC and AMH, as markers for ovarian reserve. Materials and Methods: 75 patients with PCO (polycystic ovaries undergoing IVF were randomized with 75 non-PCO patients. On day 3, volume of ovary was acquired, ovarian volume was defined by VOCAL, and Sono AVC was used to count the number of antral follicles. Sum total of antral follicles in both ovaries was taken as total antral follicle count (AFC. AMH was measured on the same day. Long agonist protocol with recombinant FSH (rFSH was used for IVF stimulation till at least two follicles of 18 mm were seen. hCG 10,000 iu was given and ovum pick up was done after 34-35 h. Primary end point was number of follicles >12 mm seen on day of hCG. Final end point was number of ova retrieved on ovum pick up. Correlation of AFC and AMH was checked for both end points and with each other. Results: Correlation of AFC and follicles >12 mm on day of hCG in PCO group is 0.56 and non-PCO group is 0.63, 1 and for AMH and follicles >12 mm on day of hCG in PCO group is 0.42 and non-PCO group is 0.47. Correlation of AFC with number of ova retrieved on OPU in PCO group is 0.44 and for non-PCO group is 0.50. The value for AMH is 0.39 in PCO and 0.43 for non-PCO group. Comparing correlation of AFC and AMH for primary end point in PCO group has ′z′ value 1.11(onetailed significance 0.1335, twotailed significance 0.267 and in non-PCO group comparison shows a ′z′ value of 1.39 (one tailed significance 0.0823, two-tailed significance 0.1645. Therefore in both groups, AFC and AMH correlates with total number of follicles >12 mm on day of hCG, but both AFC and AMH have independent significance. Comparing correlation of AFC and AMH with number of ova retrieved on OPU, in non-PCO group has ′z′ value of 0.54(one tailed 0.2946, two-tailed 0. 5892. In PCO group, this comparison shows, ′z′ value of 0.36(one tailed 0.3594, two tailed 0.7188. Conclusion: AFC and AMH

  16. In vitro culture of early secondary preantral follicles in hanging drop of ovarian cell-conditioned medium to obtain MII oocytes from outbred deer mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jung Kyu; Agarwal, Pranay; He, Xiaoming

    2013-12-01

    The ovarian follicle (each contains a single oocyte) is the fundamental functional tissue unit of mammalian ovaries. In humans, it has been long held true that females are born with a maximum number of follicles (or oocytes) that are not only nonrenewable, but also undergoing degeneration with time with a sharply decreased oocyte quality after the age of ∼35. Therefore, it is of importance to isolate and bank ovarian follicles for in vitro culture to obtain fertilizable oocytes later, to preserve the fertility of professional women who may want to delay childbearing, young and unmarried women who may lose gonadal function because of exposure to environmental/occupational hazards or aggressive medical treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy, and even endangered species and breeds. Although they contributed significantly to the understanding of follicle science and biology, most studies reported to date on this topic were done using the man-made, unnatural inbred animal species. It was found in this study that the conventional two-dimensional microliter drop and three-dimensional hanging drop (HD) methods, reported to be effective for in vitro culture of preantral follicles from inbred mice, are not directly transferrable to outbred deer mice. Therefore, a modified HD method was developed in this study to achieve a much higher (>5 times compared to the best conventional methods) percentage of developing early secondary preantral follicles from the outbred mice to the antral stage, for which, the use of an ovarian cell-conditioned medium and multiple follicles per HD were identified to be crucial. It was further found that the method for in vitro maturation of oocytes in antral follicles obtained by in vitro culture of preantral follicles could be very different from that for oocytes in antral follicles obtained by hormone stimulation in vivo. Therefore, this study should provide important guidance for establishing effective protocols of in vitro follicle

  17. Functional significance of the signal transduction pathways Akt and Erk in ovarian follicles: in vitro and in vivo studies in cattle and sheep

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    Ryan Kate E

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The intracellular signalling mechanisms that regulate ovarian follicle development are unclear; however, we have recently shown differences in the Akt and Erk signalling pathways in dominant compared to subordinate follicles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inhibiting Akt and Erk phosphorylation on IGF- and gonadotropin- stimulated granulosa and theca cell function in vitro, and on follicle development in vivo. Methods Bovine granulosa and theca cells were cultured for six days and stimulated with FSH and/or IGF, or LH in combination with PD98059 (Erk inhibitor and/or LY294002 (Akt inhibitor and their effect on cell number and hormone secretion (estradiol, activin-A, inhibin-A, follistatin, progesterone and androstenedione determined. In addition, ovarian follicles were treated in vivo with PD98059 and/or LY294002 in ewes on Day 3 of the cycle and follicles were recovered 48 hours later. Results We have shown that gonadotropin- and IGF-stimulated hormone production by granulosa and theca cells is reduced by treatment with PD98059 and LY294002 in vitro. Furthermore, treatment with PD98059 and LY294002 reduced follicle growth and oestradiol production in vivo. Conclusion These results demonstrate an important functional role for the Akt and Erk signalling pathways in follicle function, growth and development.

  18. Gonadotropin-dependent oocyte maturational competence requires activation of the protein kinase A pathway and synthesis of RNA and protein in ovarian follicles of Nibe, Nibea mitsukurii (Teleostei, Sciaenidae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshizaki, G.; Shusa, M.; Takeuchi, T.; Patino, R.

    2002-01-01

    Luteinizing hormone- (LH)-dependent ovarian follicle maturation has been recently described in two stages for teleost fishes. The oocyte's ability to respond to the steroidal maturation-inducing hormone (MIH), also known as oocyte maturational competence (OMC), is acquired during the first stage; whereas the MIH-dependent resumption of meiosis occurs during the second stage. However, studies directly addressing OMC have been performed with a limited number of species and therefore the general relevance of the two-stage model and its mechanisms remain uncertain. In this study, we examined the hormonal regulation of OMC and its basic transduction mechanisms in ovarian follicles of the sciaenid teleost, Nibe (Nibea mitsukurii). Exposure to MIH [17,20??-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one or 17,20??,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one] stimulated germinal vesicle breakdown (index of meiotic resumption) in full-grown follicles primed with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG, an LH-like gonadotropin) but not in those pre-cultured in plain incubation medium. The induction of OMC by HCG was mimicked by protein kinase A (PKA) activators (forskolin and dibutyryl cyclic AMP), and blocked by specific inhibitors of PKA (H89 and H8) as well as inhibitors of RNA (actinomycin D) and protein (cycloheximide) synthesis. Forskolin-induced OMC was also inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide. A strong activator of protein kinase C, PMA, inhibited HCG-dependent OMC. In conclusion, OMC in Nibe ovarian follicles is gonadotropin-dependent and requires activation of the PKA pathway followed by gene transcription and translation events. These observations are consistent with the two-stage model of ovarian follicle maturation proposed for other teleosts, and suggest that Nibe can be used as new model species for mechanistic studies of ovarian follicle differentiation and maturation in fishes.

  19. Zearalenone exposure impairs ovarian primordial follicle formation via down-regulation of Lhx8 expression in vitro

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    Zhang, Guo-Liang [College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A& F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Sun, Xiao-Feng [Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong 266109 (China); Feng, Yan-Zhong [Institute of Animal Sciences, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150086 (China); Li, Bo [Chengguo Station of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Laizhou 261437 (China); Li, Ya-Peng; Yang, Fan [Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong 266109 (China); Nyachoti, Charles Martin [Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2 (Canada); Shen, Wei [Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong 266109 (China); Sun, Shi-Duo, E-mail: ssdsm@tom.com [College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A& F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Li, Lan, E-mail: lilan9600@126.com [Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong 266109 (China)

    2017-02-15

    Zearalenone (ZEA) is an estrogenic mycotoxin mainly produced as a secondary metabolite by numerous species of Fusarium. Previous work showed that ZEA had a negative impact on domestic animals with regard to reproduction. The adverse effects and the mechanisms of ZEA on mammalian ovarian folliculogenesis remain largely unknown, particularly its effect on primordial follicle formation. Thus, we investigated the biological effects of ZEA exposure on murine ovarian germ cell cyst breakdown and primordial follicle assembly. Our results demonstrated that newborn mouse ovaries exposed to 10 or 30 μM ZEA in vitro had significantly less germ cell numbers compared to the control group. Moreover, the presence of ZEA in vitro increased the numbers of TUNEL and γH2AX positive cells within mouse ovaries and the ratio of mRNA levels of the apoptotic genes Bax/Bcl-2. Furthermore, ZEA exposure reduced the mRNA of oocyte specific genes such as LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8), newborn ovary homeobox (Nobox), spermatogenesis and oogenesis helix-loop-helix (Sohlh2), and factor in the germline alpha (Figlα) in a dose dependent manner. Exposure to ZEA led to remarkable changes in the Lhx8 3′-UTR DNA methylation dynamics in oocytes and severely impaired folliculogenesis in ovaries after transplantation under the kidney capsules of immunodeficient mice. In conclusion, ZEA exposure impairs mouse primordial follicle formation in vitro. - Highlights: • First time to evaluate the impact of ZEA on primordial follicle formation • ZEA exposure increases oocyte apoptosis and delays germ cell cyst breakdown. • ZEA exposure impairs the expression of LHX8 by affecting its DNA methylation.

  20. Does AMH Reflect Follicle Number Similarly in Women with and without PCOS?

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    Sverre C Christiansen

    Full Text Available Increased Anti-Mullerian Hormone in polycystic ovary syndrome, may be due to overactive follicles rather than reflect antral follicle count.Does Anti-Mullerian Hormone reflect antral follicle count similarly in women with or without polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovarian morphology?Cross-sectional, case-control.Women who delivered preterm in 1999-2006. For each index woman, a woman with a term delivery was identified.Participation rate was 69%. Between 2006-2008, 262 women were included, and diagnosed to have polycystic ovary syndrome, polycystic ovarian morphology or to be normal controls.Blood tests, a clinical examination and vaginal ultrasound.Anti-Mullerian Hormone/antral follicle count-ratio, SHBG, androstenedione and insulin, to test potential influence on the Anti-Mullerian Hormone/antral follicle count -ratio.Mean Anti-Mullerian Hormone/antral follicle count ratio in women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovarian morphology was similar to that of the controls (polycystic ovary syndrome: 1,2 p = 0,10 polycystic ovarian morphology: 1,2, p = 0,27 Controls 1,3. Anti-Mullerian Hormone showed a positive linear correlation to antral follicle count in all groups. Multivariate analysis did not change the results.We confirmed the positive correlation between AMH and follicle count. Anti-Mullerian Hormone seems to be a reliable predictor of antral follicle count, independent of polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosis or ovarian morphology.

  1. Regulation and mechanism of leptin on lipid metabolism in ovarian follicle cells from yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Li-Han; Tan, Xiao-Ying; Wu, Kun; Zhuo, Mei-Qin; Song, Yu-Feng; Chen, Qing-Ling

    2015-10-01

    The present study was conducted to determine the effect of leptin on lipid metabolism in ovarian follicle cells of yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco. For that purpose, primary ovarian follicle cells were isolated from yellow catfish, cultured and subjected to different treatments (control, 0.1% DMSO, 500ng/ml leptin, 500ng/ml leptin plus 100μM wortmannin, 500ng/ml leptin plus 50nM AG490, respectively) for 48h. Intracellular triglyceride (TG) content, the activities (CPT I, FAS, G6PD, and 6PGD) and/or expression level of several enzymes (CPT I, FAS, G6PD, 6PGD, ACCa and ACCb), as well as the mRNA expression of transcription factors (PPARα, PPARγ and SREBP-1) involved in lipid metabolism were determined. Recombinant human leptin (rt-hLEP) incubation significantly reduced intracellular TG content, activities and mRNA levels of FAS, G6PD and 6PGD, SREBP-1 and PPARγ, but enhanced activity and mRNA level of CPT I, PPARα and ACCa. Specific inhibitors AG490 and wortmannin of JAK-STAT and IRS-PI3K signaling pathways prevented leptin-induced changes, indicating that JAK-STAT and IRS-PI3K signaling pathways were involved in the process of leptin-induced changes of lipid metabolism. Based on these observations above, for the first time, our study indicated that leptin reduced lipid deposition by activating lipolysis and suppressing lipogenesis in ovarian follicles of yellow catfish, and both JAK-STAT and IRS-PI3K signaling pathways were involved in the changes of leptin-induced lipid metabolism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Androgen receptor in early apoptotic follicles in the porcine ovary at pregnancy.

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    Zbigniew Tabarowski

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Localization of androgen receptor (AR was investigated in ovarian follicles developing and undergoing atresia during pregnancy in the pig. Immunohistochemical staining was conducted on ovarian antral follicles isolated on different days of gestation: 10, 18, 32, 50, 70, and 90. Paraffin sections were also subjected to in situ DNA labeling. TUNEL staining revealed the presence of positive follicles on all days of pregnancy but the amount of atretic follicles increased with time. However, even on day 90 of gestation many follicles were normal, with no signs of atresia. In atretic follicles, apoptotic cells were localized predominantly in the granulosa while theca was much less affected. Atretic follicles with many apoptotic cells were negative for AR. Nuclear immunostaining for AR was positive in follicles with limited amount of apoptotic cells. The same relationship was observed in ovarian follicles isolated at various days of pregnancy.

  3. Transcriptome profiling of the theca interna in transition from small to large antral ovarian follicles.

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    Nicholas Hatzirodos

    Full Text Available The theca interna layer of the ovarian follicle forms during the antral stage of follicle development and lies adjacent to and directly outside the follicular basal lamina. It supplies androgens and communicates with the granulosa cells and the oocyte by extracellular signaling. To better understand developmental changes in the theca interna, we undertook transcriptome profiling of the theca interna from small (3-5 mm, n = 10 and large (9-12 mm, n = 5 healthy antral bovine follicles, representing a calculated >7-fold increase in the amount of thecal tissue. Principal Component Analysis and hierarchical classification of the signal intensity plots for the arrays showed no clustering of the theca interna samples into groups depending on follicle size or subcategories of small follicles. From the over 23,000 probe sets analysed, only 76 were differentially expressed between large and small healthy follicles. Some of the differentially expressed genes were associated with processes such as myoblast differentiation, protein ubiquitination, nitric oxide and transforming growth factor β signaling. The most significant pathway affected from our analyses was found to be Wnt signaling, which was suppressed in large follicles via down-regulation of WNT2B and up-regulation of the inhibitor FRZB. These changes in the transcriptional profile could have been due to changes in cellular function or alternatively since the theca interna is composed of a number of different cell types it could have been due to any systematic change in the volume density of any particular cell type. However, our study suggests that the transcriptional profile of the theca interna is relatively stable during antral follicle development unlike that of granulosa cells observed previously. Thus both the cellular composition and cellular behavior of the theca interna and its contribution to follicular development appear to be relatively constant throughout the follicle growth

  4. Transcriptome profiling of the theca interna from bovine ovarian follicles during atresia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas Hatzirodos

    Full Text Available The theca interna is a specialized stromal layer that envelops each growing ovarian follicle. It contains capillaries, fibroblasts, immune cells and the steroidogenic cells that synthesize androgens for conversion to estradiol by the neighboring granulosa cells. During reproductive life only a small number of follicles will grow to a sufficient size to ovulate, whereas the majority of follicles will undergo regression/atresia and phagocytosis by macrophages. To identify genes which are differentially regulated in the theca interna during follicular atresia, we undertook transcriptome profiling of the theca interna from healthy (n = 10 and antral atretic (n = 5 bovine follicles at early antral stages (<5 mm. Principal Component Analyses and hierarchical classification of the signal intensity plots for the arrays showed primary clustering into two groups, healthy and atretic. A total of 543 probe sets were differentially expressed between the atretic and healthy theca interna. Further analyses of these genes by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis Toolkit software found most of the genes being expressed were related to cytokines, hormones and receptors as well as the cell cycle and DNA replication. Cell cycle genes which encode components of the replicating chromosome complex and mitotic spindle were down-regulated in atretic theca interna, whereas stress response and inflammation-related genes such as TP53, IKBKB and TGFB1 were up-regulated. In addition to cell cycle regulators, upstream regulators that were predicted to be inhibited included Retinoblastoma 1, E2 transcription factor 1, and hepatocyte growth factor. Our study suggests that during antral atresia of small follicles in the theca interna, arrest of cell cycle and DNA replication occurs rather than up- regulation of apoptosis-associated genes as occurs in granulosa cells.

  5. Transcriptome and gene expression profile of ovarian follicle tissue of the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medeiros, Marcelo N.; Logullo, Raquel; Ramos, Isabela B.; Sorgine, Marcos H. F.; Paiva-Silva, Gabriela O.; Mesquita, Rafael D.; Machado, Ednildo Alcantara; Coutinho, Maria Alice; Masuda, Hatisaburo; Capurro, Margareth L.; Ribeiro, José M.C.; Cardoso Braz, Glória Regina; Oliveira, Pedro L

    2013-01-01

    Insect oocytes grow in close association with the ovarian follicular epithelium (OFE), which escorts the oocyte during oogenesis and is responsible for synthesis and secretion of the eggshell. We describe a transcriptome of OFE of the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus, a vector of Chagas disease, to increase our knowledge of the role of FE in egg development. Random clones were sequenced from a cDNA library of different stages of follicle development. The transcriptome showed high commitment to transcription, protein synthesis, and secretion. The most abundant cDNA was a secreted (S) small, proline-rich protein with maximal expression in the vitellogenic follicle, suggesting a role in oocyte maturation. We also found Rp45, a chorion protein already described, and a putative chitin-associated cuticle protein that was an eggshell component candidate. Six transcripts coding for proteins related to the unfolded protein response (UPR) by were chosen and their expression analyzed. Surprisingly, transcripts related to UPR showed higher expression during early stages of development and downregulation during late stages, when transcripts coding for S proteins participating in chorion formation were highly expressed. Several transcripts with potential roles in oogenesis and embryo development are also discussed. We propose that intense protein synthesis at the FE results in reticulum stress (RS) and that lowering expression of a set of genes related to cell survival should lead to degeneration of follicular cells at oocyte maturation. This paradoxical suppression of UPR suggests that ovarian follicles may represent an interesting model for studying control of RS and cell survival in professional S cell types. PMID:21736942

  6. Mathematical modelling of decline in follicle pool during female reproductive ageing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thilagam, Alagu

    2016-03-01

    The factors which govern the subtle links between follicle loss and mammalian female reproductive ageing remain unclear despite extensive studies undertaken to understand the critical physiological and biochemical mechanisms that underly the accelerated decline in follicle numbers in women older than 37 years. It is not certain whether there is a sole control by the ovary or whether other factors which affect ageing also intersect with the ovarian effect. There is convincing experimental evidence for an interplay of several processes that seem to influence the follicle loss-female reproductive ageing links, with specific hormones (follicle-stimulating hormone, anti-Müllerian hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone) noted to play important roles in follicular dynamics and ovarian ageing. In this work, we examine the subtle links between the rate of follicular decline with ageing and the role of hormones via a series of non-autonomous equations. Simulation results based on the time evolution of the number of ovarian follicles and biochemical changes in the ovarian environment influenced by hormone levels is compared with empirical data based on follicle loss-reproductive ageing correlation studies. © Crown copyright 2015.

  7. Anti-Mullerian hormone and ovarian dysfunction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broekmans, Frank J.; Visser, Jenny A.; Laven, Joop S. E.; Broer, Simone L.; Themmen, Axel P. N.; Fauser, Bart C.

    2008-01-01

    Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) has important roles in postnatal ovarian function. Produced by ovarian granulosa cells, AMH is involved in initial follicle development. In fact, serum AMH level correlates with ovarian follicle number. In patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), AMH levels are

  8. Effects of Chamomile Hydro-Alcoholic Extract (Matricaria chamomilla on the Aborted Fetuses, Serum Sex Hormones and Ovarian Follicles in Adult Female Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Mirzakhani

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objective: Nowadays, female infertility and abortion is considered one of the most important issues in the medical world. Due to high consumption of chamomile as a medicinal herb, this study aimed to investigate the effects of chamomile consumption on abortion, estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH hormones and ovarian follicles in adult female rats. Methods: In this experimental study, 80 adult female rats were divided to 2 categories in 5 groups of 8 pregnant and non-pregnant rats, including control groups, sham group and groups receiving intraperitoneal doses of 30, 60 and 120 mg/kg chamomile hydro-alcoholic extract. At the end of the day 16 of pregnancy, aborted fetuses in pregnant groups were counted, and in day 21, the number of follicles and corpora-lutea in non-pregnant groups was obtained by separating ovaries, and sexual hormone levels were measured after phlebotomizing the samples. The results were analyzed by SPSS software (Ver.18 using ANOVA and Tukey tests. Significant difference of data was set at p≤0.05. Results: The results of this study showed that chamomile caused a significant increase in the number of aborted fetuses and follicle atresia and a significant decrease (p≤0.05 in serum level of estrogen, progesterone, FSH and LH hormones as well as the number of pre-antral follicle, antral follicles, graph and corpora-lutea. Conclusion: The results showed chamomile extract decreased LH and FSH, thereby decreasing ovarian follicles, sexual hormones and aborted fetuses.

  9. Induction of ovarian cystic follicles in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christman, S A; Bailey, M T; Head, W A; Wheaton, J E

    2000-10-01

    Cystic follicles are a significant cause of infertility in women, dairy cattle and sheep. Sheep were used as a model to identify factors that may elicit formation of cystic follicles. Insulin resistance and elevated LH activity were tested in overweight ewes because of associations among these factors and the formation of cystic follicles. Sheep were synchronized using a progesterone-releasing pessary and insulin resistance was induced during the synchronization period through administration of bovine somatotropin. Following removal of pessaries follicular growth was stimulated by treatment with eCG or eCG and hCG (PG-600). Follicular growth was monitored via daily transrectal ultrasonography and blood samples were collected for hormonal analyses. Six of 18 ewes had a subnormal or absent preovulatory gonadotropin surge and developed cystic follicles. Neither insulin resistance nor elevated LH activity were associated with formation of cystic follicles. Ewes that developed cystic follicles were heavier (93 +/- 4 kg) than ewes that ovulated (81 +/- 3 kg; P = 0.02). Furthermore, following pessary removal and initiation of daily ultrasonography, ewes that developed cystic follicles lost body weight (-3 +/- 1%), while ovulatory ewes continued to gain body weight (1 +/- 1%; P = 0.005). It is speculated that in heavy ewes metabolic factors associated with acute body weight loss inhibit the positive feedback of estradiol and thereby suppress the preovulatory gonadotropin surge leading to formation of cystic follicles.

  10. Comparison of the developmental potential of 2-week-old preantral follicles derived from vitrified ovarian tissue slices, vitrified whole ovaries and vitrified/transplanted newborn mouse ovaries using the metal surface method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsu Kung-Hao

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cryopreservation of preantral follicles or ovarian tissues would enable the storage of large numbers of primordial follicles or preantral follicles and preserves the structural integrity of somatic and reproductive cells. In the present study, we compared the developmental potential of cryopreserved two-week-old mouse preantral follicles, ovarian tissue slices, two-week-old mouse ovaries and newborn mouse ovaries using a metal plate with a high cooling rate for cooling the droplet of vitrification solution. Methods Groups of 2 to 4 samples (including of 14-day old preantral follicles, ovarian tissue slices, whole ovaries, and whole newborn ovaries were exposed to 4% ethylene glycol (EG in DPBS + 10% FBS for 15 min and then rinsed in a vitrification solution composed of 6 M ethylene glycol and 0.4 M trehalose in DPBS + 10% FBS. Equilibration in room temperature was performed for 20–30 seconds for preantral follicle and 5 min equilibration was performed in an ice bath for ovaries. The samples were dropped onto the surface of metal plate around -180°C in the volume of 2 μl and 6 μl. After thawing, the ovarian tissue was mechanically isolated for collecting the preantral follicles. The thawed newborn ovaries were transplanted under the renal capsule of recipient male mice for 14 days. Preantral follicles collected from each groups were cultured individually in 20-μl droplets of α-MEM culture medium in culture dish for 12 days. On the day 12 of culture, the cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs were collected for IVM and IVF. Fertilization and embryo cleavage were scored. Results After the vitrification of 14-day-old preantral follicles using 2 μl or 6 μl droplet onto surface of metal plate, the results indicated that no significant difference in survival rate, antral-like cavity formation, COCs collected, 2 cell embryo cleavage and blastocyst development was found in vitrification of the 2 μl and 6 μl droplet groups. As

  11. Parabens Accelerate Ovarian Dysfunction in a 4-Vinylcyclohexene Diepoxide-Induced Ovarian Failure Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jae-Hwan Lee

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Parabens are widely used preservatives in basic necessities such as cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. In previous studies, xenoestrogenic actions of parabens were reported in an immature rat model and a rat pituitary cell line (GH3 cells. The relationship between parabens and ovarian failure has not been described. In the present study, the influence of parabens on ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis was investigated. A disruptor of ovarian small pre-antral follicles, 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD, 40 mg/kg, was used to induce premature ovarian failure (POF. Methylparaben (MP, 100 mg/kg, propylparaben (PP, 100 mg/kg, and butylparaben (BP, 100 mg/kg dissolved in corn oil were treated in female 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rat for 5 weeks. Estrus cycle status was checked daily by vaginal smear test. Ovarian follicle development and steroid synthesis were investigated through real-time PCR and histological analyses. Diestrus phases in the VCD, PP, and BP groups were longer than that in the vehicle group. VCD significantly decreased mRNA level of folliculogenesis-related genes (Foxl2, Kitl and Amh. All parabens significantly increased the Amh mRNA level but unchanged Foxl2 and Kitlg acting in primordial follicles. VCD and MP slightly increased Star and Cyp11a1 levels, which are related to an initial step in steroidogenesis. VCD and parabens induced an increase in FSH levels in serum and significantly decreased the total number of follicles. Increased FSH implies impairment in ovarian function due to VCD or parabens. These results suggest that VCD may suppress both formation and development of follicles. In particular, combined administration of VCD and parabens accelerated inhibition of the follicle-developmental process through elevated AMH level in small antral follicles.

  12. Effectiveness of a recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone on the ovarian follicles, peripheral progesterone, estradiol-17β, and pregnancy rate of dairy cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Ali

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Aims: This study aimed at elucidating the effects of recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (r-hFSH on the ovarian follicular dynamics, progesterone, estradiol-17β profiles, and pregnancy of dairy cows. Materials and Methods: Three groups (G, n=5 cows of multiparous dairy cows were used. G1 (C control cows were given controlled internal drug release (CIDR and prostaglandin F2α; G2 (L cows were given low dose (525 IU and G3 (H cows were given high dose (1800 IU of r-hFSH on twice daily basis at the last 3 days before CIDR removal. All cows were ultrasonically scanned for follicular growth and dynamics, and blood samples were collected every other day for two consecutive estrus cycles for the determination of estradiol-17β and progesterone. Results: Estrus was observed in all C and L but not in H cows. Dominant follicle was bigger in L compared to C and H cows. Dominant follicle in C (16.00±2.5 mm and L cows (17.40±2.3 mm disappeared at 72 h after CIDR removal. However, in H cows, no ovulation has occurred during 7 days post-CIDR removal. Progesterone was not different (p>0.10 among groups, whereas estradiol-17β revealed significant (p<0.01 reduction in H (15.96±2.5 pg/ml cows compared to C (112.26±26.1 pg/ml and L (97.49±15.9 pg/ml cows. Pregnancy rate was higher in L cows (60% compared with C cows (20%. However, H cows were not artificially inseminated due to non-ovulation. Only a cow of C group has calved one calf, however, 2 of the L cows gave birth of twins and a cow gave single calf. Conclusion: Administration of a low dose (525 IU of r-hFSH resulted in an optimal size of dominant follicle, normal values of progesterone and estradiol-17β, and 40% twinning rate, howeverusing 1800 IU of r-hFSH, have adverse effects on ovarian follicular dynamics and hormonal profiles with non-pregnancy of dairy cows raised under hot climate.

  13. Population-specific incidence of testicular ovarian follicles in Xenopus laevis from South Africa: A potential issue in endocrine testing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du Preez, Louis H., E-mail: Louis.DuPreez@nwu.ac.za [School of Environmental Sciences and Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531 (South Africa); Kunene, Nisile [School of Environmental Sciences and Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531 (South Africa); Hanner, Robert [Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 (Canada); Giesy, John P. [Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada); Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Hong Kong); National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Zoology Department, and Centre for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Solomon, Keith R., E-mail: ksolomon@uoguelph.ca [Centre for Toxicology and Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 (Canada); Hosmer, Alan [Syngenta Crop Protection, Greensboro, NC 27419-8300 (United States); Van Der Kraak, Glen J. [Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 (Canada)

    2009-10-19

    The African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) has been identified as an appropriate sentinel for testing endocrine activity of existing chemicals in North America and Europe. Some reports suggest that the herbicide, atrazine (CAS Number [1912-24-9]) causes ovarian follicles to form in the testes of this frog. X. laevis collected from North East (NE) sites in South Africa had testicular ovarian follicles, irrespective of exposure to atrazine, while frogs from Southwest Western (SW) Cape region sites had none. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genes indicates that frogs from the SW Cape are evolutionarily divergent from those from NE South Africa and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. These findings provide a possible explanation for why conflicting results have been reported concerning the impact of atrazine on amphibian sexual differentiation and highlight the importance of understanding taxonomic status of the experimental animal. Even in common laboratory animals, there is a need for their correct taxonomic characterization before their use in tests for endocrine disruption.

  14. Population-specific incidence of testicular ovarian follicles in Xenopus laevis from South Africa: A potential issue in endocrine testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Preez, Louis H.; Kunene, Nisile; Hanner, Robert; Giesy, John P.; Solomon, Keith R.; Hosmer, Alan; Van Der Kraak, Glen J.

    2009-01-01

    The African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) has been identified as an appropriate sentinel for testing endocrine activity of existing chemicals in North America and Europe. Some reports suggest that the herbicide, atrazine (CAS Number [1912-24-9]) causes ovarian follicles to form in the testes of this frog. X. laevis collected from North East (NE) sites in South Africa had testicular ovarian follicles, irrespective of exposure to atrazine, while frogs from Southwest Western (SW) Cape region sites had none. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genes indicates that frogs from the SW Cape are evolutionarily divergent from those from NE South Africa and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. These findings provide a possible explanation for why conflicting results have been reported concerning the impact of atrazine on amphibian sexual differentiation and highlight the importance of understanding taxonomic status of the experimental animal. Even in common laboratory animals, there is a need for their correct taxonomic characterization before their use in tests for endocrine disruption.

  15. Effect of PCB 126 on aryl hydrocarbon receptor 1 (AHR1) and AHR1 nuclear translocator 1 (ARNT1) mRNA expression and CYP1 monooxygenase activity in chicken (Gallus domesticus) ovarian follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wójcik, Dagmara; Antos, Piotr A; Katarzyńska, Dorota; Hrabia, Anna; Sechman, Andrzej

    2015-12-03

    The aim of the experiment was to study the in vitro effect of 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126; a coplanar PCB congener) on aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR1) and AHR1 nuclear translocator (ARNT1) mRNA expression and the activity of CYP1 family monooxygenases in chicken ovarian follicles. White (1-4 mm) and yellowish (4-8 mm) prehierarchical follicles as well as fragments of the theca and granulosa layers of the 3 largest preovulatory follicles (F3-F1) were incubated in a medium supplemented with 0 (control group), 1, 10 or 100 nM PCB 126. The incubation was carried out for 6 h or 24 h for determination of mRNA expression of AHR1 and ARNT1 genes (real-time qPCR) and CYP1 monooxygenase activity (EROD and MROD fluorometric assays), respectively. It was found that chicken ovarian follicles express mRNA of AHR1 and ARNT1 genes. A modulatory effect of PCB 126 on AHR1 and ARNT1 expression depended not only on the biphenyl concentration but also on the follicular layer and the maturational state of the follicle. EROD and MROD activities appeared predominantly in the granulosa layer of the yellow preovulatory follicles. PCB 126 induced these activities in a dose-dependent manner in all ovarian follicles. The obtained results suggest that ovarian follicles, especially the granulosa layer, are involved in the detoxification process of PCBs in the laying hen. Taking this finding into consideration it can be suggested that the granulosa layer of the yellow hierarchical follicles plays a key role in the protective mechanism which reduces the amount of transferred dioxin-like compounds into the yolk of the oocyte. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The potential of follicle-stimulating hormone peptide-modified triptolide-loaded nanoparticles to induce a mouse model of premature ovarian insufficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen XY

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Xiu-Ying Chen,1–3 Wu-Lian Chen,4 Min Ma,1–3 Chao Gu,1,2 Xi-Rong Xiao,1,2 Bin Li1,2 1Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 3Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, 4State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaAbstract: The use of triptolide (TP is limited by its poor water solubility and severe toxicity. In this study, we developed an active drug delivery system (TP-loaded nanoparticles that could help improve the water solubility of TP and decrease its toxicity. Then, we investigated whether TP-loaded nanoparticles could be used to establish a novel premature ovarian insufficiency mouse model. The mice treated with TP-loaded nanoparticles for 35 days displayed normal growth, decreased serum antimullerian hormone, prominent ovarian fibrosis and vacuolar changes, fewer follicles and corpus lutea, increased collapsed oocytes and follicle apoptosis, and sterility. In conclusion, this model appears to show the reproductive characteristics associated with premature ovarian insufficiency in women and will allow us to study the mechanism of the effects of traditional Chinese medicine on gonadal toxicity. Keywords: peptide, nanoparticles, drug delivery, premature ovarian insufficiency, animal model

  17. Fluorescently labeled inhibitors detect localized serine protease activities in Drosophila melanogaster pole cells, embryos, and ovarian egg chambers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Rasmus Kragh; Ono, S.; Powers, J. C.

    2005-01-01

    processes that they mediate. Until only recently, the tools to conveniently address the question of where and when serine proteases are active within complex tissues have been lacking. In order to detect spatially restricted serine protease activities in Drosophila embryos and ovaries we introduce...... activity localized to the oocyte-somatic follicle cell interface of the developing egg chamber. Our results suggest that this technique holds promise to identify new spatially restricted activities in adult Drosophila tissues and developing embryos....

  18. Survival and growth of isolated pre-antral follicles from human ovarian medulla tissue during long-term 3D culture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yin, H L; Kristensen, S G; Jiang, H

    2016-01-01

    during long-term culture has received only little attention. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Two to ten human pre-antral follicles were encapsulated together within an alginate bead and cultured with or without ovarian interstitial tissue for either 7 days or >30 days. Follicles were cultured in either 20...... interregional project ReproHigh are thanked for having funded this study; and the Key Program of Medical Science and Technology Innovation of Nanjing Military Area Command in China (14ZX06; 11Z010). They had no role in the study design, collection and analysis of data, data interpretation or in writing...

  19. Ovarian Stem Cell Nests in Reproduction and Ovarian Aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Haifeng; Zheng, Tuochen; Li, Wei; Li, Xiaoyan; Fu, Xinxin; Huang, Yaoqi; Hu, Chuan; Li, Jia; Huang, Jian; Liu, Zhengyv; Zheng, Liping; Zheng, Yuehui

    2017-01-01

    The fixed primordial follicles pool theory, which monopolized reproductive medicine for more than one hundred years, has been broken by the discovery, successful isolation and establishment of ovarian stem cells. It has brought more hope than ever of increasing the size of primordial follicle pool, improving ovarian function and delaying ovarian consenescence. Traditional view holds that stem cell aging contributes to the senility of body and organs. However, in the process of ovarian aging, the main factor leading to the decline of the reproductive function is the aging and degradation of ovarian stem cell nests, rather than the senescence of ovarian germ cells themselves. Recent studies have found that the immune system and circulatory system are involved in the formation of ovarian germline stem cell niches, as well as regulating the proliferation and differentiation of ovarian germline stem cells through cellular and hormonal signals. Therefore, we can improve ovarian function and delay ovarian aging by improving the immune system and circulatory system, which will provide an updated program for the treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF) and infertility. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. The hedgehog system in ovarian follicles of cattle selected for twin ovulations and births: evidence of a link between the IGF and hedgehog systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedgehog signaling is involved in regulation of ovarian function in Drosophila but its role in regulating mammalian ovarian folliculogenesis is less clear. Therefore, gene expression of Indian hedgehog (IHH) and its type 1 receptor, patched 1 (PTCH1), were quantified in bovine granulosa (GC) or the...

  1. Cell cycle evaluation of granulosa cells in the {gamma}-irradiated mouse ovarian follicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    KIm, Jin Kyu; Lee, Chang Joo; Lee, Young Keun [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Song, Kang Won; Yoon, Yong Dal [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1999-03-01

    This study was carried out to evaluate the biochemical and morphological effects of ionizing radiation on mouse ovarian follicles. Immature mice (ICR, 3 week-old) were irradiated with a dose of LD{sub 80(30)} at KAERI. The ovaries were collected after 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, and 2 days post irradiation. With the morphological basis of the histological staining with hematoxylin-eosin, immunohistochemical preparation using in situ 3'-end labeling was evaluated. Flow cytometric evaluation of DNA extracted from the whole ovary was performed. The percentage of A{sub 0} (subpopulation of cells with degraded DNA and with lower DNA fluorescence than G{sub 0}/G{sub 1} cells), apoptotic, cells in the cell cycle was significantly higher in the irradiated group than in the control group. The number of in situ 3'-end labeled follicles increased at 6 hours post irradiation. All the analyses represented that the ionizing radiation-induced follicular atresia was taken place via an apoptotic degeneration. Such a degeneration underwent very fast and acutely. Therefore, it is concluded that the radiation-induced follicular degeneration is, like the spontaneous atresia, mediated by an acute apoptosis of follicular granulosa cells. Flow cytometric evaluation of cell cycles can make the role for quantifying the atretic follicles and understanding the mechanism of the radiation-induced cell death.

  2. Intercellular signaling via cyclic GMP diffusion through gap junctions restarts meiosis in mouse ovarian follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuhaibar, Leia C; Egbert, Jeremy R; Norris, Rachael P; Lampe, Paul D; Nikolaev, Viacheslav O; Thunemann, Martin; Wen, Lai; Feil, Robert; Jaffe, Laurinda A

    2015-04-28

    Meiosis in mammalian oocytes is paused until luteinizing hormone (LH) activates receptors in the mural granulosa cells of the ovarian follicle. Prior work has established the central role of cyclic GMP (cGMP) from the granulosa cells in maintaining meiotic arrest, but it is not clear how binding of LH to receptors that are located up to 10 cell layers away from the oocyte lowers oocyte cGMP and restarts meiosis. Here, by visualizing intercellular trafficking of cGMP in real-time in live follicles from mice expressing a FRET sensor, we show that diffusion of cGMP through gap junctions is responsible not only for maintaining meiotic arrest, but also for rapid transmission of the signal that reinitiates meiosis from the follicle surface to the oocyte. Before LH exposure, the cGMP concentration throughout the follicle is at a uniformly high level of ∼2-4 μM. Then, within 1 min of LH application, cGMP begins to decrease in the peripheral granulosa cells. As a consequence, cGMP from the oocyte diffuses into the sink provided by the large granulosa cell volume, such that by 20 min the cGMP concentration in the follicle is uniformly low, ∼100 nM. The decrease in cGMP in the oocyte relieves the inhibition of the meiotic cell cycle. This direct demonstration that a physiological signal initiated by a stimulus in one region of an intact tissue can travel across many layers of cells via cyclic nucleotide diffusion through gap junctions could provide a general mechanism for diverse cellular processes.

  3. Light-sheet microscopy for quantitative ovarian folliculometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Hsiao-Chun Amy; Dutta, Rahul; Mandal, Subhamoy; Kind, Alexander; Schnieke, Angelika; Razansky, Daniel

    2017-02-01

    Determination of ovarian status and follicle monitoring are common methods of diagnosing female infertility. We evaluated the suitability of selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) for the study of ovarian follicles. Owing to the large field of view and fast acquisition speed of our newly developed SPIM system, volumetric image stacks from entire intact samples of pig ovaries have been rendered demonstrating clearly discernible follicular features like follicle diameters (70 μm - 2.5 mm), size of developing Cumulus oophorus complexes (COC ) (40 μm - 110 μm), and follicular wall thicknesses (90 μm-120 μm). The observation of clearly distinguishable COCs protruding into the follicular antrum was also shown possible, and correlation with the developmental stage of the follicles was determined. Follicles of all developmental stages were identified, and even the small primordial follicle clusters forming the egg nest could be observed. The ability of the system to non-destructively generate sub-cellular resolution 3D images of developing follicles, with excellent image contrast and high throughput capacity compared to conventional histology, suggests that it can be used to monitor follicular development and identify structural abnormalities indicative of ovarian ailments. Accurate folliculometric measurements provided by SPIM images can immensely help the understanding of ovarian physiology and provide important information for the proper management of ovarian diseases.

  4. Natural mixtures of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) suppress ovarian follicle development, liver vitellogenin immunostaining and hepatocyte proliferation in female zebrafish (Danio rerio)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kraugerud, Marianne; Doughty, Richard William; Lyche, Jan L.; Berg, Vidar; Tremoen, Nina H.; Alestrøm, Peter; Aleksandersen, Mona; Ropstad, Erik

    2012-01-01

    Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are present in high concentrations in livers of burbot (Lota lota) in Lake Mjøsa, Norway. In order to assess effects of such pollutants on fish gonadal morphology, female zebrafish were exposed in two generations by food to mixtures of pollutants extracted from livers of burbot from Lake Mjøsa (high and low dose) and Lake Losna, which represents background pollution, and compared to a control group. Ovarian follicle counts detected a significant decrease in late vitellogenic follicle stages in fish exposed to the Losna and the high concentrations of Mjøsa mixtures in fish from the first generation. In addition, proliferation of granulosa cells, visualized by immunohistochemistry against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), was decreased in all exposure groups in either early or late vitellogenic follicle stages compared to control. This was accompanied by increased apoptosis of granulosa cells. There was a decrease in proliferation of liver hepatocytes with exposure to both Mjøsa mixtures. In addition, immunopositivity for vitellogenin in the liver was significantly lower in the Mjøsa high group than in the control group. When analysing effects of parental exposure, fish with parents exposed to Mjøsa high mixture had significantly higher numbers of perinucleolar follicles than fish with control parents. We conclude that long-term exposure of a real-life mixture of pollutants containing high- and background levels of chemicals supress ovarian follicle development, liver vitellogenin immunostaining intensity and hepatocyte proliferation in the zebrafish model.

  5. Natural mixtures of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) suppress ovarian follicle development, liver vitellogenin immunostaining and hepatocyte proliferation in female zebrafish (Danio rerio)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kraugerud, Marianne, E-mail: Marianne.Kraugerud@nvh.no [Dept. of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, POB 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway); Doughty, Richard William, E-mail: vetrwdoughty@yahoo.co.uk [Sundveien 22, 2015 Leirsund (Norway); Lyche, Jan L., E-mail: Jan.Lyche@nvh.no [Dept. of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, POB 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway); Berg, Vidar, E-mail: Vidar.Berg@nvh.no [Dept. of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, POB 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway); Tremoen, Nina H., E-mail: Nina.Hardnes@nvh.no [Dept. of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, POB 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway); Alestrom, Peter, E-mail: Peter.Alestrom@nvh.no [Dept. of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, POB 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway); Aleksandersen, Mona, E-mail: Mona.Aleksandersen@nvh.no [Dept. of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, POB 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway); Ropstad, Erik, E-mail: Erik.Ropstad@nvh.no [Dept. of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, POB 8146 Dep., 0033 Oslo (Norway)

    2012-07-15

    Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are present in high concentrations in livers of burbot (Lota lota) in Lake Mjosa, Norway. In order to assess effects of such pollutants on fish gonadal morphology, female zebrafish were exposed in two generations by food to mixtures of pollutants extracted from livers of burbot from Lake Mjosa (high and low dose) and Lake Losna, which represents background pollution, and compared to a control group. Ovarian follicle counts detected a significant decrease in late vitellogenic follicle stages in fish exposed to the Losna and the high concentrations of Mjosa mixtures in fish from the first generation. In addition, proliferation of granulosa cells, visualized by immunohistochemistry against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), was decreased in all exposure groups in either early or late vitellogenic follicle stages compared to control. This was accompanied by increased apoptosis of granulosa cells. There was a decrease in proliferation of liver hepatocytes with exposure to both Mjosa mixtures. In addition, immunopositivity for vitellogenin in the liver was significantly lower in the Mjosa high group than in the control group. When analysing effects of parental exposure, fish with parents exposed to Mjosa high mixture had significantly higher numbers of perinucleolar follicles than fish with control parents. We conclude that long-term exposure of a real-life mixture of pollutants containing high- and background levels of chemicals supress ovarian follicle development, liver vitellogenin immunostaining intensity and hepatocyte proliferation in the zebrafish model.

  6. Potential role of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and transforming growth factor (TGFβ1) in the regulation of ovarian angiogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Shih-Wei; Ke, Ferng-Chun; Chang, Geen-Dong; Lee, Ming-Ting; Hwang, Jiuan-Jiuan

    2011-06-01

    Angiogenesis occurs during ovarian follicle development and luteinization. Pituitary secreted FSH was reported to stimulate the expression of endothelial mitogen VEGF in granulosa cells. And, intraovarian cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)β1 is known to facilitate FSH-induced differentiation of ovarian granulosa cells. This intrigues us to investigate the potential role of FSH and TGFβ1 regulation of granulosa cell function in relation to ovarian angiogenesis. Granulosa cells were isolated from gonadotropin-primed immature rats and treated once with FSH and/or TGFβ1 for 48 h, and the angiogenic potential of conditioned media (granulosa cell culture conditioned media; GCCM) was determined using an in vitro assay with aortic ring embedded in collagen gel and immunoblotting. FSH and TGFβ1 increased the secreted angiogenic activity in granulosa cells (FSH + TGFβ1 > FSH ≈ TGFβ1 >control) that was partly attributed to the increased secretion of pro-angiogenic factors VEGF and PDGF-B. This is further supported by the evidence that pre-treatment with inhibitor of VEGF receptor-2 (Ki8751) or PDGF receptor (AG1296) throughout or only during the first 2-day aortic ring culture period suppressed microvessel growth in GCCM-treated groups, and also inhibited the FSH + TGFβ1-GCCM-stimulated release of matrix remodeling-associated gelatinase activities. Interestingly, pre-treatment of AG1296 at late stage suppressed GCCM-induced microvessel growth and stability with demise of endothelial and mural cells. Together, we provide original findings that both FSH and TGFβ1 increased the secretion of VEGF and PDGF-B, and that in turn up-regulated the angiogenic activity in rat ovarian granulosa cells. This implicates that FSH and TGFβ1 play important roles in regulation of ovarian angiogenesis during follicle development. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  7. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibits antral follicle growth, induces atresia, and inhibits steroid hormone production in cultured mouse antral follicles

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    Hannon, Patrick R., E-mail: phannon2@illinois.edu; Brannick, Katherine E., E-mail: kbran@illinois.edu; Wang, Wei, E-mail: Wei.Wang2@covance.com; Gupta, Rupesh K., E-mail: drrupesh@yahoo.com; Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu

    2015-04-01

    Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant found in consumer products that causes ovarian toxicity. Antral follicles are the functional ovarian units and must undergo growth, survival from atresia, and proper regulation of steroidogenesis to ovulate and produce hormones. Previous studies have determined that DEHP inhibits antral follicle growth and decreases estradiol levels in vitro; however, the mechanism by which DEHP elicits these effects is unknown. The present study tested the hypothesis that DEHP directly alters regulators of the cell cycle, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis to inhibit antral follicle functionality. Antral follicles from adult CD-1 mice were cultured with vehicle control or DEHP (1–100 μg/ml) for 24–96 h to establish the temporal effects of DEHP on the follicle. Following 24–96 h of culture, antral follicles were subjected to gene expression analysis, and media were subjected to measurements of hormone levels. DEHP increased the mRNA levels of cyclin D2, cyclin dependent kinase 4, cyclin E1, cyclin A2, and cyclin B1 and decreased the levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A prior to growth inhibition. Additionally, DEHP increased the mRNA levels of BCL2-associated agonist of cell death, BCL2-associated X protein, BCL2-related ovarian killer protein, B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2, and Bcl2-like 10, leading to an increase in atresia. Further, DEHP decreased the levels of progesterone, androstenedione, and testosterone prior to the decrease in estradiol levels, with decreased mRNA levels of side-chain cleavage, 17α-hydroxylase-17,20-desmolase, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and aromatase. Collectively, DEHP directly alters antral follicle functionality by inhibiting growth, inducing atresia, and inhibiting steroidogenesis. - Highlights: • DEHP inhibits antral follicle growth by dysregulating cell cycle regulators. • DEHP induces antral follicle atresia by dysregulating apoptosis regulators. • DEHP

  8. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibits antral follicle growth, induces atresia, and inhibits steroid hormone production in cultured mouse antral follicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hannon, Patrick R.; Brannick, Katherine E.; Wang, Wei; Gupta, Rupesh K.; Flaws, Jodi A.

    2015-01-01

    Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant found in consumer products that causes ovarian toxicity. Antral follicles are the functional ovarian units and must undergo growth, survival from atresia, and proper regulation of steroidogenesis to ovulate and produce hormones. Previous studies have determined that DEHP inhibits antral follicle growth and decreases estradiol levels in vitro; however, the mechanism by which DEHP elicits these effects is unknown. The present study tested the hypothesis that DEHP directly alters regulators of the cell cycle, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis to inhibit antral follicle functionality. Antral follicles from adult CD-1 mice were cultured with vehicle control or DEHP (1–100 μg/ml) for 24–96 h to establish the temporal effects of DEHP on the follicle. Following 24–96 h of culture, antral follicles were subjected to gene expression analysis, and media were subjected to measurements of hormone levels. DEHP increased the mRNA levels of cyclin D2, cyclin dependent kinase 4, cyclin E1, cyclin A2, and cyclin B1 and decreased the levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A prior to growth inhibition. Additionally, DEHP increased the mRNA levels of BCL2-associated agonist of cell death, BCL2-associated X protein, BCL2-related ovarian killer protein, B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2, and Bcl2-like 10, leading to an increase in atresia. Further, DEHP decreased the levels of progesterone, androstenedione, and testosterone prior to the decrease in estradiol levels, with decreased mRNA levels of side-chain cleavage, 17α-hydroxylase-17,20-desmolase, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and aromatase. Collectively, DEHP directly alters antral follicle functionality by inhibiting growth, inducing atresia, and inhibiting steroidogenesis. - Highlights: • DEHP inhibits antral follicle growth by dysregulating cell cycle regulators. • DEHP induces antral follicle atresia by dysregulating apoptosis regulators. • DEHP

  9. Investigating the association between polymorphism of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor gene and ovarian response in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Hasan Sheikhha

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim : The aim of the study was to investigate the association between follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR gene polymorphism at Position 680 and the outcomes of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET in infertile women. Materials and Methods : One hundred and eight patients under 35 years of age who underwent IVF-ET procedures were included in this study. The hormonal profile and treatment of all patients were analyzed and FSHR polymorphism was examined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Women from all groups were classified based on polymorphisms at Position 680, occupied either by asparagines (Asn or serine (Ser as Asn/Asn, Asn/Ser, and Ser/Ser genotype. Result : Our study showed that all patients in the Asn/Asn group were normal responders and in the Asn/Ser group 64.8% were normal responders and 21.1% and 14.1% were poor and hyper responders respectively. In the Ser/Ser group we did not have normal responders and 46.7% of these patients were poor responders and 53.3% were hyper responders. Conclusion : FSH receptor polymorphism is correlated with response to ovarian stimulation.

  10. Oocyte cryopreservation for fertility preservation in postpubertal female children at risk for premature ovarian failure due to accelerated follicle loss in Turner syndrome or cancer treatments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oktay, K; Bedoschi, G

    2014-12-01

    To preliminarily study the feasibility of oocyte cryopreservation in postpubertal girls aged between 13 and 15 years who were at risk for premature ovarian failure due to the accelerated follicle loss associated with Turner syndrome or cancer treatments. Retrospective cohort and review of literature. Academic fertility preservation unit. Three girls diagnosed with Turner syndrome, 1 girl diagnosed with germ-cell tumor. and 1 girl diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia. Assessment of ovarian reserve, ovarian stimulation, oocyte retrieval, in vitro maturation, and mature oocyte cryopreservation. Response to ovarian stimulation, number of mature oocytes cryopreserved and complications, if any. Mean anti-müllerian hormone, baseline follical stimulating hormone, estradiol, and antral follicle counts were 1.30 ± 0.39, 6.08 ± 2.63, 41.39 ± 24.68, 8.0 ± 3.2; respectively. In Turner girls the ovarian reserve assessment indicated already diminished ovarian reserve. Ovarian stimulation and oocyte cryopreservation was successfully performed in all female children referred for fertility preservation. A range of 4-11 mature oocytes (mean 8.1 ± 3.4) was cryopreserved without any complications. All girls tolerated the procedure well. Oocyte cryopreservation is a feasible technique in selected female children at risk for premature ovarian failure. Further studies would be beneficial to test the success of oocyte cryopreservation in young girls. Copyright © 2014 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Distribution of Stroma and Antral Follicles Differs between Insulin-Resistance and Hyperandrogenism-Related Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Alviggi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available IntroductionAlthough insulin resistance plays an important pathogenetic role in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, no correlation between ultrasound PCOS pattern and insulin resistance has yet been reported. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to assess whether the ovarian ultrasonographic parameter differed between PCOS women with insulin resistance and those with a hyperandrogenic profile.Materials and methodsWomen who fulfilled the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS were retrospectively studied. Anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical data were recorded. Women were divided into two groups based on specific transvaginal ultrasound parameters: subjects with more than half of the follicles measuring between 5 and 9 mm in diameter, an ultrasonographic determined stroma/total area (S/A > 0.34 and a “necklace” sign of antral follicles (Group A; and subjects with more than half of the antral follicles measuring between 2 and 4 mm in diameter, an S/A ≤ 0.34; no “necklace” sign but ubiquitously distributed follicles determined by ultrasound (Group B. The association between these ultrasound patterns and the presence of insulin resistance was also evaluated.ResultsSeventy-eight patients were enrolled: 33 with ultrasound sound pattern A and 45 with pattern B. The latter pattern had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 78% in predicting PCOS women with insulin resistance. There were no differences in age, Ferriman–Gallwey score, and serum gonadotropin or androgen levels between the two groups. Body mass index, the waist-to-hip ratio, and homeostasis model assessment were significantly higher in group B than in group A (p < 0.05. Conversely, sex hormone binding globulin levels and ovarian volume were significantly higher in group A (p < 0.05. Insulin resistance was more frequent in group B than in group A (36/41, 87.8% versus 7/32, 21.8%; p < 0.05.ConclusionThese results suggest that insulin resistance

  12. Bortezomib prevents acute doxorubicin ovarian insult and follicle demise, improving the fertility window and pup birth weight in mice.

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    Elon C Roti Roti

    Full Text Available Increasing numbers of female patients survive cancer, but succumb to primary ovarian insufficiency after chemotherapy. We tested the hypothesis that Bortezomib (Bort protects ovaries from doxorubicin (DXR chemotherapy by treating female mice with Bort 1 hour prior to DXR. By preventing DXR accumulation in the ovary, Bort attenuated DXR-induced DNA damage in all ovarian cell types, subsequent γH2AFX phosphorylation, and resulting apoptosis in preantral follicles. Bort pretreatment extended the number of litters per mouse, improved litter size and increased pup weight following DXR treatment, thus increasing the duration of post-chemotherapy fertility and improving pup health. As a promising prophylactic ovoprotective agent, Bort does not interfere with cancer treatment, and is currently used as a chemotherapy adjuvant. Bort-based chemoprotection may preserve ovarian function in a non-invasive manner that avoids surgical ovarian preservation, thus diminishing the health complications of premature menopause following cancer treatment.

  13. Frozen and fresh ovarian tissue require different culture media to promote in vitro development of bovine preantral follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, Simone Vieira; Carvalho, Adeline Andrade; Silva, Cleidson Manoel Gomes; Santos, Francielli Weber; Campello, Cláudio Cabral; de Figueiredo, José Ricardo; Rodrigues, Ana Paula Ribeiro

    2014-10-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different media in the in vitro culture of bovine preantral follicles that were used either fresh or following slow freezing treatment. Frozen and fresh noncultured or cultured ovarian fragments were processed for histological, viability, and cell proliferation analyses. For cryopreservation, a solution containing 1.5 M ethylene glycol was frozen in a programmable biological freezer. After thawing, a portion of the samples was destined for frozen controls. The remainder were cultured in vitro for 5 days in three media: α-MEM, McCoy, or M199. Samples from these culture media were collected on days 1 and 5 for quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and for hormonal assays. In fresh-cultured tissues, the percentage of morphologically normal follicles was significantly higher when cultured in M199 compared to that in the other media. In frozen-cultured tissues, McCoy medium was significantly superior to the other media, and was the only treatment that helped in maintaining the viability similar to fresh and frozen controls. Upon quantification of the nucleolus organizer region, we observed greater proliferation of granulosa cells in the frozen-cultured tissues with McCoy medium, and lesser proliferation in fresh-cultured tissues only with α-MEM. In frozen-cultured tissues, ROS levels were highest at day 1 and progressively reduced during culture, independent of the media used. In conclusion, under the conditions used in this study, the M199 and McCoy media are recommended for the culture of follicles derived from fresh and frozen ovarian tissues, respectively.

  14. Reference values in ovarian response to controlled ovarian stimulation throughout the reproductive period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Marca, Antonio; Grisendi, Valentina; Spada, Elena; Argento, Cindy; Milani, Silvano; Plebani, Maddalena; Seracchioli, Renato; Volpe, Annibale

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The age-related decline in ovarian response to gonadotropins has been well known since the beginning of ovarian stimulation in IVF cycles and has been considered secondary to the age-related decline in ovarian reserve. The objective of this study was to establish reference values and to construct nomograms of ovarian response for any specific age to gonadotropins in IVF/ICSI cycles. We analyzed our database containing information on IVF cycles. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 703 patients were selected. Among inclusion criteria, there were regular menstrual cycle, treatment with a long GnRH agonist protocol and starting follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) dose of at least 200 IU per day. To estimate the reference values of ovarian response, the CG-LMS method was used. A linear decline in the parameters of ovarian response with age was observed: the median number of oocytes decreases approximately by one every three years, and the median number of follicles >16 mm by one every eight years. The number of oocytes and growing follicles corresponding to the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 95th centiles has been calculated. This study confirmed the well known negative relationship between ovarian response to FSH and female ageing and permitted the construction of nomograms of ovarian response.

  15. Effect of antiprogesterone RU486 on VEGF expression and blood vessel remodeling on ovarian follicles before ovulation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annunziata Mauro

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The success of ovarian follicle growth and ovulation is strictly related to the development of an adequate blood vessel network required to sustain the proliferative and endocrine functions of the follicular cells. Even if the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF drives angiogenesis before ovulation, the local role exerted by Progesterone (P₄ remains to be clarified, in particular when its concentration rapidly increases before ovulation. AIM: This in vivo study was designed to clarify the effect promoted by a P₄ receptor antagonist, RU486, on VEGF expression and follicular angiogenesis before ovulation, in particular, during the transition from pre to periovulatory follicles induced by human Chorionic Gonadotropins (hCG administration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Preovulatory follicle growth and ovulation were pharmacologically induced in prepubertal gilts by combining equine Chorionic Gonadotropins (eCG and hCG used in the presence or absence of RU486. The effects on VEGF expression were analyzed using biochemical and immunohistochemical studies, either on granulosa or on theca layers of follicles isolated few hours before ovulation. This angiogenic factor was also correlated to follicular morphology and to blood vessels architecture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: VEGF production, blood vessel network and follicle remodeling were impaired by RU486 treatment, even if the cause-effect correlation remains to be clarified. The P₄ antagonist strongly down-regulated theca VEGF expression, thus, preventing most of the angiogenic follicle response induced by hCG. RU486-treated follicles displayed a reduced vascular area, a lower rate of endothelial cell proliferation and a reduced recruitment of perivascular mural cells. These data provide important insights on the biological role of RU486 and, indirectly, on steroid hormones during periovulatory follicular phase. In addition, an in vivo model is proposed to evaluate how periovulatory

  16. Updated ultrasound criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome: reliable thresholds for elevated follicle population and ovarian volume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lujan, Marla E; Jarrett, Brittany Y; Brooks, Eric D; Reines, Jonathan K; Peppin, Andrew K; Muhn, Narry; Haider, Ehsan; Pierson, Roger A; Chizen, Donna R

    2013-05-01

    Do the ultrasonographic criteria for polycystic ovaries supported by the 2003 Rotterdam consensus adequately discriminate between the normal and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) condition in light of recent advancements in imaging technology and reliable methods for estimating follicle populations in PCOS? Using newer ultrasound technology and a reliable grid system approach to count follicles, we concluded that a substantially higher threshold of follicle counts throughout the entire ovary (FNPO)-26 versus 12 follicles-is required to distinguish among women with PCOS and healthy women from the general population. The Rotterdam consensus defined the polycystic ovary as having 12 or more follicles, measuring between 2 and 9 mm (FNPO), and/or an ovarian volume (OV) >10 cm(3). Since their initial proposal in 2003, a heightened prevalence of polycystic ovaries has been described in healthy women with regular menstrual cycles, which has questioned the accuracy of these criteria and marginalized the specificity of polycystic ovaries as a diagnostic criterion for PCOS. A diagnostic test study was performed using cross-sectional data, collected from 2006 to 2011, from 168 women prospectively evaluated by transvaginal ultrasonography. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to determine the appropriate diagnostic thresholds for: (i) FNPO, (ii) follicle counts in a single cross section (FNPS) and (iii) OV. The levels of intra- and inter-observer reliability when five observers used the proposed criteria on 100 ultrasound cases were also determined. Ninety-eight women diagnosed with PCOS by the National Institutes of Health criteria as having both oligo-amenorrhea and hyperandrogenism and 70 healthy female volunteers recruited from the general population. Participants were evaluated by transvaginal ultrasonography at the Royal University Hospital within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Saskatchewan

  17. Synergistic effect of melatonin and ghrelin in preventing cisplatin-induced ovarian damage via regulation of FOXO3a phosphorylation and binding to the p27Kip1 promoter in primordial follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Hoon; Na, Younghwa; Hong, Kwonho; Lee, Sangho; Moon, Sohyeon; Cho, Minha; Park, Miseon; Lee, Ok-Hee; Chang, Eun Mi; Lee, Dong Ryul; Ko, Jung Jae; Lee, Woo Sik; Choi, Youngsok

    2017-10-01

    Premature ovarian failure during chemotherapy is a serious problem for young women with cancer. To preserve the fertility of these patients, approaches to prevent chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure are needed. In a previous study, we reported that melatonin treatment prevents the depletion of the dormant follicle pool via repression of the simultaneous activation of dormant primordial follicles by cisplatin. However, melatonin's protective effect was only partial and thus insufficient. In this study, we found that the hormone ghrelin enhances the protective effect of melatonin against cisplatin-induced ovarian failure in mouse model. Co-administration of melatonin and ghrelin more effectively prevented cisplatin-induced follicle disruption. Simultaneous treatment with melatonin and ghrelin almost restored the number of primordial follicles and the corpus luteum in cisplatin-treated ovaries, compared with single administration. We found melatonin and ghrelin receptors on the cell membrane of premature oocytes of primordial follicles. In addition, melatonin and ghrelin co-administration inhibited the cisplatin-induced phosphorylation of PTEN and FOXO3a that induces cytoplasmic translocation of FOXO3a. Inhibition of FOXO3a phosphorylation by melatonin and ghrelin increased the binding affinity of FOXO3a for the p27 Kip1 promoter in primordial follicles. Co-administration of melatonin and ghrelin in cisplatin-treated ovaries restored the expression of p27 Kip1 , which is critical for retention of the dormant status of primordial follicles. In conclusion, these findings suggest that melatonin and ghrelin co-administration is suitable for use as a fertoprotective adjuvant therapy during cisplatin chemotherapy in young female cancer patients. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Anti-Mullerian Hormone: A Marker of Ovarian Reserve and its Association with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Anil Kumar; Rajbhar, Sarita; Mishra, Jyoti; Gupta, Mayank; Sharma, Mratunjai; Deshmukh, Geeta; Ali, Wahid

    2016-12-01

    Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a useful endocrine marker for assessing the ovarian reserve. AMH serum level reflects the number of follicles that have made the transition from the primordial pool into the growing follicle pool, and it is not controlled by gonadotropins. The present study was conducted to correlate serum AMH levels with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and type of treatment protocol. Serum AMH levels were performed in the early follicular phase (on 2 nd day of menstrual cycle) both in infertile females including PCOS and control women. The results were analyzed in relation to age, Body Mass Index (BMI), ovarian volume, serum Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels, Antral Follicle Count (AFC), type of treatment protocols and also in association with PCOS patients. The serum levels of AMH were measured in all the participants on 2 nd day of menstrual cycle using ultra sensitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The plasma AMH levels were significantly higher in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The significant association was seen between FSH and AFC with AMH. However, no significant association was observed between AMH levels with age, BMI, ovarian volume and type of treatment protocols. The serum AMH measurement was significantly higher in PCOS patients. No association with type of treatment protocol was obtained.

  19. Growth Pattern of Follicles in Mice after X-Ray or DMBA Induction of Ovarian Tumours

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    Pedersen, T.; Krarup, T.; Peters, H.; Faber, M. [Finsen Institute, Copenhagen (Denmark)

    1969-11-15

    Whole-body X-irradiation of mice as well as treatment with the carcinogenic hydrocarbon 9:10-dimethyl-1:2 benzanthracene results in the formation of ovarian tumours. After both experimental procedures an immediate destruction of the small oocytes is initiated. Tumours arise in ovaries totally depleted of oocytes. The question arises how the two carcinogenic stimuli, besides destroying small oocytes, will influence the only cell population in the ovary that proliferates, namely granulosa cells in medium and large follicles. This was investigated by autoradiographs prepared at different time intervals after intraperitoneal injection of {sup 3}H-thymidine. Two parameters were determined in the autoradiographs, i. e. the labelling index of the granulosa cells and the duration of the DNA-synthesis phase. From these parameters the doubling times of the granulosa cells and the growth rate of whole follicles were calculated. It was shown that immediately after X-irradiation and after treatment with DMBA, the labelling index of the granulosa cells increases, which is most marked in the medium follicles. This increase reaches a maximum about 48 hours after both types of treatment and is still recognizable 7 days later. The duration of the S-phase of the individual cells is not significantly affected after DMBA treatment, but in X-irradiated animals it is shortened in the medium follicles 48 hours after irradiation. Simultaneously with the increase in the labelling index there is a shortening of the doubling times of the granular cells and thereby an acceleration of the growth rate of whole follicles. It seems most likely that the increase in labelling index is due partly to an increase in the growth fraction of the granulosa cells and partly to a shortening of the generation time of the proliferating cells. (author)

  20. Activated ovarian endothelial cells promote early follicular development and survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kedem, Alon; Aelion-Brauer, Anate; Guo, Peipei; Wen, Duancheng; Ding, Bi-Sen; Lis, Raphael; Cheng, Du; Sandler, Vladislav M; Rafii, Shahin; Rosenwaks, Zev

    2017-09-19

    New data suggests that endothelial cells (ECs) elaborate essential "angiocrine factors". The aim of this study is to investigate the role of activated ovarian endothelial cells in early in-vitro follicular development. Mouse ovarian ECs were isolated using magnetic cell sorting or by FACS and cultured in serum free media. After a constitutive activation of the Akt pathway was initiated, early follicles (50-150 um) were mechanically isolated from 8-day-old mice and co-cultured with these activated ovarian endothelial cells (AOEC) (n = 32), gel (n = 24) or within matrigel (n = 27) in serum free media for 14 days. Follicular growth, survival and function were assessed. After 6 passages, flow cytometry showed 93% of cells grown in serum-free culture were VE-cadherin positive, CD-31 positive and CD 45 negative, matching the known EC profile. Beginning on day 4 of culture, we observed significantly higher follicular and oocyte growth rates in follicles co-cultured with AOECs compared with follicles on gel or matrigel. After 14 days of culture, 73% of primary follicles and 83% of secondary follicles co-cultured with AOEC survived, whereas the majority of follicles cultured on gel or matrigel underwent atresia. This is the first report of successful isolation and culture of ovarian ECs. We suggest that co-culture with activated ovarian ECs promotes early follicular development and survival. This model is a novel platform for the in vitro maturation of early follicles and for the future exploration of endothelial-follicular communication. In vitro development of early follicles necessitates a complex interplay of growth factors and signals required for development. Endothelial cells (ECs) may elaborate essential "angiocrine factors" involved in organ regeneration. We demonstrate that co-culture with ovarian ECs enables culture of primary and early secondary mouse ovarian follicles.

  1. Individualization of controlled ovarian stimulation in vitro fertilization using ovarian reserve markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grisendi, Valentina; La Marca, Antonio

    2017-06-01

    In assisted reproduction technologies (ART) the controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) therapy is the starting point from which a good oocytes retrieval depends. Treatment individualization is based on ovarian response prediction, which largely depends on a woman's ovarian reserve. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) are considered the most accurate and reliable markers of ovarian reserve. A literature search was carried out for studies that addressed the ability of AMH and AFC to predict poor and/or excessive ovarian response in IVF cycles. According to the predicted response to ovarian stimulation (poor- normal- or high-response) is today possible not only to personalize pre-treatment counseling with the couple, but also to individualize the ovarian stimulation protocol, choosing among GnRH-agonists or antagonists for endogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) suppression and formulating the FSH starting dose most adequate for the single patients. In this review we discuss how to choose the best COS therapy for the single patient, on the basis of the markers-guided ovarian response prediction.

  2. Transcriptome Analysis on Single Small Yellow Follicles Reveals That Wnt4 Is Involved in Chicken Follicle Selection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiya Wang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Ovarian follicle selection is an important process impacting the laying performance and fecundity of hens, and is regulated by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH through binding to its receptor [follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR]. In laying hens, the small yellow follicle (6–8 mm in diameter with the highest expression of FSHR will be recruited into the preovulatory hierarchy during ovarian follicle development. The study of molecular mechanism of chicken follicle selection is helpful for the identification of genes underlying egg-laying traits in chicken and other poultry species. Herein, the transcriptomes of chicken small yellow follicles differing in the mRNA expression of FSHR were compared, and a total of 17,993 genes were identified in 3 pairs of small yellow follicles. The Wnt signaling pathway was significantly enriched in the follicles with the greatest fold change in FSHR expression. In this pathway, the expression level of Wnt4 mRNA was significantly upregulated with a log2(fold change of 2.12. We further investigated the expression, function, and regulation of Wnt4 during chicken follicle selection and found that Wnt4 mRNA reached its peak in small yellow follicles; Wnt4 stimulated the proliferation of follicular granulosa cells (GCs, increased the expression of StAR and CYP11A1 mRNA in prehierarchical and hierarchical follicles, increased the expression of FSHR mRNA, and decreased the expression of anti-Müllerian hormone and OCLN mRNA. Treatment with FSH significantly increased Wnt4 expression in GCs. Moreover, Wnt4 facilitated the effects of FSH on the production of progesterone (P4 and the mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzyme genes in the GCs of hierarchical follicles, but inhibited the effects of FSH in the GCs of prehierarchical follicles. Collectively, these data suggest that Wnt4 plays an important role in chicken follicle selection by stimulating GC proliferation and steroidogenesis. This study provides a

  3. Effect of Previous Chemotherapy on the Quality of Cryopreserved Human Ovarian Tissue In Vitro.

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    Babak Asadi Azarbaijani

    Full Text Available Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue has been widely accepted as an option for fertility preservation among cancer patients. Some patients are exposed to chemotherapy prior to ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Consequently, assessment of the developmental capacity of human ovarian tissue after chemotherapy is of primary importance.In order to study the impact of previous chemotherapy on in vitro development and viability of ovarian follicles, quality control samples from 34 female cancer patients at median age of 15 years (range 1‒35, cryopreserved for fertility preservation before (n = 14 or after (n = 20 initiation of chemotherapy, were thawed and cultured for 7 days. The morphology and developmental stages of ovarian follicles were studied by light microscopy before and after culture. Possible associations between follicular densities, age and exposure to alkylating agents, expressed as cyclophosphamide equivalent dose (CED were tested.Exposure to chemotherapy significantly impaired the survival and development of ovarian follicles in culture. After seven days, significantly higher densities of intermediary, primary and secondary follicles and lower densities of atretic follicles was detected in the samples collected before chemotherapy. Increasing dose of alkylating agents was identified by multivariate linear regression analysis as an independent predictor of a higher density of atretic follicles, whereas increasing age of the patient predicted a better outcome with less follicle atresia and a higher density of maturing follicles.This study provides quantitative in vitro evidence of the impact of chemotherapy on developmental capacity of cryopreserved human ovarian tissue. The results indicate that fertility preservation should be carried out, if possible, before initiation of alkylating agents in order to guarantee better in vitro survival of ovarian follicles. In addition, ovarian samples from younger girls show lower viability and fewer

  4. Bovine ovarian follicular growth and development correlate with lysophosphatidic acid expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinderewicz, Emilia; Grycmacher, Katarzyna; Boruszewska, Dorota; Kowalczyk-Zięba, Ilona; Staszkiewicz, Joanna; Ślężak, Tomasz; Woclawek-Potocka, Izabela

    2018-01-15

    The basis of successful reproduction is proper ovarian follicular growth and development. In addition to prostaglandins and vascular endothelial growth factor, a number of novel factors are suggested as important regulators of follicular growth and development: PGES, TFG, CD36, RABGAP1, DBI and BTC. This study focuses on examining the expression of these factors in granulosa and thecal cells that originate from different ovarian follicle types and their link with the expression of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), known local regulator of reproductive functions in the cow. Ovarian follicles were divided into healthy, transitional, and atretic categories. The mRNA expression levels for PGES, TFG, CD36, RABGAP1, DBI and BTC in granulosa and thecal cells in different follicle types were measured by real-time PCR. The correlations among expression of enzymes synthesizing LPA (autotaxin, phospholipase A2), receptors for LPA and examined factors were measured. Immunolocalization of PGES, TFG, CD36, RABGAP1, DBI and BTC was examined by immunohistochemistry. We investigated follicle-type dependent mRNA expression of factors potentially involved in ovarian follicular growth and development, both in granulosa and thecal cells of bovine ovarian follicles. Strong correlations among receptors for LPA, enzymes synthesizing LPA, and the examined factors in healthy and transitional follicles were observed, with its strongest interconnection with TFG, DBI and RABGAP1 in granulosa cells, and TFG in thecal cells; whereas no correlations in atretic follicles were detected. A greater number of correlations were found in thecal cells than in granulosa cells as well as in healthy follicles than in transitional follicles. These data indicate the role of LPA in the growth, development and physiology of the bovine ovarian follicle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Androstenedione response to recombinant human FSH is the most valid predictor of the number of selected follicles in polycystic ovarian syndrome: (a case-control study).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozyurek, Eser Sefik; Yoldemir, Tevfik; Artar, Gokhan

    2017-05-12

    We aimed to test the hypothesis that the correlation of the changes in the blood Androstenedione (A 4 ) levels to the number of selected follicles during ovulation induction with low-dose recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (rhFSH) is as strong as the correlation to changes in the blood Estradiol (E 2 ) levels in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Prospective Case-control study conducted from October 2014 to January 2016. 61 non-PCOS control (Group I) and 46 PCOS (Group II) patients treated with the chronic low-dose step up protocosl with rhFSH. A 4 , E 2 , progesterone blood levels and follicular growth were monitored.. Univariate and hierarchical multivariable analysis were performed for age, BMI, HOMA-IR, A 4 and E 2 (with the number of selected follicles as the dependent variable in both groups). ROC analysis was performed to define threshold values for the significant determinants of the number of selected follicles to predict cyle cancellations due to excessive ovarian response. The control group (Group I) was comprised of 61 cycles from a group of primary infertile non-PCOS patients, and the study group (Group II) of 46 cycles of PCOS patients. The analysis revealed that the strongest independent predictor of the total number of selected follicles in Group I was the E 2 (AUC) (B = 0.0006[0.0003-0.001]; P ovarian response and accurate titration of the rhFSH doses. The study was registered as a prospective case-control study in the ClinicalTrials.gov registry with the identifier NCT02329483 .

  6. The relationship between variation in size of the primordial follicle pool and age at natural menopause

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Depmann, M.; Faddy, M. J.; Van Der Schouw, Y. T.; Peeters, P. H M; Broer, S. L.; Kelsey, T. W.; Nelson, S. M.; Broekmans, F. J M

    2015-01-01

    Context: Menopause has been hypothesized to occur when the nongrowing follicle (NGF) number falls below a critical threshold. Age at natural menopause can be predicted using NGF numbers and this threshold. These predictions support the use of ovarian reserve tests, reflective of the ovarian follicle

  7. Predictors of ovarian response in intrauterine insemination patients and development of a dosage nomogram

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Freiesleben, Nina La Cour; Lossl, K.; Bogstad, Jeanette Wulff

    2008-01-01

    , total Doppler score of the ovarian stromal blood flow, baseline FSH and oestradiol. Simple and multiple linear regressions were used for the statistical analysis. Appropriate ovarian response was defined as two to three mature follicles. Body weight (P = 0.001) and the number of antral follicles (P = 0.......004) were the strongest independent predictive factors of the number of mature follicles. In conclusion, body weight and antral follicle count may be used to achieve appropriate ovarian response for IUI in ovulatory patients. Based on this, a simple rFSH dosage nomogram was developed for individual ovarian...

  8. Atresia of large ovarian follicles of the rat

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    Maria Słomczyn´ ska

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available In the rat, at the beginning of pregnancy a cohort of antral follicles develops until the preovulatory stage. However, these follicles, differentiating in the hyperprolactinemic milieu, produce only small amount of estradiol, do not ovulate and undergo rapid degeneration. They constitute an interesting physiological model of atresia. In the present study, we analysed the development and subsequent degeneration of such follicles. The study was performed on Wistar female rats killed in succession between days 1-9 of pregnancy. Excised ovaries were submitted to a routine histological procedure. Paraffin sections were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining or in situ DNA labelling. Histological and TUNEL staining revealed that the investigated group of follicles grew slower than that on the corresponding days of the estrous cycle and reached a preovulatory size and morphological appearance on day 5 of pregnancy. They did not ovulate and between days 6 and 9 of pregnancy an increasing number of apoptotic cells appeared within these follicles. They were localized predominantly in the antral granulosa layer, especially near the cumulus oophorus complex (COC and in the region linking the COC with the follicular wall. The COC and the theca layer were much less affected. In late stages of atresia, also cumulus cells became apoptotic but degenerating oocytes did not exhibit positive TUNEL staining. Only limited number of the theca cells have undergone apoptosis and generally they were not hypertrophied. Our findings indicate that much smaller than normal amount of intrafollicular estradiol was sufficient to support a normal, according to the morphological criteria, although slower development of antral follicles to the late preovulatory stage.

  9. Protein profile of mouse ovarian follicles grown in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anastácio, Amandine; Rodriguez-Wallberg, Kenny A; Chardonnet, Solenne; Pionneau, Cédric; Fédérici, Christian; Almeida Santos, Teresa; Poirot, Catherine

    2017-12-01

    Could the follicle proteome be mapped by identifying specific proteins that are common or differ between three developmental stages from the secondary follicle (SF) to the antrum-like stage? From a total of 1401 proteins identified in the follicles, 609 were common to the three developmental stages investigated and 444 were found uniquely at one of the stages. The importance of the follicle as a functional structure has been recognized; however, up-to-date the proteome of the whole follicle has not been described. A few studies using proteomics have previously reported on either isolated fully-grown oocytes before or after meiosis resumption or cumulus cells. The experimental design included a validated mice model for isolation and individual culture of SFs. The system was chosen as it allows continuous evaluation of follicle growth and selection of follicles for analysis at pre-determined developmental stages: SF, complete Slavjanski membrane rupture (SMR) and antrum-like cavity (AF). The experiments were repeated 13 times independently to acquire the material that was analyzed by proteomics. SFs (n = 2166) were isolated from B6CBA/F1 female mice (n = 42), 12 days old, from 15 l. About half of the follicles isolated as SF were analyzed as such (n = 1143) and pooled to obtain 139 μg of extracted protein. Both SMR (n = 359) and AF (n = 124) were obtained after individual culture of 1023 follicles in a microdrop system under oil, selected for analysis and pooled, to obtain 339 μg and 170 μg of protein, respectively. The follicle proteome was analyzed combining isoelectric focusing (IEF) fractionation with 1D and 2D LC-MS/MS analysis to enhance protein identification. The three protein lists were submitted to the 'Compare gene list' tool in the PANTHER website to gain insights on the Gene Ontology Biological processes present and to Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to highlight protein networks. A label-free quantification was performed with 1D LC-MS/MS analyses to

  10. Bisphenol A and Ovarian Reserve among Infertile Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

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    Wei Zhou

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available To better understand possible effects of bisphenol A (BPA exposure on ovarian reserve in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, we measured creatinine adjusted urinary BPA (BPA_Cre concentrations and used regression models to evaluate the association between urinary BPA level and antral follicle count (AFC, antimullerian hormone (AMH, day-3 follicle stimulating hormone levels (FSH and inhibin B (INHB in 268 infertile women diagnosed with PCOS. BPA was detected in all women with a median concentration of 2.35 ng/mL (the 25th and 75th percentiles of 1.47 ng/mL and 3.95 ng/mL. A unit increase in BPA_Cre was associated with a significant decrease of 0.34 in AFC (β = −0.34, 95% CI = −0.60, −0.08; p = 0.01. Likewise, BPA was negatively associated with AMH and day-3 FSH levels, but neither of them reached statistical significance. No association was observed between BPA and INHB. Our results suggest that in women with PCOS, BPA may affect ovarian follicles and, therefore, reduce ovarian reserve.

  11. Bisphenol A and Ovarian Reserve among Infertile Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Wei; Fang, Fang; Zhu, Wenting; Chen, Zi-Jiang; Du, Yanzhi; Zhang, Jun

    2016-12-27

    To better understand possible effects of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on ovarian reserve in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), we measured creatinine adjusted urinary BPA (BPA_Cre) concentrations and used regression models to evaluate the association between urinary BPA level and antral follicle count (AFC), antimullerian hormone (AMH), day-3 follicle stimulating hormone levels (FSH) and inhibin B (INHB) in 268 infertile women diagnosed with PCOS. BPA was detected in all women with a median concentration of 2.35 ng/mL (the 25th and 75th percentiles of 1.47 ng/mL and 3.95 ng/mL). A unit increase in BPA_Cre was associated with a significant decrease of 0.34 in AFC (β = -0.34, 95% CI = -0.60, -0.08; p = 0.01). Likewise, BPA was negatively associated with AMH and day-3 FSH levels, but neither of them reached statistical significance. No association was observed between BPA and INHB. Our results suggest that in women with PCOS, BPA may affect ovarian follicles and, therefore, reduce ovarian reserve.

  12. Effect of microwave exposure on the ovarian development of Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panagopoulos, Dimitris J

    2012-06-01

    In the present experiments the effect of GSM radiation on ovarian development of virgin Drosophila melanogaster female insects was studied. Newly emerged adult female flies were collected and divided into separate identical groups. After the a lapse of certain number of hours-different for each group-the insects (exposed and sham-exposed) were dissected and their intact ovaries were collected and photographed under an optical microscope with the same magnification. The size of the ovaries was compared between exposed and sham-exposed virgin female insects, during the time needed for the completion of oogenesis and maturation of the first eggs in the ovarioles. Immediately after the intact ovaries were photographed, they were further dissected into individual ovarioles and treated for TUNEL and acridine-orange assays to determine the degree of DNA damage in the egg chamber cells. The study showed that the ovarian size of the exposed insects is significantly smaller than that of the corresponding sham-exposed insects, due to destruction of egg chambers by the GSM radiation, after DNA damage and consequent cell death induction in the egg chamber cells of the virgin females as shown in previous experiments on inseminated females. The difference in ovarian size between sham-exposed and exposed virgin female flies becomes most evident 39-45 h after eclosion when the first eggs within the ovaries are at the late vitellogenic and post-vitellogenic stages (mid-late oogenesis). More than 45 h after eclosion, the difference in ovarian size decreases, as the first mature eggs of the sham-exposed insects are leaving the ovaries and are laid.

  13. Di (2-ethylhexyl Phthalate Exposure Impairs Growth of Antral Follicle in Mice.

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    Lan Li

    Full Text Available Di (2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP is a widely used plastic additive. As an environmental endocrine disruptor, it has been shown to be harmful to the mammalian reproductive system. Previous studies indicated that DEHP inhibited the development of mouse ovarian follicles. However, the mechanisms by which DEHP affects ovarian antral follicle development during the pre-puberty stage are poorly understand. Thus, we investigated the effects of direct DEHP exposure on antral follicle growth in pre-pubescent mice by use of intraperitoneal injection. Our results demonstrated that the percentage of large antral follicles was significantly reduced when mice were exposed to 20 or 40 μg/kg DEHP every 5 days from postnatal day 0 (0 dpp to 15 dpp. In 20 dpp, we performed microarray of these ovaries. The microarray results indicated that mRNA levels of apoptosis related genes were increased. The mRNA levels of the apoptosis and cell proliferation (negative related genes Apoe, Agt, Glo1 and Grina were increased after DEHP exposure. DEHP induced the differential gene expression of Hsp90ab1, Rhoa, Grina and Xdh which may play an important role in this process. In addition, TUNEL staining and immunofluorescence showed that DEHP exposure significantly increased the number of TUNEL, Caspase3 and γH2AX positive ovarian somatic cells within the mouse ovaries. Flow cytometer analyses of redox-sensitive probes showed that DEHP caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, the mRNA expression of ovarian somatic cell antioxidative enzymes was down-regulated both in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, our data here demonstrated that DEHP exposure induced oxidative stress and ovarian somatic cell apoptosis, and thus may impact antral follicle enlargement during the pre-pubertal stage in mice.

  14. Vitrification and xenografting of human ovarian tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amorim, Christiani Andrade; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; David, Anu; Jaeger, Jonathan; Vanacker, Julie; Camboni, Alessandra; Donnez, Jacques; Van Langendonckt, Anne

    2012-11-01

    To assess the efficiency of two vitrification protocols to cryopreserve human preantral follicles with the use of a xenografting model. Pilot study. Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. Ovarian biopsies were obtained from seven women aged 30-41 years. Ovarian tissue fragments were subjected to one of three cryopreservation protocols (slow freezing, vitrification protocol 1, and vitrification protocol 2) and xenografted for 1 week to nude mice. The number of morphologically normal follicles after cryopreservation and grafting and fibrotic surface area were determined by histologic analysis. Apoptosis was assessed by the TUNEL method. Morphometric analysis of TUNEL-positive surface area also was performed. Follicle proliferation was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. After xenografting, a difference was observed between the cryopreservation procedures applied. According to TUNEL analysis, both vitrification protocols showed better preservation of preantral follicles than the conventional freezing method. Moreover, histologic evaluation showed a significantly higher proportion of primordial follicles in vitrified (protocol 2)-warmed ovarian tissue than in frozen-thawed tissue. The proportion of growing follicles and fibrotic surface area was similar in all groups. Vitrification procedures appeared to preserve not only the morphology and survival of preantral follicles after 1 week of xenografting, but also their ability to resume folliculogenesis. In addition, vitrification protocol 2 had a positive impact on the quiescent state of primordial follicles after xenografting. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Sphingosine-1-phosphate prevents chemotherapy-induced human primordial follicle death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fang; Turan, Volkan; Lierman, Sylvie; Cuvelier, Claude; De Sutter, Petra; Oktay, Kutluk

    2014-01-01

    Can Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a ceramide-induced death pathway inhibitor, prevent cyclophosphamide (Cy) or doxorubicin (Doxo) induced apoptotic follicle death in human ovarian xenografts? S1P can block human apoptotic follicle death induced by both drugs, which have differing mechanisms of cytotoxicity. S1P has been shown to decrease the impact of chemotherapy and radiation on germinal vesicle oocytes in animal studies but no human translational data exist. Experimental human ovarian xenografting to test the in vivo protective effect of S1P on primordial follicle survival in the chemotherapy setting. The data were validated by assessing the same protective effect in the ovaries of xenografted mice in parallel. Xenografted mice were treated with Cy (75 mg/kg), Cy+S1P (200 μM), Doxo (10 mg/kg), Doxo+S1P or vehicle only (Control). S1P was administered via continuous infusion using a mini-osmotic pump beginning 24 h prior to and ending 72 h post-chemotherapy. Grafts were then recovered and stained with anti-caspase 3 antibody for the detection of apoptosis in primordial follicles. The percentage of apoptotic to total primordial follicles was calculated in each group. Both Cy and Doxo resulted in a significant increase in apoptotic follicle death in human ovarian xenografts compared with controls (62.0 ± 3.9% versus 25.7 ± 7.4%, P 0.05). The findings from the ovaries of the severe combined immunodeficient mice mirrored the findings with human tissue. The functionality of the rescued human ovarian follicles needs to be evaluated in future studies though the studies in rodents showed that rescued oocytes can result in healthy offspring. In addition, the impact of S1P on cancer cells should be further studied. S1P and its future analogs hold promise for preserving fertility by pharmacological means for patients undergoing chemotherapy. This research is supported by NIH's NICHD and NCI (5R01HD053112-06 and 5R21HD061259-02) and the Flemish Foundation for Scientific

  16. Effects of sub-lethal levels of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene on in vitro steroid biosynthesis by ovarian follicles or steroid metabolism by embryos of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petkam, Rakpong; Renaud, Rick; Lin, Lucy; Boermans, Herman; Leatherland, John

    2005-01-01

    This study examined the possibility that DDT and DDE, at sub-lethal exposure levels, exert direct effects on the biotransformation of gonadal steroids by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ovarian follicles and embryos. Ovarian follicles were co-incubated with DDT or DDE at 0.01 or 1 mg l -1 to examine effects of the pesticides on basal or cAMP-activated steroidogenesis. Ovarian preparations were incubated with radiolabelled [ 3 H]pregnenolone ([ 3 H]P 5 ), and the tritiated metabolites of [ 3 H]P 5 metabolism were separated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Testosterone (T) and 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) production were also measured using radioimmunoassay (RIA). Embryos were either exposed to the pesticides in ovo, or co-incubated in vitro with the pesticides. The effect of the pesticides on embryo steroid biotransformation was examined using a range of radioactively labelled substrates, including [ 3 H]P 5 , [ 3 H]progesterone ([ 3 H]P 4 ), [ 3 H]T and [ 3 H]E 2 . At the concentrations used, the pesticides had no significant effect on the relative amounts of unconjugated radiolabelled steroids formed by the biotransformation of [ 3 H]P 5 under conditions of basal or cAMP-stimulated ovarian steroidogenesis. However, DDT and DDE appeared to reduce the basal accumulation of androgen as a product of P 5 biotransformation by ovarian follicles. Basal or cAMP-stimulated total estrogen production was not affected. In addition, DDT at 1 mg l -1 and DDE at 0.01 mg l -1 significantly increased and decreased cAMP-stimulated T accumulation, respectively. Also DDT at 0.01 mg l -1 and DDE at 1 mg l -1 significantly increased and decreased basal E 2 accumulation, respectively. The steroid metabolites synthesized from the different substrates by embryos were essentially similar in both controls and pesticide-exposed groups, and the survival of embryos to hatch was not significantly affected by pesticide exposure, in ovo, with an approximately 90% hatchability in

  17. Development of the ovarian follicular epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, R J; Lavranos, T C; van Wezel, I L; Irving-Rodgers, H F

    1999-05-25

    A lot is known about the endocrine control of the development of ovarian follicles, but a key question now facing researchers is which molecular and cellular processes take part in control of follicular growth and development. The growth and development of ovarian follicles occurs postnatally and throughout adult life. In this review, we focus on the follicular epithelium (membrana granulosa) and its basal lamina. We discuss a model of how granulosa cells arise from a population of stem cells and then enter different lineages before differentiation. The structure of the epithelium at the antral stage of development is presented, and the effects that follicle growth has on the behavior of the granulosa cells are discussed. Finally, we discuss the evidence that during follicle development the follicular basal lamina changes in composition. This would be expected if the behavior of the granulosa cells changes, or if the permeability of the basal lamina changes. It will be evident that the follicular epithelium has similarities to other epithelia in the body, but that it is more dynamic, as gross changes occur during the course of follicle development. This basic information will be important for the development of future reproductive technologies in both humans and animals, and possibly for understanding polycystic ovarian syndrome in women.

  18. Aging women with polycystic ovary syndrome who achieve regular menstrual cycles have a smaller follicle cohort than those who continue to have irregular cycles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elting, Mariet W.; Kwee, Janet; Korsen, Ted J.M.; Rekers-Mombarg, L.T.M.; Schoemaker, Joop

    2003-01-01

    To examine whether follicle loss due to ovarian aging is responsible for the occurrence of regular menstrual cycles in aging women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the size of the FSH-sensitive follicle cohort was estimated by the exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone ovarian reserve test

  19. Three dimensional culture of fresh and vitrified mouse pre-antral follicles in a hyaluronan-based hydrogel: a preliminary investigation of a novel biomaterial for in vitro follicle maturation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Desai Nina

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Folliculogenesis within the ovary requires interaction between somatic cell components and the oocyte. Maintenance of 3-dimensional (3-D architecture and granulosa-oocyte interaction may be critical for successful in vitro maturation of follicles. Testing of novel biomaterials for the 3-D culture of follicles may ultimately lead to a culture model that can support the longer in vitro culture intervals needed for in vitro maturation of human oocytes from ovarian tissue biopsies. Methods A novel tyramine-based hyaluronan (HA hydrogel was tested for its biocompatibility with ovarian follicles. The HA was prepared at concentrations from 2 to 5 mg/ml. HA hydrogel was also formulated and tested with matrix proteins (ECM. Enzymatically isolated pre-antral follicles from the ovaries of 10–12 day SJL pups were divided amongst control (CT and HA treatments. The growth of both fresh and vitrified follicles was assessed after encapsulation in the hydrogel. The basal culture medium was MEM alpha supplemented with FSH, LH, ITS and 5% FBS. Maturation was triggered by addition of hCG and EGF after in vitro culture (IVC. Outcome parameters monitored were follicle morphology, survival after IVC, antrum formation, GVBD and MII formation. Differences between treatments were analyzed. Results HA and ECM-HA encapsulated follicles looked healthy and maintained their 3-D architecture during IVC. In control cultures, the follicles flattened and granulosa:oocyte connections appeared fragile. Estradiol secretion per follicle was significantly higher by Day 12 in ECM-HA compared to HA or CT (4119, 703 and 1080 pg/ml, respectively. HA and ECM-HA cultured follicles had similar survival rates (62% and 54%, respectively, percent GV breakdown (96–97%, MII formation (47–48% and oocyte diameters at the end of IVC. Control cultures differed significantly in percent GVBD (85% and MII formation (67% . Vitrified-warmed follicles encapsulated in HA had

  20. Prolonged hypothyroidism severely reduces ovarian follicular reserve in adult rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Li; Rijntjes, Eddy; Swarts, Hans J M; Keijer, Jaap; Teerds, Katja J

    2017-03-16

    There is substantial evidence both in humans and in animals that a prolonged reduction in plasma thyroid hormone concentration leads to reproductive problems, including disturbed folliculogenesis, impaired ovulation and fertilization rates, miscarriage and pregnancy complications. The objective of the present study is to examine the consequences of chronic hypothyroidism, induced in adulthood, for the size of the ovarian follicle pool. In order to investigate this, adult female rats were provided either a control or an iodide deficient diet in combination with perchlorate supplementation to inhibit iodide uptake by the thyroid. Sixteen weeks later animals were sacrificed. Blood was collected for hormone analyses and ovaries were evaluated histologically. At the time of sacrifice, plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations were 20- to 40-fold increased, thyroxine concentrations were negligible while tri-iothyronin concentrations were decreased by 40% in the hypothyroid group, confirming that the animals were hypothyroid. Primordial, primary and preantral follicle numbers were significantly lower in the hypothyroid ovaries compared to the euthyroid controls, while a downward trend in antral follicle and corpora lutea numbers was observed. Surprisingly the percentage of atretic follicles was not significantly different between the two groups, suggesting that the reduced preantral and antral follicle numbers were presumably not the consequence of increased degeneration of these follicle types in the hypothyroid group. Plasma anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels showed a significant correlation with the growing follicle population represented by the total ovarian number of primary, preantral and antral follicles, suggesting that also under hypothyroid conditions AMH can serve as a surrogate marker to assess the growing ovarian follicle population. The induction of a chronic hypothyroid condition in adult female rats negatively affects the ovarian follicular

  1. How to personalize ovarian stimulation in clinical practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sighinolfi, Giovanna; Grisendi, Valentina; La Marca, Antonio

    2017-09-01

    Controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles is the starting point from which couple's prognosis depends. Individualization in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) starting dose and protocol used is based on ovarian response prediction, which depends on ovarian reserve. Anti-Müllerian hormone levels and the antral follicle count are considered the most accurate and reliable markers of ovarian reserve. A literature search was performed for studies that addressed the ability of ovarian reserve markers to predict poor and high ovarian response in assisted reproductive technology cycles. According to the predicted response to ovarian stimulation (poor- normal- or high- response), it is possible to counsel couples before treatment about the prognosis, and also to individualize ovarian stimulation protocols, choosing among GnRH-agonists or antagonists for endogenous FSH suppression, and the FSH starting dose in order to decrease the risk of cycle cancellation and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. In this review we discuss how to choose the best COS therapy, based on ovarian reserve markers, in order to enhance chances in IVF.

  2. Role of Insulin-like growth factors in initiation of follicle growth in normal and polycystic human ovaries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stubbs, Sharron A; Webber, Lisa J; Stark, Jaroslav; Rice, Suman; Margara, Raul; Lavery, Stuart; Trew, Geoffrey H; Hardy, Kate; Franks, Stephen

    2013-08-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the commonest cause of anovulatory infertility, is characterized by disordered follicle development including increased activation and accelerated growth of preantral follicles. Data from experimental animals and preliminary results from studies of human ovarian tissue suggest that IGFs affect preantral follicle development. Our objectives were to investigate the expression of the type-1 IGF receptor (IGFR-1) in the human ovary and to determine whether IGFs are involved in stimulating the transition of follicles from primordial to primary stage in normal and polycystic ovaries. We used archived ovarian tissue for protein expression studies and small cortical biopsies for follicle isolation and for tissue culture. This was a laboratory-based study, using clinical tissue samples. A total of 54 women, 33 with normal ovaries and 21 with polycystic ovaries, were classified by reference to menstrual cycle history and ultrasonography. We evaluated expression of IGFR-1 mRNA in isolated preantral follicles and of IGFR-1 protein in archived ovarian tissue samples from normal and polycystic ovaries and effects of exogenous IGF-1 on preantral follicle development and survival in cultured fragments of normal and polycystic ovaries. IGFR-1 mRNA and protein was expressed in preantral follicles at all stages of development and enhanced expression was noted in PCOS follicles during early preantral development. IGF-1 stimulated initiation of follicle growth in normal tissue but had little effect on preantral follicle growth in polycystic ovaries in which, characteristically, there was a higher proportion of follicles that had entered the growing phase even before culture. IGFs are plausible candidates in regulation of initiation of human follicle growth, and accelerated preantral follicle growth in PCOS may be due to increased activity of endogenous IGFs.

  3. Changes in homologous and heterologous gap junction contacts during maturation-inducing hormone-dependent meiotic resumption in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolamba, D.; Patino, R.; Yoshizaki, G.; Thomas, P.

    2003-01-01

    Homologous (granulosa cell-granulosa cell) gap junction (GJ) contacts increase in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) during the early (first) stage of maturation, but their profile during the second stage [i.e., during maturation-inducing hormone (MIH)-mediated meiotic resumption] is unknown. The profile of homologous GJ contacts during the second stage of maturation in croaker follicles was examined in this study and compared to that of heterologous (granulosa cell-oocyte) GJ, for which changes have been previously documented. Follicles were incubated with human chorionic gonadotropin to induce maturational competence (first stage), and then with MIH to induce meiotic resumption. The follicles were collected for examination immediately before and after different durations of MIH exposure until the oocyte had reached the stage of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD; index of meiotic resumption). Ultrathin sections were observed by transmission electron microscopy, and homologous and heterologous GJ contacts were quantified along a 100-??m segment of granulosa cell-zona radiata complex per follicle (three follicles/time/fish, n=3 fish). Relatively high numbers of both types of GJ were observed before and after the first few hours of MIH exposure (up to the stage of oil droplet coalescence). GJ numbers declined during partial yolk globule coalescence (at or near GVBD) and were just under 50% of starting values after the completion of GVBD (P<0.05). These results confirm earlier observations that GVBD temporally correlates with declining heterologous GJ contacts, and for the first time in teleosts show that there is a parallel decline in homologous GJ. The significance of the changes in homologous and heterologous GJ is uncertain and deserves further study. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

  4. Pregnenolone co-treatment partially restores steroidogenesis, but does not prevent growth inhibition and increased atresia in mouse ovarian antral follicles treated with mono-hydroxy methoxychlor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Craig, Zelieann R.; Hannon, Patrick R.; Flaws, Jodi A.

    2013-01-01

    Mono-hydroxy methoxychlor (mono-OH MXC) is a metabolite of the pesticide, methoxychlor (MXC). Although MXC is known to decrease antral follicle numbers, and increase follicle death in rodents, not much is known about the ovarian effects of mono-OH MXC. Previous studies indicate that mono-OH MXC inhibits mouse antral follicle growth, increases follicle death, and inhibits steroidogenesis in vitro. Further, previous studies indicate that CYP11A1 expression and production of progesterone (P 4 ) may be the early targets of mono-OH MXC in the steroidogenic pathway. Thus, this study tested whether supplementing pregnenolone, the precursor of progesterone and the substrate for HSD3B, would prevent decreased steroidogenesis, inhibited follicle growth, and increased follicle atresia in mono-OH MXC-treated follicles. Mouse antral follicles were exposed to vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide), mono-OH MXC (10 μg/mL), pregnenolone (1 μg/mL), or mono-OH MXC and pregnenolone together for 96 h. Levels of P 4 , androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), estrone (E 1 ), and 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) in media were determined, and follicles were processed for histological evaluation of atresia. Pregnenolone treatment alone stimulated production of all steroid hormones except E 2 . Mono-OH MXC-treated follicles had decreased sex steroids, but when given pregnenolone, produced levels of P 4 , A, T, and E 1 that were comparable to those in vehicle-treated follicles. Pregnenolone treatment did not prevent growth inhibition and increased atresia in mono-OH MXC-treated follicles. Collectively, these data support the idea that the most upstream effect of mono-OH MXC on steroidogenesis is by reducing the availability of pregnenolone, and that adding pregnenolone may not be sufficient to prevent inhibited follicle growth and survival. - Highlights: • Mono-OH MXC inhibited antral follicle steroidogenesis, growth, and survival. • Pregnenolone partially restored steroidogenesis in mono-OH MXC

  5. Pregnenolone co-treatment partially restores steroidogenesis, but does not prevent growth inhibition and increased atresia in mouse ovarian antral follicles treated with mono-hydroxy methoxychlor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Craig, Zelieann R., E-mail: zelieann@illinois.edu; Hannon, Patrick R., E-mail: phannon2@illinois.edu; Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu

    2013-11-01

    Mono-hydroxy methoxychlor (mono-OH MXC) is a metabolite of the pesticide, methoxychlor (MXC). Although MXC is known to decrease antral follicle numbers, and increase follicle death in rodents, not much is known about the ovarian effects of mono-OH MXC. Previous studies indicate that mono-OH MXC inhibits mouse antral follicle growth, increases follicle death, and inhibits steroidogenesis in vitro. Further, previous studies indicate that CYP11A1 expression and production of progesterone (P{sub 4}) may be the early targets of mono-OH MXC in the steroidogenic pathway. Thus, this study tested whether supplementing pregnenolone, the precursor of progesterone and the substrate for HSD3B, would prevent decreased steroidogenesis, inhibited follicle growth, and increased follicle atresia in mono-OH MXC-treated follicles. Mouse antral follicles were exposed to vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide), mono-OH MXC (10 μg/mL), pregnenolone (1 μg/mL), or mono-OH MXC and pregnenolone together for 96 h. Levels of P{sub 4}, androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), estrone (E{sub 1}), and 17β-estradiol (E{sub 2}) in media were determined, and follicles were processed for histological evaluation of atresia. Pregnenolone treatment alone stimulated production of all steroid hormones except E{sub 2}. Mono-OH MXC-treated follicles had decreased sex steroids, but when given pregnenolone, produced levels of P{sub 4}, A, T, and E{sub 1} that were comparable to those in vehicle-treated follicles. Pregnenolone treatment did not prevent growth inhibition and increased atresia in mono-OH MXC-treated follicles. Collectively, these data support the idea that the most upstream effect of mono-OH MXC on steroidogenesis is by reducing the availability of pregnenolone, and that adding pregnenolone may not be sufficient to prevent inhibited follicle growth and survival. - Highlights: • Mono-OH MXC inhibited antral follicle steroidogenesis, growth, and survival. • Pregnenolone partially restored steroidogenesis

  6. Effects of sub-lethal levels of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene on in vitro steroid biosynthesis by ovarian follicles or steroid metabolism by embryos of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petkam, Rakpong [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., N1G 2W1 (Canada); Renaud, Rick [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., N1G 2W1 (Canada); Lin, Lucy [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., N1G 2W1 (Canada); Boermans, Herman [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., N1G 2W1 (Canada); Leatherland, John [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., N1G 2W1 (Canada)]. E-mail: jleather@ovc.uoguelph.ca

    2005-07-01

    This study examined the possibility that DDT and DDE, at sub-lethal exposure levels, exert direct effects on the biotransformation of gonadal steroids by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ovarian follicles and embryos. Ovarian follicles were co-incubated with DDT or DDE at 0.01 or 1 mg l{sup -1} to examine effects of the pesticides on basal or cAMP-activated steroidogenesis. Ovarian preparations were incubated with radiolabelled [{sup 3}H]pregnenolone ([{sup 3}H]P{sub 5}), and the tritiated metabolites of [{sup 3}H]P{sub 5} metabolism were separated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Testosterone (T) and 17{beta}-estradiol (E{sub 2}) production were also measured using radioimmunoassay (RIA). Embryos were either exposed to the pesticides in ovo, or co-incubated in vitro with the pesticides. The effect of the pesticides on embryo steroid biotransformation was examined using a range of radioactively labelled substrates, including [{sup 3}H]P{sub 5}, [{sup 3}H]progesterone ([{sup 3}H]P{sub 4}), [{sup 3}H]T and [{sup 3}H]E{sub 2}. At the concentrations used, the pesticides had no significant effect on the relative amounts of unconjugated radiolabelled steroids formed by the biotransformation of [{sup 3}H]P{sub 5} under conditions of basal or cAMP-stimulated ovarian steroidogenesis. However, DDT and DDE appeared to reduce the basal accumulation of androgen as a product of P{sub 5} biotransformation by ovarian follicles. Basal or cAMP-stimulated total estrogen production was not affected. In addition, DDT at 1 mg l{sup -1} and DDE at 0.01 mg l{sup -1} significantly increased and decreased cAMP-stimulated T accumulation, respectively. Also DDT at 0.01 mg l{sup -1} and DDE at 1 mg l{sup -1} significantly increased and decreased basal E{sub 2} accumulation, respectively. The steroid metabolites synthesized from the different substrates by embryos were essentially similar in both controls and pesticide-exposed groups, and the survival of embryos to hatch

  7. Changes in ovarian reserve and ovarian blood flow in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome following laparoscopic ovarian drilling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamal, Nasser; Sanad, Zakaria; Elkelani, Osama; Rezk, Mohamed; Shawky, Mohamed; Sharaf, Abd-Elbar

    2018-04-10

    This prospective cohort study was conducted on 80 patients with clomiphene citrate (CC)-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD). Pre- and post-LOD ovarian reserve parameters (anti-Mullerian hormone: AMH, ovarian volume: OV, and antral follicle count: AFC) and ovarian stromal blood flow indices (Vascularization index: VI, flow index: FI, and vascularization flow index: VFI) were measured to explore the effect of LOD and to find out the correlation between serum AMH and different clinical, hormonal, and ultrasonic variables. There was a highly significant reduction of the serum AMH (p ovarian reserve parameters (AMH, OV and AFC) and ovarian stromal blood flow indices (VI, FI and VFI) with no observed correlation between AMH levels and Doppler indices.

  8. Ultrasound in evaluating ovarian reserve

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eman Ahmaed Shawky Sabek

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS, as a less invasive technique instead of hormonal assay to evaluate the ovarian reserve. This study included fifty-five females with breast cancer and we compared the ovarian reserve for these patients by hormonal assay through measuring the serum AntiMullerian Hormone (AMH level and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH level before and after chemotherapy, and by transvaginal ultrasound through the ovarian volume (OV calculation and counting the Antral follicles (AFC before and after chemotherapy treatment. There was decline in the AntiMullerian Hormone level after chemotherapy by 27 ± 11.19% and decrease in the Antral follicle counts by 21 ± 13.43%. In conclusion there was strong relation between AMH level and AFC which makes the use of transvaginal ultrasound is a reliable alternative method to the hormonal assay to detect the ovarian reserve.

  9. The influence of a slow-release multi-trace element ruminal bolus on trace element status, number of ovarian follicles and pregnancy outcomes in synchronized Afshari ewes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdollahi, E.; Kohram, H.; Shahir, M. H.; Nemati, M. H.

    2015-01-01

    Published data on the effects of ruminal bolus on the number of ovulatory follicles in ewes does not exist. The present study determined the effects of a ruminal bolus on trace element status, follicular dynamics and reproductive performance in ewes. Eighty Afshari cycling ewes were synchronized during breeding season using CIDR for 14 days and assigned to 4 groups (n=20); group 1 received a single Ferrobloc bolus four weeks prior to CIDR insertion following 400 IU eCG on CIDR removal, group 2 received two boluses four weeks prior to CIDR insertion following 400 IU eCG on CIDR removal, group 3 received only 400 IU eCG on CIDR removal and group 4 (control) received no bolus and no eCG. Transrectal ultrasonography was done to monitor the ovarian follicles on the day of CIDR removal and a day later. Results showed that boluses increased the status of copper, selenium and iodine on mating day and days 90 to 100 of gestation. Ruminal bolus did not significantly increase the number of different classes of ovarian follicles in ewes fed a diet meeting all trace mineral requirements. All ewes eventually became pregnant with 1 or 2 boluses but the multiple births rate (80%) was higher (P<0.05) after 2 boluses compared to the other groups. PMID:27175153

  10. Morphological anomaly of primordial follicle in {gamma}-irradiated mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jin Kyu; Lee, Chang Joo; Lee, Young Dal [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1999-08-01

    Ovarian follicles are faced with one of two fates, atresia or development. Up to 99% of follicles become degenerated rather than ovulated in female life span. Thus, atresia occurs at all stages of follicle development in mammalian ovaries. In the present experiment, the effect of {gamma}-radiation on primordial follicles was morphologically analyzed in a mouse ovary. Thirty-seven percent of the primordial follicles in the non-irradiated control mice ovaries were abnormal. At day 8 post irradiation, most of primordial follicles became atretic. They lost their integrity of architecture in the follicular shape. Then, all the oocytes disappeared from the follicles. And only 3 to 4 granulosa cells lay down onto the basement membrane. Disappearance of granulosa cells or oocytes resulted from the radiation-induced apoptotic process. It is definitely clear that {gamma}-radiation induces rapid apoptotic degeneration of the primordial follicles. The morphological degeneration induced by radiation in the primordial follicles can be used as an experimental model to draw out a deeper insight for radioprotectant researches. (author). 22 refs., 4 figs.

  11. Expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor 1 (AHR1), AHR1 nuclear translocator 1 (ARNT1) and CYP1 family monooxygenase mRNAs and their activity in chicken ovarian follicles following in vitro exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antos, Piotr A; Błachuta, Małgorzata; Hrabia, Anna; Grzegorzewska, Agnieszka K; Sechman, Andrzej

    2015-09-02

    The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of TCDD and luteinizing hormone (LH) on mRNA expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor 1 (AHR1), AHR1 nuclear translocator 1 (ARNT1), and the CYP1 family monooxygenases (CYP1A4, CYP1A5, CYP1B1), and to assess the basal and TCDD-induced activity of these enzymes in chicken ovarian follicles. White (WF) and yellowish (YF) prehierarchical follicles and fragments of the theca (TL) and granulosa (GL) layers of the 3 largest preovulatory follicles (F3-F1) were exposed to TCDD (10nM), ovine LH (oLH; 10ng/mL) or a combination of TCDD (10nM) and oLH (10ng/mL), and increasing doses of TCDD (0.01-100nM). AHR1 and ARNT1 mRNA transcripts were found in all examined follicles. The effect of TCDD and oLH on AHR1 and ARNT1 mRNA expression depended on the maturational state of the follicle. CYP1A4 was predominantly expressed in the GL of the F3-F1 follicles; in comparison with the WF, a higher level of CYP1A5 mRNA was found both in the GL and TL of F3-F1 follicles. Alternatively, the highest level of CYP1B1 mRNA was noticed in the WF follicles. In different developmental stages of the follicle TCDD and oLH induced a different CYP1 isoform. TCDD increased EROD and MROD activities in all the investigated ovarian follicles. In conclusion, AHR1 and ARNT1 mRNA expression indicate that the chicken ovary is a target tissue for dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. The expression of CYP1-family genes and TCDD-inducible EROD and MROD activities in ovarian follicles suggest the possibility of xenobiotic detoxification in the chicken ovary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Preconception folic acid use modulates estradiol and follicular responses to ovarian stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twigt, John M; Hammiche, Fatima; Sinclair, Kevin D; Beckers, Nicole G; Visser, Jenny A; Lindemans, Jan; de Jong, Frank H; Laven, Joop S E; Steegers-Theunissen, Régine P

    2011-02-01

    Folate is a methyl donor. Availability of folate affects DNA methylation profiles and thereby gene expression profiles. We investigated the effects of low-dose folic acid use (0.4 mg/d) on the ovarian response to mild and conventional ovarian stimulation in women. In a randomized trial among subfertile women, 24 and 26 subjects received conventional and mild ovarian stimulation, respectively. Blood samples were taken during the early follicular phase of the cycle prior to treatment and on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration for determination of serum total homocysteine, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), estradiol, and folate. Folic acid use was validated by questionnaire and serum folate levels. Preovulatory follicles were visualized, counted, and diameters recorded using transvaginal ultrasound. The relation between folic acid use and ovarian response was assessed using linear regression analysis. Folic acid use modified the ovarian response to ovarian stimulation treatment. The estradiol response was higher in nonfolic acid users receiving conventional treatment [β(interaction) = 0.52 (0.07-0.97); P = 0.03], and this effect was independent of serum AMH levels and the preovulatory follicle count. In the conventional treatment, the mean follicle number was also greater in nonusers compared with the users group (14.1 vs. 8.9, P = 0.03). Low-dose folic acid use attenuates follicular and endocrine responses to conventional stimulation, independent of AMH and follicle count. The nature of this observation suggests that the effect of folic acid is most prominent during early follicle development, affecting immature follicles. Deleterious effects of folate deficiency, like DNA hypomethylation and oxidative stress, can help to explain our observations.

  13. Follicle and oocyte growth in early postnatal calves: cytochemical, autoradiographical and electron microscopical studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mhawi, A.J.; Kaňka, J.; Motlík, J.

    1991-01-01

    The initiation of oocyte and follicle growth was studied in 1- and 3-d-old calf ovaries using cytochemical, autoradiographical and electron microscopical approaches. Attention was only paid to unilaminar ovarian follicles that were classified into 3 categories: unilaminar flattened (UF), unilaminar flatto-cuboidal (UFC) and unilaminar cuboidal (UC) ovarian follicles when the oocyte was surrounded by 1 layer of flattened, a mixture of flattened and cuboidal and entirely cuboidal follicle cells, respectively. Our findings suggested that oocytes within each of these follicle categories were in different developmental stages. Furthermore, electron microscopic observations revealed that early after birth, oocyte nuclei characteristic of diplotene configuration (aggregation of the nuclear chromatin into moderately electron-dense small patches and fibrillo-granular texture of the nucleolus) were encountered in 41% of the UF follicles. The rest of the UF as well as all of the UFC and UC follicles were found to contain dictyate oocytes in which the chromatin was highly decondensed and the nucleolus differentiated into fibrillar, fibrillo-granular and granular components. The present results also indicated that the complete transition of the surrounding follicle cells from flattened to cuboidal shape and the morphological changes of the oocyte endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria were 2 complementary events essential for initiation of oocyte growth

  14. Sphingosine 1-phosphate promotes activation of aprine preantral follicle in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.E. Nóbrega Jr.

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This study describes the effect of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P for development of preantral follicle, therefore the activation and follicular viability of caprine follicles cultured in vitro. Ovarian fragments were cultured for 1 or 7 days in Minimum Essential Medium with different S1P concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50, 100 or 200ng/mL. All ovarian fragments were processed for histological analysis in optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence analysis. The treatment using 1ng/mL of S1P was able to maintain the percentage of normal follicles with the progression of the culture from day 1 to 7. At end of the 7-day culture period there was a significant reduction (P<0.05 in the percentage of primordial follicles in all groups treated with S1P, compared with fresh control (FC and Control Culture (CC, which was followed by an increase of activated follicles (intermediary, primary and secondary. In addition, the culture for 7 days with media supplemented with S1P with 1ng/mL preserved the ultrastructure of organelles and kept the preantral follicular viability when evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. In conclusion, after 7 days of culture, the 1ng/mL of S1P activates the development of preantral caprine follicles, cultured in situ and maintains the oocitary and follicular viability.

  15. Patterns of ovarian morphology in polycystic ovary syndrome: a study utilising magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barber, Thomas M.; Smith, Rachel; Marland, Anne; Wass, John A.H.; Alvey, Christopher; Greenslade, Tessa; Gooding, Mark; Barber, Debbie; Child, Tim; McCarthy, Mark I.; Franks, Stephen; Golding, Stephen J.

    2010-01-01

    To evaluate and compare MRI-based ovarian morphology in groups of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and controls. All PCOS cases (n = 44) had oligo-amenorrhoea and hyperandrogenism irrespective of ovarian morphology, and fulfilled NIH/Rotterdam diagnostic criteria for PCOS. All control women (n = 40) had normal menses and normoandrogenaemia. All subjects were of white British/Irish origin and pre-menopausal. Group comparisons were based on independent-sample t tests. Polycystic ovarian morphology was defined by at least 12 follicles 2-9 mm in diameter and/or an ovarian volume greater than 10 cm 3 . Ovarian morphology differed significantly in PCOS cases and controls (follicle number geometric mean [SD range] 18.6 [9.9, 35.0] vs 6.6 [3.1, 14.2], unadjusted P = 1.3 x 10 -16 ; calculated ovarian volume 8.8 cm 3 [5.0, 15.5] vs 5.1 cm 3 [2.5, 10.3], unadjusted P = 3.0 x 10 -7 ; peripheral follicle location in 55% vs 18% of ovaries, P = 7.9 x 10 -6 ; visible central ovarian stroma in 61% vs 24% of ovaries, P = 2.3 x 10 -5 ). Follicle number and calculated ovarian volume were not concordant with clinical/biochemical assignment of PCOS/control status in 36 (23%) and 52 (34%) of ovaries, respectively. Ovarian morphology overlaps in PCOS cases and controls, emphasising the importance of considering clinical/biochemical presentation together with imaging ovarian morphology in the diagnosis of PCOS. (orig.)

  16. Ultrastructure and composition of Call-Exner bodies in bovine follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wezel, I L; Irving-Rodgers, H F; Sado, Y; Ninomiya, Y; Rodgers, R J

    1999-05-01

    Call-Exner bodies are present in ovarian follicles of a range of species including human and rabbit, and in a range of human ovarian tumors. We have also found structures resembling Call-Exner bodies in bovine preantral and small antral follicles. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of single sections of bovine ovaries has shown that 30% of preantral follicles with more than one layer of granulosa cells and 45% of small (less than 650 microns) antral follicles have at least one Call-Exner body composed of a spherical eosinophilic region surrounded by a rosette of granulosa cells. Alcian blue stains the spherical eosinophilic region of the Call-Exner bodies. Electron microscopy has demonstrated that some Call-Exner bodies contain large aggregates of convoluted basal lamina, whereas others also contain regions of unassembled basal-lamina-like material. Individual chains of the basal lamina components type IV collagen (alpha 1 to alpha 5) and laminin (alpha 1, beta 2 and delta 1) have been immunolocalized to Call-Exner bodies in sections of fresh-frozen ovaries. Bovine Call-Exner bodies are presumably analogous to Call-Exner bodies in other species but are predominantly found in preantral and small antral follicles, rather than large antral follicles. With follicular development, the basal laminae of Call-Exner bodies change in their apparent ratio of type IV collagen to laminin, similar to changes observed in the follicular basal lamina, suggesting that these structures have a common cellular origin.

  17. The "vanishing follicle" in women with low number of developing follicles during assisted reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Younis, Johnny S; Yakovi, Shiran; Izhaki, Ido; Haddad, Sami; Ben-Ami, Moshe

    2018-01-01

    To investigate the occurrence of the "vanishing follicle" phenomenon in women with low number of developing follicles in assisted reproduction. Women with ≤ 6 follicles on the day of hCG administration with ≥ 14mm diameter were prospectively studied. Primary outcome measures were disappearance of ≥14mm and all-diameter follicles on the day of oocyte pick-up compared to the day of hCG administration. Among the 120 women recruited, 95 were found eligible and completed the study. The "vanishing follicle" phenomenon occurred in 3.1% (95% confidence level: 0.7%-9.0%) and 18.9% (95% confidence level: 11.6%-28.3%) of cases affecting ≥14mm and all-diameter follicles, respectively. In all cases, mid-late follicular serum LH and P levels remained within normal follicular phase range and trans-vaginal scan did not show signs of ovulation. Markedly, the main significant difference between the study and control groups in the ≥14mm follicle group was serum E 2 level on the day of hCG administration; median (Interquartile range), corresponding to 395 (382.0-405.5) versus 823.0 (544.5-1291.0) pg/mL, respectively (P=0.04). The same trend was encountered in all-diameter vanishing follicles group but it did not reach significance. Interestingly, in all-diameter vanishing group, chronic smoking and the P/E 2 ratio on the hCG day were significantly higher than controls. Post hoc multiple logistic regression analysis of data in accordance with the Bologna criteria reveled that antral follicle count was found to significantly affect the development of the "vanishing follicle" phenomenon. The "vanishing follicle" phenomenon occasionally occurs in women with low number of developing follicles during assisted reproduction with no signs of ovulation. Our preliminary findings suggest that this phenomenon may be related to exhausted ovarian reserve however, an early-unrecognized LH elevation could not be ruled out. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Resveratrol supplementation rescues pool of growing follicles and ovarian stroma from Cisplatin-induced toxicity on the ovary in Sprague-Dawley rats: An experimental study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gbotolorun Stella Chinwe

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Cisplatin is a potent antineoplastic agent for many cancers but causes several levels of gonadal damage. Ovarian toxicity is a major concern of young cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Objective: This study sought to examine the effect of Cisplatin and Resveratrol supplementation on ovarian function in Sprague-Dawley rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 45 cyclic Sprague-Dawley rats with an average weight of 160 gr were divided into 9 groups (n=5/group. Group 1 was used as control and received distilled water. Groups 2 and 9 received Cisplatin only. Groups 3, 4, and 5 received different doses of Resveratrol after a single dose of Cisplatin. Groups 6, 7, and 8 received Resveratrol before Cisplatin. At sacrifice, the ovary was analyzed for histopathology, biochemical indices of oxidation and hormonal assay. Results: Relative and absolute organ weights were notably increased (p=0.001, 0.01 in the prophylactic groups relative to the groups that received Resveratrol after Cisplatin. Also, glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly increased (p=0.047, 0.01, 0.023 in a dose-dependent manner when compared to Cisplatin group only. Malondialdehyde decreased significantly (p=0.001 in the groups that received high dose Resveratrol compared with the control and Cisplatin alone groups. Although oestrogen showed no significant difference within the groups (p=0.48, Resveratrol significantly increased progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels (p=0.007, 0.001, 0.006 at high doses when compared with Cisplatin alone groups. Ovarian histoarchitecture was best preserved in the prophylactic groups in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Resveratrol supplementation confers protection and preserves ovarian follicles from Cisplatin toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats.

  19. Laparoscopic ovarian biopsy pick-up method for goats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandão, Fabiana A S; Alves, Benner G; Alves, Kele A; Souza, Samara S; Silva, Yago P; Freitas, Vicente J F; Teixeira, Dárcio I A; Gastal, Eduardo L

    2018-02-01

    Biopsy pick-up (BPU) has been considered a safe method to harvest ovarian fragments from live animals. However, no studies have been reported on the use of BPU to collect in vivo ovarian tissue in goats. The goals of this study were: (i) to test different biopsy needle sizes to collect ovarian tissue in situ using the BPU method (Experiment 1), and (ii) to study ovarian tissue features such as preantral follicle density, morphology, class distribution, and stromal cell density in ovarian fragments obtained in vivo through a laparoscopic BPU method (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, goat ovaries (n = 20) were collected in a slaughterhouse and subjected to in situ BPU. Three needles (16, 18, and 20G) were tested. In Experiment 2, the most efficient biopsy needle from Experiment 1 was used to perform laparoscopic BPU in goats (n = 8). In Experiment 1, the recovery rate was greater (P rate). Overall, 2054 preantral follicles were recorded in 5882 histological sections analyzed. Mean preantral follicular density was 28.4 ± 1.3 follicles per cm 2 . The follicular density differed (P rate in goats. Furthermore, this study described for the first time that goat ovarian biopsy fragments have a high heterogeneity in follicular density, morphology, class distribution, and stromal cell density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Effect of ovarian dermoid cyst excision on ovarian reserve and response: Insights from in vitro fertilization

    OpenAIRE

    Lei Yan; Miao Li; Bing-Qian Zhang; Xin-Xin Xu; Zhen Xu; Ting Han; Zi-Jiang Chen

    2016-01-01

    Study objective: To investigate the impact of an ovarian dermoid cyst or dermoid cyst surgery on ovarian reserve in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study by using the records of patients with a history of ovarian dermoid cyst who underwent IVF/ICSI between 2009 and 2013. The antral follicle count (AFC) obtained by transvaginal ultrasound during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation of IVF/ICSI...

  1. A new model of development of the mammalian ovary and follicles.

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    Katja Hummitzsch

    Full Text Available Ovarian follicular granulosa cells surround and nurture oocytes, and produce sex steroid hormones. It is believed that during development the ovarian surface epithelial cells penetrate into the ovary and develop into granulosa cells when associating with oogonia to form follicles. Using bovine fetal ovaries (n = 80 we identified a novel cell type, termed GREL for Gonadal Ridge Epithelial-Like. Using 26 markers for GREL and other cells and extracellular matrix we conducted immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy and chronologically tracked all somatic cell types during development. Before 70 days of gestation the gonadal ridge/ovarian primordium is formed by proliferation of GREL cells at the surface epithelium of the mesonephros. Primordial germ cells (PGCs migrate into the ovarian primordium. After 70 days, stroma from the underlying mesonephros begins to penetrate the primordium, partitioning the developing ovary into irregularly-shaped ovigerous cords composed of GREL cells and PGCs/oogonia. Importantly we identified that the cords are always separated from the stroma by a basal lamina. Around 130 days of gestation the stroma expands laterally below the outermost layers of GREL cells forming a sub-epithelial basal lamina and establishing an epithelial-stromal interface. It is at this stage that a mature surface epithelium develops from the GREL cells on the surface of the ovary primordium. Expansion of the stroma continues to partition the ovigerous cords into smaller groups of cells eventually forming follicles containing an oogonium/oocyte surrounded by GREL cells, which become granulosa cells, all enclosed by a basal lamina. Thus in contrast to the prevailing theory, the ovarian surface epithelial cells do not penetrate into the ovary to form the granulosa cells of follicles, instead ovarian surface epithelial cells and granulosa cells have a common precursor, the GREL cell.

  2. Premature ovarian failure

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    Persani Luca

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Premature ovarian failure (POF is a primary ovarian defect characterized by absent menarche (primary amenorrhea or premature depletion of ovarian follicles before the age of 40 years (secondary amenorrhea. It is a heterogeneous disorder affecting approximately 1% of women e.g. Turner syndrome represent the major cause of primary amenorrhea associated with ovarian dysgenesis. Despite the description of several candidate genes, the cause of POF remains undetermined in the vast majority of the cases. Management includes substitution of the hormone defect by estrogen/progestin preparations. The only solution presently available for the fertility defect in women with absent follicular reserve is ovum donation.

  3. Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy of endometriomas does not affect the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marconi, Guillermo; Vilela, Martín; Quintana, Ramiro; Sueldo, Carlos

    2002-10-01

    To evaluate the ovarian response cycles of IVF-ET in patients who previously underwent laparoscopic cystectomy for endometriomas. Retrospective study with prospective selection of participants and controls. Instituto de Ginecología y Fertilidad Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thirty-nine patients underwent an operation for ovarian endometriomas by atraumatic removal of the pseudocapsule with minimal bipolar cauterization of small bleeders and an IVF-ET cycle (group A) and 39 control patients of similar age underwent an IVF-ET cycle for tubal factor infertility (group B). Laparoscopic endometrioma cystectomy, IVF-ET cycle. E(2) levels, number of gonadotropin ampoules, follicles, oocytes retrieved, number and quality of embryos transferred, and clinical pregnancy rate. There were no differences in all the parameters studied (E(2) levels, number of follicles, oocytes retrieved, number and quality of embryos transferred, and clinical pregnancy rate) except for the number of gonadotropin ampoules needed for ovarian hyperstimulation, which was significantly higher in group A than in group B. Our results indicate that laparoscopic cystectomy for endometriomas is an appropriate treatment since it did not negatively affect the ovarian response for IVF-ET.

  4. Luteal-phase ovarian stimulation increases the number of mature oocytes in older women with severe diminished ovarian reserve.

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    Rashtian, Justin; Zhang, John

    2018-03-22

    In older women with severe diminished ovarian response (DOR), in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment is much less successful due to the low number of mature oocytes collected. The objective of this study was to assess whether follicular-phase stimulation (FPS) and luteal-phase stimulation (LPS) in the same menstrual cycle (double ovarian stimulation) in older women with severe DOR will produce a higher number of oocytes compared to FPS alone. Women with DOR (n = 69; mean age = 42.4) who underwent double ovarian stimulation for IVF were included. Women underwent ovarian stimulation in FPS using clomiphene citrate, letrozole, and gonadotropins followed by oocyte retrieval. The next day following oocyte retrieval, women underwent a second ovarian stimulation (LPS) using the same medications followed by a second oocyte retrieval. T-test was performed in order to compare the clinical characteristics and outcome in the same participant between FPS and LPS. Although antral follicle count at the start of FPS tended to be higher than at the start of the LPS cycle, there was no statistically significant difference between the duration of ovarian stimulation, peak estradiol levels, number of small (FPS alone. The addition of LPS to the conventional FPS increases the number of mature oocytes retrieved in the same IVF cycle, thus potentially increasing the chances of pregnancy in older women with severe DOR. AFC: antral follicle count; BMI: body mass index; DOR: diminished ovarian reserve; E2: estradiol; FPS: follicular-phase stimulation; FSH: follicle stimulating hormone; GnRH: gonadotropin-releasing hormone; HCG: human chorionic gonadotropin; IRB: institutional review board; IVF: in vitro fertilization; LH: luteinizing hormone; LPS: luteal-phase stimulation; MII: metaphase II.

  5. Proteomic Analysis of Fetal Ovaries Reveals That Primordial Follicle Formation and Transition Are Differentially Regulated

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    Mengmeng Xu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Primordial follicle formation represents a critical phase of the initiation of embryonic reproductive organ development, while the primordial follicle transition into primary follicle determines whether oestrus or ovulation will occur in female animals. To identify molecular mechanism of new proteins which are involved in ovarian development, we employed 2D-DIGE to compare the protein expression profiles of primordial follicles and primary follicles of fetal ovaries in pigs. Fetal ovaries were collected at distinct time-points of the gestation cycle (g55 and g90. The identified proteins at the g55 time-point are mainly involved in the development of anatomical structures [reticulocalbin-1 (RCN1, reticulocalbin-3 (RCN3], cell differentiation (actin, and stress response [heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (HNRNPK]. Meanwhile, at the g90 stage, the isolated proteins with altered expression levels were mainly associated with cell proliferation [major vault protein (MVP] and stress response [heat shock-related 70 kDa protein 2 (HSPA2]. In conclusion, our work revealed that primordial follicle formation is regulated by RCN1, RCN3, actin, and HNRNPK, while the primordial follicle transformation to primary follicle is regulated by MVP and HSPA2. Therefore, our results provide further information for the prospective understanding of the molecular mechanism(s involved in the regulation of the ovarian follicle development.

  6. Patterns of ovarian morphology in polycystic ovary syndrome: a study utilising magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barber, Thomas M.; Smith, Rachel; Marland, Anne; Wass, John A.H. [Churchill Hospital, Department of Endocrinology, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Oxford (United Kingdom); Alvey, Christopher [John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford MRI Centre, Oxford (United Kingdom); Greenslade, Tessa [John Radcliffe Hospital, Department of Medicine, Oxford (United Kingdom); Gooding, Mark [University of Oxford, Department of Engineering, Oxford (United Kingdom); Barber, Debbie; Child, Tim [John Radcliffe Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oxford (United Kingdom); McCarthy, Mark I. [Churchill Hospital, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Oxford (United Kingdom); Franks, Stephen [Imperial College (Hammersmith Campus), Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, London (United Kingdom); Golding, Stephen J. [John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford MRI Centre, Oxford (United Kingdom); University of Oxford, Department of Engineering, Oxford (United Kingdom)

    2010-05-15

    To evaluate and compare MRI-based ovarian morphology in groups of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and controls. All PCOS cases (n = 44) had oligo-amenorrhoea and hyperandrogenism irrespective of ovarian morphology, and fulfilled NIH/Rotterdam diagnostic criteria for PCOS. All control women (n = 40) had normal menses and normoandrogenaemia. All subjects were of white British/Irish origin and pre-menopausal. Group comparisons were based on independent-sample t tests. Polycystic ovarian morphology was defined by at least 12 follicles 2-9 mm in diameter and/or an ovarian volume greater than 10 cm{sup 3}. Ovarian morphology differed significantly in PCOS cases and controls (follicle number geometric mean [SD range] 18.6 [9.9, 35.0] vs 6.6 [3.1, 14.2], unadjusted P = 1.3 x 10{sup -16}; calculated ovarian volume 8.8 cm{sup 3} [5.0, 15.5] vs 5.1 cm{sup 3} [2.5, 10.3], unadjusted P = 3.0 x 10{sup -7}; peripheral follicle location in 55% vs 18% of ovaries, P = 7.9 x 10{sup -6}; visible central ovarian stroma in 61% vs 24% of ovaries, P = 2.3 x 10{sup -5}). Follicle number and calculated ovarian volume were not concordant with clinical/biochemical assignment of PCOS/control status in 36 (23%) and 52 (34%) of ovaries, respectively. Ovarian morphology overlaps in PCOS cases and controls, emphasising the importance of considering clinical/biochemical presentation together with imaging ovarian morphology in the diagnosis of PCOS. (orig.)

  7. Histomorphological Evaluation of Fresh Ovarian Tissue Transplanted Into Back Muscles of Balb/C Mice

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    I Amiri

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available & objectives: Today, different methods for maintaining reproductive capability in young women with cancer are being considered. One of the most prominent of these methods is ovarian tissue transplant. Despite the relative success of this method, the appropriate location and methods of transplantation is still a matter of discussion. The present study evaluated the histomorphology of fresh ovarian tissue transplantation by two methods, inter muscular and intra muscular, in Balb/C mice. Methods & Materials: The study was conducted at Hamedan University of Medical Sciences in 2009. Fresh ovarian tissues from 12-14 day old Balb/C mice were transplanted into back muscles of ovarectomized 6 week old Balb/C mice both intermuscularly and intramuscularly. All transplanted mice received intra-peritoneal injections of a unit of rFSH for 4 weeks, every other day. At the end of the tenth week, all transplant recipient mice were killed and the transplanted ovarian tissues were removed. All samples were assessed for the angiogenesis and viability of follicles. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, using independent t- test. Results: In intermuscular transplanted group, the transplanted tissues were rejected in two cases. In the sections prepared from the other cases, in spite of the presence of some small necrotic areas, the majority of ovarian tissues had a healthy appearance within the primordial, primary, secondary and antral follicles. Apart from a significant reduction in the number of follicles and smaller size of follicles in the transplanted tissue in comparison with control group, no other major differences in morphology, histology, and the process of maturation of ovarian follicles were observed between the transplanted and control groups. Conclusion: Fresh ovarian tissue transplantation into muscles of the back area without basic vascular pedicle has new angiogenesis capabilities, appropriate survival and development of primordial follicles and

  8. Equol inhibits growth, induces atresia, and inhibits steroidogenesis of mouse antral follicles in vitro

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    Mahalingam, Sharada; Gao, Liying; Gonnering, Marni; Helferich, William; Flaws, Jodi A.

    2016-01-01

    Equol is a non-steroidal estrogen metabolite produced by microbial conversion of daidzein, a major soy isoflavone, in the gut of some humans and many animal species. Isoflavones and their metabolites can affect endogenous estradiol production, action, and metabolism, potentially influencing ovarian follicle function. However, no studies have examined the effects of equol on intact ovarian antral follicles, which are responsible for sex steroid synthesis and further development into ovulatory follicles. Thus, the present study tested the hypothesis that equol inhibits antral follicle growth, increases follicle atresia, and inhibits steroidogenesis in the adult mouse ovary. To test this hypothesis, antral follicles isolated from adult CD-1 mice were cultured with vehicle control (dimethyl sulfoxide; DMSO) or equol (600 nM, 6 μM, 36 μM, and 100 μM) for 48 and 96 h. Every 24 h, follicle diameters were measured to monitor growth. At 48 and 96 h, the culture medium was subjected to measurement of hormone levels, and the cultured follicles were subjected to gene expression analysis. Additionally, follicles were histologically evaluated for signs of atresia after 96 h of culture. The results indicate that equol (100 μM) inhibited follicle growth, altered the mRNA levels of bcl2-associated X protein and B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2, and induced follicle atresia. Further, equol decreased the levels of estradiol, testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone, and it decreased mRNA levels of cholesterol side-chain cleavage, steroid 17-α-hydroxalase, and aromatase. Collectively, these data indicate that equol inhibits growth, increases atresia, and inhibits steroidogenesis of cultured mouse antral follicles. - Highlights: • Equol exposure inhibits antral follicle growth. • Equol exposure increases follicle atresia. • Equol exposure inhibits sex steroid hormone levels. • Equol exposure inhibits mRNA levels of certain steroidogenic enzymes.

  9. Equol inhibits growth, induces atresia, and inhibits steroidogenesis of mouse antral follicles in vitro

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    Mahalingam, Sharada, E-mail: mahalin2@illinois.edu [Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802 (United States); Gao, Liying, E-mail: lgao@uiuc.edu [Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802 (United States); Gonnering, Marni, E-mail: mgonne2@illinois.edu [Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802 (United States); Helferich, William, E-mail: helferic@illinois.edu [Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, 905 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu [Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802 (United States)

    2016-03-15

    Equol is a non-steroidal estrogen metabolite produced by microbial conversion of daidzein, a major soy isoflavone, in the gut of some humans and many animal species. Isoflavones and their metabolites can affect endogenous estradiol production, action, and metabolism, potentially influencing ovarian follicle function. However, no studies have examined the effects of equol on intact ovarian antral follicles, which are responsible for sex steroid synthesis and further development into ovulatory follicles. Thus, the present study tested the hypothesis that equol inhibits antral follicle growth, increases follicle atresia, and inhibits steroidogenesis in the adult mouse ovary. To test this hypothesis, antral follicles isolated from adult CD-1 mice were cultured with vehicle control (dimethyl sulfoxide; DMSO) or equol (600 nM, 6 μM, 36 μM, and 100 μM) for 48 and 96 h. Every 24 h, follicle diameters were measured to monitor growth. At 48 and 96 h, the culture medium was subjected to measurement of hormone levels, and the cultured follicles were subjected to gene expression analysis. Additionally, follicles were histologically evaluated for signs of atresia after 96 h of culture. The results indicate that equol (100 μM) inhibited follicle growth, altered the mRNA levels of bcl2-associated X protein and B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2, and induced follicle atresia. Further, equol decreased the levels of estradiol, testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone, and it decreased mRNA levels of cholesterol side-chain cleavage, steroid 17-α-hydroxalase, and aromatase. Collectively, these data indicate that equol inhibits growth, increases atresia, and inhibits steroidogenesis of cultured mouse antral follicles. - Highlights: • Equol exposure inhibits antral follicle growth. • Equol exposure increases follicle atresia. • Equol exposure inhibits sex steroid hormone levels. • Equol exposure inhibits mRNA levels of certain steroidogenic enzymes.

  10. Multiple ovarian antral follicles in a preterm infant with neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency: a clinical, genetic and transcriptional analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wei-Xia; Zhang, Zhan-Hui; Deng, Mei; Cai, Xiang-Ran; Song, Yuan-Zong

    2012-09-01

    Neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by the dysfunction of citrin, an aspartate/glutamate carrier encoded by the SLC25A13 gene. Considerable progress has been made on the diagnosis and treatment of NICCD, but its clinical and molecular features still remain far from being completely elucidated and generally understood. The infant, a preterm female delivered at a gestational age of 31 weeks, was referred to our hospital at the age of 8 months because of jaundice lasting for 4.5 months and ovarian masses uncovered for 3 months. Besides serum indices indicating cholestasis, elevated serum levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and estradiol were also detected. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated bilateral multi-cystic ovarian masses, with the largest size being 7.4 × 6.2 × 9.6 mm(3). SLC25A13 gene analysis revealed that the patient was a compound heterozygote of c.1177+1G>A and c.754G>A. The paternally-inherited mutation c.754G>A was a novel one with a carrier rate of less than 1%. SLC25A13 transcriptional study in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) documented a novel splice variant r.616_848del which resulted from c.754G>A, with another variant r.1019_1177del from the maternally-inherited c.1177+1G>A mutation. The diagnoses were NICCD and multiple ovarian antral follicles (minipuberty), and the patient responded well to a galactose-free and medium chain triglyceride (MCT)-enriched formula. The findings in this paper expanded the clinical and molecular spectrum of the SLC25A13 gene, and lent support to the concept that PBLs could be taken as a feasible specimen source for SLC25A13 transcriptional analysis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Intact fetal ovarian cord formation promotes mouse oocyte survival and development

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    Pera Renee

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Female reproductive potential, or the ability to propagate life, is limited in mammals with the majority of oocytes lost before birth. In mice, surviving perinatal oocytes are enclosed in ovarian follicles for subsequent oocyte development and function in the adult. Before birth, fetal germ cells of both sexes develop in clusters, or germline cysts, in the undifferentiated gonad. Upon sex determination of the fetal gonad, germ cell cysts become organized into testicular or ovarian cord-like structures and begin to interact with gonadal somatic cells. Although germline cysts and testicular cords are required for spermatogenesis, the role of cyst and ovarian cord formation in mammalian oocyte development and female fertility has not been determined. Results Here, we examine whether intact fetal ovarian germ and somatic cell cord structures are required for oocyte development using mouse gonad re-aggregation and transplantation to disrupt gonadal organization. We observed that germ cells from disrupted female gonad prior to embryonic day e13.5 completed prophase I of meiosis but did not survive following transplantation. Furthermore, re-aggregated ovaries from e13.5 to e15.5 developed with a reduced number of oocytes. Oocyte loss occurred before follicle formation and was associated with an absence of ovarian cord structure and ovary disorganization. However, disrupted ovaries from e16.5 or later were resistant to the re-aggregation impairment and supported robust oocyte survival and development in follicles. Conclusions Thus, we demonstrate a critical window of oocyte development from e13.5 to e16.5 in the intact fetal mouse ovary, corresponding to the establishment of ovarian cord structure, which promotes oocyte interaction with neighboring ovarian somatic granulosa cells before birth and imparts oocytes with competence to survive and develop in follicles. Because germline cyst and ovarian cord structures are conserved in the

  12. Does methotrexate administration for ectopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization impact ovarian reserve or ovarian responsiveness?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boots, Christina E; Gustofson, Robert L; Feinberg, Eve C

    2013-12-01

    To evaluate the effects of methotrexate (MTX) on the future fertility of women undergoing IVF by comparing ovarian reserve and ovarian responsiveness in the IVF cycle before and after an ectopic pregnancy (EP) treated with MTX. Retrospective cohort study. Private reproductive endocrinology and infertility practice. Sixty-six women undergoing IVF before and after receiving MTX for an EP. Methotrexate administration and ovarian stimulation. Markers of ovarian reserve (day 3 FSH, antral follicle count), measures of ovarian responsiveness (duration of stimulation, peak E2 level, total dose of gonadotropins, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate), and time from MTX administration to subsequent IVF cycle. There were no differences after MTX administration in body mass index (BMI), FSH, or antral follicle count. A greater dose of gonadotropins was used in the cycle after MTX, but there were no differences in numbers of oocytes retrieved or high quality embryos transferred. As expected, there was a slight increase in age in the subsequent IVF cycle. The pregnancy rates (PR) were comparable to the average PRs within the practice when combining all age groups. Methotrexate remains the first line of therapy for medical management of asymptomatic EP and does not compromise ovarian reserve, ovarian responsiveness, or IVF success in subsequent cycles. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. [Concentration of steroid hormones in the follicular fluid of mature and immature ovarian follicles of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome submitted to in vitro fertilization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Resende, Luciana Ochuiuto Teixeira; dos Reis, Rosana Maria; Ferriani, Rui Alberto; Vireque, Alessandra Aparecida; Santana, Laura Ferreira; de Sá Rosa e Silva, Ana Carolina Japur; Martins, Wellington de Paula

    2010-09-01

    to evaluate the concentration of steroid hormones in follicular fluid (FF) of small (10-14 mm) and large (> 18 mm) follicles of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) submitted to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. a case-control study was conducted on 13 infertile women with PCOS (17 cycles) and 31 infertile women due to male factor - Control Group (31 cycles). FF was aspirated individually and divided into four groups: G1 (FF of small follicles of the Control Group), G2 (FF of small follicles of the PCOS group), G3 (FF of large follicles of the Control Group) and G4 (FF of large follicles of the PCOS group). Estrogen, progesterone and β-hCG were determined by chemiluminescence, and testosterone and androstenedione by radioimmunoassay. The unpaired t-test was used to compare the hormone determinations in the FF of the PCOS and Control Groups, and the four groups were compared by ANOVA. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the pregnancy rates. the small follicles of the two groups had lower progesterone levels (8,435 ± 3,305 ng/mL) than large follicles (10,280 ± 3,475 ng/mL), p-value Control (9,824 ± 3,128 ng/mL), p-value =0.03. Testosterone differed between G1 (326.6 ± 124.4 ng/dL) and G3 (205.8 ± 98.91 ng/dL), p-value Control groups (9/31, 40.9%), p-value =072. women with PCOS had high testosterone concentrations in the FF, regardless of the stage of follicle development, and reduced progesterone levels, suggesting that paracrine factors may inhibit the secretion of the latter by follicular cells. The pregnancy rates showed that treatment with COH and IVF is a good option for women with infertility secondary to PCOS.

  14. Transcriptome comparisons identify new cell markers for theca interna and granulosa cells from small and large antral ovarian follicles.

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    Nicholas Hatzirodos

    Full Text Available In studies using isolated ovarian granulosa and thecal cells it is important to assess the degree of cross contamination. Marker genes commonly used for granulosa cells include FSHR, CYP19A1 and AMH while CYP17A1 and INSL3 are used for thecal cells. To increase the number of marker genes available we compared expression microarray data from isolated theca interna with that from granulosa cells of bovine small (n = 10 for both theca and granulosa cells; 3-5 mm and large (n = 4 for both theca and granulosa cells, > 9 mm antral follicles. Validation was conducted by qRT-PCR analyses. Known markers such as CYP19A1, FSHR and NR5A2 and another 11 genes (LOC404103, MGARP, GLDC, CHST8, CSN2, GPX3, SLC35G1, CA8, CLGN, FAM78A, SLC16A3 were common to the lists of the 50 most up regulated genes in granulosa cells from both follicle sizes. The expression in theca interna was more consistent than in granulosa cells between the two follicle sizes. Many genes up regulated in theca interna were common to both sizes of follicles (MGP, DCN, ASPN, ALDH1A1, COL1A2, FN1, COL3A1, OGN, APOD, COL5A2, IGF2, NID1, LHFP, ACTA2, DUSP12, ACTG2, SPARCL1, FILIP1L, EGFLAM, ADAMDEC1, HPGD, COL12A1, FBLN5, RAMP2, COL15A1, PLK2, COL6A3, LOXL1, RARRES1, FLI1, LAMA2. Many of these were stromal extracellular matrix genes. MGARP, GLDC, CHST8, GPX3 were identified as new potential markers for granulosa cells, while FBLN5, OGN, RAMP2 were significantly elevated in the theca interna.

  15. Regulation of germ cell development by intercellular signaling in the mammalian ovarian follicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Hugh J

    2018-01-01

    Prior to ovulation, the mammalian oocyte undergoes a process of differentiation within the ovarian follicle that confers on it the ability to give rise to an embryo. Differentiation comprises two phases-growth, during which the oocyte increases more than 100-fold in volume as it accumulates macromolecules and organelles that will sustain early embryogenesis; and meiotic maturation, during which the oocyte executes the first meiotic division and prepares for the second division. Entry of an oocyte into the growth phase appears to be triggered when the adjacent granulosa cells produce specific growth factors. As the oocyte grows, it elaborates a thick extracellular coat termed the zona pellucida. Nonetheless, cytoplasmic extensions of the adjacent granulosa cells, termed transzonal projections (TZPs), enable them to maintain contact-dependent communication with the oocyte. Through gap junctions located where the TZP tips meet the oocyte membrane, they provide the oocyte with products that sustain its metabolic activity and signals that regulate its differentiation. Conversely, the oocyte secretes diffusible growth factors that regulate proliferation and differentiation of the granulosa cells. Gap junction-permeable products of the granulosa cells prevent precocious initiation of meiotic maturation, and the gap junctions also enable oocyte maturation to begin in response to hormonal signals received by the granulosa cells. Development of the oocyte or the somatic compartment may also be regulated by extracellular vesicles newly identified in follicular fluid and at TZP tips, which could mediate intercellular transfer of macromolecules. Oocyte differentiation thus depends on continuous signaling interactions with the somatic cells of the follicle. WIREs Dev Biol 2018, 7:e294. doi: 10.1002/wdev.294 This article is categorized under: Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Cellular Differentiation Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling Early Embryonic

  16. Does the Ovarian Stimulation Phase Length Predict In vitro Fertilization Outcomes?

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    Angela Baerwald

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Bi-directional communication between the follicle and oocyte is necessary toregulate follicle and oocyte development. Currently, it is not practical to monitor the serial growthof individual follicles during assisted reproduction. The ovarian stimulation phase length (SPLis an indirect measure of mean follicular growth rate. The objective of this study was to test thehypothesis that a short or long SPL would be associated with suboptimal outcomes in womenundergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF.Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 140 women who underwentIVF. Follicle development was monitored every 2-3 days during ovarian stimulation usingtransvaginal ultrasonography. Once > 3 follicles reached ≥ 17 mm, human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG was administered. Oocyte retrieval was performed approximately 35 hours after hCG.Oocytes underwent IVF on the day of collection and were evaluated daily thereafter. Embryos weretransferred on days 3 or 5, depending on the number and quality of embryos available. Associationsbetween SPL, age, follicle, oocyte, embryo and pregnancy outcomes were evaluated (SPSS version17.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA.Results: A SPL of 11 days was associated with an optimal number of follicles that developed to≥ 6 mm, ≥ 10 mm and ≥ 15 mm; serum estradiol concentrations; and number of oocytes collected(p0.05. Associations betweenSPL and outcomes were not influenced by age (p>0.05.Conclusion: The ovarian SPL can be used to predict the number of follicles that develop, oocytescollected and serum estradiol concentrations, but not embryo or pregnancy outcomes.

  17. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Induced by Fanconi Anemia E Mutation in a Mouse Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Chun; Begum, Khurshida; Overbeek, Paul A

    2016-01-01

    In most cases of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), the cause of the depletion of ovarian follicles is unknown. Fanconi anemia (FA) proteins are known to play important roles in follicular development. Using random insertional mutagenesis with a lentiviral transgene, we identified a family with reduced fertility in the homozygous transgenic mice. We identified the integration site and found that the lentivirus had integrated into intron 8 of the Fanconi E gene (Fance). By RT-PCR and in situ hybridization, we found that Fance transcript levels were significantly reduced. The Fance homozygous mutant mice were assayed for changes in ovarian development, follicle numbers and estrous cycle. Ovarian dysplasias and a severe lack of follicles were seen in the mutant mice. In addition, the estrous cycle was disrupted in adult females. Our results suggest that POI has been induced by the Fance mutation in this new mouse model.

  18. Comparison of the effects of laparoscopic bipolar electrocoagulation and intracorporeal suture application to ovarian reserve in benign ovarian cysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özgönen, Hakan; Erdemoglu, Evrim; Günyeli, Ilker; Güney, Mehmet; Mungan, Tamer

    2013-04-01

    Aim of the present study is to determine the effects of bipolar electrocoagulation and intracorporeal suture on the ovarian reserve after ovarian cystectomy. Sixty patients aged 18-42 years old and with a persistent adnexal mass were recruited to the study. Patients were randomized into suture hemostasis group or bipolar hemostasis group. Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy was performed to all patients. Hemostasis was obtained by bipolar coagulation in 30 patients and by intracorporeal sutures in 30 patients. Serum levels of FSH, LH, estradiol, inhibin B and ultrasonographic measurements (antral follicle count and ovarian volume) were analyzed and recorded at day 3 of menstrual cycle, 1 and 3 months after the surgery. Basal FSH level measurement at the postoperative third month was significantly increased to 6.96 ± 1.86 mIU/ml (p electrocoagulation group. However, the decreased ovarian volume and antral follicle count was restored at the postoperative third month in the bipolar electrocoagulation group. Preoperative and postoperative FSH, LH, estradiol and inhibin B levels and ultrasonographic measurements were similar in the intracorporeal suture group. The unwanted effect of bipolar electrocoagulation on ovarian reserve is probably transient and causes minimal damage to ovary. FSH levels may be slightly elevated. Gentle use of bipolar electrocoagulation or intracorporeal are not found to effect ovarian reserve.

  19. Does obesity compromise ovarian reserve markers? A clinician's perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malhotra, Neena; Bahadur, Anupama; Singh, Neeta; Kalaivani, Mani; Mittal, Suneeta

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the study was to ascertain if increasing body mass index (BMI) adversely affects ovarian reserve among infertile women of Asian origin undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). This prospective study on 183 women was carried out in the infertility clinic of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. Blood hormonal assay in all patients including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and inhibin B was performed on day 2/3 of a spontaneous cycle. A transvaginal ultrasonographic examination on day 2-5 of the menstrual cycle was done for antral follicle count (AFC) and ovarian volume. A correlation between BMI and ovarian reserve parameters like FSH, LH, inhibin B, antral follicle count and ovarian volume was noted. Age was comparable in the three BMI groups. The mean duration of infertility was 8.38 years. Compared to the normal weight, the overweight and obese women had a statistically significantly low inhibin B (p women had a significantly low AFC (p right side. Incorporating anti-mullerian hormone, a newer marker for ovarian reserve, may benefit these obese infertile women. Further work is required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effect of obesity on inhibin B as a marker of ovarian reserve in infertile women. The best marker to check the ovarian reserve is perhaps the woman's performance during an IVF cycle. However, considering the psychological and financial stress of the procedure, it may seem wise to consider counseling of obese women on their expected performance in the first cycle of IVF through such studies.

  20. Amniotic fluid stem cells prevent follicle atresia and rescue fertility of mice with premature ovarian failure induced by chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Guan-Yu; Liu, I-Hsuan; Cheng, Chun-Chun; Chang, Chia-Chun; Lee, Yen-Hua; Cheng, Winston Teng-Kuei; Wu, Shinn-Chih

    2014-01-01

    Chemotherapy used to treat cancer may cause irreversible premature ovarian failure (POF). Of late, amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs) provide a novel source for regenerative medicine because of their primitive stage, low immunogenicity, and easy accessibility. In this study, we isolated AFSCs from transgenic mice that ubiquitously express enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP). These AFSCs exhibited morphologies, immunophenotypes, and mesoderm trilineage differentiation potentials similar to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Further, AFSCs proliferated faster than MSCs and expressed OCT4, a marker for pluripotency. To investigate their potential in recovering fertility in POF model, AFSCs were transplanted into the ovaries of mice with POF six weeks post induction using chemotherapeutic drugs, busulfan and cyclophosphamide. AFSCs could rescue the reproductive ability of mice with POF by preventing follicle atresia and sustaining the healthy follicles. Notably, the transplanted AFSCs did not differentiate into granulosa and germline cells in vivo. After one month, the decreased numbers of transplanted AFSCs accompanied with the reduced beneficial effects indicated that the therapeutic efficacy were directly from AFSCs. These findings demonstrated the therapeutic effects of AFSCs and suggested the promise of AFSCs for treating infertility and POF caused by chemotherapy.

  1. Amniotic fluid stem cells prevent follicle atresia and rescue fertility of mice with premature ovarian failure induced by chemotherapy.

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    Guan-Yu Xiao

    Full Text Available Chemotherapy used to treat cancer may cause irreversible premature ovarian failure (POF. Of late, amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs provide a novel source for regenerative medicine because of their primitive stage, low immunogenicity, and easy accessibility. In this study, we isolated AFSCs from transgenic mice that ubiquitously express enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP. These AFSCs exhibited morphologies, immunophenotypes, and mesoderm trilineage differentiation potentials similar to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs. Further, AFSCs proliferated faster than MSCs and expressed OCT4, a marker for pluripotency. To investigate their potential in recovering fertility in POF model, AFSCs were transplanted into the ovaries of mice with POF six weeks post induction using chemotherapeutic drugs, busulfan and cyclophosphamide. AFSCs could rescue the reproductive ability of mice with POF by preventing follicle atresia and sustaining the healthy follicles. Notably, the transplanted AFSCs did not differentiate into granulosa and germline cells in vivo. After one month, the decreased numbers of transplanted AFSCs accompanied with the reduced beneficial effects indicated that the therapeutic efficacy were directly from AFSCs. These findings demonstrated the therapeutic effects of AFSCs and suggested the promise of AFSCs for treating infertility and POF caused by chemotherapy.

  2. Amygdala Kindling Alters Estrus Cycle and Ovarian Morphology in the Rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Juan; Zhang, Lingwu; Wang, Feng; Liu, Dan; Li, P Andy; Sun, Tao

    2013-11-01

    The objective of this study is to explore the effects of amygdala kindling on estrus cycle and ovarian morphology. Thirty-five female rats at the age of 8 weeks were randomly designated to electrode kindled, sham-kindled, and normal controls. Kindled rats were implanted with kindling electrodes in the left basolateral amygdala and kindled by brief suprathreshold stimulations with a bipolar electrode. Estrous cycles were daily monitored through vaginal smears. Electrographic and behavioral seizures were recorded and ovarian morphology was evaluated by light and electron microscopies. Our results showed that the kindled rats lost their ovarian periodicity displayed significant ovarian enlargement. H&E staining revealed increased number of growing follicles and total follicles, as well as polycysts in the ovaries of the kindled animals compared to sham and control animals. Ultrastructural study detected numerous apoptotic granulosa cells in growing follicles and thecal cell hyperplasia with secretary granules in the thecal cells in the kindled rats. The results suggest that amygdala kindling is a risk factor for the development of polycystic ovary syndrome.

  3. Ovarian ageing: the role of mitochondria in oocytes and follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    May-Panloup, Pascale; Boucret, Lisa; Chao de la Barca, Juan-Manuel; Desquiret-Dumas, Valérie; Ferré-L'Hotellier, Véronique; Morinière, Catherine; Descamps, Philippe; Procaccio, Vincent; Reynier, Pascal

    2016-11-01

    There is a great inter-individual variability of ovarian ageing, and almost 20% of patients consulting for infertility show signs of premature ovarian ageing. This feature, taken together with delayed childbearing in modern society, leads to the emergence of age-related ovarian dysfunction concomitantly with the desire for pregnancy. Assisted reproductive technology is frequently inefficacious in cases of ovarian ageing, thus raising the economic, medical and societal costs of the procedures. Ovarian ageing is characterized by quantitative and qualitative alteration of the ovarian oocyte reserve. Mitochondria play a central role in follicular atresia and could be the main target of the ooplasmic factors determining oocyte quality adversely affected by ageing. Indeed, the oocyte is the richest cell of the body in mitochondria and depends largely on these organelles to acquire competence for fertilization and early embryonic development. Moreover, the oocyte ensures the uniparental transmission and stability of the mitochondrial genome across the generations. This review focuses on the role played by mitochondria in ovarian ageing and on the possible consequences over the generations. PubMed was used to search the MEDLINE database for peer-reviewed original articles and reviews concerning mitochondria and ovarian ageing, in animal and human species. Searches were performed using keywords belonging to three groups: 'mitochondria' or 'mitochondrial DNA'; 'ovarian reserve', 'oocyte', 'ovary' or 'cumulus cells'; and 'ageing' or 'ovarian ageing'. These keywords were combined with other search phrases relevant to the topic. References from these articles were used to obtain additional articles. There is a close relationship, in mammalian models and humans, between mitochondria and the decline of oocyte quality with ageing. Qualitatively, ageing-related mitochondrial (mt) DNA instability, which leads to the accumulation of mtDNA mutations in the oocyte, plays a key role in

  4. Evidence for ovarian granulosa stem cells: telomerase activity and localization of the telomerase ribonucleic acid component in bovine ovarian follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavranos, T C; Mathis, J M; Latham, S E; Kalionis, B; Shay, J W; Rodgers, R J

    1999-08-01

    We have previously postulated that granulosa cells of developing follicles arise from a population of stem cells. Stem cells and cancer cells can divide indefinitely partly because they express telomerase. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that repairs the ends of telomeres that otherwise shorten progressively upon each successive cell division. In this study we carried out cell cycle analyses and examined telomerase expression to examine our hypothesis. Preantral (60-100 microm) and small (1 mm) follicles, as well as granulosa cells from medium-sized (3 mm) and large (6-8 mm) follicles, were isolated. Cell cycle analyses and expression of Ki-67, a cell cycle-related protein, were undertaken on follicles of each size (n = 3) by flow cytometry; 12% to 16% of granulosa cells in all follicles were in the S phase, and less than 2% were in the G(2)/M phase. Telomerase activity (n = 3) was highest in the small preantral follicles, declining at the 1-mm stage and even further at the 3-mm stage. In situ hybridization histochemistry was carried out on bovine ovaries, and telomerase RNA was detected in the granulosa cells of growing follicles but not primordial follicles. Two major patterns of staining were observed in the membrana granulosa of antral follicles: staining in the middle and antral layers, and staining in the middle and basal layers. No staining was detected in oocytes. Our results strongly support our hypothesis that granulosa cells arise from a population of stem cells.

  5. Diminished ovarian reserve in patients with psoriasis

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    Burcu Tuğrul Ayanoğlu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Psoriasis is a multi-systemic chronic inflammatory skin disease. Previous data suggests that women with some chronic inflammatory diseases have diminished ovarian reserve. This study explores ovarian reserve in patients with psoriasis. Materials and methods: We prospectively analyzed 14 female patients with psoriasis and 35 healthy age and body mass index matched controls. An interview explored demographic characteristics, obstetrical history and menstrual characteristics. Psoriatic area severity index (PASI in patients was assessed. Estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH, luteinizing hormone (LH, thyroid stimulating hormone and with gynecologic ultrasonography, ovarian volume and antral follicular count (AFC were measured in both study and control groups. These values were analyzed with changes of the PASI in the patient group. Results: Patients with psoriasis had significantly higher levels of FSH and FSH/LH ratio than healthy controls (p = 0.039, p = 0.005 respectively. AFC of psoriasis patients were significantly lower than healthy controls (p = 0.002.There were no significant difference among other hormone levels and ovarian volumes (p > 0.05. The hormone levels, ovarian volume and AFC were not correlated with PASI of the patients. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that patients with psoriasis may have diminished ovarian reserve. Keywords: Psoriasis, Ovarian reserve, Psoriatic area severity index, Antral follicular count, Follicle-stimulating hormone

  6. A delay differential equation model of follicle waves in women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panza, Nicole M; Wright, Andrew A; Selgrade, James F

    2016-01-01

    This article presents a mathematical model for hormonal regulation of the menstrual cycle which predicts the occurrence of follicle waves in normally cycling women. Several follicles of ovulatory size that develop sequentially during one menstrual cycle are referred to as follicle waves. The model consists of 13 nonlinear, delay differential equations with 51 parameters. Model simulations exhibit a unique stable periodic cycle and this menstrual cycle accurately approximates blood levels of ovarian and pituitary hormones found in the biological literature. Numerical experiments illustrate that the number of follicle waves corresponds to the number of rises in pituitary follicle stimulating hormone. Modifications of the model equations result in simulations which predict the possibility of two ovulations at different times during the same menstrual cycle and, hence, the occurrence of dizygotic twins via a phenomenon referred to as superfecundation. Sensitive parameters are identified and bifurcations in model behaviour with respect to parameter changes are discussed. Studying follicle waves may be helpful for improving female fertility and for understanding some aspects of female reproductive ageing.

  7. A Simplified Method for Three-Dimensional (3-D Ovarian Tissue Culture Yielding Oocytes Competent to Produce Full-Term Offspring in Mice.

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    Carolyn M Higuchi

    Full Text Available In vitro growth of follicles is a promising technology to generate large quantities of competent oocytes from immature follicles and could expand the potential of assisted reproductive technologies (ART. Isolated follicle culture is currently the primary method used to develop and mature follicles in vitro. However, this procedure typically requires complicated, time-consuming procedures, as well as destruction of the normal ovarian microenvironment. Here we describe a simplified 3-D ovarian culture system that can be used to mature multilayered secondary follicles into antral follicles, generating developmentally competent oocytes in vitro. Ovaries recovered from mice at 14 days of age were cut into 8 pieces and placed onto a thick Matrigel drop (3-D culture for 10 days of culture. As a control, ovarian pieces were cultured on a membrane filter without any Matrigel drop (Membrane culture. We also evaluated the effect of activin A treatment on follicle growth within the ovarian pieces with or without Matrigel support. Thus we tested four different culture conditions: C (Membrane/activin-, A (Membrane/activin+, M (Matrigel/activin-, and M+A (Matrigel/activin+. We found that the cultured follicles and oocytes steadily increased in size regardless of the culture condition used. However, antral cavity formation occurred only in the follicles grown in the 3-D culture system (M, M+A. Following ovarian tissue culture, full-grown GV oocytes were isolated from the larger follicles to evaluate their developmental competence by subjecting them to in vitro maturation (IVM and in vitro fertilization (IVF. Maturation and fertilization rates were higher using oocytes grown in 3-D culture (M, M+A than with those grown in membrane culture (C, A. In particular, activin A treatment further improved 3-D culture (M+A success. Following IVF, two-cell embryos were transferred to recipients to generate full-term offspring. In summary, this simple and easy 3-D ovarian

  8. Effect of ovarian tissue storage in Morus nigra extract on the morphology and DNA fragmentation of ovine preantral follicles

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    Agnes Yasmin Pitombeira Cavalcante

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available This study demonstrated the effect of Morus nigra leaf extract during ovine ovarian tissue transportation on the survival and apoptosis of preantral follicles in vitro. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC was used to determine the fingerprint chromatogram of the crude ethanolic extract. Four pairs of ovaries from four sheep were collected. The ovarian cortex was fragmented and one fragment was fixed in 10% buffered formaldehyde and processed for histological and TUNEL analysis (fresh control. The other fragments were placed in Minimal Essential Medium (MEM – control medium or M. nigra extract (0.025; 0.05 or 0.1 mg/mL and stored (simulating transport at 4ºC for 6, 12 or 24 h. Preserved fragments (6 h were also destined to histological and TUNEL analysis. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of antioxidant compounds (rutin, isoquercetin e kaempferitrin in the extract. There was a decrease (P 0.05 to 0.1 mg/mL of the extract. Apoptosis increased (P < 0.05 after conservation for 6 h in all treatments compared to the fresh control. Moreover, TUNEL positive cells decreased (P < 0.05 after preservation in 0.05 or 0.1 mg/mL M. nigra compared to MEM or 0.025 mg/mL M. nigra. In conclusion, 0.05 mg/mL M. nigra extract can be used as a preservation medium for ovine ovarian tissue at 4°C for up to 6 h.

  9. Ovarian Follicular Dynamics around Estrus in Beetal and Teddy Goats

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    Hasan Riaz, Nasim Ahmad* and Muhammad Rizwan Yousuf

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to higher fecundity rate over Beetal goats, it is assumed that Teddy goats have higher ovarian activity. Therefore, the current study tested the hypothesis that ovarian follicular population i.e. number of small (2-4 mm, medium (>4-6 mm and large follicles (>6 mm, size of the ovulatory follicle, and ovulation rate (No. of CL/No of ovulated goats, using transrectal ultrasonography are different between Beetal and Teddy goats of Pakistani origin. Beetal (n=6 and Teddy (n=8 does were synchronized using double PGF2a injections 10 d apart and were scanned on Days -2, 0 (estrus and +2. The onset of estrus was assessed by aproned bucks. Mean number of small follicles were higher (P<0.05 in Beetal goats, compared to Teddy goats, on days -2, estrus and +2. The ovulatory follicle diameter, and ovulation rate were found non-significant between Beetal and Teddy goats. It is concluded that Beetal goats have greater population of small follicles around estrus compared to Teddy goats. Future studies can be based on the follicle recruitment and atretic factors in Beetal goats to enhance the production.

  10. Ovarian response to recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arce, Joan-Carles; Andersen, Anders Nyboe; Fernández-Sánchez, Manuel

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dose-response relationship of a novel recombinant human FSH (rhFSH; FE 999049) with respect to ovarian response in patients undergoing IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment; and prospectively study the influence of initial antimüllerian hormone (AMH) concentrat......OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dose-response relationship of a novel recombinant human FSH (rhFSH; FE 999049) with respect to ovarian response in patients undergoing IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment; and prospectively study the influence of initial antimüllerian hormone (AMH...

  11. The safe use of a PTEN inhibitor for the activation of dormant mouse primordial follicles and generation of fertilizable eggs.

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    Deepak Adhikari

    Full Text Available Primordial ovarian follicles, which are often present in the ovaries of premature ovarian failure (POF patients or are cryopreserved from the ovaries of young cancer patients who are undergoing gonadotoxic anticancer therapies, cannot be used to generate mature oocytes for in vitro fertilization (IVF. There has been very little success in triggering growth of primordial follicles to obtain fertilizable oocytes due to the poor understanding of the biology of primordial follicle activation.We have recently reported that PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten prevents primordial follicle activation in mice, and deletion of Pten from the oocytes of primordial follicles leads to follicular activation. Consequently, the PTEN inhibitor has been successfully used in vitro to activate primordial follicles in both mouse and human ovaries. These results suggest that PTEN inhibitors could be used in ovarian culture medium to trigger the activation of primordial follicle. To study the safety and efficacy of the use of such inhibitors, we activated primordial follicles from neonatal mouse ovaries by transient treatment with a PTEN inhibitor bpV(HOpic. These ovaries were then transplanted under the kidney capsules of recipient mice to generate mature oocytes. The mature oocytes were fertilized in vitro and progeny mice were obtained after embryo transfer.Long-term monitoring up to the second generation of progeny mice showed that the mice were reproductively active and were free from any overt signs or symptoms of chronic illnesses. Our results indicate that the use of PTEN inhibitors could be a safe and effective way of generating mature human oocytes for use in novel IVF techniques.

  12. Metaphase II oocytes from human unilaminar follicles grown in a multi-step culture system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaughlin, M; Albertini, D F; Wallace, W H B; Anderson, R A; Telfer, E E

    2018-03-01

    Can complete oocyte development be achieved from human ovarian tissue containing primordial/unilaminar follicles and grown in vitro in a multi-step culture to meiotic maturation demonstrated by the formation of polar bodies and a Metaphase II spindle? Development of human oocytes from primordial/unilaminar stages to resumption of meiosis (Metaphase II) and emission of a polar body was achieved within a serum free multi-step culture system. Complete development of oocytes in vitro has been achieved in mouse, where in vitro grown (IVG) oocytes from primordial follicles have resulted in the production of live offspring. Human oocytes have been grown in vitro from the secondary/multi-laminar stage to obtain fully grown oocytes capable of meiotic maturation. However, there are no reports of a culture system supporting complete growth from the earliest stages of human follicle development through to Metaphase II. Ovarian cortical biopsies were obtained with informed consent from women undergoing elective caesarean section (mean age: 30.7 ± 1.7; range: 25-39 years, n = 10). Laboratory setting. Ovarian biopsies were dissected into thin strips, and after removal of growing follicles were cultured in serum free medium for 8 days (Step 1). At the end of this period secondary/multi-laminar follicles were dissected from the strips and intact follicles 100-150 μm in diameter were selected for further culture. Isolated follicles were cultured individually in serum free medium in the presence of 100 ng/ml of human recombinant Activin A (Step 2). Individual follicles were monitored and after 8 days, cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were retrieved by gentle pressure on the cultured follicles. Complexes with complete cumulus and adherent mural granulosa cells were selected and cultured in the presence of Activin A and FSH on membranes for a further 4 days (Step 3). At the end of Step 3, complexes containing oocytes >100 μm diameter were selected for IVM in SAGE medium (Step 4) then

  13. Examination of viability and quality of ovarian tissue after cryopreservation using simple laboratory methods in ewe

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    Guerin Jean F

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of the present study is to assess viability tests and to evaluate follicle ovarian tissue quality after freezing-thawing procedures. Methods Ewe's ovaries were harvested at the slaughterhouse, after dissection each ovarian specimen was divided into two groups: fresh tissue (control group and frozen tissue. In the first part of the study, the follicles viability was assessed by trypan blue staining, calcein AM/ethidium homodimer-1 staining (LIVE/DEAD viability/cytotoxicity kit, Molecular Probes and morphology in the two groups. In the second part of the study the quality of the whole ovarian tissue was evaluated by the quantification of the release of lactate dehydrogenase measurement (Cytotoxicity Detection kit ROCHE, DNA fragmentation by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL in primordial and primary follicles (ApopDETEK Kit system Enzo and morphology in the two groups. 100 Follicles (primordial and primary were counted on both fresh and frozen hemiovary to assess this various tests. Results Ovarian follicle viability assessment was similar using trypan blue or calcein/ethidium staining. Follicles showed a decreased viability after freezing-thawing. After cryopreservation, a significant correlation between the percentage of normal follicles and viability rate was found using trypan blue (r = 0.82, p Conclusion We suggest the use of trypan blue staining for the histological assessment of viability, the use of LDH assay for the cytotoxicity assessement and finally the use of DNA fragmentation assessment to valid different freezing-thawing protocols.

  14. Phenotypic variation in anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) production per follicle in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and isolated polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM): an observational cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhide, Priya; Kulkarni, Abhijit; Dilgil, Merve; Dhir, Puja; Shah, Amit; Gudi, Anil; Homburg, Roy

    2017-10-01

    This observational study compares the ratio of serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) to the total antral follicle count (AFC) (as a marker of AMH production per follicle) in the various phenotypes of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and isolated polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM). Two hundred and sixty-two women were recruited. Women with PCOS were divided into four phenotypes based on the diagnostic inclusion criteria of oligo-anovulation (OA), hyperandrogenism (HA) and polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM). These included Group A (OA + HA + PCOM), Group B (OA + HA), Group C (HA + PCOM) and Group D (OA + PCOM). A ratio of serum AMH to total AFC was calculated and expressed as the AMH/AFC ratio which was compared in the phenotypes of PCOS and isolated PCOM. The median AMH/AFC ratios in PCOS-A, PCOS-D, PCOS-C and PCOM were 1.5, 1.6, 1.2 and 1.1, respectively. There were significant differences in the groups compared [F(3, 238) = 6.14, p = 0.000)]. The ratios were significantly higher in the oligo-anovulatory phenotypes PCOS-A and PCOS-D than the PCOM (p = 0.004 and 0.002, respectively). There was no significant difference in the ratio between ovulatory phenotype PCOS-C and PCOM (p = 0.59). The role of androgens and LH in per-follicle AMH production remains limited. The findings support the hypothesis of a key role for AMH in the mechanism of anovulation in PCOS.

  15. Transplantation of an alginate-matrigel matrix containing isolated ovarian cells: first step in developing a biodegradable scaffold to transplant isolated preantral follicles and ovarian cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanacker, Julie; Luyckx, Valérie; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Des Rieux, Anne; Jaeger, Jonathan; Van Langendonckt, Anne; Donnez, Jacques; Amorim, Christiani A

    2012-09-01

    For women diagnosed with leukemia, transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue after disease remission is not advisable. Therefore, to restore fertility in these patients, we aim to develop a biodegradable artificial ovary that offers an environment where isolated follicles and ovarian cells (OCs) can survive and grow. Four NMRI mice were ovariectomized and their ovaries used to isolate OCs. Groups of 50,000 OCs were embedded in an alginate-matrigel matrix for further fixation (fresh controls), one week of in vitro culture (IVC) or heterotopic autografting. OC proliferation (Ki67), apoptosis (TUNEL), scaffold degradation, vessel formation (CD34) and inflammation (CD45) were analyzed. Ki67-positive OCs were found in 2.3%, 9.0% and 15.5% cells of cases in fresh, IVC and grafted beads respectively, while cells were TUNEL-positive in 0%, 1.5% and 6.9% of cases. After IVC or grafting, the beads degraded, losing their original round aspect, and infiltrating blood capillaries could be observed in the grafted beads. CD34-positive cells and 22% CD45-positive cells were found around and inside the matrix. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that an alginate-based matrix is a promising proposition to graft isolated OCs. After transplantation, this matrix was able to degrade, allowed vascularization and elicited a low inflammatory response. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Transabdominal pulse inversion harmonic imaging improves assesment of ovarian morphology in virgin patients with PCOS: comparison with conventional B-mode sonography

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    Mahmutyazicioglu, Kamran; Tanriverdi, H. Alper; Oezdemir, Hueseyin; Barut, Aykut; Davsanci, Halit; Guendogdu, Sadi

    2005-02-01

    Objective: In virgin policystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients transabdominal sonography is the preferential method of the pelvic examination. The purpose of this study was to determine ovarian morphology by the transabdominal route by pulse inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI) in virgin PCOS patients and to compare the diagnostic image quality with conventional B-mode ultrasonography (CBU). Methods: Fifty-two ovaries in 26 virgin patients were evaluated by the transabdominal approach. Each ovary was examined using both PIHI and CBU. The sharpness of the follicular cysts walls, degree of internal echo definitions of the follicle cysts and overall ovarian conspicuity was assessed subjectively, using 4 point scoring (0, being worst; 3, being best score). The number of countable follicles, the size of largest and smallest ovarian follicle and ovarian volumes were assessed quantitively by both techniques. The effect of body mass index (BMI) on qualitative and quantitative scoring was evaluated. Results: The sharpness of the cyst wall and internal echo structure was significantly better with PIHI than with CBU (P < 0.001 P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). PIHI improved overall ovarian conspicuity in 41 (78.8%) of 52 examination. The number of countable follicles was significantly lower with CBU (P < 0.001). The maximum diameter of the largest follicle was larger with PIHI sonography to compared CBU (P < 0.001). Mean ovarian volume was significantly larger with CBU (P < 0.001). When data were analyzed separately according to BMI, number of non-diagnostic overall ovarian conspicuity scores with CBU was markedly high in obese patients (88% with CBU versus 3.8% with PIHI). On the other hand, mean number of countable follicles with CBU became much more lower in the obese group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In virgin PCOS patients, when compared to transabdominal CBU, PIHI significantly improved the detection of ovarian follicles, especially in high BMI obese subjects, through

  17. Transabdominal pulse inversion harmonic imaging improves assesment of ovarian morphology in virgin patients with PCOS: comparison with conventional B-mode sonography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmutyazicioglu, Kamran; Tanriverdi, H. Alper; Oezdemir, Hueseyin; Barut, Aykut; Davsanci, Halit; Guendogdu, Sadi

    2005-01-01

    Objective: In virgin policystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients transabdominal sonography is the preferential method of the pelvic examination. The purpose of this study was to determine ovarian morphology by the transabdominal route by pulse inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI) in virgin PCOS patients and to compare the diagnostic image quality with conventional B-mode ultrasonography (CBU). Methods: Fifty-two ovaries in 26 virgin patients were evaluated by the transabdominal approach. Each ovary was examined using both PIHI and CBU. The sharpness of the follicular cysts walls, degree of internal echo definitions of the follicle cysts and overall ovarian conspicuity was assessed subjectively, using 4 point scoring (0, being worst; 3, being best score). The number of countable follicles, the size of largest and smallest ovarian follicle and ovarian volumes were assessed quantitively by both techniques. The effect of body mass index (BMI) on qualitative and quantitative scoring was evaluated. Results: The sharpness of the cyst wall and internal echo structure was significantly better with PIHI than with CBU (P < 0.001 P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). PIHI improved overall ovarian conspicuity in 41 (78.8%) of 52 examination. The number of countable follicles was significantly lower with CBU (P < 0.001). The maximum diameter of the largest follicle was larger with PIHI sonography to compared CBU (P < 0.001). Mean ovarian volume was significantly larger with CBU (P < 0.001). When data were analyzed separately according to BMI, number of non-diagnostic overall ovarian conspicuity scores with CBU was markedly high in obese patients (88% with CBU versus 3.8% with PIHI). On the other hand, mean number of countable follicles with CBU became much more lower in the obese group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In virgin PCOS patients, when compared to transabdominal CBU, PIHI significantly improved the detection of ovarian follicles, especially in high BMI obese subjects, through

  18. Selective use of corifollitropin for controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF in patients with low anti-Müllerian hormone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Anna Pors; Korsholm, Anne-Sofie; Lemmen, Josephine G.

    2016-01-01

    Corifollitropin, a long-acting follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) analogue used for in vitro fertilization (IVF), does not allow individualization of dosage, and the ovarian response is similar to around 300 IU of daily recombinant FSH. This has raised concerns about the risk of ovarian hyperstim......Corifollitropin, a long-acting follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) analogue used for in vitro fertilization (IVF), does not allow individualization of dosage, and the ovarian response is similar to around 300 IU of daily recombinant FSH. This has raised concerns about the risk of ovarian...

  19. Age-Related Normogram for Ovarian Antral Follicle Count in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Comparison with Age Matched Controls Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiyappan, Senthil Kumar; Karpagam, Bulabai; Vadanika, V; Chidambaram, Prem Kumar; Vinayagam, S; Saravanan, K C

    2016-01-01

    Antral Follicle count (AFC) is a reliable marker for ovarian reserve. Previous studies have used transvaginal ultrasound for estimation of AFC, however we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for estimation of AFC and for creating an age-related normogram in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and compared it with normal patients. The aim of this study is to create an age related normogram for AFC in women with PCOS and to compare that with women without polycystic ovarian syndrome using MRI. A total of 1500 women were examined, out of which 400 fitted the criteria for PCOS. They all underwent MRI study and similar age matched women without PCOS also underwent MRI examination. Normogram for AFC were obtained using LMS software and a percentile chart was obtained. Normogram for AFC in PCOS women showed decline in number of AFC as the age progresses and the decline was linear. The normogram for AFC was compared with equal number of patients without PCOS and they also showed decline in AFC as the age progresses, however the decline was exponential and faster. Age related normogram for AFC is widely used and considered as best clinical predictor for ovarian response in assisted reproductive technology. Knowledge of ovarian reserve is important in PCOS and non-PCOS females as PCOS patients are at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during gonadotrophin theraphy. MRI is an equally effective and in some times better alternative to transvaginal ultrasound as it has got its own advantages.

  20. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor Is Expressed by Most Ovarian Cancer Subtypes and Is a Safe and Effective Immunotherapeutic Target.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perales-Puchalt, Alfredo; Svoronos, Nikolaos; Rutkowski, Melanie R; Allegrezza, Michael J; Tesone, Amelia J; Payne, Kyle K; Wickramasinghe, Jayamanna; Nguyen, Jenny M; O'Brien, Shane W; Gumireddy, Kiranmai; Huang, Qihong; Cadungog, Mark G; Connolly, Denise C; Tchou, Julia; Curiel, Tyler J; Conejo-Garcia, Jose R

    2017-01-15

    To define the safety and effectiveness of T cells redirected against follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR)-expressing ovarian cancer cells. FSHR expression was determined by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and qPCR in 77 human ovarian cancer specimens from 6 different histologic subtypes and 20 human healthy tissues. The effectiveness of human T cells targeted with full-length FSH in vivo was determined against a panel of patient-derived xenografts. Safety and effectiveness were confirmed in immunocompetent tumor-bearing mice, using constructs targeting murine FSHR and syngeneic T cells. FSHR is expressed in gynecologic malignancies of different histologic types but not in nonovarian healthy tissues. Accordingly, T cells expressing full-length FSHR-redirected chimeric receptors mediate significant therapeutic effects (including tumor rejection) against a panel of patient-derived tumors in vivo In immunocompetent mice growing syngeneic, orthotopic, and aggressive ovarian tumors, fully murine FSHR-targeted T cells also increased survival without any measurable toxicity. Notably, chimeric receptors enhanced the ability of endogenous tumor-reactive T cells to abrogate malignant progression upon adoptive transfer into naïve recipients subsequently challenged with the same tumor. Interestingly, FSHR-targeted T cells persisted as memory lymphocytes without noticeable PD-1-dependent exhaustion during end-stage disease, in the absence of tumor cell immunoediting. However, exosomes in advanced tumor ascites diverted the effector activity of this and other chimeric receptor-transduced T cells away from targeted tumor cells. T cells redirected against FSHR + tumor cells with full-length FSH represent a promising therapeutic alternative against a broad range of ovarian malignancies, with negligible toxicity even in the presence of cognate targets in tumor-free ovaries. Clin Cancer Res; 23(2); 441-53. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  1. Influence of puberty and antral follicle count on calving day in crossbred beef heifers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeel, Anthony K; Cushman, Robert A

    2015-10-15

    Lifetime productivity and longevity are greater in beef cows that give birth early in their first calving season. The ability of heifers to conceive early in the breeding season is traditionally thought to be a function of pubertal status; however, recent evidence suggests that antral follicle count is positively associated with calving day in pubertal beef heifers. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that the total number of ovarian follicles may alter response to hormonal synchronization protocols. The objectives of this study were to confirm the beneficial influence of antral follicle count on calving day in beef heifers and to determine whether response to PGF2α is associated with differences in antral follicle counts. A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was designed to investigate the interaction between calving period (early vs. late) and PGF2α (control vs. PGF) on calving day and antral follicle count in yearling beef heifers (n = 95). As intended, calving day was less in the early calving period compared to the late calving period (P 0.05). There was a significant interaction between calving period and PGF2α on age at first calving (P reproductive tract scoring for commercial production because of its association with calving day. As a prebreeding ovarian phenotype, antral follicle counts may hold additional applicability for organic beef producers looking to reduce the length of their calving season without increasing the total number of replacement heifers retained. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Maternal control of the Drosophila dorsal–ventral body axis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, David S.; Stevens, Leslie M.

    2016-01-01

    The pathway that generates the dorsal–ventral (DV) axis of the Drosophila embryo has been the subject of intense investigation over the previous three decades. The initial asymmetric signal originates during oogenesis by the movement of the oocyte nucleus to an anterior corner of the oocyte, which establishes DV polarity within the follicle through signaling between Gurken, the Drosophila Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-α homologue secreted from the oocyte, and the Drosophila Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) that is expressed by the follicular epithelium cells that envelop the oocyte. Follicle cells that are not exposed to Gurken follow a ventral fate and express Pipe, a sulfotransferase that enzymatically modifies components of the inner vitelline membrane layer of the eggshell, thereby transferring DV spatial information from the follicle to the egg. These ventrally sulfated eggshell proteins comprise a localized cue that directs the ventrally restricted formation of the active Spätzle ligand within the perivitelline space between the eggshell and the embryonic membrane. Spätzle activates Toll, a transmembrane receptor in the embryonic membrane. Transmission of the Toll signal into the embryo leads to the formation of a ventral-to-dorsal gradient of the transcription factor Dorsal within the nuclei of the syncytial blastoderm stage embryo. Dorsal controls the spatially specific expression of a large constellation of zygotic target genes, the Dorsal gene regulatory network, along the embryonic DV circumference. This article reviews classic studies and integrates them with the details of more recent work that has advanced our understanding of the complex pathway that establishes Drosophila embryo DV polarity. PMID:25124754

  3. Developmental programming: prenatal testosterone excess disrupts anti-Müllerian hormone expression in preantral and antral follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veiga-Lopez, Almudena; Ye, Wen; Padmanabhan, Vasantha

    2012-03-01

    To investigate the impact of prenatal T excess on the expression of key ovarian regulators implicated in follicular recruitment and persistence using a large animal model of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Interventional, animal model study. Academic research unit. A total of 25 female fetuses, 14 prepubertal female, and 24 adult female Suffolk sheep. Prenatal T treatment. Immunohistochemical determination of expression of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), kit ligand, and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) in fetal, prepubertal, and adult ovarian tissues. Prenatal T treatment reduced the AMH protein expression in granulosa cells (GC) of preantral follicles and increased its expression in antral follicles compared with age-matched adult controls. These differences were not evident in prepubertal animals. Protein expression of GDF9 and kit ligand was not altered at any of the developmental time points studied. Prenatal T exposure is associated with changes in AMH expression in preantral and antral follicles in adult ovaries, similar to findings in women with PCOS. These findings indicate that abnormal folliculogenesis in PCOS may be at least in part mediated by changes in AMH expression. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Neovascularisation of the ovary post ligation of ovarian vessels in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Grossly, all harvested ovaries were insignificantly regressed except the ovary of bitch 1 and 4 which showed significant regression and degeneration. Histopathologically, there were diffused necrosis, dense fibrosis of the ovarian cortex and medulla, degeneration of primary and graafian follicles in the ovarian stroma as well ...

  5. Ovarian and uterine periovulatory Doppler ultrasonography in bitches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia C. Barbosa

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to describe the uterine and ovarian ultrasonographic characteristics and Doppler velocimetric features of their arteries in bitches during the periovulatory period. Fifteen estrous cycles in 10 animals were evaluated. The ultrasonographic characteristics, resistance indices (RI and pulsatility indices (PI of the uterus and ovaries in each animal were recorded 5 days before and after ovulation (D0. The data were statistically analyzed, and the results were expressed as the mean ± standard error of mean (P<0.05. In results the ultrasonographic features of the uterus were the same on all of the cycles and evaluated days. The uterus had an average diameter of 0.85±0.02cm. An increase in the volume of the ovaries and the diameter of the ovarian follicles were measured. Ovaries had a volume of 0.64±0.06cm³, and the follicles cavities had a diameter of 0.46 ± 0.01 cm on the day of ovulation. After ovulation, it was observed that some follicles not collapse in some cycles. Two days prior to ovulation, the uterine blood perfusion decreased. This decrease remained unchanged until ovulation. Following ovulation, we measured a gradual increase in the uterine perfusion and in the ovarian artery. This artery directed blood flow to the ovaries and increased the intra-ovarian perfusion on the day after ovulation. In conclusion, specific features are observed in the uterus and ovarian ultrasound image and Doppler values of their arteries presented on the periovulatory days and when associated allow to estimate more accurately the date of ovulation.

  6. Changes in gene expression during follicle maturation in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

    Science.gov (United States)

    Failure to successfully complete ovarian follicle maturation is one of the most common reproductive problems in captive female broodstock, often requiring the use of reproductive assistance technologies. An improved understanding of how requisite environmental and social conditions translate in...

  7. Isolation of pre-antral follicles from human ovarian medulla tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Stine Gry; Rasmussen, Annette; Byskov, Anne Grete

    2011-01-01

    Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation is based on the ovarian cortex that contains the vast majority of the follicular reserve, while the remaining tissue, the medulla is discarded. The present study describes the development of a gentle method for isolating pre...

  8. Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation in young female oncological patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Claus Yding; Kristensen, Stine Gry; Greve, Tine; Schmidt, Kirsten Tryde

    2012-05-01

    Girls and women suffering from a cancer that requires treatment with gonadotoxic drugs may experience cessation of reproductive function as a side effect due to obliteration of the ovarian pool of follicles. Techniques are now available for fertility preservation, such as cryopreservation of mature oocytes, embryos or ovarian cortical tissue. Whereas collection of mature oocytes and embryos requires at least a 2-week period, ovarian tissue may on short notice be frozen prior to treatment and can be transplanted back into women with ovarian failure. Transplanted frozen/thawed tissue supports survival and growth of follicles, giving rise to menstrual cycles and hormone production for several years. Worldwide, the procedure has resulted in the birth of 15 healthy children. Many cancer patients including girls and young women want fertility preservation, and the techniques are now being further developed and implemented in several centers.

  9. Comparisons of mRNA expression for insulin-like growth factor (IGF) type 2 receptor (IGF2R) and IGF-1 in small ovarian follicles between cattle selected and not selected for twin ovulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Both IGF-1 and -2 stimulate ovarian follicular cell proliferation and antral follicle development. Actions of IGF-1 and -2 are mediated through the IGF type 1 receptor, whereas binding of IGF-2 to the IGF2R results in its degradation. Information on the role of IGF2R in regulating bovine follicula...

  10. Which follicles make the most anti-Mullerian hormone in humans?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeppesen, J V; Anderson, R A; Kelsey, T W

    2013-01-01

    Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is exclusively produced by granulosa cells (GC) of the developing pre-antral and antral follicles, and AMH is increasingly used to assess ovarian function. It is unclear which size follicles make the most AMH (total content) and are the main contributors to circulating...... AMH concentrations. To determine AMH gene expression in GC (q-RT-PCR) and follicular AMH production (Elisa and RIA) in relation to follicular development, 87 follicles (3-13 mm diameter) including both GC and the corresponding follicular fluid (FF) were collected in connection with fertility...... association between AMH gene expression in human and both total follicular fluid AMH (P expression and total AMH protein increased until a follicular diameter of 8 mm, after which a sharp decline occurred. In vivo modelling confirmed that 5...

  11. The effect of 12-month dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation on the menstrual pattern, ovarian reserve markers, and safety profile in women with premature ovarian insufficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Queenie Ho Yan; Yeung, Tracy Wing Yee; Yung, Sofie Shuk Fei; Ko, Jennifer Ka Yee; Li, Hang Wun Raymond; Ng, Ernest Hung Yu

    2018-03-09

    To evaluate the effect of 12-month DHEA supplementation on menstrual pattern and ovarian reserve markers in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) METHODS: This is a prospective observational study. Women with POI were given DHEA supplements (25 mg three times daily) for 12 months. Sonographic assessment for ovarian volume and antral follicle count (AFC) and serum measurement for anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, testosterone, liver function, and hemoglobin level were performed at baseline and monthly for 13 months after the supplementation. Menstrual pattern, ovarian reserve markers, and side-effects were recorded. Between August 2011 and July 2014, 38 women with POI were recruited and 31 completed the study. The median age of women was 36 years, and the median baseline FSH and AMH concentrations were 82.2 IU/L and 0.01 ng/ml, respectively. No women had resumption of regular menstruation after DHEA supplementation. AMH, FSH, and AFC did not change significantly. No serious side effects were reported. Our results do not support any significant improvement in ovarian function by 12-month DHEA supplementation in women with POI.

  12. Vitrification of human ovarian tissue: effect of different solutions and procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amorim, Christiani Andrade; David, Anu; Van Langendonckt, Anne; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Donnez, Jacques

    2011-03-01

    To test the effect of different vitrification solutions and procedures on the morphology of human preantral follicles. Pilot study. Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. Ovarian biopsies were obtained from nine women aged 22-35 years. Ovarian tissue fragments were subjected to [1] different vitrification solutions to test their toxicity or [2] different vitrification methods using plastic straws, medium droplets, or solid-surface vitrification before in vitro culture. Number of morphologically normal follicles after toxicity testing or vitrification with the different treatments determined by histologic analysis. In the toxicity tests, only VS3 showed similar results to fresh tissue before and after in vitro culture (fresh controls 1 and 2). In addition, this was the only solution able to completely vitrify. In all vitrification procedures, the percentage of normal follicles was lower than in controls. However, of the three protocols, the droplet method yielded a significantly higher proportion of normal follicles. Our experiments showed VS3 to have no deleterious effect on follicular morphology and to be able to completely vitrify, although vitrification procedures were found to affect human follicles. Nevertheless, the droplet method resulted in a higher percentage of morphologically normal follicles. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Ovarian toxicity of cyclophosphamide alone and in combination with ovarian irradiation in the rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarrell, J.; Lai, E.V.; Barr, R.; McMahon, A.; Belbeck, L.; O'Connell, G.

    1987-01-01

    The effects of radiation and chemotherapy on gonadal function are relevant to the morbidity induced by such treatments. Cyclophosphamide given i.p. to rats on Day 30 of age delayed vaginal opening, prevented vaginal cyclicity, and caused a reduction in serum estradiol and progesterone. Antral follicular atresia increased in a dose-dependent fashion in response to cyclophosphamide (0 mg/kg, 53.5%; 1 mg/kg, 67.3%; 50 mg/kg, 65.7%; 100 mg/kg, 73.9%; 150 mg/kg, 92.2%). Despite such alterations in ovarian function, serum gonadotrophins did not rise. The concurrent administration of 0, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 Gy of radiation to the exteriorized ovaries in rats receiving 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide induced widespread loss of primordial, preantral, and healthy antral follicles associated with reduction in serum progesterone and estradiol. Such irradiation induced dose-related increases in serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Parenteral cyclophosphamide and local irradiation appear to induce ovarian toxicity by different mechanisms

  14. Female reproductive anatonlY and developnlent of ovarian follicles ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    occurs before hibernation (Vander Merwe 1979), the cells of the cumulus oophorus do not show any marked hyper- trophy. Miniopterusjraterculus, the species under study, is a hibernating vespertilionid, and as in M. schreibersi ovula- tion occurs before hibernation. Although a large number of follicles begin development.

  15. Histopathological and Follicular Atresia Assessment of Rat’s Ovarian Tissue Following Experimental Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sam Zarbakhsh

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background One of the important side effects in spinal cord injuries in both genders is sexual dysfunction. This study aimed at investigating histopathological changes of ovaries in the chronic phase after spinal cord injury. Methods Animals (adult female rats were divided to the following groups, Control (Co, Sham (Sh, and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI; each group contained 18 rats. The spinal cord of SCI animals was transected by the bilateral laminectomy method on level T9, while the rats of the sham group were incised in the same location without any spinal cord injury. Animals were sacrified at 7th, 14th and 21st day postsurgical intervention, then the body weight, and the weight and volume of ovaries were measured. The slices were stained by hematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid Schiff methods. The histomorphometric changes of the diameter of the follicle and ovum, and the thickness of granulosa layer were measured in different kinds of follicles including, Unilaminar Primary Follicle (UPF, Multilaminar Primary Follicle (MPF, Secondary Follicle (SF, and Tertiary Follicle (TF. Results The results showed that the animal weights were decreased in three SCI groups (P = 0.018. In the SCI groups, the diameter of follicle and ovum and the thickness of granulosa layer were significantly decreased in different kinds of follicles (P = 0.012. Also the thickness of zona pellucida and theca interna were significantly decreased in UPF, SF, and TF in the SCI groups on 14th and 21st day (P = 0.024. The histopathologic examination revealed widespread ovarian follicle atresia in the SCI groups on the 14th and 21st day, including numerous cell debris and inflammatory cells in the antrum atretic follicles. The ovarian stroma showed edema, fibrosis, hypercellularity, and vasodilation in the SCI group, compared to the sham or control groups. Conclusions The histopathlogic data indicated that after spinal cord injury many histologic parameter changes occurred and

  16. Development of A Mouse Model of Menopausal Ovarian Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth R. Smith

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Despite significant understanding of the genetic mutations involved in ovarian epithelial cancer and advances in genomic approaches for expression and mutation profiling of tumor tissues, several key questions in ovarian cancer biology remain enigmatic: the mechanism for the well-established impact of reproductive factors on ovarian cancer risk remains obscure; questions of the cell of origin of ovarian cancer continue to be debated; and the precursor lesion, sequence, or events in progression remain to be defined. Suitable mouse models should complement the analysis of human tumor tissues and may provide clues to these questions currently perplexing ovarian cancer biology.A potentially useful model is the germ cell-deficient Wv (white spotting variant mutant mouse line, which may be used to study the impact of menopausal physiology on the increased risk of ovarian cancer. The Wv mice harbor a point mutation in c-Kit that reduces the receptor tyrosine kinase activity to about 1-5% (it is not a null mutation. Homozygous Wv mutant females have a reduced ovarian germ cell reservoir at birth and the follicles are rapidly depleted upon reaching reproductive maturity, but other biological phenotypes are minimal and the mice have a normal life span. The loss of ovarian function precipitates changes in hormonal and metabolic activity that model features of menopause in humans. As a consequence of follicle depletion, the Wv ovaries develop ovarian tubular adenomas, a benign epithelial tumor corresponding to surface epithelial invaginations and papillomatosis that mark human ovarian aging. Ongoing work will test the possibility of converting the benign epithelial tubular adenomas into neoplastic tumors by addition of an oncogenic mutation, such as of Tp53, to model the genotype and biology of serous ovarian cancer.Model based on the Wv mice may have the potential to gain biological and etiological insights into ovarian cancer development and prevention.

  17. Premature ovarian failure

    OpenAIRE

    Pacheco, José

    2011-01-01

    Premature ovarian failure is characterized by secondary amenorrhea affecting a woman before the age of 40, leading to hypoestrogenism, infertility, and consequences of premature menopause, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, neurovegetative alterations, and others. Follicular exhaustion is due to either follicles shortage or oocytes accelerated destruction. Main causes are genetic, autoimmune and iatrogenic. Among genetic causes Xq and Xp deletions, translocations, numeric aberratio...

  18. SET protein up-regulated testosterone production in the cultured preantral follicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Boqun

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We found previously that the expression of SET gene was up-regulated in polycystic ovaries. Evidences suggested that SET protein was essential for regulating both the promoter activity of CYP17A1 and the biological activity of P450c17. In this study, we explored whether SET regulated androgen production in preantral follicles. Methods The mouse preantral follicles were cultured in vitro. Testosterone secretion and expression of steroidogenic enzymes were observed in the preantral follicles treated in vitro by SET overexpression and knockdown. Results Testosterone levels in the media of the AdCMV-SET infected follicles significantly increased, and the CYP17A1 and HSD3B2 expression also significantly increased (P P  Conclusions SET played a positive role in regulating ovarian androgen biosynthesis by enhancing the transcription of steroidogenic enzymes CYP17A1 and HSD3B2, which maybe contribute to the hyperandrogenism in PCOS.

  19. Sphingosine-1-phosphate and ceramide are associated with health and atresia of bovine ovarian antral follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Coronado, C G; Guzmán, A; Espinosa-Cervantes, R; Romano, M C; Verde-Calvo, J R; Rosales-Torres, A M

    2015-02-01

    The follicle destiny towards ovulation or atresia is multi-factorial in nature and involves outcries, paracrine and endocrine factors that promote cell proliferation and survival (development) or unchain apoptosis as part of the atresia process. In several types of cells, sphingosine-1-phospate (S1P) promotes cellular proliferation and survival, whereas ceramide (CER) triggers cell death, and the S1P/CER ratio may determine the fate of the cell. The aim of present study was to quantify S1P and CER concentrations and their ratio in bovine antral follicles of 8 to 17 mm classified as healthy and atretic antral follicles. Follicles were dissected from cow ovaries collected from a local abattoir. The theca cell layer, the granulosa cells and follicular fluid were separated, and 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations were measured in the follicular fluid by radioimmunoassay. Based on the E2/P4 ratio, the follicles were classified as healthy (2.2±0.3) or atretic (0.2±0.3). In both follicular compartments (granulosa and theca cell layer), sphingolipids were extracted and S1P and CER concentrations were quantified by HPLC (XTerra RP18; 5 µm, 3.0×150 mm column). Results showed that in both follicular compartments, S1P concentrations were higher in healthy antral follicles than in atretic antral follicles (P<0.05). The concentration of CER in the granulosa cells was higher in atretic antral follicles than in healthy antral follicles, but no differences were observed in the theca cell layer. The S1P/CER ratio in both follicular compartments was also higher in healthy antral follicles. Interestingly, in these follicles, there was a 45-fold greater concentration of S1P than CER in the granulosa cells (P<0.05), whereas in the theca cell layer, S1P had only a 14-fold greater concentration than CER when compared with atretic antral follicles. These results suggest that S1P plays a role in follicle health, increasing cellular proliferation and survival. In

  20. Multimodality imaging findings of massive ovarian edema in children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dahmoush, Hisham [Stanford University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Division, Stanford, CA (United States); Anupindi, Sudha A.; Chauvin, Nancy A. [University of Pennsylvania, The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Pawel, Bruce R. [University of Pennsylvania, The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

    2017-05-15

    Massive ovarian edema is a rare benign condition that predominantly affects childbearing women as well as preadolescent girls. It is thought to result from intermittent or partial torsion of the ovary compromising the venous and lymphatic drainage but with preserved arterial supply. The clinical features of massive ovarian edema are nonspecific and can simulate tumors, leading to unnecessary oophorectomy. To demonstrate imaging features that should alert radiologists to consider the diagnosis of massive ovarian edema preoperatively so that fertility-sparing surgery may be considered. We identified five girls diagnosed with massive ovarian edema at pathology. Presenting symptoms, sidedness, imaging appearance, preoperative diagnosis, and operative and histopathological findings were reviewed. Age range was 9.6-14.3 years (mean age: 12.5 years). Common imaging findings included ovarian enlargement with edema of the stroma, peripherally placed follicles, isointense signal on T1-W MRI and markedly hyperintense signal on T2-W MRI, preservation of color Doppler flow by US, and CT Hounsfield units below 40. The uterus was deviated to the affected side in all patients. Two of the five patients had small to moderate amounts of free pelvic fluid. Mean ovarian volume on imaging was 560 mL (range: 108-1,361 mL). While the clinical presentation of massive ovarian edema is nonspecific, an enlarged ovary with stromal edema, peripherally placed follicles and preservation of blood flow may be suggestive and wedge biopsy should be considered intraoperatively to avoid unnecessary removal of the ovary. (orig.)

  1. Multimodality imaging findings of massive ovarian edema in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahmoush, Hisham; Anupindi, Sudha A.; Chauvin, Nancy A.; Pawel, Bruce R.

    2017-01-01

    Massive ovarian edema is a rare benign condition that predominantly affects childbearing women as well as preadolescent girls. It is thought to result from intermittent or partial torsion of the ovary compromising the venous and lymphatic drainage but with preserved arterial supply. The clinical features of massive ovarian edema are nonspecific and can simulate tumors, leading to unnecessary oophorectomy. To demonstrate imaging features that should alert radiologists to consider the diagnosis of massive ovarian edema preoperatively so that fertility-sparing surgery may be considered. We identified five girls diagnosed with massive ovarian edema at pathology. Presenting symptoms, sidedness, imaging appearance, preoperative diagnosis, and operative and histopathological findings were reviewed. Age range was 9.6-14.3 years (mean age: 12.5 years). Common imaging findings included ovarian enlargement with edema of the stroma, peripherally placed follicles, isointense signal on T1-W MRI and markedly hyperintense signal on T2-W MRI, preservation of color Doppler flow by US, and CT Hounsfield units below 40. The uterus was deviated to the affected side in all patients. Two of the five patients had small to moderate amounts of free pelvic fluid. Mean ovarian volume on imaging was 560 mL (range: 108-1,361 mL). While the clinical presentation of massive ovarian edema is nonspecific, an enlarged ovary with stromal edema, peripherally placed follicles and preservation of blood flow may be suggestive and wedge biopsy should be considered intraoperatively to avoid unnecessary removal of the ovary. (orig.)

  2. Peptidoglycan inhibits progesterone and androstenedione production in bovine ovarian theca cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magata, F; Horiuchi, M; Miyamoto, A; Shimizu, T

    2014-08-01

    Uterine bacterial infection perturbs uterine and ovarian functions in postpartum dairy cows. Peptidoglycan (PGN) produced by gram-positive bacteria has been shown to disrupt the ovarian function in ewes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of PGN on steroid production in bovine theca cells at different stages of follicular development. Bovine theca cells isolated from pre- and post-selection ovarian follicles (8.5mm in diameter, respectively) were cultured in vitro and challenged with PGN. Steroid production was evaluated by measuring progesterone (P4) and androstenedione (A4) concentration in culture media after 48 h or 96 h of culture. Bovine theca cells expressed PGN receptors including Toll-like receptor 2 and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 and 2. Treatment with PGN (1, 10, or 50 μg/ml) led to a decrease in P4 and A4 production by theca cells in both pre- and post-selection follicles. The mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes were decreased by PGN treatment. Moreover, A4 production was further suppressed when theca cells of post-selection follicles were simultaneously treated by PGN and lipopolysaccharide (0.1, 1, or 10 μg/ml). These findings indicate that bacterial toxins may act locally on ovarian steroidogenic cells and compromise follicular development in postpartum dairy cows. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Immune cells in the normal ovary and spontaneous ovarian tumors in the laying hen (Gallus domesticus) model of human ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradaric, Michael J; Penumatsa, Krishna; Barua, Animesh; Edassery, Seby L; Yu, Yi; Abramowicz, Jacques S; Bahr, Janice M; Luborsky, Judith L

    2013-01-01

    Spontaneous ovarian cancer in chickens resembles human tumors both histologically and biochemically. The goal was to determine if there are differences in lymphocyte content between normal ovaries and ovarian tumors in chickens as a basis for further studies to understand the role of immunity in human ovarian cancer progression. Hens were selected using grey scale and color Doppler ultrasound to determine if they had normal or tumor morphology. Cells were isolated from ovaries (n = 6 hens) and lymphocyte numbers were determined by flow cytometry using antibodies to avian CD4 and CD8 T and B (Bu1a) cells. Ovarian sections from another set of hens (n = 26) were assessed to verify tumor type and stage and to count CD4, CD8 and Bu1a immunostained cells by morphometric analysis. T and B cells were more numerous in ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. There were less CD4+ cells than CD8+ and Bu1a+ cells in normal ovaries or ovarian tumors. CD8+ cells were the dominant T cell sub-type in both ovarian stroma and in ovarian follicles compared to CD4+ cells. Bu1a+ cells were consistently found in the stroma of normal ovaries and ovarian tumors but were not associated with follicles. The number of immune cells was highest in late stage serous tumors compared to endometrioid and mucinous tumors. The results suggest that similar to human ovarian cancer there are comparatively more immune cells in chicken ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries, and the highest immune cell content occurs in serous tumors. Thus, this study establishes a foundation for further study of tumor immune responses in a spontaneous model of ovarian cancer which will facilitate studies of the role of immunity in early ovarian cancer progression and use of the hen in pre-clinical vaccine trials.

  4. DESENVOLVIMENTO DE FOLÍCULOS PRÉ-ANTRAIS BOVINOS IN VITRO EM MONOCAMADA DE CÉLULAS OVARIANAS IN VITRO DEVELOPMENT OF BOVINE PREANTRAL FOLLICLES IN MONOLAYER OF OVARIAN CELLS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luís Fabiano Santos da Costa

    2001-04-01

    Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve como objetivos determinar a influência de células ovarianas no desenvolvimento in vitro de folículos pré-antrais, avaliar a viabilidade das células ovarianas em monocamada e a influência do soro na manutenção de folículos pré-antrais in vitro. Folículos pré-antrais (FPs e células ovarianas foram isolados de ovários de fetos bovinos, com idade entre 6 e 8 meses de gestação, oriundos de matadouro. Células ovarianas em monocamada foram cultivadas em meio TCM-199, e a viabilidade celular, após o cultivo na presença ou ausência de FSH, foi determinada com o corante vital azul de tripan. FPs foram distribuidos em quatro tratamentos e cultivados em TCM-199 modificado, contendo soro de novilho castrado (SNC, SNC em monocamada de células ovarianas (MCO, MCO com FSH ou meio definido com álcool polivinílico (PVA como macromolécula. A viabilidade celular não foi afetada em conseqüência da presença ou ausência de FSH. No entanto, houve um incremento significativo no tamanho dos FPs cultivados na presença de SNC, MCO e FSH (PThe aim of the present work was to determine the influence of ovarian cells in the in vitro development of preantral follicles (PF. The viability of monolayer ovarian cells and the effect of the serum in the survive of in vitro PF was also investigated. Ovarian cells and PF were isolated from ovaries of bovine fetus between 6 and 8 months of pregnancy, obtained in a slaughterhouse. Monolayer of ovarian cells were cultured in a modified TCM-199 in the presence and absence of FSH and its viability after incubation was determined with Trypan Blue. PFs were divided in four different treatments, cultured in modified TCM-199, containing serum of castrated steer (SCS, SCS in monolayer of ovarian cells (MOC, MOC with FSH or a defined medium with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA as macromolecule. The cellular viability was not affected by the presence or absence of FSH. However, PFs had a significant

  5. Ovarian reserve in fertile women as determined by ultrasonography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Usmani, A.; Shokh, I.S.

    2007-01-01

    To determine ovarian reserve in naturally fertile adult women. Healthy fertile females (n = 70) aged 20-39 years with proven natural fertility were recruited between March and December 2006. Of these, 40 met the inclusion criteria. Total ovarian volume was calculated using the transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound approach and an antral follicle count was perfonned transvaginally. The height and weight of each individual was taken to calculate the BMI, and the correlation made between ovarian volume (determined transvaginally) and the BMI. The women were divided into 2 groups of 20 each viz. between 20 -29 years, and between 30 - 39 years. Total ovarian volume detennined by transabdominal scan was 13 +- 3.46 ml and 7.92+-2.0 ml respectively in the two groups, and by transvaginal route was 15.13 +- 4.37 ml and 9.97 +- 2.99 ml respectively (p-value of both was 0.001). The AFC was 9.40 +- 2.37and 5.3 +- 2.05 in the two groups (p-value 0.001). The BMI of the 2 groups was 23.4 +- 3.97 and 24.4 +- 3.8 (p-value 0.421). The correlation between ovarian volume and BMI was -0.40 (p-value 0.05). Ovarian volume and antral follicle count were reduced significantly in the older age group; there was no difference between the BMI of the two age groups. When BMI of all women was plotted against ovarian volume, a decrease in the ovarian volume was observed with an increase in BMI. (author)

  6. Ovarian failure following abdominal irradiation in childhood

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shalet, S.M.; Beardwell, C.G.; Jones, P.H.M.; Pearson, D.; Orrell, D.H.

    1976-01-01

    Ovarian function was studied in 18 female patients treated for abdominal tumours during childhood. All received abdominal radiotherapy as part of their treatment and were studied between 1 and 26 years after irradiation. The serum gonadotrophins and oestradiol levels were consistent with ovarian failure in each case and there was a disproportionate elevation in serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) when compared to serum luteinizing hormone (LH) in 16. In 2 patients, the radiotherapeutic field extended downwards only as far as the sacral promontory. However, these 2 girls show similar evidence of ovarian failure to that in the other 16. (author)

  7. Localization of gonadotropin binding sites in human ovarian neoplasms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakano, R.; Kitayama, S.; Yamoto, M.; Shima, K.; Ooshima, A.

    1989-01-01

    The binding of human luteinizing hormone and human follicle-stimulating hormone to ovarian tumor biopsy specimens from 29 patients was analyzed. The binding sites for human luteinizing hormone were demonstrated in one tumor of epithelial origin (mucinous cystadenoma) and in one of sex cord-stromal origin (theca cell tumor). The binding sites for human follicle-stimulating hormone were found in three tumors of epithelial origin (serous cystadenoma and mucinous cystadenoma) and in two of sex cord-stromal origin (theca cell tumor and theca-granulosa cell tumor). The surface-binding autoradiographic study revealed that the binding sites for gonadotropins were localized in the stromal tissue. The results suggest that gonadotropic hormones may play a role in the growth and differentiation of a certain type of human ovarian neoplasms

  8. High-resolution ultrasound biomicroscopy for monitoring ovarian structures in mice

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    Singh Jaswant

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Until recently, the limit of spatial resolution of ultrasound systems has prevented characterization of structures Methods Experiment 1 was a pilot study to develop methods of immobilization (physical restraint vs. general anesthesia and determine technical factors affecting ovarian images using ultrasound bio-microscopy in rats vs. mice. The hair coat was removed over the thoraco-lumber area using depilation cream, and a highly viscous acoustic gel was applied while the animals were maintained in sternal recumbency. In Experiment 2, changes in ovarian structures during the estrous cycle were monitored by twice daily ultrasonography in 10 mice for 2 estrous cycles. Results Ovarian images were not distinct in rats due to attenuation of ultrasound waves. Physical restraint, without general anesthesia, was insufficient for immobilization in mice. By placing the transducer face over the dorsal flank, the kidney was visualized initially as a point of reference. A routine of moving the transducer a few millimetres caudo-laterally from the kidney was established to quickly and consistently localize the ovaries; the total time to scan both ovaries in a mouse was about 10 minutes. By comparing vaginal cytology with non-anesthetized controls, repeated exposure to anesthesia did not affect the estrous cycle. Temporal changes in the number of follicles in 3 different size categories support the hypothesis that follicles ≥ 20 microns develop in a wave-like fashion. Conclusion The mouse is a suitable model for the study of ovarian dynamics using transcutaneous ultrasound bio-microscopy. Repeated general anesthesia for examination had no apparent effect on the estrous cycle, and preliminary results revealed a wave-like pattern of ovarian follicle development in mice.

  9. The Common Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR Promoter Polymorphism FSHR −29G > A Affects Androgen Production in Normal Human Small Antral Follicles

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    Tanni Borgbo

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Follicle-stimulating hormone receptors (FSHRs are almost exclusively expressed on granulosa cells, and FSH action is probably most clearly reflected in intrafollicular hormone milieu of antral follicles. Little is known about the possible effects of the common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP FSHR −29G > A (rs1394205 on hormonal conditions in humsan small antral follicles (hSAFs obtained from women in the natural menstrual cycle. This study investigated the follicle fluid (FF concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone, estradiol, progesterone, androstenedione, and testosterone in hSAF in relation to the different genotypes of FSHR −29G > A. FF from 362 follicles was collected in 95 women undergoing fertility preservation, who did not suffer from a disease that directly affected ovarian function. The testosterone levels of the minor A/A genotype were significantly increased compared to the A/G and the G/G genotype. Furthermore, significantly reduced androstenedione levels were observed for the G/G genotype, as compared to the A/G genotype, while the other hormones did not show statistical significant differences. In conclusion, the androgen levels of hSAF were significantly elevated in the minor SNP genotype in the FSHR promoter polymorphism FSHR −29G > A.

  10. Successful vitrification and autografting of baboon (Papio anubis) ovarian tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amorim, Christiani A; Jacobs, Sophie; Devireddy, Ram V; Van Langendonckt, Anne; Vanacker, Julie; Jaeger, Jonathan; Luyckx, Valérie; Donnez, Jacques; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine

    2013-08-01

    Can a vitrification protocol using an ethylene glycol/dimethyl sulphoxide-based solution and a cryopin successfully cryopreserve baboon ovarian tissue? Our results show that baboon ovarian tissue can be successfully cryopreserved with our vitrification protocol. Non-human primates have already been used as an animal model to test vitrification protocols for human ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Ovarian biopsies from five adult baboons were vitrified, warmed and autografted for 5 months. After grafting, follicle survival, growth and function and also the quality of stromal tissue were assessed histologically and by immunohistochemistry. The influence of the vitrification procedure on the cooling rate was evaluated by a computer model. After vitrification, warming and long-term grafting, follicles were able to grow and maintain their function, as illustrated by Ki67, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) immunostaining. Corpora lutea were also observed, evidencing successful ovulation in all the animals. Stromal tissue quality did not appear to be negatively affected by our cryopreservation procedure, as demonstrated by vascularization and proportions of fibrotic areas, which were similar to those found in fresh ungrafted ovarian tissue. Despite our promising findings, before applying this technique in a clinical setting, we need to validate it by achieving pregnancies. In addition to encouraging results obtained with our vitrification procedure for non-human ovarian tissue, this study also showed, for the first time, expression of AMH and GDF-9 in ovarian follicles. This study was supported by grants from the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique de Belgique (grant Télévie No. 7.4507.10, grant 3.4.590.08 awarded to Marie-Madeleine Dolmans), Fonds Spéciaux de Recherche, Fondation St Luc, Foundation Against Cancer, and Department of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University (support to Ram Devireddy), and

  11. Manipulation of follicle development to ensure optimal oocyte quality and conception rates in cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baruselli, P S; Sá Filho, M F; Ferreira, R M; Sales, J N S; Gimenes, L U; Vieira, L M; Mendanha, M F; Bó, G A

    2012-08-01

    Over the last several decades, a number of therapies have been developed that manipulate ovarian follicle growth to improve oocyte quality and conception rates in cattle. Various strategies have been proposed to improve the responses to reproductive biotechnologies following timed artificial insemination (TAI), superovulation (SOV) or ovum pickup (OPU) programmes. During TAI protocols, final follicular growth and size of the ovulatory follicle are key factors that may significantly influence oocyte quality, ovulation, the uterine environment and consequently pregnancy outcomes. Progesterone concentrations during SOV protocols influence follicular growth, oocyte quality and embryo quality; therefore, several adjustments to SOV protocols have been proposed depending on the animal category and breed. In addition, the success of in vitro embryo production is directly related to the number and quality of cumulus oocyte complexes harvested by OPU. Control of follicle development has a significant impact on the OPU outcome. This article discusses a number of key points related to the manipulation of ovarian follicular growth to maximize oocyte quality and improve conception rates following TAI and embryo transfer of in vivo- and in vitro-derived embryos in cattle. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  12. There is a Positive Correlation Between Socioeconomic Status and Ovarian Reserve in Women of Reproductive Age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barut, Mert Ulas; Agacayak, Elif; Bozkurt, Murat; Aksu, Tarık; Gul, Talip

    2016-11-16

    BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential association between socioeconomic status and ovarian reserve, anti-Mullerian hormone level, antral follicle count, and follicle stimulating hormone level in women of reproductive age. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 101 married women between 20-35 years of age who presented to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Research System In Vitro Fertilization (HRS IVF) Center between October 2014 and November 2015 and met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. The participants were divided into three socioeconomic groups using Kuppuswamy's socioeconomic status scale. Thirty-one participants were assigned to the low socioeconomic status group, 37 to the middle socioeconomic status group, and 33 to the high socioeconomic status group. On days 3-6 of the menstrual cycle, 10 mL of blood was collected from the participants for follicle stimulating hormone and anti-Mullerian hormone measurements. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed for both ovaries for the purpose of counting antral follicles measuring 2-10 mm in diameter. RESULTS Both ovarian reserve parameters, namely anti-Mullerian hormone level and antral follicle count, exhibited a significant association with socioeconomic status (p=0.000 and p=0.000, respectively). The association between follicle stimulating hormone level and socioeconomic status was also significant (p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS A low socioeconomic status aggravated by sources of stress such as undernutrition and financial hardships affects ovarian reserve, which should be remembered in approaching infertile patients.

  13. Dynamics of extracellular matrix in ovarian follicles and corpora lutea of mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Irving-Rodgers, Helen F; Hummitzsch, Katja; Murdiyarso, Lydia S

    2009-01-01

    Despite the mouse being an important laboratory species, little is known about changes in its extracellular matrix (ECM) during follicle and corpora lutea formation and regression. Follicle development was induced in mice (29 days of age/experimental day 0) by injections of pregnant mare's serum...... and antral follicles. The focimatrix, a specialised matrix of the membrana granulosa, contained collagen type IV alpha1 and alpha2, laminin alpha1, beta1 and gamma1 chains, nidogens 1 and 2, perlecan and collagen type XVIII. In the corpora lutea, staining was restricted to capillary sub-endothelial basal...... gonadotrophin on days 0 and 1 and ovulation was induced by injection of human chorionic gonadotrophin on day 2. Ovaries were collected for immunohistochemistry (n=10 per group) on days 0, 2 and 5. Another group was mated and ovaries were examined on day 11 (n=7). Collagen type IV alpha1 and alpha2, laminin...

  14. Ignored adult primary hypothyroidism presenting chiefly with persistent ovarian cysts: a need for increased awareness

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    Fang Suhua

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ovarian cysts are a common cause for gynecological surgery. However, some cysts are a direct result of endocrine disorders and do not require surgery. This report describes an unusual case in which persistent ovarian cysts are associated with primary hypothyroidism in a young woman. The data were collected by history-taking, physical examination, laboratory tests, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and a histo-pathological study. In addition, the exons of the gene encoding the human follicle-stimulating hormone receptor were sequenced. Discussion The patient had markedly elevated levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone and an enlarged pituitary gland. After treatment with thyroid hormone replacement, regression of the enlarged pituitary and the ovarian cysts was observed. The possible mechanisms of the pathophysiology are discussed below. Summary It is necessary to consider hypothyroidism and other endocrine disorders in the differential diagnosis of adult patients with ovarian multiple cyst formation in order to prevent inadvertent ovarian surgery.

  15. A NANOS3 mutation linked to protein degradation causes premature ovarian insufficiency

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, X; Wang, B; Dong, Z; Zhou, S; Liu, Z; Shi, G; Cao, Y; Xu, Y

    2013-01-01

    Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), or premature ovarian failure, is defined as the cessation of ovarian function before the age of 40. An insufficient ovarian follicle pool derived from primordial germ cells (PGCs) is an important cause of POI. Although the Nanos gene family is known to be required for PGC development and maintenance in diverse model organisms, the relevance of this information to human biology is not yet clear. In this study, we screened the coding regions of the NANOS1, N...

  16. Effects of three different types of antifreeze proteins on mouse ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation.

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    Jaewang Lee

    Full Text Available Ovarian tissue (OT cryopreservation is effective in preserving fertility in cancer patients who have concerns about fertility loss due to cancer treatment. However, the damage incurred at different steps during the cryopreservation procedure may cause follicular depletion; hence, preventing chilling injury would help maintain ovarian function.This study was designed to investigate the beneficial effects of different antifreeze proteins (AFPs on mouse ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation.Ovaries were obtained from 5-week-old B6D2F1 mice, and each ovary was cryopreserved using two-step vitrification and four-step warming procedures. In Experiment I, ovaries were randomly allocated into fresh, vitrification control, and nine experimental groups according to the AFP type (FfIBP, LeIBP, type III and concentration (0.1, 1, 10 mg/mL used. After vitrification and warming, 5,790 ovarian follicles were evaluated using histology and TUNEL assays, and immunofluorescence for τH2AX and Rad51 was used to detect DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs and repair (DDR, respectively. In Experiment II, 20 mice were randomly divided into two groups: one where the vitrification and warming media were supplemented with 10 mg/mL LeIBP, and the other where media alone were used (control. Ovaries were then autotransplanted under both kidney capsules 7 days after vitrification together with the addition of 10 mg/mL LeIBP in the vitrification-warming media. After transplantation, the ovarian follicles, the percentage of apoptotic follicles, the extent of the CD31-positive area, and the serum FSH levels of the transplanted groups were compared.In Experiment I, the percentage of total grade 1 follicles was significantly higher in the 10 mg/mL LeIBP group than in the vitrification control, while all AFP-treated groups had significantly improved grade 1 primordial follicle numbers compared with those of the vitrification control. The number of apoptotic (TUNEL

  17. Impact of environmental exposures on ovarian function and role of xenobiotic metabolism during ovotoxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhattacharya, Poulomi; Keating, Aileen F., E-mail: akeating@iastate.edu

    2012-06-15

    The mammalian ovary is a heterogeneous organ and contains oocyte-containing follicles at varying stages of development. The most immature follicular stage, the primordial follicle, comprises the ovarian reserve and is a finite number, defined at the time of birth. Depletion of all follicles within the ovary leads to reproductive senescence, known as menopause. A number of chemical classes can destroy follicles, thus hastening entry into the menopausal state. The ovarian response to chemical exposure can determine the extent of ovotoxicity that occurs. Enzymes capable of bioactivating as well as detoxifying xenobiotics are expressed in the ovary and their impact on ovotoxicity has been partially characterized for trichloroethylene, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, and 4-vinylcyclohexene. This review will discuss those studies, as well as illustrate where knowledge gaps remain for chemicals that have also been established as ovotoxicants. -- Highlights: ► Summary of ovotoxicant action during ovotoxicity. ► Discussion of impact of biotransformation on chemical toxicity. ► Identification of knowledge gaps in chemical metabolism.

  18. Impact of environmental exposures on ovarian function and role of xenobiotic metabolism during ovotoxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhattacharya, Poulomi; Keating, Aileen F.

    2012-01-01

    The mammalian ovary is a heterogeneous organ and contains oocyte-containing follicles at varying stages of development. The most immature follicular stage, the primordial follicle, comprises the ovarian reserve and is a finite number, defined at the time of birth. Depletion of all follicles within the ovary leads to reproductive senescence, known as menopause. A number of chemical classes can destroy follicles, thus hastening entry into the menopausal state. The ovarian response to chemical exposure can determine the extent of ovotoxicity that occurs. Enzymes capable of bioactivating as well as detoxifying xenobiotics are expressed in the ovary and their impact on ovotoxicity has been partially characterized for trichloroethylene, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, and 4-vinylcyclohexene. This review will discuss those studies, as well as illustrate where knowledge gaps remain for chemicals that have also been established as ovotoxicants. -- Highlights: ► Summary of ovotoxicant action during ovotoxicity. ► Discussion of impact of biotransformation on chemical toxicity. ► Identification of knowledge gaps in chemical metabolism.

  19. Alginate beads as a tool to handle, cryopreserve and culture isolated human primordial/primary follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camboni, A; Van Langendonckt, A; Donnez, J; Vanacker, J; Dolmans, M M; Amorim, C A

    2013-08-01

    One major concern of grafting cryopreserved ovarian tissue to restore fertility in cancer patients is the possibility of reintroducing tumor cells. Cryopreservation of isolated primordial/primary follicles (PFs) may circumvent this problem. The aim of our work was to compare dimethyl sulfoxide (ME2SO) and ethylene glycol (EG) as cryoprotectants (CPAs) for slow-freezing of isolated human PFs in alginate. Ovarian biopsies from four women were processed for follicle isolation. PFs were embedded in alginate (5-15 per group). Follicles were frozen-thawed using 1.4M ME2SO or 1.5M EG as CPAs. Fresh and cryopreserved isolated follicles were in vitro cultured (IVC) for 7 days. At different time periods (after isolation, cryopreservation and IVC), follicles were evaluated with live/dead assay (using fluorescent probes) and diameter measurement. Follicle viability was calculated according to the percentage of dead follicular cells and the presence of a live/dead oocyte. A total of 841 PFs were isolated, embedded in alginate and cryopreserved with ME2SO (n=424) or EG (n=259), or used as controls (n=158). After 7 days of IVC, a significant increase in follicle size was observed in the fresh and ME2SO groups, but not in the EG group. The percentage of totally viable PFs was not significantly different before or after seven days of culture in fresh (100% and 82%) or ME2SO (93.2% and 85.1%) tissue. The EG group showed significantly lower viability before (63.9%) and after IVC (66.2%) than the fresh and ME2SO groups. Our results show that 1.4M ME2SO yields better preservation of isolated PF viability after thawing and 7 days of IVC than 1.5M EG. Alginate constitutes an easy, safe hydrogel matrix to handle and cryopreserve isolated human follicles using ME2SO as a CPA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Computer-generated ovaries to assist follicle counting experiments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelos Skodras

    Full Text Available Precise estimation of the number of follicles in ovaries is of key importance in the field of reproductive biology, both from a developmental point of view, where follicle numbers are determined at specific time points, as well as from a therapeutic perspective, determining the adverse effects of environmental toxins and cancer chemotherapeutics on the reproductive system. The two main factors affecting follicle number estimates are the sampling method and the variation in follicle numbers within animals of the same strain, due to biological variability. This study aims at assessing the effect of these two factors, when estimating ovarian follicle numbers of neonatal mice. We developed computer algorithms, which generate models of neonatal mouse ovaries (simulated ovaries, with characteristics derived from experimental measurements already available in the published literature. The simulated ovaries are used to reproduce in-silico counting experiments based on unbiased stereological techniques; the proposed approach provides the necessary number of ovaries and sampling frequency to be used in the experiments given a specific biological variability and a desirable degree of accuracy. The simulated ovary is a novel, versatile tool which can be used in the planning phase of experiments to estimate the expected number of animals and workload, ensuring appropriate statistical power of the resulting measurements. Moreover, the idea of the simulated ovary can be applied to other organs made up of large numbers of individual functional units.

  1. [Effects of electroacupuncture of "Guanyuan" (CV 4)-"Zhongji" (CV 3) on ovarian P450 arom and P450c 17alpha expression and relevant sex hormone levels in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jie; Zhao, Ji-meng; Ji, Rong; Liu, Hui-rong; Shi, Yin; Jin, Chun-lan

    2013-12-01

    To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on ovarian P 450 arom and P 450 c 17 alpha (aromatases) expression and related sex hormone levels in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) rats. Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model group and EA group (10 rats/group). PCOS model was made by intragastric administration of letrozole at 1 mg/kg per day for consecutive 21 days. "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Zhongji" (CV 3) acupoints were stimulated 20 min by EA (2 mA, 2 Hz), once daily for consecutive 14 days. The damp ovarian weight was weighed and the pathological changes of the ovarian tissue were observed after H. E. staining. Ultrastructural changes of the ovarian tissue were observed by transmission electron microscope. Immunohistochemical staining was adopted to detect ovarian follicle granulosa cell P 450 arom and follicle membrane cell P 450 c 17 alpha expression. The contents of estradiol (E 2), estrone (E 1), androstenedione (ASD), testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in the ovarian tissue were measured by ELISA. Compared with the normal group, there was a significant increase in the damp weight of both left and right ovarian tissues in the model group (P ovarian weight was remarkably reduced (P ovarian tissue such as thickening of the superficial albugineous coat of the ovary, thinning of the granular cell layer, and disappearance of the intraovular oocytes and coronaradiata under light microscope, and mitochondrion swelling, fracture or disappearance of mitochondrial cristae, and enlargement of the endoplasmic reticulum, etc. after modeling were obviously improved in the EA group. In comparison to the control group, the expression of the follicle granulosa cell P450 arom was significantly down-regulated and that of follicle membrane cell P 450 c 17 alpha was significantly upregulated in the model group (P ovarian tissues (P ovarian E 1 and E2 (P ovarian ASD, T and LH levels were notably

  2. The Significance Ultrasonography on the Evaluation of Ovarian Follicular Maturity and Growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kab Tae; Kim, Ok Keun; Lee, Seok Hong; Kim, Tae Seon; Kim, Byung Soo [Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    1987-12-15

    Ovarian follicular diameter was measured using real time ultrasound in 21 hyperstimulated patients from April to September 1986. And we analyzed the relation between the size measured with ultrasonography and maturity observed under the phased microscopy, the correlation between aspirated dominant follicular volume and the dominant follicular volume calculated by the size measured with ultrasonography. Also we experienced the conditions which showed the ultrasonographic finding similar to that of follicle. The results were as follows: 1. The mean follicular diameter increased in a linear fashion from 7 days after LMP (9.4mm+2.8)to the one day before ovum pick up(18.2+2.8). 2. The mean diameter of the most appropriate dominant follicle was 19.08+1.23mm 3. The correlation between the dominant follicular volume measured with ultrasonography and aspirated follicular volume during ovum pick up was highly significant(r=0.94;0<0.001). 4. during follicular growth and maturity monitoring the conditions which misdiagnosed of follicle were simple ovarian cyst(1 case), hydrosalpinx (1 case), endometriosis(1 case), tubo-ovarian abscess(1 case), Hydatid of Morgagni(1 case)

  3. Supplementation with a recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin microdose leads to similar outcomes in ovarian stimulation with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone using either a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist for pituitary suppression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavagna, Mario; Maldonado, Luiz Guilherme Louzada; de Souza Bonetti, Tatiana Carvalho; de Almeida Ferreira Braga, Daniela Paes; Iaconelli, Assumpto; Borges, Edson

    2010-06-01

    To compare the outcomes of protocols for ovarian stimulation with recombinant hCG microdose, with GnRH agonists and antagonists for pituitary suppression. Prospective nonrandomized clinical trial. A private assisted reproduction center. We studied 182 patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, allocated into two groups: GnRH agonist group, in which patients received a GnRH agonist (n = 73), and a GnRH antagonist group, in which patients were administered a GnRH antagonist for pituitary suppression (n = 109). Pituitary suppression with GnRH agonist or GnRH antagonist. Ovarian stimulation carried out with recombinant FSH and supplemented with recombinant hCG microdose. Total dose of recombinant FSH and recombinant hCG administered; E(2) concentrations and endometrial width on the day of hCG trigger; number of follicles aspirated, oocytes and mature oocytes retrieved; fertilization, pregnancy (PR), implantation, and miscarriage rates. The total dose of recombinant FSH and recombinant hCG administered were similar between groups, as were the E(2) concentrations and endometrial width. The number of follicles aspirated, oocytes, and metaphase II oocytes collected were also comparable. There were no statistically significant differences in fertilization, PR, implantation, and miscarriage rates in the GnRH agonist and GnRH antagonist groups. When using recombinant hCG microdose supplementation for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), there are no differences in laboratory or clinical outcomes with the use of either GnRH antagonist or agonist for pituitary suppression. Copyright (c) 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Developmental programming: differential effects of prenatal testosterone and dihydrotestosterone on follicular recruitment, depletion of follicular reserve, and ovarian morphology in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Peter; Steckler, Teresa L; Veiga-Lopez, Almudena; Padmanabhan, Vasantha

    2009-04-01

    Prenatal testosterone excess programs an array of adult reproductive disorders including luteinizing hormone excess, functional hyperandrogenism, neuroendocrine defects, polycystic ovarian morphology, and corpus luteum dysfunction, culminating in early reproductive failure. Polycystic ovarian morphology originates from enhanced follicular recruitment and follicular persistence. We tested to determine whether prenatal testosterone treatment, by its androgenic actions, enhances follicular recruitment, causes early depletion of follicular reserve, and disrupts the ovarian architecture. Pregnant sheep were given twice-weekly injections of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a nonaromatizable androgen, from Days 30 to 90 of gestation. Ovaries were obtained from Day-90 and Day-140 fetuses, and from 10-mo-old females during a synchronized follicular phase (n = 5-9 per treatment). Stereological techniques were used to quantify changes in ovarian follicle/germ cell populations. Results revealed no differences in numbers of oocytes and follicles between the three groups on Fetal Day 90. Greater numbers of early growing follicles were found in prenatal testosterone- and DHT-treated fetuses on Day 140. Increased numbers of growing follicles and reduced numbers of primordial follicles were found in 10-mo-old, prenatal testosterone-treated females, but not in those treated with DHT. Antral follicles of prenatal testosterone-treated females, but not those treated with DHT, manifested several abnormalities, which included the appearance of hemorrhagic and luteinized follicles and abnormal early antrum formation. Both treatment groups showed morphological differences in the rete ovarii. These findings suggest that increased follicular recruitment and morphologic changes in the rete ovarii of prenatal testosterone-treated females are facilitated by androgenic programming, but that postpubertal follicular growth, antral follicular disruptions, and follicular depletion largely

  5. AMH as Predictor of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lunding, Stine Aa; Aksglæde, Lise; Anderson, Richard A

    2015-01-01

    CONTEXT: The majority of Turner syndrome (TS) patients suffer from accelerated loss of primordial follicles. Low circulating levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) may predict the lack of spontaneous puberty in prepubertal girls and imminent premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in TS women...

  6. Effects of thermal regime on ovarian maturation and plasma sex steroids in farmed white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, M.A.H.; Van Eenennaam, J. P.; Feist, G.W.; Linares-Casenave, J.; Fitzpatrick, M.S.; Schreck, C.B.; Doroshov, S.I.

    2001-01-01

    Recently, commercial aquaculture farms in Northern California have exposed gravid, cultured white sturgeon females to cold water (12 ?? 1??C) throughout the late phase of vitellogenesis and ovarian follicle maturation resulting in improved ovulation rates and egg quality. However, the optimum timing for transfer of broodfish to the cold water and the capacity of transferred broodfish to maintain reproductive competence over an extended time in cold water had not been evaluated. Gravid white sturgeon females that have been raised at water temperatures of 16-20??C were transported to either cold water (12 ?? 1??C; Group 1) in November 1997 or maintained in ambient water temperatures (10-19??C; Group 2) until early spring. In March 1998, half of the fish in Group 2 had regressed ovaries, but the remaining females had intact ovarian follicles and were transported to the cold water. Ovarian follicles and blood were collected from females until they reached the stage of spawning readiness (determined by germinal vesicle position and an oocyte maturation assay) or underwent ovarian regression. Exposure of gravid sturgeon females to ambient water temperatures (14.5 ?? 2.3??C, mean ?? S.D.) from October to March led to a decrease in plasma sex steroids and a high incidence of ovarian regression in fish with a more advanced stage of oocyte development. Transfer of females with intact ovarian follicles to cold water (12 ?? 1??C) in the fall or early spring resulted in normal ovarian development in the majority of females. Holding females in cold water does not seem to override their endogenous reproductive rhythms but extends their capacity to maintain oocyte maturational competence over a longer period of time. A temperature-sensitive phase in ovarian development may occur during the transition from vitellogenic growth to oocyte maturation, and the degree and timing of sensitivity to environmental temperature are dependent on the female's endogenous reproductive rhythm

  7. Ovarian Aging : Mechanisms and Clinical Consequences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broekmans, F. J.; Soules, M. R.; Fauser, B. C.

    Menopause is the final step in the process referred to as ovarian ageing. The age related decrease in follicle numbers dictates the onset of cycle irregularity and the final cessation of menses. The parallel decay in oocyte quality contributes to the gradual decline in fertility and the final

  8. Pituitary Gonadotropins, Prolactin and Growth Hormone Differentially Regulate AQP1 Expression in the Porcine Ovarian Follicular Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariusz T. Skowronski

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The present in vitro study analyzed whether the hormones that affect the ovarian follicular steroidogenesis process also participate in the regulation of AQP1 mRNA and protein expression. Granulosa (Gc and theca cells (Tc of medium and large porcine ovarian follicles were exposed to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH, luteinizing hormone (LH, prolactin (PRL and growth hormone (GH for 24 h in separated cells and co-cultures of these cells. Real-time PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence and volumetric analysis were then performed. Gonadotropins, PRL and GH had a stimulatory impact on AQP1 mRNA and protein expression in Gc and Tc of medium and large ovarian cells. Moreover, swelling assays, in response to a hypotonic environment, demonstrated the functional presence of AQPs in porcine Gc and Tc. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that AQP1 protein was mainly localized in the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm, endosomes and cell membranes of Gc and Tc from medium and large follicles. It seems possible that AQP1 present in Gc and Tc cells may be implicated not only in the regulation of water homeostasis required for follicle development but also in cell proliferation and migration.

  9. Assessment of ovarian reserve in euthyroid adolescents with Hashimoto thyroiditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirgon, Ozgur; Sivrice, Cigdem; Demirtas, Hakan; Dundar, Bumin

    2016-01-01

    We aimed to investigate the ovarian function and reserve in euthyroid adolescents (TSH Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). This case-control study included 30 adolescent girls (mean age 15.1 ± 1.4 years) newly diagnosed as HT with presence of high thyroid antibodies with gland heterogeneity in ultrasound and age-matched 30 healthy female subjects. Anti-ovarian antibody (AOAb), LH/FSH ratio, estradiol, anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), inhibin-B, total testosterone, antral follicle count, ovarian volumes and uterine length were measured. The clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound data of the HT and control groups were compared. There were no significant differences between the girls with HT and healthy controls in relation to LH/FSH ratio, estradiol and inhibin-B levels. AOAb (p = 0.02), AMH (p = 0.007) and total testosterone levels were higher in HT group than the control group (p = 0.03). AOAb level was found to be positively correlated with LH/FSH ratio (p = 0.03), AMH (p = 0.01) and inhibin-B (p thyroiditis had normal ovarian reserve based on measurements of AMH, inhibin B, FSH, LH/FSH ratio, estradiol and antral follicle counts.

  10. Follicular development and hormonal levels following highly purified or recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone administration in ovulatory women undergoing ovarian stimulation after pituitary suppression for in vitro fertilization: implications for implantation potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balasch, J; Fábregues, F; Creus, M; Peñarrubia, J; Vidal, E; Carmona, F; Puerto, B; Vanrell, J A

    2000-01-01

    The main goal in the present study was to compare follicular development and estradiol levels after ovarian stimulation in pituitary suppressed normally ovulating women undergoing IVF, using highly purified urinary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (u-FSH-HP) and recombinant FSH (rec-FSH). A secondary variable in our study was embryo implantation potential, which is closely related to appropriate follicular development and oocyte competence. For the main purpose of this study, 30 IVF patients (group 1) were treated during IVF consecutive cycles, using the same stimulation protocol, with u-FSH-HP in the first treatment study cycle and rec-FSH in the second one. As a control group (group 2) for implantation rates obtained in cycles treated with rec-FSH, 30 additional IVF patients were included who underwent a second IVF attempt again with u-FSH-HP. The total dose of FSH used and ovarian response obtained in terms of estradiol plasma levels and the total number of growing follicles on the day of human chronic gonadotropin (HCG) injection were similar in both treatment cycles in group 1 but better follicular dynamics and oocyte maturity were obtained with rec-FSH. The implantation rate was significantly higher in rec-FSH treated cycles in patients in group 1 than in control women (group 2). rec-FSH is more efficacious than u-FSH-HP when used in the same patient in inducing multiple follicular development in down-regulated cycles as indicated by ovarian performance and oocyte maturity. In addition, rec-FSH yields significantly higher implantation rates than u-FSH-HP when used in patients undergoing their second IVF attempt.

  11. Hallmarks of Human Small Antral Follicle Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Stine G; Mamsen, Linn S; Jeppesen, Janni V

    2018-01-01

    Regulation of human ovarian steroidogenesis differs from other species and precise knowledge on how human small antral follicles (hSAF) develop and acquire competence for continued growth and steroid output is still incomplete. The present study has characterized almost 1,000 normal hSAF collected...... increased steroid output profoundly. Furthermore, the highly significant association between FSHR and AR mRNA gene expression enforces important functions of androgens in follicular development. Collectively, these data reintroduce the understanding of the follicular phase as two parted in which regulation...

  12. Overactivation of Hedgehog Signaling Alters Development of the Ovarian Vasculature in Mice1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Yi; Cowan, Robert G.; Migone, Fernando F.; Quirk, Susan M.

    2012-01-01

    ABSTRACT The hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is critical for ovarian function in Drosophila, but its role in the mammalian ovary has not been defined. Previously, expression of a dominant active allele of the HH signal transducer protein smoothened (SMO) in Amhr2cre/+SmoM2 mice caused anovulation in association with a lack of smooth muscle in the theca of developing follicles. The current study examined events during the first 2 wk of life in Amhr2cre/+SmoM2 mice to gain insight into the cause of anovulation. Expression of transcriptional targets of HH signaling, Gli1, Ptch1, and Hhip, which are used as measures of pathway activity, were elevated during the first several days of life in Amhr2cre/+SmoM2 mice compared to controls but were similar to controls in older mice. Microarray analysis showed that genes with increased expression in 2-day-old mutants compared to controls were enriched for the processes of vascular and tube development and steroidogenesis. The density of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-labeled endothelial tubes was increased in the cortex of newborn ovaries of mutant mice. Costaining of preovulatory follicles for PECAM and smooth muscle actin showed that muscle-type vascular support cells are deficient in theca of mutant mice. Expression of genes for steroidogenic enzymes that are normally expressed in the fetal adrenal gland were elevated in newborn ovaries of mutant mice. In summary, overactivation of HH signaling during early life alters gene expression and vascular development and this is associated with the lifelong development of anovulatory follicles in which the thecal vasculature fails to mature appropriately. PMID:22402963

  13. Expression pattern of glycoconjugates in the Bidderian and ovarian follicles of the Brazilian toad Bufo ictericus analyzed by lectin histochemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. F. Farias

    Full Text Available The Bidder's organ and ovary of the Brazilian toad Bufo ictericus were studied by light microscopy, using hematoxylin-eosin (HE and periodic acid Schiff (PAS staining. The expression and distribution of carbohydrate moieties was analyzed by lectin histochemistry, using 8 lectins with different carbohydrate specificities: Ulex europaeus (UEA I, Lens culinaris (LCA, Erythrina cristagalli (ECA, Arachis hypogaea (PNA, Ricinus communis (RCA I, Aleuria aurantia (AAA, Triticum vulgaris (WGA, and Glycine maximum (SBA. The results showed that the Bidderian zona pellucida presented alpha-mannose, alpha-L-fucose, beta-D-galactose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues. The Bidderian follicular cells showed the presence of beta-D-galactose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. In the extracellular matrix, alpha-mannose and alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues were detected. The ovarian zona pellucida showed alpha-L-fucose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues, and alpha-mannose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues were detected in the follicular cells. Thus, the zona pellucida in both organs contains N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues. alpha-L-fucose residues were detected in the zona pellucida of both organs, using different lectins. Considering that beta-D-galactose residue was absent from ovary but present in the Bidder's organ, this sugar residue may play an important role in follicle development, blocking the Bidderian follicles and preventing further development of the Bidder's organ into a functional ovary.

  14. LEVEL OF ESTRADIOL 17-β SERUM AND OVARIAN FOLLICULARE DYNAMICS IN SHORT ESTROUS CYCLE OF BALI CATTLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.M Airin

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The aims of the research were to confirm the short estrous cycles and determine the blood level ofestradiol 17-β and ovarian follicukar dynamics in these cases. The research was conducted using sevenBali cattle, approximately 2 years of age, kept in healthy condition with normal estrous cycles.Observation of estrus symptoms was performed daily. Ovarian follicles was examined and measuredusing ultrasonography started at the estrus day. Blood samples were collected from jugular vein, bloodsample collection and ultrasonographical examination of the ovaries were performed daily in the sametime. Serum level of estradiol 17-β was performed using EIA. The short cycle estrus were observed in 4Bali cattle (n=7 among natural estrous cycle. They have only one wave ovarian follicular developmentwhereas the maximal size of ovarian follicles ovulation likes the normal cycle The duration of shortestrous cycle was 7-10 days with normal usual estrus behavior. The peak of blood serum level was107.77 ± 55.94 pg/ml when the diameter dominant follicle of short estrous cycle was reached 10.5 ±0.38 mm. It can be concluded that the short estrous cycles may occur in Bali cattle after puberty amongnormal cycles.

  15. Acute doxorubicin insult in the mouse ovary is cell- and follicle-type dependent.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elon C Roti Roti

    Full Text Available Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI is one of the many unintended consequences of chemotherapy faced by the growing number of female cancer survivors. While ovarian repercussions of chemotherapy have long been recognized, the acute insult phase and primary sites of damage are not well-studied, hampering efforts to design effective intervention therapies to protect the ovary. Utilizing doxorubicin (DXR as a model chemotherapy agent, we defined the acute timeline for drug accumulation, induced DNA damage, and subsequent cellular and follicular demise in the mouse ovary. DXR accumulated first in the core ovarian stroma cells, then redistributed outwards into the cortex and follicles in a time-dependent manner, without further increase in total ovarian drug levels after four hours post-injection. Consistent with early drug accumulation and intimate interactions with the blood supply, stroma cell-enriched populations exhibited an earlier DNA damage response (measurable at 2 hours than granulosa cells (measurable at 4 hours, as quantified by the comet assay. Granulosa cell-enriched populations were more sensitive however, responding with greater levels of DNA damage. The oocyte DNA damage response was delayed, and not measurable above background until 10-12 hours post-DXR injection. By 8 hours post-DXR injection and prior to the oocyte DNA damage response, the number of primary, secondary, and antral follicles exhibiting TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive granulosa cells plateaued, indicating late-stage apoptosis and suggesting damage to the oocytes is subsequent to somatic cell failure. Primordial follicles accumulate significant DXR by 4 hours post-injection, but do not exhibit TUNEL-positive granulosa cells until 48 hours post-injection, indicating delayed demise. Taken together, the data suggest effective intervention therapies designed to protect the ovary from chemotherapy accumulation and induced insult

  16. Acute Doxorubicin Insult in the Mouse Ovary Is Cell- and Follicle-Type Dependent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roti Roti, Elon C.; Leisman, Scott K.; Abbott, David H.; Salih, Sana M.

    2012-01-01

    Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is one of the many unintended consequences of chemotherapy faced by the growing number of female cancer survivors. While ovarian repercussions of chemotherapy have long been recognized, the acute insult phase and primary sites of damage are not well-studied, hampering efforts to design effective intervention therapies to protect the ovary. Utilizing doxorubicin (DXR) as a model chemotherapy agent, we defined the acute timeline for drug accumulation, induced DNA damage, and subsequent cellular and follicular demise in the mouse ovary. DXR accumulated first in the core ovarian stroma cells, then redistributed outwards into the cortex and follicles in a time-dependent manner, without further increase in total ovarian drug levels after four hours post-injection. Consistent with early drug accumulation and intimate interactions with the blood supply, stroma cell-enriched populations exhibited an earlier DNA damage response (measurable at 2 hours) than granulosa cells (measurable at 4 hours), as quantified by the comet assay. Granulosa cell-enriched populations were more sensitive however, responding with greater levels of DNA damage. The oocyte DNA damage response was delayed, and not measurable above background until 10–12 hours post-DXR injection. By 8 hours post-DXR injection and prior to the oocyte DNA damage response, the number of primary, secondary, and antral follicles exhibiting TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling)-positive granulosa cells plateaued, indicating late-stage apoptosis and suggesting damage to the oocytes is subsequent to somatic cell failure. Primordial follicles accumulate significant DXR by 4 hours post-injection, but do not exhibit TUNEL-positive granulosa cells until 48 hours post-injection, indicating delayed demise. Taken together, the data suggest effective intervention therapies designed to protect the ovary from chemotherapy accumulation and induced insult in the ovary

  17. Polycystic ovarian disease: animal models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahajan, D K

    1988-12-01

    The reproductive systems of human beings and other vertebrates are grossly similar. In the ovary particularly, the biochemical and physiologic processes are identical not only in the formation of germ cells, the development of primordial follicles and their subsequent growth to Graafian follicles, and eventual ovulation but also in anatomic structure. In a noncarcinogenic human ovary, hypersecretion of androgen causes PCOD. Such hypersecretion may result from a nonpulsatile, constant elevated level of circulating LH or a disturbance in the action of neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus. In studying the pathophysiology of PCOD in humans, one must be aware of the limitations for manipulating the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Although the rat is a polytocous rodent, the female has a regular ovarian cyclicity of 4 or 5 days, with distinct proestrus, estrus, and diestrus phases. Inasmuch as PCOD can be experimentally produced in the rat, that species is a good model for studying the pathophysiology of human PCOD. These PCOD models and their validity have been described: (1) estradiol-valerate, (2) DHA, (3) constant-light (LL), and (4) neonatally androgenized. Among these, the LL model is noninvasive and seems superior to the others for study of the pathophysiology of PCOD. The production of the polycystic ovarian condition in the rat by the injection of estrogens or androgens in neonate animals, or estradiol or DHA in adult rats, or the administration of antigonadotropins to these animals all cause a sudden appearance of the persistent estrus state by disturbing the metabolic and physiologic processes, whereas exposure of the adult rat to LL causes polycystic ovaries gradually, similar to what is seen in human idiopathic PCOD. After about 50 days of LL, the rat becomes anovulatory and the ovaries contain thickened tunica albuginea and many atretic follicles, and the tertiary follicles are considerably distended and cystic. The granulosa and theca cells appear normal

  18. Unique Case Reports Associated with Ovarian Failure: Necessity of Two Intact X Chromosomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshmi Rao Kandukuri

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Premature ovarian failure is defined as the loss of functional follicles below the age of 40 years and the incidence of this abnormality is 0.1% among the 30–40 years age group. Unexplained POF is clinically recognized as amenorrhoea (>6 months with low level of oestrogen and raised level of Luteinizing Hormone (LH and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH > 20 IU/l occurring before the age of 40. It has been studied earlier that chromosomal defects can impair ovarian development and its function. Since there is paucity of data on chromosomal defects in Indian women, an attempt is made to carry out cytogenetic evaluation in patients with ovarian failure. Cytogenetic analysis of women with ovarian defects revealed the chromosome abnormalities to be associated with 14% of the cases analyzed. Interestingly, majority of the abnormalities involved the X-chromosome and we report two unique abnormalities, (46,XXdel(Xq21-22 and q28 and (mos,45XO/46,X+ringX involving X chromosome in association with ovarian failure. This study revealed novel X chromosome abnormalities associated with ovarian defects and these observations would be helpful in genetic counseling and apart from, infertility clinics using the information to decide suitable strategies to help such patients.

  19. DEHP exposure impairs mouse oocyte cyst breakdown and primordial follicle assembly through estrogen receptor-dependent and independent mechanisms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mu, Xinyi [Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Department of Histology and Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Liao, Xinggui; Chen, Xuemei; Li, Yanli; Wang, Meirong; Shen, Cha; Zhang, Xue; Wang, Yingxiong; Liu, Xueqing [Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); He, Junlin, E-mail: hejunlin_11@aliyun.com [Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China)

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • DEHP inhibits primordial folliculogenesis in vivo and in vitro. • Estrogen receptors participate in the effect of DEHP on early ovarian development. • DEHP exposure impairs the expression of Notch2 signaling components. • DEHP exposure disrupts the proliferation of pregranulosa precursor cells. - Abstract: Estrogen plays an essential role in the development of mammalian oocytes, and recent studies suggest that it also regulates primordial follicle assembly in the neonatal ovaries. During the last decade, potential exposure of humans and animals to estrogen-like endocrine disrupting chemicals has become a growing concern. In the present study, we focused on the effect of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a widespread plasticizer with estrogen-like activity, on germ-cell cyst breakdown and primordial follicle assembly in the early ovarian development of mouse. Neonatal mice injected with DEHP displayed impaired cyst breakdown. Using ovary organ cultures, we revealed that impairment was mediated through estrogen receptors (ERs), as ICI 182,780, an efficient antagonist of ER, reversed this DEHP-mediated effect. DEHP exposure reduced the expression of ERβ, progesterone receptor (PR), and Notch2 signaling components. Finally, DEHP reduced proliferation of pregranulosa precursor cells during the process of primordial folliculogenesis. Together, our results indicate that DEHP influences oocyte cyst breakdown and primordial follicle formation through several mechanisms. Therefore, exposure to estrogen-like chemicals during fetal or neonatal development may adversely influence early ovarian development.

  20. Acute 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene exposure causes differential concentration-dependent follicle depletion and gene expression in neonatal rat ovaries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Madden, Jill A. [Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Hoyer, Patricia B. [Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724 (United States); Devine, Patrick J. [INRS—Institut Armand-Frappier Research Centre, University of Quebec, Laval, QC H7V 1B7 (Canada); Keating, Aileen F., E-mail: akeating@iastate.edu [Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724 (United States)

    2014-05-01

    Chronic exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), generated during combustion of organic matter including cigarette smoke, depletes all ovarian follicle types in the mouse and rat, and in vitro models mimic this effect. To investigate the mechanisms involved in follicular depletion during acute DMBA exposure, two concentrations of DMBA at which follicle depletion has (75 nM) and has not (12.5 nM) been observed were investigated. Postnatal day four F344 rat ovaries were maintained in culture for four days before a single exposure to vehicle control (1% DMSO; CT) or DMBA (12 nM; low-concentration or 75 nM; high-concentration). After four or eight additional days of culture, DMBA-induced follicle depletion was evaluated via follicle enumeration. Relative to control, DMBA did not affect follicle numbers after 4 days of exposure, but induced large primary follicle loss at both concentrations after 8 days; while, the low-concentration DMBA also caused secondary follicle depletion. Neither concentration affected primordial or small primary follicle number. RNA was isolated and quantitative RT-PCR performed prior to follicle loss to measure mRNA levels of genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism (Cyp2e1, Gstmu, Gstpi, Ephx1), autophagy (Atg7, Becn1), oxidative stress response (Sod1, Sod2) and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway (Kitlg, cKit, Akt1) 1, 2 and 4 days after exposure. With the exception of Atg7 and cKit, DMBA increased (P < 0.05) expression of all genes investigated. Also, BECN1 and pAKT{sup Thr308} protein levels were increased while cKIT was decreased by DMBA exposure. Taken together, these results suggest an increase in DMBA bioactivation, add to the mechanistic understanding of DMBA-induced ovotoxicity and raise concern regarding female low concentration DMBA exposures. - Highlights: • Acute DMBA exposures induce large primary and/or secondary follicle loss. • Acute DMBA exposure did not impact

  1. Acute 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene exposure causes differential concentration-dependent follicle depletion and gene expression in neonatal rat ovaries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madden, Jill A.; Hoyer, Patricia B.; Devine, Patrick J.; Keating, Aileen F.

    2014-01-01

    Chronic exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), generated during combustion of organic matter including cigarette smoke, depletes all ovarian follicle types in the mouse and rat, and in vitro models mimic this effect. To investigate the mechanisms involved in follicular depletion during acute DMBA exposure, two concentrations of DMBA at which follicle depletion has (75 nM) and has not (12.5 nM) been observed were investigated. Postnatal day four F344 rat ovaries were maintained in culture for four days before a single exposure to vehicle control (1% DMSO; CT) or DMBA (12 nM; low-concentration or 75 nM; high-concentration). After four or eight additional days of culture, DMBA-induced follicle depletion was evaluated via follicle enumeration. Relative to control, DMBA did not affect follicle numbers after 4 days of exposure, but induced large primary follicle loss at both concentrations after 8 days; while, the low-concentration DMBA also caused secondary follicle depletion. Neither concentration affected primordial or small primary follicle number. RNA was isolated and quantitative RT-PCR performed prior to follicle loss to measure mRNA levels of genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism (Cyp2e1, Gstmu, Gstpi, Ephx1), autophagy (Atg7, Becn1), oxidative stress response (Sod1, Sod2) and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway (Kitlg, cKit, Akt1) 1, 2 and 4 days after exposure. With the exception of Atg7 and cKit, DMBA increased (P < 0.05) expression of all genes investigated. Also, BECN1 and pAKT Thr308 protein levels were increased while cKIT was decreased by DMBA exposure. Taken together, these results suggest an increase in DMBA bioactivation, add to the mechanistic understanding of DMBA-induced ovotoxicity and raise concern regarding female low concentration DMBA exposures. - Highlights: • Acute DMBA exposures induce large primary and/or secondary follicle loss. • Acute DMBA exposure did not impact

  2. Ovarian response and cumulative live birth rate of women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation who had discordant anti-Mullerian hormone and antral follicle count measurements: a retrospective study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hang Wun Raymond Li

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ovarian response and cumulative live birth rate of women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF treatment who had discordant baseline serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH level and antral follicle count (AFC. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study on 1,046 women undergoing the first IVF cycle in Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. Subjects receiving standard IVF treatment with the GnRH agonist long protocol were classified according to their quartiles of baseline AMH and AFC measurements after GnRH agonist down-regulation and before commencing ovarian stimulation. The number of retrieved oocytes, ovarian sensitivity index (OSI and cumulative live-birth rate for each classification category were compared. RESULTS: Among our studied subjects, 32.2% were discordant in their AMH and AFC quartiles. Among them, those having higher AMH within the same AFC quartile had higher number of retrieved oocytes and cumulative live-birth rate. Subjects discordant in AMH and AFC had intermediate OSI which differed significantly compared to those concordant in AMH and AFC on either end. OSI of those discordant in AMH and AFC did not differ significantly whether either AMH or AFC quartile was higher than the other. CONCLUSIONS: When AMH and AFC are discordant, the ovarian responsiveness is intermediate between that when both are concordant on either end. Women having higher AMH within the same AFC quartile had higher number of retrieved oocytes and cumulative live-birth rate.

  3. Genistein exposure inhibits growth and alters steroidogenesis in adult mouse antral follicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, Shreya; Peretz, Jackye; Pan, Yuan-Xiang; Helferich, William G.; Flaws, Jodi A.

    2016-01-01

    Genistein is a naturally occurring isoflavone phytoestrogen commonly found in plant products such as soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas. Genistein, like other phytoestrogens, has the potential to mimic, enhance, or impair the estradiol biosynthesis pathway, thereby potentially altering ovarian follicle growth. Previous studies have inconsistently indicated that genistein exposure may alter granulosa cell proliferation and hormone production, but no studies have examined the effects of genistein on intact antral follicles. Thus, this study was designed to test the hypothesis that genistein exposure inhibits follicle growth and steroidogenesis in intact antral follicles. To test this hypothesis, antral follicles isolated from CD-1 mice were cultured with vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide; DMSO) or genistein (6.0 and 36 μM) for 18–96 h. Every 24 h, follicle diameters were measured to assess growth. At the end of each culture period, the media were pooled to measure hormone levels, and the cultured follicles were collected to measure expression of cell cycle regulators and steroidogenic enzymes. The results indicate that genistein (36 μM) inhibits growth of mouse antral follicles. Additionally, genistein (6.0 and 36 μM) increases progesterone, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels, but decreases estrone and estradiol levels. The results also indicate that genistein alters the expression of steroidogenic enzymes at 24, 72 and 96 h, and the expression of cell cycle regulators at 18 h. These data indicate that genistein exposure inhibits antral follicle growth by inhibiting the cell cycle, alters sex steroid hormone levels, and dysregulates steroidogenic enzymes in cultured mouse antral follicles. - Highlights: • Genistein exposure inhibits antral follicle growth. • Genistein exposure alters expression of cell cycle regulators. • Genistein exposure alters sex steroid hormones. • Genistein exposure alters expression of steroidogenic enzymes.

  4. Genistein exposure inhibits growth and alters steroidogenesis in adult mouse antral follicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patel, Shreya, E-mail: Shreya.patel214@gmail.com [Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802 (United States); Peretz, Jackye, E-mail: Jackye.peretz@gmail.com [Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802 (United States); Pan, Yuan-Xiang, E-mail: yxpan@illinois.edu [Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, 905 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Helferich, William G., E-mail: helferic@illinois.edu [Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, 905 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu [Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802 (United States)

    2016-02-15

    Genistein is a naturally occurring isoflavone phytoestrogen commonly found in plant products such as soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas. Genistein, like other phytoestrogens, has the potential to mimic, enhance, or impair the estradiol biosynthesis pathway, thereby potentially altering ovarian follicle growth. Previous studies have inconsistently indicated that genistein exposure may alter granulosa cell proliferation and hormone production, but no studies have examined the effects of genistein on intact antral follicles. Thus, this study was designed to test the hypothesis that genistein exposure inhibits follicle growth and steroidogenesis in intact antral follicles. To test this hypothesis, antral follicles isolated from CD-1 mice were cultured with vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide; DMSO) or genistein (6.0 and 36 μM) for 18–96 h. Every 24 h, follicle diameters were measured to assess growth. At the end of each culture period, the media were pooled to measure hormone levels, and the cultured follicles were collected to measure expression of cell cycle regulators and steroidogenic enzymes. The results indicate that genistein (36 μM) inhibits growth of mouse antral follicles. Additionally, genistein (6.0 and 36 μM) increases progesterone, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels, but decreases estrone and estradiol levels. The results also indicate that genistein alters the expression of steroidogenic enzymes at 24, 72 and 96 h, and the expression of cell cycle regulators at 18 h. These data indicate that genistein exposure inhibits antral follicle growth by inhibiting the cell cycle, alters sex steroid hormone levels, and dysregulates steroidogenic enzymes in cultured mouse antral follicles. - Highlights: • Genistein exposure inhibits antral follicle growth. • Genistein exposure alters expression of cell cycle regulators. • Genistein exposure alters sex steroid hormones. • Genistein exposure alters expression of steroidogenic enzymes.

  5. Effect of first line cancer treatment on the ovarian reserve and follicular density in girls under the age of 18 years

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    El Issaoui, Meryam; Giorgione, Veronica; Mamsen, Linn S

    2016-01-01

    the age of 18 years who underwent OTC before (group 1: 31 patients) and after (group 2: 32 patients) their initial cancer treatment. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Follicular densities (follicles/mm(3)) measured from an ovarian cortical biopsy before OTC. The ovarian volume (mL) of entire...... to have little effect on the follicle pool. This information will improve counseling of young female cancer patients in deciding whether to undergo fertility preservation treatment.......OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of first-line antineoplastic treatment on ovarian reserve in young girls returning for ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) in connection with a relapse. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. SETTING: University hospitals. PATIENT(S): Sixty-three girls under...

  6. Scrambled and fried: Cigarette smoke exposure causes antral follicle destruction and oocyte dysfunction through oxidative stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sobinoff, A.P.; Beckett, E.L.; Jarnicki, A.G.; Sutherland, J.M.; McCluskey, A.; Hansbro, P.M.; McLaughlin, E.A.

    2013-01-01

    Cigarette smoke is a reproductive hazard associated with pre-mature reproductive senescence and reduced clinical pregnancy rates in female smokers. Despite an increased awareness of the adverse effects of cigarette smoke exposure on systemic health, many women remain unaware of the adverse effects of cigarette smoke on female fertility. This issue is compounded by our limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind cigarette smoke induced infertility. In this study we used a direct nasal exposure mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to characterise mechanisms of cigarette-smoke induced ovotoxicity. Cigarette smoke exposure caused increased levels of primordial follicle depletion, antral follicle oocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress in exposed ovaries, resulting in fewer follicles available for ovulation. Evidence of oxidative stress also persisted in ovulated oocytes which escaped destruction, with increased levels of mitochondrial ROS and lipid peroxidation resulting in reduced fertilisation potential. Microarray analysis of ovarian tissue correlated these insults with a complex mechanism of ovotoxicity involving genes associated with detoxification, inflammation, follicular activation, immune cell mediated apoptosis and membrane organisation. In particular, the phase I detoxifying enzyme cyp2e1 was found to be significantly up-regulated in developing oocytes; an enzyme known to cause molecular bioactivation resulting in oxidative stress. Our results provide a preliminary model of cigarette smoke induced sub-fertility through cyp2e1 bioactivation and oxidative stress, resulting in developing follicle depletion and oocyte dysfunction. - Highlights: • Cigarette smoke exposure targets developing follicle oocytes. • The antral follicle oocyte is a primary site of ovarian cigarette smoke metabolism. • Cyp2e1 is a major enzyme involved in ameliorating smoke-induced ovotoxicity. • Cigarette smoke causes oocyte

  7. Scrambled and fried: Cigarette smoke exposure causes antral follicle destruction and oocyte dysfunction through oxidative stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sobinoff, A.P. [Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Priority Research Centre for Chemical Biology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Beckett, E.L.; Jarnicki, A.G. [Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Sutherland, J.M. [Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Priority Research Centre for Chemical Biology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); McCluskey, A. [Priority Research Centre for Chemical Biology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Hansbro, P.M. [Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); McLaughlin, E.A., E-mail: eileen.mclaughlin@newcastle.edu.au [Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Priority Research Centre for Chemical Biology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia)

    2013-09-01

    Cigarette smoke is a reproductive hazard associated with pre-mature reproductive senescence and reduced clinical pregnancy rates in female smokers. Despite an increased awareness of the adverse effects of cigarette smoke exposure on systemic health, many women remain unaware of the adverse effects of cigarette smoke on female fertility. This issue is compounded by our limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind cigarette smoke induced infertility. In this study we used a direct nasal exposure mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to characterise mechanisms of cigarette-smoke induced ovotoxicity. Cigarette smoke exposure caused increased levels of primordial follicle depletion, antral follicle oocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress in exposed ovaries, resulting in fewer follicles available for ovulation. Evidence of oxidative stress also persisted in ovulated oocytes which escaped destruction, with increased levels of mitochondrial ROS and lipid peroxidation resulting in reduced fertilisation potential. Microarray analysis of ovarian tissue correlated these insults with a complex mechanism of ovotoxicity involving genes associated with detoxification, inflammation, follicular activation, immune cell mediated apoptosis and membrane organisation. In particular, the phase I detoxifying enzyme cyp2e1 was found to be significantly up-regulated in developing oocytes; an enzyme known to cause molecular bioactivation resulting in oxidative stress. Our results provide a preliminary model of cigarette smoke induced sub-fertility through cyp2e1 bioactivation and oxidative stress, resulting in developing follicle depletion and oocyte dysfunction. - Highlights: • Cigarette smoke exposure targets developing follicle oocytes. • The antral follicle oocyte is a primary site of ovarian cigarette smoke metabolism. • Cyp2e1 is a major enzyme involved in ameliorating smoke-induced ovotoxicity. • Cigarette smoke causes oocyte

  8. An overview about mitochondrial DNA mutations in ovarian cancer

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Iyer Mahalaxmi

    2017-07-29

    Jul 29, 2017 ... which ends up as a global increase in incidence rates. There are 2 per cent ... In ovarian cancer follicle-stimulating hormone receptor gene poly- morphism is ... of respiratory deficit in dividing cells which were characterised by.

  9. Amenorrhea secondary to a vismodegib-induced blockade of follicle-stimulating hormone-receptor activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strasswimmer, John; Latimer, Benjamin; Ory, Steven

    2014-08-01

    To report a novel mechanism suggestive of early ovarian failure secondary to the anti-tumor hedgehog-pathway inhibitor vismodegib. Case report and literature review. Academic and private dermatology and fertility practices. A 34-year-old nulliparous woman with locally advanced basal cell carcinomas who became amenorrheic while receiving oral therapy with vismodegib. Physical examination and endocrine evaluation. Elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and low estrogen in the setting of a normal anti-Müllerian hormone. FSH was elevated; estrogen was low. Preantral follicles were detected and anti-Müllerian hormone activity was normal. Menses resumed 5 weeks after cessation of therapy. Vismodegib, a first-in-class inhibitor of the hedgehog signaling pathway is indicated for advanced basal cell carcinoma and is associated with amenorrhea. The mechanism is unknown; it has some features of ovarian failure but preserves ovarian potential through blockading of FSH-receptor-dependent signal transduction. This effect appears to be rapidly reversible upon cessation of therapy. Vismodegib and related compounds may have potential for a role in intervention for gynecologic and endocrine disorders and in therapy for other issues involving FSH-dependent function. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Luteinizing hormone signaling phosphorylates and activates the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase PDE5 in mouse ovarian follicles, contributing an additional component to the hormonally induced decrease in cyclic GMP that reinitiates meiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egbert, Jeremy R; Yee, Siu-Pok; Jaffe, Laurinda A

    2018-03-01

    Prior to birth, oocytes within mammalian ovarian follicles initiate meiosis, but then arrest in prophase until puberty, when with each reproductive cycle, one or more follicles are stimulated by luteinizing hormone (LH) to resume meiosis in preparation for fertilization. Within preovulatory follicles, granulosa cells produce high levels of cGMP, which diffuses into the oocyte to maintain meiotic arrest. LH signaling restarts meiosis by rapidly lowering the levels of cGMP in the follicle and oocyte. Part of this decrease is mediated by the dephosphorylation and inactivation the NPR2 guanylyl cyclase in response to LH, but the mechanism for the remainder of the cGMP decrease is unknown. At least one cGMP phosphodiesterase, PDE5, is activated by LH signaling, which would contribute to lowering cGMP. PDE5 exhibits increased cGMP-hydrolytic activity when phosphorylated on serine 92, and we recently demonstrated that LH signaling phosphorylates PDE5 on this serine and increases its activity in rat follicles. To test the extent to which this mechanism contributes to the cGMP decrease that restarts meiosis, we generated a mouse line in which serine 92 was mutated to alanine (Pde5-S92A), such that it cannot be phosphorylated. Here we show that PDE5 phosphorylation is required for the LH-induced increase in cGMP-hydrolytic activity, but that this increase has only a modest effect on the LH-induced cGMP decrease in mouse follicles, and does not affect the timing of meiotic resumption. Though we show that the activation of PDE5 is among the mechanisms contributing to the cGMP decrease, these results suggest that another cGMP phosphodiesterase is also activated by LH signaling. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Rhythmic expression of circadian clock genes in the preovulatory ovarian follicles of the laying hen.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhichao Zhang

    Full Text Available The circadian clock is reported to play a role in the ovaries in a variety of vertebrate species, including the domestic hen. However, the ovary is an organ that changes daily, and the laying hen maintains a strict follicular hierarchy. The aim of this study was to examine the spatial-temporal expression of several known canonical clock genes in the granulosa and theca layers of six hierarchy follicles. We demonstrated that the granulosa cells (GCs of the F1-F3 follicles harbored intrinsic oscillatory mechanisms in vivo. In addition, cultured granulosa cells (GCs from F1 follicles exposed to luteinizing hormone (LH synchronization displayed Per2 mRNA oscillations, whereas, the less mature GCs (F5 plus F6 displayed no circadian change in Per2 mRNA levels. Cultures containing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH combined with LH expressed levels of Per2 mRNA that were 2.5-fold higher than those in cultures with LH or FSH alone. These results show that there is spatial specificity in the localization of clock cells in hen preovulatory follicles. In addition, our results support the hypothesis that gonadotropins provide a cue for the development of the functional cellular clock in immature GCs.

  12. Bone morphogenetic protein-15 in follicle fluid combined with age may differentiate between successful and unsuccessful poor ovarian responders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Yan-Ting

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The counselling of poor ovarian responders about the probability of pregnancy remains a puzzle for gynaecologists. The aim of this study was to optimise the management of poor responders by investigating the role of the oocyte-derived factor bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP-15 combined with chronological age in the prediction of the outcome of in-vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer (IVF-ET in poor responders. Methods A retrospective study conducted in a university hospital. A total of 207 poor ovarian responders who reached the ovum pick-up stage undergoing IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI with three or fewer follicles no less than 14 mm on the day of oocyte retrieval were recruited from July 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009. Another 215 coinstantaneous cycles with normal responses were selected as controls. The BMP-15 levels in the follicular fluid (FF of the 207 poor responders were analysed by western blot. Based on the FF BMP-15 level and age, poor responders were sub-divided into four groups. The main outcome measures were the FF BMP-15 level, implantation rate, pregnancy rate, and live birth rate. Results The implantation rate (24.2% vs. 15.3%, chemical pregnancy rate (40% vs. 23.7%, clinical pregnancy rate (36.5% vs. 20.4% and live birth rate (29.4% vs. 15.1% in the high BMP-15 group were significantly higher than those in the low BMP-15 group. Furthermore, poor responders aged less than or equal to 35 years with a higher FF BMP-15 level had the best implantation, pregnancy and live birth rates, which were comparable with those of normal responders. Conclusions Our study suggests a potential role of BMP-15 in the prediction of the IVF outcome. A high FF BMP-15 combined with an age less than or equal to 35 years may be used as a potential indicator for repeating IVF cycles in poor ovarian responders.

  13. The effect of bipolar electrocoagulation during ovarian cystectomy on ovarian reserve: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pergialiotis, Vasilios; Prodromidou, Anastasia; Frountzas, Maximos; Bitos, Konstantinos; Perrea, Despina; Doumouchtsis, Stergios K

    2015-11-01

    The aim of the present systematic review was to study the effect of bipolar electrocoagulation during ovarian cystectomy on ovarian reserve. We searched Medline (1966-2015), Scopus (2004-2015), ClinicalTrials.gov (2008-2015), and Cochrane Central Register (CENTRAL) databases along with reference lists of electronically retrieved studies. The levels of antimullerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months following the excision of the benign ovarian cyst were defined as primary outcomes. Eight studies were finally included in our systematic review, which recruited 545 women. A metaanalysis was precluded because of significant heterogeneity in the methodological characteristics of the included studies. Data from the included studies suggest that the use of bipolar coagulation compared with ovarian sutures seems to result in significantly lower AMH and AFC during the first 3 months following the excision of the ovarian cyst. Two studies reported that this effect seems to persist at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Bipolar electrodiathermy seems to be accompanied by increased damage to ovarian reserve, which is indicated by the lower levels of AMH and AFC. However, definitive results are precluded because of the significant heterogeneity of included studies and the potential bias. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Retaining Residual Ovarian Tissue following Ovarian Failure Has Limited Influence on Bone Loss in Aged Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zelieann R. Craig

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Previous work showed that retaining residual ovarian tissue protects young mice from accelerated bone loss following ovarian failure. The present study was designed to determine whether this protection is also present in aged animals. Aged (9–12 months C57BL/6Hsd female mice were divided into: CON (vehicle, VCD (160 mg/kg; 15d, or OVX (ovariectomized. Lumbar BMD was monitored by DXA and μCT used to assess vertebral microarchitecture. BMD was not different between VCD and CON at any time point but was lower (P<.05 than baseline, starting 1 month after ovarian failure in VCD and OVX mice. Following μCT analysis there were no differences between CON and VCD, but OVX mice had lower bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, and a trend for decreased connectivity density. These findings provide evidence that retention of residual ovarian tissue may protect aged follicle-depleted mice from accelerated bone loss to a lesser extent than that observed in young mice.

  15. Ovarian Follicular Atresia of Ewes during Spring Puerperium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radoslava Vlčková

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The distribution of healthy and atretic follicles on the ovarian surface of improved Valachian ewes 17, 24, and 32 days postpartum is reported in this study. The number of healthy follicles was higher on day 24 postpartum and their mean diameter tended to increase to day 32 (P<0.05 with the greatest diameter of 5 mm. 78–81% of atretic follicles ≥3 mm in diameter was observed where apoptosis began in the follicular cells situated at the follicular cavity. The early atretic follicles are characterized by the presence of mitotic pictures. In one ewe 24 days postpartum, small regressive follicular cysts were observed. Contracting atresia is characterized by thickening of the theca interna even to 190 μm. Progesterone and oestradiol-17β concentrations were maintained at relatively low levels, but with no significant difference between the days postpartum.

  16. Production of the first offspring from oocytes derived from fresh and cryopreserved pre-antral follicles of adult mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kagawa, Norika; Kuwayama, Masashige; Nakata, Kumiko

    2007-01-01

    transplanted beneath the kidney capsule of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Within 10 days of in-vivo culture, 138 full size oocytes developed from the 456 transplanted pre-antral follicles. In-vivo growth of follicles was followed by in-vitro oocyte maturation, in-vitro fertilization...... and subsequent embryo transfer, leading to the birth of 10 healthy pups. These results may lead to increasing the availability and cryopreservation possibilities for the preservation of fertility using ovarian tissue...

  17. The Correlations of Anti-Mullerian Hormone, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Antral Follicle Count in Different Age Groups of Infertile Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludmila Barbakadze

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: The objective of our study was to identify the correlations between the tests currently used in ovarian reserve assessment: anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH and antral follicle count (AFC and to distinguish the most reliable markers for ovarian reserve in order to select an adequate strategy for the initial stages of infertility treatment. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, 112 infertile women were assessed. Subjects were divided into three age groups: group I <35 years (n=39, group II 35-40 years (n=31, and group III 41-46 years (n=42. AMH, FSH and AFC were determined on days 2-3 of the patients’ menstrual cycles. Results: There was a significantly elevated negative correlation between age and AMH level (rs =-0.67, p<0.0001 and AFC (rs =-0.55, p<0.0001. We observed a significantly positive correlation between age and FSH (rs =0.38, p<0.0001. AMH negatively correlated with FSH (rs =-0.48, p<0.0001 and positively with AFC (r=- 0.71, p=0.0001. There was a moderate negative relation between FSH and AFC (r=-0.41, p=0.0001 and moderate positive relation between age and FSH (rs =0.38, p<0.0001. The correlation analysis performed in separate groups showed that AMH and AFC showed a statistically significant positive correlation for group I (r=0.57, p<0.0001, group II (r=0.69, p<0.0001 and group III (r=0.47, p<0.002. A statistically significant correlation between FSH and AMH was detected only in groups I (r=-0.41, p<0.02 and II (r=-0.55, p<0.0001. A statistically significant correlation existed between FSH and AFC only in group III (r=-0.42, p<0.006, as well as between age and AFC only in group I (r=-0.35, p<0.03. Conclusion: Currently, AMH should be considered as the more reliable of the ovarian reserve assessments tests compared to FSH. There is a strong positive correlation between serum AMH level and AFC. The use of AMH combined with AFC may improve ovarian reserve evaluation.

  18. A new step toward the artificial ovary: survival and proliferation of isolated murine follicles after autologous transplantation in a fibrin scaffold.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luyckx, Valérie; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Vanacker, Julie; Legat, Camille; Fortuño Moya, Cristina; Donnez, Jacques; Amorim, Christiani Andrade

    2014-04-01

    To create an artificial ovary to provide an alternative way of restoring fertility in patients who cannot benefit from transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue due to the threat of reintroducing malignant cells. In vivo experimental study. Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. Six-week-old female NMRI mice. Autografting of isolated preantral follicles and ovarian cells (OCs) encapsulated in two fibrin matrices containing low concentrations of fibrinogen (F; mg/mL) and thrombin (T; IU/mL): F12.5/T1 and F25/T4. Follicular density and development, OC survival and proliferation, inflammatory response, and vascularization. After 1 week, the follicle recovery rate ranged from 30.8% (F25/T4) to 31.8% (F12.5/T1). With both fibrin formulations, all follicles were found to be alive or minimally damaged, as demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay, and at the growing stage (primary, secondary, and antral follicles), confirmed by Ki67 immunostaining. Isolated OCs also survived and proliferated after grafting, as evidenced by <1% apoptotic cells and a high proportion of Ki67-positive cells. Vessels were found in both fibrin formulations, and the global vascular surface area varied from 1.35% (F25/T4) to 1.88% (F12.5/T1). Numerous CD45-positive cells were also observed in both F25/T4 and F12.5/T1 combinations. The present study is the first to show survival and growth of isolated murine ovarian follicles 1 week after autotransplantation of isolated OCs in a fibrin scaffold. The results indicate that fibrin is a promising candidate as a matrix for the construction of an artificial ovary. Xenotransplantation of isolated human follicles and OCs is the necessary next step to validate these findings. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Occurrence of postmenopausal-like acidic follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) isoforms precedes the rise of FSH before menopause.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thomas, C.M.G.; Span, P.N.; Smeenk, J.M.J.; Hanssen, R.G.; Braat, D.D.M.; Sweep, F.C.

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the glycoform distribution patterns of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) during the menstrual cycle at different ages and FSH levels, after menopause, and with premature ovarian failure (POF). DESIGN: Controlled clinical study. SETTING: Healthy

  20. The Distribution of Stroma and Antral Follicles Differs between Insulin-Resistance and Hyperandrogenism-Related Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alviggi, Carlo; Conforti, Alessandro; De Rosa, Pasquale

    2017-01-01

    groups based on specific transvaginal ultrasound parameters: subjects with more than half of the follicles measuring between 5 and 9 mm in diameter, an ultrasonographic determined stroma/total area (S/A) > 0.34 and a "necklace" sign of antral follicles (Group A); and subjects with more than half...... of the antral follicles measuring between 2 and 4 mm in diameter, an S/A ≤ 0.34; no "necklace" sign but ubiquitously distributed follicles determined by ultrasound (Group B). The association between these ultrasound patterns and the presence of insulin resistance was also evaluated. RESULTS: Seventy...

  1. Definition and significance of polycystic ovarian morphology: a task force report from the Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewailly, Didier; Lujan, Marla E; Carmina, Enrico; Cedars, Marcelle I; Laven, Joop; Norman, Robert J; Escobar-Morreale, Héctor F

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND The diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) relies on clinical, biological and morphological criteria. With the advent of ultrasonography, follicle excess has become the main aspect of polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM). Since 2003, most investigators have used a threshold of 12 follicles (measuring 2-9 mm in diameter) per whole ovary, but that now seems obsolete. An increase in ovarian volume (OV) and/or area may also be considered accurate markers of PCOM, yet their utility compared with follicle excess remains unclear. METHODS Published peer-reviewed medical literature about PCOM was searched using PubMed.gov online facilities and was submitted to critical assessment by a panel of experts. Studies reporting antral follicle counts (AFC) or follicle number per ovary (FNPO) using transvaginal ultrasonography in healthy women of reproductive age were also included. Only studies that reported the mean or median AFC or FNPO of follicles measuring 2-9 mm, 2-10 mm or definitions of PCOM among studies, this question cannot be answered with absolute certainty. CONCLUSIONS The Task Force recommends using FNPO for the definition of PCOM setting the threshold at ≥25, but only when using newer technology that affords maximal resolution of ovarian follicles (i.e. transducer frequency ≥8 MHz). If such technology is not available, we recommend using OV rather than FNPO for the diagnosis of PCOM for routine daily practice but not for research studies that require the precise full characterization of patients. The Task Force recognizes the still unmet need for standardization of the follicle counting technique and the need for regularly updating the thresholds used to define follicle excess, particularly in diverse populations. Serum AMH concentration generated great expectations as a surrogate marker for the follicle excess of PCOM, but full standardization of AMH assays is needed before they can be routinely used for clinical practice and research. Finally

  2. Mild ovarian stimulation for IVF: 10 years later

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fauser, Bart C J M; Nargund, Geeta; Andersen, Anders Nyboe

    2010-01-01

    Ovarian stimulation to achieve multiple follicle development has been an integral part of IVF treatment. In the context of improved laboratory performance, the need for a large number of oocytes as an integral part of a successful IVF programme may be questioned. The aim of the current debate is ...

  3. Disturbed growth and selection of the human ovarian follicle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    T.D. Pache

    1993-01-01

    textabstractThe first objective of this stody was to review some aspects of current knowledge of ovarian function in normal menstrual cycles. A discussion of the anatomy and physiology of the normal ovary can be found in chapter 2. The second objective was to provide new information about the

  4. Recovery of ovarian function after postradiation menopause. Do FSH levels have a definitive prognostic value?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Letur-Konirsch, H.; Guis, F.

    1996-01-01

    Menopause, conventionally defined as the permanent cessation as a result of loss of ovarian follicular activity, is biologically expressed by the collapse of plasma levels and increased plasma levels of the gonadotrophins FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). At present, estimation of the ovarian follicle reserve is based on endocrine capacity tests of the ovaries, with increased FSH representing the first sign of exocrine ovarian failure. We report the case of one of our amenorrhoeic patients after chemotherapy, total body radiation and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute immuno-blastic leukaemia. This patient was included in an in vitro fertilization with oocyte donation (IVF-OD) programme for iatrogenic premature ovarian failure with increased FSH levels. Instead of high levels of gonadotrophins, this young woman recovered spontaneous follicular developments, benefited from standard IVF with her own oocytes and brought a twin pregnancy to term. This observation shows that a high FSH level is not a definitive prediction of ovarian exocrine capacity. In young women of child-bearing age such as these wanting a child and showing signs of endogenous estrogen impregnation, evaluation of the existence and quality of follicular development is an important factor. (author)

  5. Ultrastructure of Sheep Primordial Follicles Cultured in the Presence of Indol Acetic Acid, EGF, and FSH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evelyn Rabelo Andrade

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural characteristics of primordial follicles after culturing of sheep ovarian cortical slices in the presence of indol acetic acid (IAA, Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF, and FSH. To evaluate ultrastructure of primordial follicles cultured in MEM (control or in MEM containing IAA, EGF, and FSH, fragments of cultured tissue were processes for transmission electron microscopy. Except in the control, primordial follicles cultured in supplemented media for 6 d were ultrastructurally normal. They had oocyte with intact nucleus and the cytoplasm contained heterogeneous-sized lipid droplets and numerous round or elongated mitochondria with intact parallel cristae were observed. Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER was rarely found. The granulosa cells cytoplasm contained a great number of mitochondria and abundant RER. In conclusion, the presence of IAA, EGF, and FSH helped to maintain ultrastructural integrity of sheep primordial follicles cultured in vitro.

  6. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and alters sex steroid hormone secretion without affecting growth of mouse antral follicles in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karman, Bethany N., E-mail: bklement@illinois.edu; Basavarajappa, Mallikarjuna S., E-mail: mbshivapur@gmail.com; Craig, Zelieann R., E-mail: zelieann@illinois.edu; Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu

    2012-05-15

    The persistent environmental contaminant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is an ovarian toxicant. These studies were designed to characterize the actions of TCDD on steroidogenesis and growth of intact mouse antral follicles in vitro. Specifically, these studies tested the hypothesis that TCDD exposure leads to decreased sex hormone production/secretion by antral follicles as well as decreased growth of antral follicles in vitro. Since TCDD acts through binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), and the AHR has been identified as an important factor in ovarian function, we also conducted experiments to confirm the presence and activation of the AHR in our tissue culture system. To do so, we exposed mouse antral follicles for 96 h to a series of TCDD doses previously shown to have effects on ovarian tissues and cells in culture, which also encompass environmentally relevant and pharmacological exposures (0.1–100 nM), to determine a dose response for TCDD in our culture system for growth, hormone production, and expression of the Ahr and Cyp1b1. The results indicate that TCDD decreases progesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, and estradiol levels in a non-monotonic dose response manner without altering growth of antral follicles. The addition of pregnenolone substrate (10 μM) restores hormone levels to control levels. Additionally, Cyp1b1 levels were increased by 3–4 fold regardless of the dose of TCDD exposure, evidence of AHR activation. Overall, these data indicate that TCDD may act prior to pregnenolone formation and through AHR transcriptional control of Cyp1b1, leading to decreased hormone levels without affecting growth of antral follicles. -- Highlights: ►TCDD disrupts sex steroid hormone levels, but not growth of antral follicles. ►Pregnenolone co-treatment by-passes TCDD-induced steroid hormone disruption. ►TCDD affects steroid hormone levels through an AHR pathway in antral follicles.

  7. Characterization of the Drosophila ortholog of the human Usher Syndrome type 1G protein sans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabio Demontis

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Usher syndrome (USH is the most frequent deaf-blindness hereditary disease in humans. Deafness is attributed to the disorganization of stereocilia in the inner ear. USH1, the most severe subtype, is associated with mutations in genes encoding myosin VIIa, harmonin, cadherin 23, protocadherin 15, and sans. Myosin VIIa, harmonin, cadherin 23, and protocadherin 15 physically interact in vitro and localize to stereocilia tips in vivo, indicating that they form functional complexes. Sans, in contrast, localizes to vesicle-like structures beneath the apical membrane of stereocilia-displaying hair cells. How mutations in sans result in deafness and blindness is not well understood. Orthologs of myosin VIIa and protocadherin 15 have been identified in Drosophila melanogaster and their genetic analysis has identified essential roles in auditory perception and microvilli morphogenesis, respectively. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we have identified and characterized the Drosophila ortholog of human sans. Drosophila Sans is expressed in tubular organs of the embryo, in lens-secreting cone cells of the adult eye, and in microvilli-displaying follicle cells during oogenesis. Sans mutants are viable, fertile, and mutant follicle cells appear to form microvilli, indicating that Sans is dispensable for fly development and microvilli morphogenesis in the follicle epithelium. In follicle cells, Sans protein localizes, similar to its vertebrate ortholog, to intracellular punctate structures, which we have identified as early endosomes associated with the syntaxin Avalanche. CONCLUSIONS: Our work is consistent with an evolutionary conserved function of Sans in vesicle trafficking. Furthermore it provides a significant basis for further understanding of the role of this Usher syndrome ortholog in development and disease.

  8. Intra-uterine insemination: pregnancy rate in relation to number, size of pre-ovulatory follicles and day of insemination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karuppaswamy, J; Smedley, Mamin; Carter, Lindsay

    2009-03-01

    The objective of the study was to analyse the pregnancy rate in intra-uterine insemination (IUI) in relation to pre-ovulatory follicular number, size and day of insemination. A retrospective analysis of 216 completed IUI cycles was used in an attempt to identify significant variables predictive of treatment success. Couples with unexplained infertility and male factor infertility underwent IUI with or without ovarian stimulation. The mean number of IUI cycles per patient was 4.1, the overall pregnancy rate was 27.3% per patient, and the pregnancy rate per cycle was 6.9%. The pregnancy rate was 4.4% when one follicle was produced, whereas with more than two follicles, the rate increased to 21.2%. Hormonal stimulation using clomiphene citrate and/or human menopausal gonadotrophin/follicle stimulating hormone yielded a significant higher pregnancy rate compared to IUI in natural cycles (10.3% versus 3.3%). Although not statistically significant, the pregnancy rate decreased with advancing age of woman. The results suggest that IUI is a useful method of assisted conception in unexplained infertility and higher pregnancy rates can be achieved with good patient selection and ovarian stimulation.

  9. The local effects of ovarian diathermy in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fiona Connolly

    Full Text Available In order to develop a medical alternative to surgical ovarian diathermy (OD in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS more mechanistic information is required about OD. We therefore studied the cellular, molecular and vascular effects of diathermy on the ovary using an established ovine model of PCOS. Pregnant sheep were treated twice weekly with testosterone propionate (100 mg from day 30-100 gestation. Their female offspring (n = 12 were studied during their second breeding season when the PCOS-like phenotype, with anovulation, is fully manifest. In one group (n = 4 one ovary underwent diathermy and it was collected and compared to the contralateral ovary after 24 hours. In another group a treatment PCOS cohort underwent diathermy (n = 4 and the ovaries were collected and compared to the control PCOS cohort (n = 4 after 5 weeks. Ovarian vascular indices were measured using contrast-enhanced ultrasound and colour Doppler before, immediately after, 24 hours and five weeks after diathermy. Antral follicles were assessed by immunohistochemistry and ovarian stromal gene expression by quantitative RT-PCR 24 hours and 5 weeks after diathermy. Diathermy increased follicular atresia (P<0.05 and reduced antral follicle numbers after 5 weeks (P<0.05. There was an increase in stromal CCL2 expression 24 hours after diathermy (P<0.01 but no alteration in inflammatory indices at 5 weeks. Immediately after diathermy there was increased microbubble transit time in the ovarian microvasculature (P = 0.05 but this was not seen at 24 hours. However 24 hours after diathermy there was a reduction in the stromal Doppler blood flow signal (P<0.05 and an increased ovarian resistance index (P<0.05 both of which persisted at 5 weeks (P<0.01; P<0.05. In the ovine model of PCOS, OD causes a sustained reduction in ovarian stromal blood flow with an increased ovarian artery resistance index associated with atresia of antral follicles.

  10. Evidence for ovarian tumor necrosis factor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roby, K.F.

    1989-01-01

    Ovarian folliculogenesis and luteal formation occur concomitantly with the development of new blood vessels that function in nutritional support of the developing follicles. As follicles undergo atresia and the corpus luteum regresses, blood vessels supplying these tissues degenerate. The first study determined if the ovary contained factors that might regulate ovarian angiogenesis. The bovine ovary was subjected to ammonium sulfate (AS) precipitation and the precipitates (ppt.) were assayed in vitro for effects on endothelial cell (CPAE) and fibroblast (3T3 and L929) incorporation of {sup 3}H-thymidine. Heparin sepharose (HS) chromatography of the 80% AS ppt. revealed the inhibitory activity on CPAE and L929 cells did not bind to HS but was found in the HS column breakthrough (80% BT). Sizing chromatography of the 80% BT indicated thymidine incorporation inhibitory activity exhibited a molecular weight of 30,000-50,000 Daltons. TNF was immunohistochemically localized in the human, bovine and rat ovary. Frozen sections were incubated with polyclonal antibody to human recombinant TNF. Antigen-antibody binding was visualized using a Biotin-StreptAvidin peroxidase technique. Immunoreactive TNF (I-TNF) was localized in corpora lutea and the more antral layers of granulosa cells in antral follicles. Incubation of sections with anti-TNF in the presence of excess TNF resulted in lose of immunostaining. Cell blotting and ELISA further indicated I-TNF was present in granulosa cells. In order to determine whether TNF had an effect on follicular steroidogenesis, preovulatory follicles from cyclic proestrus rats were incubated in vitro for up to 24 hours with various doses of human recombinant TNF. Stepwise increases in progesterone (P) accumulation in the incubation media were observed with 30-300 pM TNF.

  11. Identification of transcripts involved in meiosis and follicle formation during ovine ovary development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poumerol Elodie

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The key steps in germ cell survival during ovarian development are the entry into meiosis of oogonies and the formation of primordial follicles, which then determine the reproductive lifespan of the ovary. In sheep, these steps occur during fetal life, between 55 and 80 days of gestation, respectively. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed ovarian genes during prophase I meiosis and early folliculogenesis in sheep. Results In order to elucidate the molecular events associated with early ovarian differentiation, we generated two ovary stage-specific subtracted cDNA libraries using SSH. Large-scale sequencing of these SSH libraries identified 6,080 ESTs representing 2,535 contigs. Clustering and assembly of these ESTs resulted in a total of 2,101 unique sequences depicted in 1,305 singleton (62.11% and 796 contigs (37.9% ESTs (clusters. BLASTX evaluation indicated that 99% of the ESTs were homologous to various known genes/proteins in a broad range of organisms, especially ovine, bovine and human species. The remaining 1% which exhibited any homology to known gene sequences was considered as novel. Detailed study of the expression patterns of some of these genes using RT-PCR revealed new promising candidates for ovary differentiation genes in sheep. Conclusion We showed that the SSH approach was relevant to determining new mammalian genes which might be involved in oogenesis and early follicle development, and enabled the discovery of new potential oocyte and granulosa cell markers for future studies. These genes may have significant implications regarding our understanding of ovarian function in molecular terms, and for the development of innovative strategies to both promote and control fertility.

  12. Identification of transcripts involved in meiosis and follicle formation during ovine ovary development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baillet, Adrienne; Mandon-Pépin, Béatrice; Cabau, Cédric; Poumerol, Elodie; Pailhoux, Eric; Cotinot, Corinne

    2008-09-23

    The key steps in germ cell survival during ovarian development are the entry into meiosis of oogonies and the formation of primordial follicles, which then determine the reproductive lifespan of the ovary. In sheep, these steps occur during fetal life, between 55 and 80 days of gestation, respectively. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed ovarian genes during prophase I meiosis and early folliculogenesis in sheep. In order to elucidate the molecular events associated with early ovarian differentiation, we generated two ovary stage-specific subtracted cDNA libraries using SSH. Large-scale sequencing of these SSH libraries identified 6,080 ESTs representing 2,535 contigs. Clustering and assembly of these ESTs resulted in a total of 2,101 unique sequences depicted in 1,305 singleton (62.11%) and 796 contigs (37.9%) ESTs (clusters). BLASTX evaluation indicated that 99% of the ESTs were homologous to various known genes/proteins in a broad range of organisms, especially ovine, bovine and human species. The remaining 1% which exhibited any homology to known gene sequences was considered as novel. Detailed study of the expression patterns of some of these genes using RT-PCR revealed new promising candidates for ovary differentiation genes in sheep. We showed that the SSH approach was relevant to determining new mammalian genes which might be involved in oogenesis and early follicle development, and enabled the discovery of new potential oocyte and granulosa cell markers for future studies. These genes may have significant implications regarding our understanding of ovarian function in molecular terms, and for the development of innovative strategies to both promote and control fertility.

  13. Progress in understanding human ovarian folliculogenesis and its implications in assisted reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Dong Zi; Yang, Wan; Li, Yu; He, Zuanyu

    2013-02-01

    To highlight recent progress in understanding the pattern of follicular wave emergence of human menstrual cycle, providing a brief overview of the new options for human ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval by making full use of follicular physiological waves of the patients either with normal or abnormal ovarian reserve. Literature review and editorial commentary. There has been increasing evidence to suggest that multiple (two or three) antral follicular waves are recruited during human menstrual cycle. The treatment regimens designed based on the theory of follicular waves, to promote increased success with assisted reproduction technology (ART) and fertility preservation have been reported. These new options for human ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval by making full use of follicular waves of the patients either with normal or abnormal ovarian reserve lead to new thinking about the standard protocols in ART and challenge the traditional theory that a single wave of antral follicles grows only during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. The understanding of human ovarian folliculogenesis may have profound implications in ART and fertility preservation. Further studies are needed to evaluate the optimal regimens in ART based on the theory of follicular waves and to identify non-invasive markers for predicting the outcome and the potential utilities of follicles obtained from anovulatory follicular waves in ART.

  14. Isolation of oogenesis-specific genes transcribed in the germ-line of Calliphora erythrocephala and Drosophila melanogaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tucker, M.A.

    1988-01-01

    Poly(A) + RNA from early or mid-stage ovarian follicles of C. erythrocephala was used to generate radiolabelled oogenesis-specific cDNA probes for screening the phage libraries. A cDNA probe made from mid-stage embryo poly(A) + RNA was used as the differential screening probe. Thus plaques hybridizing to the two oogenesis-specific probes but not the mid-stage embryo probe were selected as potentially containing oogenesis-specific genes. Two further rounds of screening were used to eliminate false positives and, after plaque purification, restriction digests of the remaining clones were screened by Southern blot hybridization to identify DNA fragments transcribed in an oogenesis-specific manner. In situ hybridization to sections of ovarian follicles has been used to determine the cell types within the follicles in which the various genes are expressed. Radiolabelled RNA probes for four of the C. erythrocephala oogenesis-specific clones and the two D. melanogaster clones have been hybridized to ovarian follicles. Further studies have been concentrated on the two germ-line transcribed, oogenesis-specific clones isolated from the D. melanogaster clone library. Detailed genetic mapping of the DA clone and of these mutations was performed to determine which mutations might represent the DA gene. cDNA clones have been isolated for the transcribed region of clone DA and have been used to further define the transcription unit from this region of the D. melanogaster genome

  15. Clinical pregnancy in a woman with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and low AMH: utility of ovarian reserve markers in IHH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Crystal; Liu, Kimberly

    2014-10-01

    Serum anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) has been proposed as a useful marker of ovarian reserve that is cycle-independent and predictive of outcome in assisted reproduction cycles. However, there is evidence that AMH production is gonadotropin-dependent, and that under the influence of FSH, growing follicles contribute to circulating AMH levels. Therefore, AMH testing may not be universally reflective of the primordial follicle pool in certain conditions. We demonstrate that in patients with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) and deficient gonadotropin production, AMH and antral follicle count (AFC) may not be reliable markers of ovarian reserve. Case report. Fertility clinic at a tertiary academic hospital. A 30-year-old nulligravid patient with IHH who presented for fertility treatment with low FSH (0.3 IU/L), LH (0.1 IU/L), estradiol (77 pmol/L) and AMH levels (0.65 pmol/L), and an unmeasurable AFC. A three-month course of priming with oral micronized 17β-estradiol, followed by daily injections of human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG). AMH level and follicular development. After 60 days of stimulation with hMG, the patient's AMH level increased to a peak of 1.27 pmol/L. After 102 days of stimulation, her estradiol level rose to 480 pmol/L and a 19 mm dominant follicle was detected. The patient successfully conceived with intrauterine insemination. Ovarian reserve testing in patients with IHH can be challenging due to the contracted appearance of the ovaries and deficient FSH production. In these patients, AMH levels may underestimate ovarian reserve due to the lack of FSH-dependent growing follicles. When treated with a long course of hMG, these patients may exhibit increased AMH levels and demonstrate adequate follicular development.

  16. Ovarian morphology in polycystic ovary syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nylander, Malin; Frøssing, Signe; Bjerre, Anne H.

    2017-01-01

    in estimates of ovarian volume and antral follicle count (AFC) from two-dimensional (2D) and 3D transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and Methods A cross-sectional study on 66 overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) according to Rotterdam criteria. Ovarian...... between AMH and AFC from 2D TVUS, 3D TVUS, and MRI were 0.67, 0.78, and 0.70, respectively (P PCOS population, 2D TVUS underestimated ovarian volume and AFC as compared with 3D TVUS and MRI. Serum AMH correlated best with AFC from 3D TVUS, followed by MRI...... and 2D TVUS. The advantage of 3D TVUS might be of minor clinical importance when diagnosing PCOS, but useful when the actual AFC are of interest, e.g. in fertility counseling and research....

  17. Repeated superovulation increases the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases by accelerating ovarian aging in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jinjin; Lai, Zhiwen; Shi, Liangyan; Tian, Yong; Luo, Aiyue; Xu, Zheyuan; Ma, Xiangyi; Wang, Shixuan

    2018-05-22

    Superovulation procedures and assisted reproductive technologies have been widely used to treat couples who have infertility problems. Although generally safe, the superovulation procedures are associated with a series of complications, such as ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, thromboembolism, and adnexal torsion. The role of long-term repeated superovulation in ovarian aging and especially in associated disorders such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases is still unclear. In this study, we sought to determine if repeated superovulation by ten cycles of treatment with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin could affect ovarian reserve, ovarian function, bone density and heart function. Ovarian reserve and function were reflected by the size of the primordial follicle pool, anti-Mullerian hormone expressions, hormone levels and fertility status. Furthermore, we examined bone density and heart function by microCT and cardiovascular ultrasonography, respectively. After repeated superovulation, the size of the primordial follicle pool and the expression of anti-mullerian hormone decreased, along with the concentrations of estrogen and progesterone. Mice exposed to repeated superovulation showed an obvious decrease in fertility and fecundity. Furthermore, both bone density and heart ejection fraction significantly decreased. These results suggest that repeated superovulation may increase the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases by accelerating ovarian aging.

  18. Alternative treatment of ovarian cysts with Tribulus terrestris extract: a rat model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehghan, A; Esfandiari, A; Bigdeli, S Momeni

    2012-02-01

    Tribulus terrestris has long been used in traditional medicine to treat impotency and improve sexual functions in man. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of T. terrestris extract in the treatment of polycystic ovary (PCO) in Wistar rat. Estradiol valerate was injected to 15 mature Wistar rats to induce PCO. Rats were randomly divided into three groups (control, low-dose and high-dose groups) of five each and received 0, 5 and 10 mg of T. terrestris extract, respectively.Treatments began on days 50 and 61 after estradiol injection; at the same time, vaginal smear was prepared. The ovaries were removed on day 62, and histological sections were prepared accordingly. The number and diameter of corpora lutea, thickness of the theca interna layer and the number of all follicles were evaluated in both ovaries. In comparison with the control group, the number of corpora lutea and primary and secondary follicles significantly increased following T. terrestris treatment; however, the number of ovarian cysts significantly decreased. It can be concluded that T. terrestris have a luteinizing effect on ovarian cysts, which may relate to its gonadotropin-like activity; also, a high dose of the extract can efficiently remove ovarian cysts and resume ovarian activity. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  19. Ultrastructure of sheep primordial follicles cultured in the presence of indol acetic acid, EGF, and FSH

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andrade, Evelyn Rabelo; Hyttel, Poul; Landim-Alvarenga, Fernanda Da Cruz

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural characteristics of primordial follicles after culturing of sheep ovarian cortical slices in the presence of indol acetic acid (IAA), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and FSH. To evaluate ultrastructure of primordial follicles cultured...... in MEM (control) or in MEM containing IAA, EGF, and FSH, fragments of cultured tissue were processes for transmission electron microscopy. Except in the control, primordial follicles cultured in supplemented media for 6¿d were ultrastructurally normal. They had oocyte with intact nucleus...... and the cytoplasm contained heterogeneous-sized lipid droplets and numerous round or elongated mitochondria with intact parallel cristae were observed. Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) was rarely found. The granulosa cells cytoplasm contained a great number of mitochondria and abundant RER. In conclusion...

  20. Ovarian maldescent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trinidad, Carmen; Tardaguila, Francisco; Fernandez, Gabriel C.; Martinez, Concepcion; Chavarri, Elena; Rivas, Isabel [Departments of Radiology and Gynecology, Povisa Medical Center, Salamanca St. 5, 36211, Vigo (Pontevedra) (Spain)

    2004-05-01

    Undescended ovary is a rare disorder that can be associated with muellerian malformations. There is an unclear association with infertility and malignant disease. When an ovary is not in its normal location, it is sought in other locations above the pelvic brim. This is important in cases of undetermined cyclical abdominal pain, follicle aspiration and surgical castration. MRI has proven to be the best imaging method for finding an ovary in an anomalous position and for disregarding associated malformations. We report two patients with unilateral ovarian maldescent, one of them with Rokitansky-Kuester-Hauser syndrome. A review of the literature is included. (orig.)

  1. Jumping the gun: Smoking constituent BaP causes premature primordial follicle activation and impairs oocyte fusibility through oxidative stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sobinoff, A.P.; Pye, V.; Nixon, B.; Roman, S.D.; McLaughlin, E.A.

    2012-01-01

    Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is an ovotoxic constituent of cigarette smoke associated with pre-mature ovarian failure and decreased rates of conception in IVF patients. Although the overall effect of BaP on female fertility has been documented, the exact molecular mechanisms behind its ovotoxicity remain elusive. In this study we examined the effects of BaP exposure on the ovarian transcriptome, and observed the effects of in vivo exposure on oocyte dysfunction. Microarray analysis of BaP cultured neonatal ovaries revealed a complex mechanism of ovotoxicity involving a small cohort of genes associated with follicular growth, cell cycle progression, and cell death. Histomorphological and immunohistochemical analysis supported these results, with BaP exposure causing increased primordial follicle activation and developing follicle atresia in vitro and in vivo. Functional analysis of oocytes obtained from adult Swiss mice treated neonatally revealed significantly increased levels of mitochondrial ROS/lipid peroxidation, and severely reduced sperm-egg binding and fusion in both low (1.5 mg/kg/daily) and high (3 mg/kg/daily) dose treatments. Our results reveal a complex mechanism of BaP induced ovotoxicity involving developing follicle atresia and accelerated primordial follicle activation, and suggest short term neonatal BaP exposure causes mitochondrial leakage resulting in reduced oolemma fluidity and impaired fertilisation in adulthood. This study highlights BaP as a key compound which may be partially responsible for the documented effects of cigarette smoke on follicular development and sub-fertility. -- Highlights: ► BaP exposure up-regulates canonical pathways linked with follicular growth/atresia. ► BaP causes primordial follicle activation and developing follicle atresia. ► BaP causes oocyte mitochondrial ROS and lipid peroxidation, impairing fertilisation. ► Short term neonatal BaP exposure compromises adult oocyte quality.

  2. Jumping the gun: Smoking constituent BaP causes premature primordial follicle activation and impairs oocyte fusibility through oxidative stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sobinoff, A.P.; Pye, V. [Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308 (Australia); Nixon, B.; Roman, S.D. [Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308 (Australia); ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308 (Australia); McLaughlin, E.A., E-mail: eileen.mclaughlin@newcastle.edu.au [Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308 (Australia); ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308 (Australia)

    2012-04-01

    Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is an ovotoxic constituent of cigarette smoke associated with pre-mature ovarian failure and decreased rates of conception in IVF patients. Although the overall effect of BaP on female fertility has been documented, the exact molecular mechanisms behind its ovotoxicity remain elusive. In this study we examined the effects of BaP exposure on the ovarian transcriptome, and observed the effects of in vivo exposure on oocyte dysfunction. Microarray analysis of BaP cultured neonatal ovaries revealed a complex mechanism of ovotoxicity involving a small cohort of genes associated with follicular growth, cell cycle progression, and cell death. Histomorphological and immunohistochemical analysis supported these results, with BaP exposure causing increased primordial follicle activation and developing follicle atresia in vitro and in vivo. Functional analysis of oocytes obtained from adult Swiss mice treated neonatally revealed significantly increased levels of mitochondrial ROS/lipid peroxidation, and severely reduced sperm-egg binding and fusion in both low (1.5 mg/kg/daily) and high (3 mg/kg/daily) dose treatments. Our results reveal a complex mechanism of BaP induced ovotoxicity involving developing follicle atresia and accelerated primordial follicle activation, and suggest short term neonatal BaP exposure causes mitochondrial leakage resulting in reduced oolemma fluidity and impaired fertilisation in adulthood. This study highlights BaP as a key compound which may be partially responsible for the documented effects of cigarette smoke on follicular development and sub-fertility. -- Highlights: ► BaP exposure up-regulates canonical pathways linked with follicular growth/atresia. ► BaP causes primordial follicle activation and developing follicle atresia. ► BaP causes oocyte mitochondrial ROS and lipid peroxidation, impairing fertilisation. ► Short term neonatal BaP exposure compromises adult oocyte quality.

  3. FROM THE CONVENTIONAL TO THE MILDER APPROACHES TO OVARIAN STIMULATION FOR IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eda Vrtačnik-Bokal

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: In-vitro fertilization (IVF is performed with oocytes collected in natural and stimulated cycles. Different approaches to ovarian stimulation have been employed worldwide. Fol- lowing the introduction of gonadotrophin realising hormone (GnRH antagonists and strategies to reduce multiple birth such as single embryo transfer, there is an interest in the revival of natural and mild approaches to ovarian stimulation in IVF. Particulary mild ovarian stimulation aims to achieve cost-effective, patient-friendly regimens which optimize the balance between outcomes and risks of treatment. Methods: Pubmed was searched up to 2009 for papers on natural, modified natural, mild and con- ventional IVF cycles. Results: Data discussed in this review do not allow any conclusions to be drawn regarding the most optimal mild ovarian stimulation protocol. However, it is absolutelly clear that introduction of GnRH antagonists into clinical practice has allowed for the introduction of milder stimulation approaches for IVF treatment because of preventing premature luteinising hor- mone (LH rise by competitive blockade of the GnRH receptors. Studies also show that mild exogenous gonadotrophins interference with the decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone ((FSH levels in the mid-folicular phase was sufficient to override the selection of a single dominant follicle and enhance the most mature follicles to growth due to their increased sensitivity for FSH and acquired responsiveness to LH. Conclusions: The implementation of mild stimulation and modified natural cycle into standard clinical practise appears to be justified, although more prospective studies are needed to find the most appropriate mild stimulation approaches.

  4. Ovarian morphology is associated with insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a cross sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Sara Pittenger; Kao, Chia-Ning; Pasch, Lauri; Shinkai, Kanade; Cedars, Marcelle I; Huddleston, Heather G

    2017-01-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common disorder well known to be associated with insulin resistance and metabolic disease. Insulin resistance is likely involved in the promotion of the PCOS reproductive phenotype and may mediate some of the ovarian morphology seen in the disorder. The phenotype of each individual woman with PCOS can vary widely as can her metabolic risk. This is a cross-sectional study of patients seen in a multidisciplinary PCOS clinic at the University of California at San Francisco between 2006 and 2014. All participants underwent systematic evaluation with anthropometric measurements, comprehensive skin exam, transvaginal ultrasound and laboratory studies at the time of their initial visit to the clinic. Serum samples were stored and androgen studies were carried out on all stored samples at the University of Virginia. Logistic regression was employed to evaluate the association between ovarian volume or follicle number and metabolic parameters (fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, fasting glucose, 2 h glucose, waist circumference) and hyperandrogenism (free testosterone, total testosterone, DHEAS, acanthosis nigricans), controlling for age. Three-hundred thirteen patients seen during the study period met Rotterdam criteria for PCOS and had sufficient measurements for inclusion in our analysis. The odds ratio of elevated HOMA-IR for patients with a maximum ovarian volume >10 cc was 1.9 compared to those with a maximum ovarian volume of ≤10 cc (95% CI 1.0-3.4). The odds ratio of abnormal fasting insulin for patients with higher ovarian volume was 1.8 (95% CI 1.0-3.4) compared with those with lower ovarian volume. Follicle number was not significantly associated with any metabolic parameters. Increased ovarian volume is associated with markers of insulin resistance in PCOS. In concordance with prior studies, we did not find follicle number to be predictive of metabolic risk. Ovarian volume may serve as a useful tool to aid clinicians in

  5. Relating smoking, obesity, insulin resistance and ovarian biomarker changes to the final menstrual period (FMP)

    OpenAIRE

    Sowers, MaryFran R.; McConnell, Daniel; Yosef, Matheos; Jannausch, Mary L.; Harlow, Sioban D.; Randolph, John F.

    2010-01-01

    In order to determine if smoking, obesity, and insulin resistance mediated age at final menstrual period (FMP), we examined anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), inhibin B, and follicle-stimulating hormone as biomarkers of changing follicle status and ovarian aging. We performed a longitudinal data analysis from a cohort of premenopausal women followed to their FMP. Our results found that smokers had an earlier age at FMP (p

  6. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: X chromosome defects and autoimmunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persani, Luca; Rossetti, Raffaella; Cacciatore, Chiara; Bonomi, Marco

    2009-08-01

    Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a primary ovarian defect characterized by absent menarche or premature depletion of ovarian follicles before the age of 40 years. However, in several instances the distinction between definitive or intermittent POF may be difficult on clinical bases, therefore the more appropriate term Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) has been recently proposed and will be used in this review. POI is a heterogeneous disorder affecting approximately 1% of women disappearance of menstrual cycles (secondary amenorrhea) associated with a defective folliculogenesis. POI is generally characterized by low levels of gonadal hormones (estrogens and inhibins) and high levels of gonadotropins (LH and FSH) (hypergonadotropic amenorrhea). Heterogeneity of POI is reflected by the variety of possible causes, including autoimmunity, toxics, drugs, as well as genetic defects. Several data indicate that POI has a strong genetic component. In this manuscript we discuss the X chromosome abnormalities that are associated with POI.

  7. The role of antimullerian hormone in prediction of outcome after IVF: comparison with the antral follicle count

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broer, Simone L.; Mol, Ben Willem J.; Hendriks, Dave; Broekmans, Frank J. M.

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To assess the value of antimullerian hormone (AMH) as a test to predict poor ovarian response and pregnancy occurrence after lVF and to compare it with the performance of the antral follicle count (AFC). Design: A systematic review of existing literature and a meta-analysis were carried

  8. Anti-Müllerian Hormone and Ovarian Morphology in Women With Isolated Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism/Kallmann Syndrome: Effects of Recombinant Human FSH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bry-Gauillard, Hélène; Larrat-Ledoux, Florence; Levaillant, Jean-Marc; Massin, Nathalie; Maione, Luigi; Beau, Isabelle; Binart, Nadine; Chanson, Philippe; Brailly-Tabard, Sylvie; Hall, Janet E; Young, Jacques

    2017-04-01

    Isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), characterized by gonadotropin deficiency and absent puberty, is very rare in women. IHH prevents pubertal ovarian stimulation, but anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) have not been studied. (1) To compare, in IHH vs controls, AMH, ovarian volume (OV), and AFC. (2) To compare, in IHH, ovarian responses to recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rhFSH) and rhFSH plus recombinant human luteinizing hormone (rhLH). Sixty-eight IHH women; 51 matched healthy women. Serum LH, FSH, sex steroids, inhibin B (InhB), AMH, and OV and AFC (sonography) were compared. Ovarian response during rhFSH administration was assessed in 12 IHH women with low AMH levels and low AFC and compared with hormonal changes observed in six additional IHH women receiving rhFSH plus rhLH. InhB was lower in IHH than in controls. AMH levels were also significantly lower in the patients, but two-thirds had normal values. Mean OV and total, larger, and smaller AFCs were lower in IHH than in controls. Ovarian stimulation by rhFSH led to a significant increase in serum estradiol and InhB levels and in the number of larger antral follicles. AMH and smaller AFC increased early during rhFSH stimulation but then declined despite continued stimulation. rhFSH plus rhLH stimulation led to a significantly higher increase in estradiol levels but to similar changes in circulating InhB and AMH than with rhFSH alone. IHH women have both low AMH levels and low AFC. However, their decrease can be reversed by follicle-stimulating hormone. Serum AMH and AFC should not serve as prognostic markers of fertility in this population. Copyright © 2017 by the Endocrine Society

  9. Mild ovarian stimulation for IVF: 10 years later

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fauser, Bart C J M; Nargund, Geeta; Andersen, Anders Nyboe

    2010-01-01

    Ovarian stimulation to achieve multiple follicle development has been an integral part of IVF treatment. In the context of improved laboratory performance, the need for a large number of oocytes as an integral part of a successful IVF programme may be questioned. The aim of the current debate...... is to summarize the studies performed during the last decade to develop the concept of mild stimulation aiming to obtain fewer than eight oocytes. Here we examine the balance between IVF success and patient discomfort, and complications and cost, and how these might improve by simpler ovarian stimulation...

  10. Feed intake alters immune cell functions and ovarian infiltration in broiler hens: implications for reproductive performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zu-Chen; Xie, Yi-Lun; Chang, Chai-Ju; Su, Chia-Ming; Chen, Yu-Hui; Huang, San-Yuan; Walzem, Rosemary L; Chen, Shuen-Ei

    2014-06-01

    Leukocytes are known to participate in ovarian activities in several species, but there is a surprising lack of information for the common chicken. Broiler hens consuming feed ad libitum (AL) exhibit a number of ovarian irregularities, but leukocyte functions are unstudied. In contrast to feed-restricted (R) hens, AL feeding for 7 wk significantly reduced egg production and clutch length while increasing pause length and atretic follicle numbers (P hens contained less progesterone, and follicle walls were thicker with loose fibrous morphology and had less collagenase-3-like gelatinolytic activity but more IL-1beta (P hen peripheral heterophils and monocytes (P hens. © 2014 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

  11. Ovarian activity and early embryonic development in the rusty bat ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The reproductive pattern of the female rusty bat, Pipistrellus rusticus, was investigated by means of a histological examination of the ovarian follicles as well as early embryonic development. Bats were collected from two localities in Limpopo Province. Female rusty bats are seasonal monestrous breeders, initiating ...

  12. [Effect of Transcutaneuos Acupoint Electrostimulation on Serum Sex Hormone Levels and Expression of Ovarian Steroid Hormone Metabolic Enzymes in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jian-yong; Zhang, Xiao-yue; Yu, Mei-ling; Lu, Sheng-feng; Chen, Xia

    2016-02-01

    To observe the effect of transcutaneuos acupoint electrostimulation(TAES) on ovarian serum sex hormone levels and ovarian follicle granular cell aromatase cytochrome P 450 (P 450 arom) protein and follicle theca cell cytochrome P 450 17 α-hydroxylase/c 17-20 lyase cytochrome P 450 (P 450 c 17 α) protein expression in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of PCOS. METHODS Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control, model, medication and TAES (10 rats/group). The PCOS model was established by giving (gavage) the animals with letrozole solution (1.0 mg/kg, once daily for 21 consecutive days). Rats of the medication group were treated with Clomiphene (1 mg/kg) once daily for 7 days, and those of the TAES group were treated with electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 3 mA) of "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) areas for 30 min, once daily for 7 consecutive days. The rats body weight and bilateral ovarian weight were detected, and the ovarian structure and follicular development degree were observed under light microscope after H. E. stain, and the serum testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), luteotrophic hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) contents were detected using radioimmunoassay. The expression of ovarian P 450 arom (for production of estrogen)protein and P 450 c 17 α (for production of androgen) protein was detected by using immunohistochemical stain and Western blot, respectively. The body weight, bilateral ovary weight, serum T and LH contents, and ratio of LH/FSH, and ovarian P 450 c 17 α immunoactivity and protein expression levels in the model group were all significantly increased compared with the normal control group (P ovarian P 450 arom immunoactivity and protein expression were significantly decreased after modeling (P ovarian P 450 c 17 α immunoactivity and protein expression levels, and the decreased ovarian P 450 arom immunoactivity and protein expression

  13. 3 to 5 Years Later: Long-term Effects of Prophylactic Bilateral Salpingectomy on Ovarian Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venturella, Roberta; Lico, Daniela; Borelli, Massimo; Imbrogno, Maria G; Cevenini, Gabriele; Zupi, Errico; Zullo, Fulvio; Morelli, Michele

    2017-01-01

    Preliminary data on the effects of prophylactic bilateral salpingectomy (PBS) show that postoperative ovarian function is preserved up to 3 months after surgery. The confirmation of PBS safety on ovarian function even many years after surgery is essential to reassure the medical community that this new strategy, recently proposed for the prevention of ovarian cancer, is at least able to avoid the risk of premature surgical menopause. We investigated whether the addition of PBS during total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) causes long-term effects on ovarian function. An observational study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Magna Graecia" University, Catanzaro, Italy. Seventy-nine patients who underwent TLH plus salpingectomy between September 2010 and September 2012 at our institution have been recalled to be submitted to ovarian reserve evaluation in February 2015. Eight of 79 women refused to participate in this follow-up study. The ovarian age of PBS patients has been determined through OvAge (OvAge sr., Catanzaro, Italy), a statistical model that combines antimüllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, 3-dimensional antral follicle count, vascular index, flow index, and vascular flow index values. The control group consisted of a large population of 652 healthy women (with intact uterus and adnexa) previously enrolled to build the OvAge model. Comparisons between ovarian ages of PBS patients and the control group have been assessed by analysis of covariance linear statistical modeling. The main outcome measurement was the differences in the behavior within OvAge/age relation between PBS and control women. Descriptive statistics of those 71 enrolled PBS patients are the following: age, 49.61 ± 2.15 years; OvAge, 49.22 ± 2.57 years; follicle-stimulating hormone, 43.02 ± 19.92 mU/mL; antimüllerian hormone, 0.12 ± 0.20 ng/mL; 3-dimensional antral follicle count, 1.91 ± 1.28; vascular index

  14. Antral follicles population in heifers and cows of Nelore and Girolando breeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jair Sábio de Oliveira Junior

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate ovarian antral follicle populations (OAFP of Nelore and Girolando breed heifers (12–18 months old and cows (24–60 months old. Animals were assigned to four groups: (1 Nelore cows (n = 18, (2 Girolando cows (n = 20, (3 Nelore heifers (n = 7, and (4 Girolando heifers (n = 7. Cows were treated to synchronize follicular wave emergence by implantation of an intravaginal device containing 1.9 g of progesterone, as well as intramuscular administration of 2 mg of estradiol benzoate and 25 mg of dinoprost. This synchronization treatment was administered at a random day of the estrous cycle of each cow, designated D0. Intravaginal devices were removed on D7, and on D11, OAFP counts were performed by transvaginal ovarian ultrasound. For each cow, all follicles ?3 mm in diameter were counted in both ovaries and counts were performed three times at 35-day intervals. Counts were also obtained from heifers, but these animals were not treated for synchronization of follicular wave emergence. Analysis of variance (ANOVA with Tukey’s test and Pearson’s correlation test were used to compare mean OAFPs between counts as well as mean OAFPs between breed and age groups. No differences were observed in mean OAFPs between Nelore and Girolando cows (30.9 vs. 26.7, respectively; P > 0.05 or heifers (16.2 vs. 18.1, respectively; P > 0.05. However, within each breed, there were differences in mean OAFPs between heifers and cows (for Nelore cattle: 16.2 and 30.9, respectively; for Girolando cattle: 18.1 and 26.7, respectively; both P < 0.05. In conclusion, OAFPs were similar between Nelore and Girolando breeds and were influenced by age. Furthermore, we observed a high correlation for individual animals between the mean numbers of follicles counted in both ovaries and total number of follicles counted in either the right or left ovary, indicating that the evaluation of a single ovary is sufficient to estimate the OAFP of an

  15. M6 membrane protein plays an essential role in Drosophila oogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zappia, María Paula; Brocco, Marcela Adriana; Billi, Silvia C; Frasch, Alberto C; Ceriani, María Fernanda

    2011-01-01

    We had previously shown that the transmembrane glycoprotein M6a, a member of the proteolipid protein (PLP) family, regulates neurite/filopodium outgrowth, hence, M6a might be involved in neuronal remodeling and differentiation. In this work we focused on M6, the only PLP family member present in Drosophila, and ortholog to M6a. Unexpectedly, we found that decreased expression of M6 leads to female sterility. M6 is expressed in the membrane of the follicular epithelium in ovarioles throughout oogenesis. Phenotypes triggered by M6 downregulation in hypomorphic mutants included egg collapse and egg permeability, thus suggesting M6 involvement in eggshell biosynthesis. In addition, RNAi-mediated M6 knockdown targeted specifically to follicle cells induced an arrest of egg chamber development, revealing that M6 is essential in oogenesis. Interestingly, M6-associated phenotypes evidenced abnormal changes of the follicle cell shape and disrupted follicular epithelium in mid- and late-stage egg chambers. Therefore, we propose that M6 plays a role in follicular epithelium maintenance involving membrane cell remodeling during oogenesis in Drosophila.

  16. Implications of the 2014 Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society guidelines on polycystic ovarian morphology for polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Christ, J. P.; Gunning, M. N.; Fauser, B. C.J.M.

    2017-01-01

    The Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society (AEPCOS) has recommended an updated threshold for polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) of 25 follicles or more, 10 ml or more of ovarian volume, or both. We describe the effect of these guidelines on reproductive and metabolic characteristics

  17. Microdose gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist in the absence of exogenous gonadotropins is not sufficient to induce multiple follicle development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Karine; Fogle, Robin; Bendikson, Kristin; Christenson, Kamilee; Paulson, Richard

    2011-01-01

    Because the effectiveness of the "microdose flare" stimulation protocol often is attributed to the dramatic endogenous gonadotropin release induced by the GnRH agonist, the aim of this study was to determine whether use of microdose GnRH agonist alone could induce multiple ovarian follicle development in normal responders. Based on these data, the duration of gonadotropin rise is approximately 24 to 48 hours and is too brief to sustain continued multiple follicle growth. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Developmental programming: impact of prenatal testosterone excess on ovarian cell proliferation and apoptotic factors in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvetti, Natalia R; Ortega, Hugo H; Veiga-Lopez, Almudena; Padmanabhan, Vasantha

    2012-07-01

    Prenatal testosterone (T) excess leads to reproductive dysfunctions in sheep, which include increased ovarian follicular recruitment and persistence. To test the hypothesis that follicular disruptions in T sheep stem from changes in the developmental ontogeny of ovarian proliferation and apoptotic factors, pregnant Suffolk sheep were injected twice weekly with T propionate or dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHT; a nonaromatizable androgen) from Days 30 to 90 of gestation. Changes in developmental expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), BCL2, BAX, activated CASP3, and FAS/FASLG were determined at Fetal Days 90 and 140, 22 wk, 10 mo, and 21 mo of age by immunocytochemisty. Prenatal T treatment induced changes in expression of proliferative and apoptotic markers in a follicle-, age-, and steroid-specific manner. Changes in BAX were evident only during fetal life and PCNA, BCL2, and CASP3 only postnatally. Prenatal T and not DHT increased PCNA and decreased BCL2 in granulosa/theca cells of antral follicles at 10 and 21 mo but decreased CASP3 in granulosa/theca cells of antral follicles at 22 wk (prepubertal) and 10 and 21 mo. Both treatments decreased BAX immunostaining in granulosa cells of Fetal Day 90 primordial/primary follicles. Neither treatment affected FAS expression at any developmental time point in any follicular compartment. Effects on BAX appear to be programmed by androgenic actions and PCNA, BCL2, and CASP3 by estrogenic actions of T. Overall, the findings demonstrate that fetal exposure to excess T disrupts the ovarian proliferation/apoptosis balance, thus providing a basis for the follicular disruptions evidenced in these females.

  19. Ovarian Surface Epithelium in Patients with Severe Ovarian Infertility: A Potential Source of Cells Expressing Markers of Pluripotent/Multipotent Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irma Virant-Klun

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to confirm the presence of stem cells in the ovarian surface epithelium of patients with premature ovarian failure and no mature follicles and oocytes. In these patients, small round cells of unknown origin expressing SOX-2 marker of pluripotency were observed among the epithelial cells just after the ovarian surface epithelium scraping. These cells were an integral part of the ovarian surface epithelium. When the scraped cells were cultured in a medium with added follicular fluid to provide some ovarian niche, primitive oocyte-like cells and typical round-shaped cell clusters positively stained on alkaline phosphatase, and markers of pluripotency, such as SOX-2 and SSEA-4, were developed. These markers were expressed early and also later in the culture. Single oocyte-like cells expressed genes OCT4A, SOX-2, NANOG, NANOS, STELLA, CD9, LIN28, KLF4, GDF3, and MYC, characteristic for pluripotent stem cells. The results of this study confirmed the presence of putative stem cells in the ovarian surface epithelium of these patients and provided some basis to create a stem cell line in the future.

  20. Impact of laparoscopic ovarian drilling on serum anti-mullerian hormone levels in patients with anovulatory Polycystic Ovarian syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paramu, Sobhana

    2016-12-01

    Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) is a marker of the activity of recruitable ovarian follicles. It is useful in the prediction of ovarian reserve. Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have elevated circulating and intrafollicular AMH levels. Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) in patients with PCOS destroys ovarian androgen-producing tissue and reduces their peripheral conversion to estrogens. Identifying factors that determine the response of patients with PCOS to LOD will help in selecting the patients who would likely benefit from this treatment. AMH is one such marker that can predict the response to LOD. To evaluate the effect of LOD on serum AMH levels among PCOS responders and non-responders and the usefulness of AMH as a tool in predicting the response to LOD, and to whether there was loss of ovarian function after LOD. This is a prospective cohort study including 30 clomiphene-resistant women with anovulatory PCOS undergoing LOD. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of LOD on serum levels of AMH on these women. A significant fall in the levels of AMH was observed after LOD in both responders and non-responders (p8.3 ng/mL showed a significantly lower ovulation rate (33.3%). LOD was not associated with a risk of diminished ovarian reserve. LOD is an effective first-line treatment for women with PCOS who are clomiphene resistant. LOD has no negative effect on ovarian reserve. AMH is a useful marker in predicting the outcome of LOD.

  1. Discrepancies between Antimullerian Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone in Assisted Reproduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Munawar Hussain

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Data from 107 women undergoing their first IVF/ICSI were analyzed. Relationships between antimullerian hormone (AMH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH were analyzed after dividing patients into four groups according to AMH/FSH levels. Concordance was noted in 57% of women (both AMH/FSH either normal or abnormal while 43%of women had discordant values (AMH/FSH one hormone normal and the other abnormal. Group 1 (AMH and FSH in normal range and group 2 (normal AMH and high FSH were younger compared to group 3 (low AMH and normal FSH and group 4 (both AMH/FSH abnormal. Group 1 showing the best oocyte yield was compared to the remaining three groups. Groups 3 and 4 required higher dose of gonadotrophins for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation showing their low ovarian reserve. There was no difference in cycle cancellation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth/ongoing pregnancy rate in all groups. These tests are useful to predict ovarian response but whether AMH is a substantially better predictor is not yet established.

  2. Useful predictors of ovarian stimulation response in women undergoing in vitro fertilization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Stege, JG; van der Linden, PJQ

    2001-01-01

    Eighty-seven patients undergoing in vitro fertilization were studied to evaluate the prognostic value of different tests in predicting ovarian stimulation response. We studied basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) value on cycle day 3, the clomiphene citrate (CC) challenge test and serum

  3. Effect of antitubercular treatment on ovarian function in female genital tuberculosis with infertility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jai Bhagwan Sharma

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the effect of antitubercular therapy (ATT on an ovarian function such as ovarian reserve, ovarian dimensions, and ovarian stromal blood flow. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Prospective study design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty infertile women with female genital tuberculosis (FGTB without tubo-ovarian masses diagnosed by positive acid-fast bacilli culture or epithelioid granuloma on endometrial aspirate or positive polymerase chain reaction with positive findings on laparoscopy or hysteroscopy were recruited. The ovarian function tests were performed on day 2/3 as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH levels and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH levels. Ovarian dimensions (length, width, and depth were measured using a transvaginal ultrasound. Mean antral follicle count (AFC and ovarian stromal blood flow (peak systolic velocity [PSV], pulsatility index (PI, and resistive index [RI] were measured using a transvaginal ultrasound. All women were started on ATT for 6 months by directly observed treatment strategy. After completion of ATT, all the parameters were repeated. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in AMH (2.68 ± 0.97 ng/ml to 2.8 ± 1.03 ng/ml pre- to post-ATT, nonsignificant increase in FSH (7.16 ± 2.34 mIU/ml to 7.26 ± 2.33 mIU/ml post-ATT, significant increase in mean AFC (7.40 ± 2.12-8.14 ± 2.17, PSV in the right ovary (6.015-6.11 cm/s and left ovary (6.05-6.08 cm/s, PI in the right ovary (0.935-0.951 cm/s and left ovary (0.936-0.957 cm/s, and RI in the right ovary (0.62 ± 0.01-0.79 ± 0.02 and left ovary (0.65 ± 0.02-0.84 ± 0.01 with ATT. There was no significant change in mean ovarian dimensions (ovarian length, breadth, and width and summed ovarian volume with ATT. On laparoscopy, tubercles were seen in 27 (54% women. Caseous nodules and encysted ascites were seen in 8% cases each. CONCLUSION: ATT improves the ovarian function (AMH and AFC and ovarian blood flow in women with FGTB.

  4. Ovarian stem cells and neo-oogenesis: A breakthrough in reproductive biology research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Mooyottu1

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The concept of ovarian stem cells which can replenish the ovarian reserve in postnatal mammalian females is a revolutionary breakthrough in reproductive biology. This idea overturned the central dogma existed in female reproductive physiology. Contradicting the popular belief that oogenesis does not occur in post natal life, researchers proved the existence of putative stem cells in ovary, which can supply functional follicles in post natal ovaries. Even though the idea of neo-oogenesis in postnatal ovaries in normal conditions is controversial, the isolation and manipulation of ovarian stem cells have got tremendous application in medical, veterinary and animal production fields. [Veterinary World 2011; 4(2.000: 89-91

  5. The effect of nutrition and metabolic status on the development of follicles, oocytes and embryos in ruminants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupont, J; Scaramuzzi, R J; Reverchon, M

    2014-07-01

    The impact of nutrition and energy reserves on the fertility of ruminants has been extensively described. However, the metabolic factors and the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between nutrition and ovarian function are still poorly understood. These factors could be hormonal (either reproductive and/or metabolic) and/or dietary and metabolic (glucose, amino acids and fatty acids). In this review, we briefly summarize the impact of those nutrients (fatty acids, glucose and amino acids) and metabolic hormones (insulin/IGF-I, growth hormone, T3/4, ghrelin, apelin and the adipokines (leptin, adiponectin and resistin)) implicated in the development of ovarian follicles, oocytes and embryos in ruminants. We then discuss the current hypotheses on the mechanisms of action of these factors on ovarian function. We particularly describe the role of some energy sensors including adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in the ovarian cells.

  6. The camp analogue, dbcAMP can stimulate rabbit reproductive functions: I. Effect on ovarian folliculogenesis, ovulation and embryo production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chrenek P.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of our study was to examine the influence of administration of N6,2’-dibutyryladenosine 3’5’-cyclic monophosphate (dbcAMP, a cAMP agonist, on ovarian folliculogenesis and atresia, as well as on reproductive efficiency in rabbits, whose ovarian cycle and ovulation was induced by gonadotropins. Ovarian cycle and ovulation of control rabbits were induced by 20 IU/kg PMSG followed by 35 IU/kg hCG administration. Experimental animals received PMSG and hCG together with dbcAMP (at 5, 25 or 50 μg/animal. After ovulation and insemination, the animals were sacrificed. Ovaries were weighted, histological sections of ovaries were prepared, and the presence of ovulated and not ovulated follicles and different stages of atresia was evaluated by light microscopy. The eggs were flushed from the oviducts after insemination and cultured up to blastocyst cell stage. Numbers of ovarian Corpora lutea, ovulated oocytes and oocyte-derived zygotes and embryos reaching hatched blastocyst stage were determined. Administration of dbcAMP (at doses 25 or 50 μg/animal, but not at 5 μg/animal was able to increase the proportion of follicles with cystic and luteinization-related atresia. Furthermore, dbcAMP (50 μg/animal, but not lower doses increased the ovarian mass, number of Corpora lutea, number of harvested oocytes, zygotes and embryos at blastocyst stage derived from these zygotes after culture. These data demonstrate that dbcAMP can stimulate rabbit ovarian follicle atresia, ovulation, oocyte, zygote and embryo yield and development. Furthermore, they confirm in the involvement of cyclic nucleotide-dependent intracellular mechanisms in the control of rabbit reproductive functions and potential practical usefulness of dbcAMP in improving animal reproduction and fertility.

  7. Ovarian expressed microsomal epoxide hydrolase: Role in detoxification of 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide and regulation by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase signaling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhattacharya, Poulomi, E-mail: poulomib@iastate.edu [Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Sen, Nivedita, E-mail: nsen@email.arizona.edu [Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724 (United States); Hoyer, Patricia B., E-mail: Hoyer@u.arizona.edu [Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724 (United States); Keating, Aileen F., E-mail: akeating@iastate.edu [Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

    2012-01-01

    4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) is a metabolite of 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH) which has the potential to be formed in the ovary through CYP2E1 activity. VCD specifically destroys primordial and small primary follicles in the rodent ovary. Mouse ovaries exposed to VCD demonstrate increased mRNA and protein expression of microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH), and an inactive tetrol metabolite (4-(1,2-dihydroxy)ethyl-1,2-dihydroxycyclohexane) can be formed in mouse ovarian follicles, potentially through detoxification action of mEH. In contrast, mEH can bioactivate another ovotoxic chemical, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) to a more toxic compound, DMBA-3,4-diol-1,2-epoxide. Thus, the present study evaluated a functional role for mEH during detoxification of VCD. Additionally, because inhibition of the phosphatidyinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway in a previous study protected primordial follicles from VCD-induced destruction, but accelerated DMBA-induced ovotoxicity, a role for PI3K in ovarian mEH regulation was evaluated. Using a post-natal day (PND) 4 Fischer 344 rat whole ovary culture system inhibition of mEH using cyclohexene oxide during VCD exposure resulted in a greater (P < 0.05) loss of primordial and small primary follicles relative to VCD-treated ovaries. Also, relative to controls, meh mRNA was increased (P < 0.05) on day 4 of VCD (30 μM) exposure, followed by increased (P < 0.05) mEH protein after 6 days. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K signaling increased mEH mRNA and protein expression. Thus, these results support a functional role for mEH in the rat ovary, and demonstrate the involvement of PI3K signaling in regulation of ovarian xenobiotic metabolism by mEH. -- Highlights: ► Ovarian mEH functions to metabolize VCD to a less toxic compound. ► mEH expression is increased in a temporal pattern in response to VCD exposure. ► PI3K signaling is involved in regulation of ovarian mEH expression.

  8. The Effects of Hydro-alcoholic Extract of Raspberry Fruit on Ovarian follicles and serum parameters in Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome-Induced Rat

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    mohamad Nabiuni

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background & aim: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an endocrine disorder leading to lack of ovulation and has inflammatory aspects. Raspberry extract, with possession of bioactive compounds such as Anthocyanins and polyphenols, have anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of raspberry extract on the development process of ovarian follicles and hormones level of pituitary, ovarian, and liver in rats suffering from PCOS were examined. Methods: In the present experimental study, 120 adult Wistar rats were divided into three groups of control, PCOS, and treated with raspberry. The induction of syndrome was done by 2mg Estradiol valerate. After a period of 60 days, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg BW raspberry extract was injected intraperitoneally. Control group received no injection. Ten days after the last injection, all groups were anesthetized by chloroform and the serum and ovary of all groups were collected in order to investigate the histological and serologic changes. Data obtained were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA. Results: Raspberry-treated group showed a significant decrease in the hormones rate of testosterone, estradiol, LH, and CRP compared with PCOS (p<0.05, whereas a significant increase was observed in the serum level of Progesterone and FSH (p<0.05. A significant increase was observed in the number of corpus luteum and granulosa layer thickness in the raspberry-treated group compared with PCOS (p<0.05. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of raspberry extract was effective on regulating the hormones, CRPand improving of cysts which led to the initiation of ovulation.

  9. Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation in young female oncological patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Claus Yding; Kristensen, Stine Gry; Greve, Tine

    2012-01-01

    Girls and women suffering from a cancer that requires treatment with gonadotoxic drugs may experience cessation of reproductive function as a side effect due to obliteration of the ovarian pool of follicles. Techniques are now available for fertility preservation, such as cryopreservation of mature...... and growth of follicles, giving rise to menstrual cycles and hormone production for several years. Worldwide, the procedure has resulted in the birth of 15 healthy children. Many cancer patients including girls and young women want fertility preservation, and the techniques are now being further developed...

  10. Spontaneous Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome in a Term Pregnancy

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    Aytekin Tokmak

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Spontaneous OHSS in a term pregnancy is extremely rare. The aim of this study is to present a case of spontaneous ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS in a term pregnancy. A 29-year-old primigravida woman conceived spontaneously and was observed up until 35 weeks of gestation. During this time the patient had a normal pregnancy with normal ovaries. She applied to the current clinic during the 37th week of gestation with complaints of rapid weight gain, abdominal disturbance, and pain. Ultrasound examination showed large bilateral ovaries with multiple follicles and mild ascites. At 39 weeks of gestation, the ovaries were the same as detected previously, and a caesarean section was performed due to fetal macrosomia. A healthy female foetus weighing 4060 gr was delivered. The enlarged bilateral ovaries containing multiple follicles were drilled with electrocautery. The ovaries returned to a near normal state for two weeks after the birth. There are no reported cases of spontaneous OHSS in late pregnancy in the literature. Ovarian drilling may be useful during caesarean section. [Cukurova Med J 2015; 40(3.000: 623-626

  11. Ovarian Germline Stem Cells (OGSCs and the Hippo Signaling Pathway Association with Physiological and Pathological Ovarian Aging in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia Li

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Hippo signaling pathway plays fundamental roles in stem cell maintenance in a variety of tissues and has thus implications for stem cell biology. Key components of this recently discovered pathway have been shown to be associated with primordial follicle activation. However, whether the Hippo signaling pathway plays a role in the development of Ovarian Germline Stem Cells (OGSCs during physiological and pathological ovarian aging in mice is unknown. Methods: Mice at the age of 7 days (7D, or of 2, 10, or 20 months (2M, 10M, 20M and mice at 2M treated with TPT and CY/BUS drugs were selected as physiological and pathological ovarian aging models, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the development of follicles, and the co-localization of genes characteristic of OGSCs with MST1, LATS2 and YAP1 was assessed by immunofluorescence, western blotting and real-time PCR methods. Results: The Hippo signal pathway and MVH/OCT4 genes were co-expressed in the mouse ovarian cortex. The level and co-localization of LATS2, MST1, MVH, and OCT4 were significantly decreased with increased age, but YAP1 was more prevalent in the mouse ovarian cortex of 2M mice than 7D mice and was not observed in 20M mice. Furthermore, YAP1, MVH, and OCT4 were gradually decreased after TPT and CY/BUS treatment, and LATS2 mRNA and protein up-regulation persisted in TPT- and CY/BUS-treated mice. However, the expression of MST1 was lower in the TPT and CY/BUS groups compared with the control group. In addition, pYAP1 protein showed the highest expression in the ovarian cortexes of 7D mice compared with 20M mice, and the value of pYAP1/YAP1 decreased from 7D to 20M. Moreover, pYAP1 decreased in the TPT- and CY/BUS-treated groups, but the value of pYAP1/YAP1 increased in these groups. Conclusion: Taken together, our results show that the Hippo signaling pathway is associated with the changes that take place in OGSCs during physiological and pathological

  12. The uptake of radioactive iodine in rat intact Graafian follicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lieberman, L.M.; Lieberman, G.L.; Lieberman, M.E.

    1984-01-01

    The concentration of iodine-131 in the ovaries of mammals has important implications in the use of I-131 for the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease in women. The authors studied the I-131 uptake in whole ovaries and in isolated Graafian follicles of sexually mature rats. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats, in groups of 5-6 animals, were injected IP with 10-50 μCi of I-131, at 3, 12, and 24 hrs prior to the day of proestrus and killed on the day of proestrus. The thyroid gland and ovaries were removed intact and these organs, as well as eight other tissue specimens, were weighed. The large preovulatory follicles (6-9/ovary) were then isolated under a dissecting microscope and the remaining ovary weighed. All samples were counted in a gamma well counter and the % dose/g estimated. The thyroid gland showed 23.7% dose/organ at 24 hrs. Blood decreased from 1.6% dose/g at 3 hrs to 0.5% dose/g at 24 hrs with the uterus showing 1.1% dose/g and 0.4% dose/g at the same times. Ovarian tissue was 0.5, 0.1, and 0.1% dose/g at 3,12, and 24 hrs respectively, while the intact Graafian follicles had from one-tenth to one-third the concentration of the ovary at the same times. (0.05, 0.03, and 0.03% dose/g). The authors found that the intact Graafian follicle concentrates approximately one-thirtieth to one-sixteenth of the I-131 in the blood and one-tenth to one-third of the I-131 in the ovary. This suggests that there is no active uptake of I-131 in the follicle or follicular fluid

  13. The natural insect peptide Neb-colloostatin induces ovarian atresia and apoptosis in the mealworm Tenebrio molitor

    OpenAIRE

    Czarniewska, Elżbieta; Rosiński, Grzegorz; Gabała, Elżbieta; Kuczer, Mariola

    2014-01-01

    Background The injection of Neb-colloostatin into T. molitor females causes gonadoinhibitory effects on ovarian development. This peptide inhibits intercellular space formation (patency) in follicular epithelium and results in slowed vitellogenesis, delayed ovulation, reduced number of eggs laid and presumably cell death in the terminal follicles. However, as does the form of cell death in the terminal follicle, the mode of action of Neb-colloostatin remains unknown. Results We tested Neb-col...

  14. Impact of laparoscopic ovarian drilling on serum anti-mullerian hormone levels in patients with anovulatory Polycystic Ovarian syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sobhana Paramu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH is a marker of the activity of recruitable ovarian follicles. It is useful in the prediction of ovarian reserve. Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS have elevated circulating and intrafollicular AMH levels. Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD in patients with PCOS destroys ovarian androgen-producing tissue and reduces their peripheral conversion to estrogens. Identifying factors that determine the response of patients with PCOS to LOD will help in selecting the patients who would likely benefit from this treatment. AMH is one such marker that can predict the response to LOD. To evaluate the effect of LOD on serum AMH levels among PCOS responders and non-responders and the usefulness of AMH as a tool in predicting the response to LOD, and to whether there was loss of ovarian function after LOD. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective cohort study including 30 clomiphene-resistant women with anovulatory PCOS undergoing LOD. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of LOD on serum levels of AMH on these women. Results: A significant fall in the levels of AMH was observed after LOD in both responders and non-responders (p8.3 ng/mL showed a significantly lower ovulation rate (33.3%. LOD was not associated with a risk of diminished ovarian reserve. Conclusion: LOD is an effective first-line treatment for women with PCOS who are clomiphene resistant. LOD has no negative effect on ovarian reserve. AMH is a useful marker in predicting the outcome of LOD.

  15. Age, anti-müllerian hormone, antral follicles count to predict amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea after chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Avila, Ângela Marcon; Biolchi, Vanderlei; Capp, Edison; Corleta, Helena von Eye

    2015-12-14

    A cohort study was performed to identify ovarian reserve markers (ORM) that predicts amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea 6 months after cyclophosphamide CTX in women with breast cancer. 52 eumenorrheic patients with breast cancer were enrolled. FSH, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicles count (AFC) were measured before and 6 months after CTX. A logistic regression for independent samples and determination of the ROC curve were performed. The age of 32 years presented 96 % of sensitivity and 39 % of specificity to predict amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea with ROC area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77. ovarian reserve marker (ORM) with power to predict amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea in women after CTX were AMH amenorrhea was 1.87 ng/mL (sensitivity 82 %, specificity 83 %, AUC 0.84) and AFC cutoff was 9 follicles (sensitivity 71 %, specificity 78 %, AUC 0.73). ≥32-years-old women, AMH amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea after CTX with cyclophosphamide. The ORM age (≥32 years) analyzed together with AMH or AFC increases sensitivity and specificity in predicting amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea.

  16. Perlecan and Dystroglycan act at the basal side of the Drosophila follicular epithelium to maintain epithelial organization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schneider, Martina; Khalil, Ashraf A; Poulton, John

    2006-01-01

    and the cytoskeleton. Disruption of this linkage in skeletal muscle leads to various types of muscular dystrophies. In epithelial cells, reduced expression of Dg is associated with increased invasiveness of cancer cells. We have previously shown that Dg is required for epithelial cell polarity in Drosophila......, but the mechanisms of this polarizing activity and upstream/downstream components are largely unknown. Using the Drosophila follicle-cell epithelium (FCE) as a model system, we show that the ECM molecule Perlecan (Pcan) is required for maintenance of epithelial-cell polarity. Follicle cells that lack Pcan develop...... polarity defects similar to those of Dg mutant cells. Furthermore, Dg depends on Pcan but not on Laminin A for its localization in the basal-cell membrane, and the two proteins bind in vitro. Interestingly, the Dg form that interacts with Pcan in the FCE lacks the mucin-like domain, which is thought...

  17. Ovarian reserve after treatment with alkylating agents during childhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas-Teinturier, Cécile; Allodji, Rodrigue Sétchéou; Svetlova, Ekaterina; Frey, Marie-Alix; Oberlin, Odile; Millischer, Anne-Elodie; Epelboin, Sylvie; Decanter, Christine; Pacquement, Helene; Tabone, Marie-Dominique; Sudour-Bonnange, Helene; Baruchel, André; Lahlou, Najiba; De Vathaire, Florent

    2015-06-01

    What is the effect of different alkylating agents used without pelvic radiation to treat childhood cancer in girls on the ovarian reserve in survivors? Ovarian reserve seems to be particularly reduced in survivors who received procarbazine (in most cases for Hodgkin lymphoma) or high-dose chemotherapy; procarbazine but not cyclophosphamide dose is associated with diminished ovarian reserve. A few studies have demonstrated diminished ovarian reserve in survivors after various combination therapies, but the individual role of each treatment is difficult to assess. Prospective cross-sectional study, involving 105 survivors and 20 controls. One hundred and five survivors aged 17-40 years and 20 controls investigated on Days 2-5 of a menstrual cycle or Day 7 of an oral contraceptive pill-free interval. ovarian surface area (OS), total number of antral follicles (AFC), serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). Survivors had a lower OS than controls: 3.5 versus 4.4 cm(2) per ovary (P = 0.0004), and lower AMH levels: 10.7 versus 22 pmol/l (P = 0.003). Ovarian markers (OS, AMH, AFC) were worse in patients who received high-dose compared with conventional-dose alkylating agents (P = 0.01 for OS, P = 0.002 for AMH, P < 0.0001 for AFC). Hodgkin lymphoma survivors seemed to have a greater reduction in ovarian reserve than survivors of leukaemia (P = 0.04 for AMH, P = 0.01 for AFC), sarcoma (P = 0.04 for AMH, P = 0.04 for AFC) and other lymphomas (P = 0.04 for AFC). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that procarbazine but not cyclophosphamide nor ifosfamide dose was associated with reduced OS (P = 0.0003), AFC (P = 0.0007), AMH (P < 0.0001) and higher FSH levels (P < 0.0001). The small percentage of participating survivors (28%) from the total cohort does not allow conclusion on fertility issues because of possible response bias. The association between procarbazine and HL makes it

  18. Expression of androgen-producing enzyme genes and testosterone concentration in Angus and Nellore heifers with high and low ovarian follicle count.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loureiro, Bárbara; Ereno, Ronaldo L; Favoreto, Mauricio G; Barros, Ciro M

    2016-07-15

    Follicle population is important when animals are used in assisted reproductive programs. Bos indicus animals have more follicles per follicular wave than Bos taurus animals. On the other hand, B taurus animals present better fertility when compared with B indicus animals. Androgens are positively related with the number of antral follicles; moreover, they increase growth factor expression in granulose cells and oocytes. Experimentation was designed to compare testosterone concentration in plasma, and follicular fluid and androgen enzymes mRNA expression (CYP11A1, CYP17A1, 3BHSD, and 17BHSD) in follicles from Angus and Nellore heifers. Heifers were assigned into two groups according to the number of follicles: low and high follicle count groups. Increased testosterone concentration was measured in both plasma and follicular fluid of Angus heifers. However, there was no difference within groups. Expression of CYP11A1 gene was higher in follicles from Angus heifers; however, there was no difference within groups. Expression of CYP17A1, 3BHSD, and 17BHSD genes was higher in follicles from Nellore heifers, and expression of CYP17A1 and 3BHSD genes was also higher in HFC groups from both breeds. It was found that Nellore heifers have more antral follicles than Angus heifers. Testosterone concentration was higher in Angus heifers; this increase could be associated with the increased mRNA expression of CYP11A1. Increased expression of androgen-producing enzyme genes (CYP17A1, 3BHSD, and 17BHSD) was detected in Nellore heifers. It can be suggested that testosterone is acting through different mechanisms to increase follicle development in Nellore and improve fertility in Angus heifers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The natural insect peptide Neb-colloostatin induces ovarian atresia and apoptosis in the mealworm Tenebrio molitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czarniewska, Elżbieta; Rosiński, Grzegorz; Gabała, Elżbieta; Kuczer, Mariola

    2014-01-30

    The injection of Neb-colloostatin into T. molitor females causes gonadoinhibitory effects on ovarian development. This peptide inhibits intercellular space formation (patency) in follicular epithelium and results in slowed vitellogenesis, delayed ovulation, reduced number of eggs laid and presumably cell death in the terminal follicles. However, as does the form of cell death in the terminal follicle, the mode of action of Neb-colloostatin remains unknown. We tested Neb-colloostatin for a sterilizing effect on females of Tenebrio molitor. We report that injection of nanomolar doses of Neb-colloostatin induce ovarian follicle atresia in 4-day old females during their first gonadotropic cycle. Light microscope observations revealed morphological changes in the ovary: after Neb-colloostatin injection the terminal oocytes are significantly smaller and elicit massive follicle resorption, but the control terminal follicles possess translucent ooplasm in oocytes at different stages of vitellogenesis. A patency is visible in follicular epithelium of the control vitellogenic oocytes, whereas peptide injection inhibits intercellular space formation and, in consequence, inhibits vitellogenesis. Confocal and electron microscope examination showed that peptide injection causes changes in the morphology indicating death of follicular cells. We observed F-actin cytoskeleton disorganization, induction of caspase activity, changes in chromatin organization and autophagic vacuole formation. Moreover, the apical cytoplasm of follicular cells is filled with numerous free ribosomes, probably indicating a higher demand for protein biosynthesis, especially in preparation for autophagic vacuole formation. On the other hand, the process of polyribosomes formation is inhibited, indicating the contributing effect of this hormone. Neb-colloostatin induces atresia in the mealworm ovary. Degeneration of T. molitor follicles includes changes in morphology and viability of follicular cells, and

  20. Early ovarian follicular development in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paixão, L; Velez, L M; Santos, B R; Tusset, C; Lecke, S B; Motta, A B; Spritzer, P M

    2016-08-01

    Androgens may directly modulate early ovarian follicular development in preantral stages and androgen excess before puberty may disrupt this physiological process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of follicular morphology and circulating androgen and estradiol levels in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens. Prepubertal female Wistar rats were distributed into three groups: control, equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) intervention and eCG plus dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) intervention (eCG+DHEA). Serum DHEA, testosterone and estradiol levels were determined, and ovarian morphology and morphometry were assessed. The eCG+DHEA group presented increased serum estradiol and testosterone levels as compared with the control group (P<0.01), and higher serum DHEA concentration v. the eCG-only and control groups (P<0.01). In addition, the eCG+DHEA group had a higher number of, and larger-sized, primary and secondary follicles as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The eCG group presented intermediate values for number and size of primary and secondary follicles, without significant differences as compared with the other two groups. The number of antral follicles was higher in the eCG+DHEA and eCG groups v. controls (P<0.05). The number of primordial, atretic and cystic follicles were similar in all groups. In conclusion, the present experimental model using an acute eCG+DHEA intervention was useful to investigate events involved in initial follicular development under hyperandrogenic conditions, and could provide a reliable tool to study defective follicular development with possible deleterious reproductive consequences later in life.

  1. Regulation of Injury-Induced Ovarian Regeneration by Activation of Oogonial Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erler, Piril; Sweeney, Alexandra; Monaghan, James R

    2017-01-01

    Some animals have the ability to generate large numbers of oocytes throughout life. This raises the question whether persistent adult germline stem cell populations drive continuous oogenesis and whether they are capable of mounting a regenerative response after injury. Here we demonstrate the presence of adult oogonial stem cells (OSCs) in the adult axolotl salamander ovary and show that ovarian injury induces OSC activation and functional regeneration of the ovaries to reproductive capability. Cells that have morphological similarities to germ cells were identified in the developing and adult ovaries via histological analysis. Genes involved in germ cell maintenance including Vasa, Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, Bmp15, Piwil1, Piwil2, Dazl, and Lhx8 were expressed in the presumptive OSCs. Colocalization of Vasa protein with H3 mitotic marker showed that both oogonial and spermatogonial adult stem cells were mitotically active. Providing evidence of stemness and viability of adult OSCs, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) adult OSCs grafted into white juvenile host gonads gave rise to EGFP OSCs, and oocytes. Last, the axolotl ovaries completely regenerated after partial ovariectomy injury. During regeneration, OSC activation resulted in rapid differentiation into new oocytes, which was demonstrated by Vasa + /BrdU + coexpression. Furthermore, follicle cell proliferation promoted follicle maturation during ovarian regeneration. Overall, these results show that adult oogenesis occurs via proliferation of endogenous OSCs in a tetrapod and mediates ovarian regeneration. This study lays the foundations to elucidate mechanisms of ovarian regeneration that will assist regenerative medicine in treating premature ovarian failure and reduced fertility. Stem Cells 2017;35:236-247. © 2016 AlphaMed Press.

  2. The role of mTOR in ovarian cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jin; Wu, Dai-Chao; Qu, Li-Hua; Liao, Hong-Qing; Li, Mei-Xiang

    2018-05-12

    The mammalian target of rapamycin, mTOR, is a serine-threonine protein kinase downstream of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT axis. The pathway can regulate cell growth, proliferation, and survival by activating ribosomal kinases. Recent studies have implicated the mTOR signaling pathway in ovarian neoplasms, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premature ovarian failure (POF). Preclinical investigations have demonstrated that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is frequently activated in the control of various ovarian functions. mTOR allows cancer cells to escape the normal biochemical system and regulates the balance between apoptosis and survival. Some recent studies have suggested that involvement of the mTOR signaling system is an important pathophysiological basis of PCOS. Overexpression of the mTOR pathway can impair the interaction of cumulus cells, lead to insulin resistance, and affect the growth of follicles directly. The roles of mTOR signaling in follicular development have been extensively studied in recent years; abnormalities in this process lead to a series of pathologies such as POF and infertility. To improve understanding of the role of the mTOR signaling pathway in the pathogenesis and development of ovarian diseases, here we review the roles of mTOR signaling in such diseases and discuss the corresponding therapeutic strategies that target this pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Hypothalamic-pituitary, ovarian and adrenal contributions to polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baskind, N Ellissa; Balen, Adam H

    2016-11-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent heterogeneous disorder linked with disturbances of reproductive, endocrine and metabolic function. The definition and aetiological hypotheses of PCOS are continually developing to incorporate evolving evidence of the syndrome, which appears to be both multifactorial and polygenic. The pathophysiology of PCOS encompasses inherent ovarian dysfunction that is strongly influenced by external factors including the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and hyperinsulinaemia. Neuroendocrine abnormalities including increased gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse frequency with consequent hypersecretion of luteinising hormone (LH) affects ovarian androgen synthesis, folliculogenesis and oocyte development. Disturbed ovarian-pituitary and hypothalamic feedback accentuates the gonadotrophin abnormalities, and there is emerging evidence putatively implicating dysfunction of the Kiss 1 system. Within the follicle subunit itself, there are intra-ovarian paracrine modulators, cytokines and growth factors, which appear to play a role. Adrenally derived androgens may also contribute to the pathogenesis of PCOS, but their role is less defined. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Ovarian structure and oogenesis of the extremophile viviparous teleost Poecilia mexicana (Poeciliidae) from an active sulfur spring cave in Southern Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres-Martínez, Aarón; Hernández-Franyutti, Arlette; Uribe, Mari Carmen; Contreras-Sánchez, Wilfrido Miguel

    2017-12-01

    The structure of the ovary and oogenesis of Poecilia mexicana from an active sulfur spring cave is documented. Poecilia mexicana is the only poeciliid adapted to a subterranean environment with high hydrogen sulfide levels and extreme hypoxic conditions. Twenty females were captured throughout one year at Cueva del Azufre, located in the State of Tabasco in Southern Mexico. Ovaries were processed with histological techniques. P. mexicana has a single, ovoid ovary with ovigerous lamella that project to the ovarian lumen. The ovarian wall presents abundant loose connective tissue, numerous melanomacrophage centers and large blood vessels, possibly associated with hypoxic conditions. The germinal epithelium bordering the ovarian lumen contains somatic and germ cells forming cell nests projecting into the stroma. P. mexicana stores sperm in ovarian folds associated with follicles at different developmental phases. Oogenesis in P. mexicana consisted of the following stages: (i) oogonial proliferation, (ii) chromatin nucleolus, (iii) primary growth, subdivided into: (a) one nucleolus, (b) multiple nucleoli, (c) droplet oils-cortical alveoli steps; (iv) secondary growth, subdivided in: (a) early secondary growth, (b) late secondary growth, and (c) full grown. Follicular atresia was present in all stages of follicular development; it was characterized by oocyte degeneration, where follicle cells hypertrophy and differentiate in phagocytes. The ovary and oogenesis are similar to these seen in other poeciliids, but we found frequent atretic follicles, melanomacrophage centers, reduced fecundity and increased of offspring size. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Prophylactic salpingectomy in premenopausal low-risk women for ovarian cancer: primum non nocere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morelli, Michele; Venturella, Roberta; Mocciaro, Rita; Di Cello, Annalisa; Rania, Erika; Lico, Daniela; D'Alessandro, Pietro; Zullo, Fulvio

    2013-06-01

    The objective of this study is to compare ovarian function and surgical outcomes between patients affected by benign uterine pathologies submitted to total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) plus salpingectomy and women in which standard TLH with adnexal preservation was performed. We retrospectively compared data of 79 patients who underwent TLH plus bilateral salpingectomy (group A), with those of 79 women treated by standard TLH without adnexectomy (sTLH) (group B). Ovarian reserve modification, expressed as the difference between 3 months post-operative and pre-operative values of Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Antral Follicle Count (AFC), mean ovarian diameters and Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), was recorded for each patient. For each surgical procedure, operative time, variation of hemoglobin level (ΔHb), postoperative hospital stay, postoperative return to normal activity, and complication rate were recorded as secondary outcomes. According to our post-hoc analysis, this equivalence study resulted to have a statistical power of 96.8%. Significant difference was not observed between groups with respect to ΔAMH (p=0.35), ΔFSH (p=0.15), ΔAFC (p=0.09), Δ mean ovarian diameters (p=0.57) and ΔPSV (p=0.61). In addition, secondary outcomes such as operative time (p=0.79), ΔHb (p=0.41), postoperative hospital stay (p=0.16), postoperative return to normal activity (p=0.11) and complication rate also did not show any significant difference. The addition of bilateral salpingectomy to TLH for prevention of ovarian cancer in women who do not carry a BRCA1/2 mutations do not show negative effects on the ovarian function. In addition, no perioperative complications are related to the salpingectomy step in TLH. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Interventional prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in infertility patients with polycystic ovaries syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang Weixiang; Chen Zhiyi; Yuan Wenlin; Chen Xia; Cai Kuan; Wang Weiqun; Zhu Junlin

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To assess the efficacy of aspiration of small follicles(ASF) guided by trans-vaginal ultra- sound (TVS) in preventing moderate and severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in women with polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS). Methods: ASF was undertaken by trans-vaginally during artificial cycles in 25 women with PCOS who had early signs of OHSS during the early period of the cycle according to the ovaries and follicles detected by TVS. Small follicles(≤ 12 mm in diameter) were aspirated at the early period of gonadotropin therapy according to the follicle testing, three or less excellent follicles were reserve. All the patients were followed up for symptoms and signs of OHSS. Results: None of the patients developed moderate or severe OHSS. Successful intrauterine pregnancy were found in 7 cases (28%). Conclusion: ASF after gonadotropin injections is of significance to prevent moderate and severe OHSS and obtain a higher pregnancy rate in susceptible patients with PCOS during the early period of the cycles. Time of ASF is the main factor to prevent OHSS. TVS may be an important tool in the detection of early period of follicles development. (authors)

  7. Association of basal serum testosterone levels with ovarian response and in vitro fertilization outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sun Mei

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate basal testosterone (T levels during follicular phase of the menstrual cycle as a predictor for ovarian response and in vitro fertilization (IVF outcome. Method We analyzed data retrospectively from hospital-based IVF center including one thousand two hundred and sixty Chinese Han women under their first IVF cycle reached the ovum pick-up stage, without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS or endometriosis undergoing long IVF protocol. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1: patients with diminished ovarian reserve (basal FSH >10 IU/L (n = 187; Group 2: patients with normal ovarian reserve (basal FSH Results Basal T levels were markly different between pregnant and non-pregnant women in Group 1; whereas not in Group 2. A testosterone level of 47.85 ng/dl was shown to predict pregnancy outcome with a sensitivity of 52.8% and specificity of 65.3%; and the basal T was correlated with the numbers of large follicles (> 14 mm on HCG day in Group 1. Significantly negative correlations were observed between basal T, days of stimulation and total dose of gonadotropins after adjusting for confounding factors in both groups. Conclusion In women with diminished ovarian reserve, basal T level was a predictor for the number of large follicles on HCG day and pregnancy outcome; but could not in those with normal serum FSH. Basal T levels were associated with both days of stimulation and total dose of gonadotropins, indicating that lower level of T might relate with potential ovarian poor response.

  8. Ovarian fragment sizes affect viability and morphology of preantral follicles during storage at 4°C

    Science.gov (United States)

    The efficient transportation of ovarian tissues is affected b various factors compromising their viability. We tested various ovarian sample sizes (whole ovary, biopsy, and transplantation size) during various transportation times....

  9. Ovarian reserve in women of late reproductive age by the method of treatment of PCOS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beltadze, Ketevan; Barbakadze, Ludmila

    2015-05-01

    The prevalence of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) particularly is increased in adolescents. Very few longitudinal follow-up for assessment of ovarian reserve in women of late reproductive age with previously confirmed PCOS have been conducted, especially after its diagnosis and treatment in adolescence. The aim of the present study was to compare of the ovarian reserve of the women of late reproductive age by the method of treatment of PCOS in adolescence. This cross sectional study in an unselected population was conducted from January to June 2014. A total of 123 women of late reproductive age were included. They had been diagnosed with PCOS between 1984 and 1990 when they were 13-18 yr. From these, first group of the study was consisted of 67 participants who underwent conservative treatment with antiandrogens and combined oral contraceptives and second group of the study was consisted of 56 participants after surgery (34-bilateral ovarian drilling and 22- ovarian wedge resection). At the time of investigation patients were 35-45 yr. The participants were collected via analysis of histories at primary diagnosis of PCOS in adolescence and at the time of the investigation analyses of reproductive hormones were conducted. Data were compared between the groups. After conservative treatment PCOS women had higher levels of anti- mullerian hormone and lower follicle-stimulating hormone levels (p=0.02 and p=0.04, respectively). The number of antral follicles and mean ovarian volume were significantly greater also, than in women who underwent surgical treatment (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). Our data suggest that PCOS patients who underwent conservative treatment have the better ovarian reserve than women who underwent surgical treatment of PCOS in adolescence.

  10. Ovarian reserve in women of late reproductive age by the method of treatment of PCOS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ketevan Beltadze

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: The prevalence of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS particularly is increased in adolescents. Very few longitudinal follow-up for assessment of ovarian reserve in women of late reproductive age with previously confirmed PCOS have been conducted, especially after its diagnosis and treatment in adolescence. Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare of the ovarian reserve of the women of late reproductive age by the method of treatment of PCOS in adolescence. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study in an unselected population was conducted from January to June 2014. A total of 123 women of late reproductive age were included. They had been diagnosed with PCOS between 1984 and 1990 when they were 13-18 yr. From these, first group of the study was consisted of 67 participants who underwent conservative treatment with antiandrogens and combined oral contraceptives and second group of the study was consisted of 56 participants after surgery (34-bilateral ovarian drilling and 22- ovarian wedge resection. At the time of investigation patients were 35-45 yr. The participants were collected via analysis of histories at primary diagnosis of PCOS in adolescence and at the time of the investigation analyses of reproductive hormones were conducted. Data were compared between the groups. Results: After conservative treatment PCOS women had higher levels of anti- mullerian hormone and lower follicle-stimulating hormone levels (p=0.02 and p=0.04, respectively. The number of antral follicles and mean ovarian volume were significantly greater also, than in women who underwent surgical treatment (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively. Conclusion: Our data suggest that PCOS patients who underwent conservative treatment have the better ovarian reserve than women who underwent surgical treatment of PCOS in adolescence.

  11. Expression of TGF-beta superfamily growth factors, their receptors, the associated SMADs and antagonists in five isolated size-matched populations of pre-antral follicles from normal human ovaries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Stine Gry; Andersen, Kasper; Clement, Christian Alexandro

    2014-01-01

    In mammals, members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily are known to have key roles in the regulation of follicular growth and development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of TGF-β superfamily growth factors, their receptors, downstream SMAD signalling m...... growth. Moreover, the presence of multiple TGF-β/BMP antagonists imply that certain growth factors are subjected to local regulation on different levels which address another important level of intraovarian regulation of follicle development in humans.......In mammals, members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily are known to have key roles in the regulation of follicular growth and development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of TGF-β superfamily growth factors, their receptors, downstream SMAD signalling...... molecules and TGF- β/BMP antagonists during early human folliculogenesis.Human preantral follicles were enzymatically isolated from surplus ovarian tissue obtained from women having ovarian cortical tissue frozen for fertility preservation. A total of 348 human preantral follicles, ranging from 40 to 200 µm...

  12. Cystic struma ovarii: a rare ovarian teratoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malik, B.A.; Ali, Z.

    2011-01-01

    Struma ovarii is a unique variant of the monodermal teratomas of the ovary, which is entirely composed of thyroid tissue. It is a rare tumor which comprises 1-4% of all benign ovarian tumors. The age of presentation ranges between 6 to 74 years. It is a benign tumor and is usually unilateral. Clinical symptoms such as pelvic mass, abdominal pain and ascities occur in one third of patients, whereas rarely patients may present with pseudo-meig syndrome. Ultrasonography and computed tomography show a solid cystic mass. Histologically benign struma ovarii contain thyroid follicles of variable sizes filled with colloid. A 53 years old female presented with one month history of lower abdominal pain. The clinical and radiological findings suggested a left ovarian mass measuring 7 x 5 x 3 cm. An exploratory laparotomy was performed and the left ovarian mass was resected. The specimen was sent to AFIP for anatomical diagnosis. On gross examination, the specimen consisted of left ovary measuring 14 x 12 x 6.5 cm and weighing 527 grams. External surface of the ovary showed many multinodular areas with few cystic areas. Largest of the cyst measured 8 x 7 x 4 cm. On opening all the cysts contained yellowish watery fluid. Maximum thickness of the largest cyst wall was 0.5 cm. The solid area in the ovary measured 5 x 4 x 3 cm. On serial slicing the solid areas had whitish variegated appearance and areas of gritty hard consistency. No fallopian tube was found. Representative sections from different areas of the specimen were prepared. Histologically, the sections revealed effacement of the normal ovarian architecture by mature thyroid follicles containing colloid (Fig. 2). Some areas showed degenerated thyroid tissue with hyalinization and areas of calcification. More than 50% of the material examined contained thyroid tissue. No evidence of atypia was seen in the material examined. (author)

  13. Ovarian Stem Cells–-the Pros and Cons

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    Ayelet Evron

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The potential for postnatal de novo oogenesis in mammals and in humans has become very controversial in the fields of reproductive science and biology. Historically, it has been thought that females of most mammalian species lose the ability to produce oocytes at birth. A contemporary understanding of stem cell biology together with novel experimental methods has challenged the model of a prenatal fixed ovarian primordial follicle pool that declines with age. Researchers have suggested replenishment of post-natal oocytes by germ-line stem cells (GSCs. According to this theory, GSCs produce oocytes and primordial follicles throughout the lifetime of the adult female. This review describes recent approaches supporting the revolutionary idea of de novo oogenesis in mammals and humans of reproductive-age and provides counter arguments from opponents of this novel and innovative concept.

  14. Externally placed vs intravaginally positioned radio frequency coils for quantitative spin-spin relaxometry of ovarian follicular fluid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarty, G.E.; Baerwald, A.R.; Loewy, J.; Pierson, R.A.

    2005-01-01

    To evaluate different imaging protocols, especially with respect to radio frequency (RF) receiver coil location, for Their suitability in providing least squares derived quantitative T 2 values of ovarian follicular fluid for investigations of basic ovarian physiology. Methods: The ovaries of 10 women were imaged via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using externally positioned and intravaginally placed RF receiver coils. Half-Fourier acquisition with single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), multiple-echo T 2 , Dixon, turbo spin-echo, and 3-dimensional (3D) fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP) and time-reversed FISP (PSIF) sequences were used. Quantitative T 2 nuclear spin relaxation rate information from the ovarian follicles between data acquired with the external and intravaginal coils were compared. Additionally, the amount of ovarian follicle and corpora lutea structural detail visible was qualitatively assessed. Results: The T 2 computations indicated that there was no difference in the follicular fluid T 2 values or in the heterogeneity (spatial variance) of the T 2 values between data acquired with the external RF coil and date acquired with the intravaginal RF coil. The best sequences for the visualization of ovarian internal structure were the 3D PSIF sequences and the multiple-echo T 2 -weighted images, confirming our earlier imaging work on excised cow ovaries. Conclusion: It is best to use an externally placed RF coil for quantitative MRI study of ovarian physiology given the lack of difference in quantitative T 2 information and the difficulty associated with imaging the ovaries using an intravaginal RF probe. (author)

  15. Ovarian Reserve Assessment in Users of Oral Contraception Seeking Fertility Advice on their Reproductive Lifespan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, K. Birch; Hvidman, H. W.; Forman, J. L.

    2016-01-01

    aged 19-46 attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic (FACC) from 2011 to 2014 comparing ovarian reserve parameters in OC users with non-OC users. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The FAC Clinic was initiated to provide individual fertility assessment and counselling. All women...... follicles sized 5-7 mm (P groups (OC users versus non-users) were comparable regarding age, BMI, smoking and maternal age at menopause. LIMITATIONS, REASON FOR CAUTION......STUDY QUESTION: To what extent does oral contraception (OC) impair ovarian reserve parameters in women who seek fertility assessment and counselling to get advice on whether their remaining reproductive lifespan is reduced? SUMMARY ANSWER: Ovarian reserve parameters defined by anti...

  16. Ovarian reserve assessment in users of oral contraception seeking fertility advice on their reproductive lifespan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birch Petersen, K; Hvidman, H W; Forman, J L

    2015-01-01

    aged 19-46 attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic (FACC) from 2011 to 2014 comparing ovarian reserve parameters in OC users with non-OC users. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The FAC Clinic was initiated to provide individual fertility assessment and counselling. All women...... follicles sized 5-7 mm (P groups (OC users versus non-users) were comparable regarding age, BMI, smoking and maternal age at menopause. LIMITATIONS, REASON FOR CAUTION......STUDY QUESTION: To what extent does oral contraception (OC) impair ovarian reserve parameters in women who seek fertility assessment and counselling to get advice on whether their remaining reproductive lifespan is reduced? SUMMARY ANSWER: Ovarian reserve parameters defined by anti...

  17. The natural insect peptide Neb-colloostatin induces ovarian atresia and apoptosis in the mealworm Tenebrio molitor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background The injection of Neb-colloostatin into T. molitor females causes gonadoinhibitory effects on ovarian development. This peptide inhibits intercellular space formation (patency) in follicular epithelium and results in slowed vitellogenesis, delayed ovulation, reduced number of eggs laid and presumably cell death in the terminal follicles. However, as does the form of cell death in the terminal follicle, the mode of action of Neb-colloostatin remains unknown. Results We tested Neb-colloostatin for a sterilizing effect on females of Tenebrio molitor. We report that injection of nanomolar doses of Neb-colloostatin induce ovarian follicle atresia in 4-day old females during their first gonadotropic cycle. Light microscope observations revealed morphological changes in the ovary: after Neb-colloostatin injection the terminal oocytes are significantly smaller and elicit massive follicle resorption, but the control terminal follicles possess translucent ooplasm in oocytes at different stages of vitellogenesis. A patency is visible in follicular epithelium of the control vitellogenic oocytes, whereas peptide injection inhibits intercellular space formation and, in consequence, inhibits vitellogenesis. Confocal and electron microscope examination showed that peptide injection causes changes in the morphology indicating death of follicular cells. We observed F-actin cytoskeleton disorganization, induction of caspase activity, changes in chromatin organization and autophagic vacuole formation. Moreover, the apical cytoplasm of follicular cells is filled with numerous free ribosomes, probably indicating a higher demand for protein biosynthesis, especially in preparation for autophagic vacuole formation. On the other hand, the process of polyribosomes formation is inhibited, indicating the contributing effect of this hormone. Conclusion Neb-colloostatin induces atresia in the mealworm ovary. Degeneration of T. molitor follicles includes changes in morphology and

  18. Scrambled Eggs: Apoptotic Cell Clearance by Non-Professional Phagocytes in the Drosophila Ovary

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    Sandy B. Serizier

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available For half of a century, it has been known that non-professional phagocytes, such as fibroblasts, endothelial, and epithelial cells, are capable of efferocytosis (engulfment of apoptotic cells. Non-professional phagocytes differ from professional phagocytes in the range and efficiency of engulfment. Much of the recognition and underlying signaling machinery between non-professional and professional phagocytes is the same, but it is not known how the engulfment capacity of non-professional phagocytes is controlled. Moreover, the signaling networks involved in cell corpse recognition, engulfment, and phagosome maturation are only partially understood. The Drosophila ovary provides an excellent system to investigate the regulation of phagocytic activity by epithelial cells, a major class of non-professional phagocytes. During Drosophila oogenesis, mid-stage egg chambers undergo apoptosis of the germline in response to nutrient deprivation. Epithelial follicle cells then undergo major cell shape changes and concomitantly engulf the germline material. Our previous work has established that Draper and the integrin α-PS3/β-PS heterodimer are required in follicle cells for germline cell clearance. In addition, we have characterized phagosome maturation pathways, and found that the JNK pathway amplifies the engulfment response. In this review, we discuss recent advances on the interplay between engulfment pathways in the follicular epithelium for cell clearance in the Drosophila ovary. We also provide a comparison to apoptotic cell clearance mechanisms in C. elegans and mammals, illustrating strong conservation of efferocytosis mechanisms by non-professional phagocytes.

  19. Scrambled Eggs: Apoptotic Cell Clearance by Non-Professional Phagocytes in the Drosophila Ovary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serizier, Sandy B; McCall, Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    For half of a century, it has been known that non-professional phagocytes, such as fibroblasts, endothelial, and epithelial cells, are capable of efferocytosis (engulfment of apoptotic cells). Non-professional phagocytes differ from professional phagocytes in the range and efficiency of engulfment. Much of the recognition and underlying signaling machinery between non-professional and professional phagocytes is the same, but it is not known how the engulfment capacity of non-professional phagocytes is controlled. Moreover, the signaling networks involved in cell corpse recognition, engulfment, and phagosome maturation are only partially understood. The Drosophila ovary provides an excellent system to investigate the regulation of phagocytic activity by epithelial cells, a major class of non-professional phagocytes. During Drosophila oogenesis, mid-stage egg chambers undergo apoptosis of the germline in response to nutrient deprivation. Epithelial follicle cells then undergo major cell shape changes and concomitantly engulf the germline material. Our previous work has established that Draper and the integrin α-PS3/β-PS heterodimer are required in follicle cells for germline cell clearance. In addition, we have characterized phagosome maturation pathways, and found that the JNK pathway amplifies the engulfment response. In this review, we discuss recent advances on the interplay between engulfment pathways in the follicular epithelium for cell clearance in the Drosophila ovary. We also provide a comparison to apoptotic cell clearance mechanisms in C. elegans and mammals, illustrating strong conservation of efferocytosis mechanisms by non-professional phagocytes.

  20. Acne tarda and male-pattern baldness unmasking primary ovarian insufficiency: a case and review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zouboulis, Christos C; Achenbach, Alexander; Makrantonaki, Eugenia

    2014-01-01

    A 30-year-old woman presented with recurrent acne lesions and progressing male-pattern baldness. Furthermore, she reported amenorrhea, weight loss, mucosal xerosis and dyspareunia since discontinuation of hormonal contraception 6 months earlier in order to conceive. Acne tarda and androgenetic alopecia of female pattern were diagnosed. Hormonal and immunologic serological and ultrasound examinations revealed an autoimmune hypergonadotropic primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) with no ovarian cysts but ovarian fibrosis with marked reduced follicle pool. Immediate ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilization led to pregnancy and the patient gave birth to a healthy child. Though presenting with clinical findings similar to menopause, 50% of patients with POI exhibit varying and unpredictable ovarian function, and only 5-10% are able to accomplish pregnancy. Genetic disorders affect the X chromosome. In 14-30% of cases POI has been associated with autoimmunity. POI may occur after discontinuation of hormonal contraception, like in our case.

  1. Molecular characterization and expression of DERL1 in bovine ovarian follicles and corpora lutea

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    Lussier Jacques G

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The endoplasmic reticulum (ER is a major site of protein synthesis and facilitates the folding and assembly of newly synthesized proteins. Misfolded proteins are retrotranslocated across the ER membrane and destroyed at the proteasome. DERL1 is an important protein involved in the retrotranslocation and degradation of a subset of misfolded proteins from the ER. We characterized a 2617 bp cDNA from bovine granulosa cells that corresponded to bovine DERL1. Two transcripts of 3 and 2.6 kb were detected by Northern blot analysis, and showed variations in expression among tissues. During follicular development, DERL1 expression was greater in day 5 dominant follicles compared to small follicles, ovulatory follicles, or corpus luteum (CL. Within the CL, DERL1 mRNA expression was intermediate in midcycle, and lowest in late cycle as compared to early in the estrous cycle. Western blot analyses demonstrated the presence of DERL1 in the bovine CL at days 5, 11, and 18 of the estrous cycle. Co-immunoprecipitation using luteal tissues showed that DERL1 interacts with class I MHC but not with VIMP or p97 ATPase. The interaction between DERL1 and MHC I suggests that, in the CL, DERL1 may regulate the integrity of MHC I molecules that are transported to the ER membrane. Furthermore, the greater expression of DERL1 mRNA is associated with the active follicular development and early luteal stages, suggesting a role of DERL1 in tissue remodeling events and maintenance of function in reproductive tissues.

  2. Influência de diferentes concentrações de etileno glicol nO número de células da granulosa e morfometria de folículos pré-antrais inclusos em tecido ovariano de Bos taurus indicus, Linnaeus, 1758 Influence of different concentrations of the glycol in the number of granulosa cells and morphometry of the preantral ovarian follicles of Bos taurus indicus, Linnaeus, 1758

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hélder Silva e Luna

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available A criopreservação de folículos ovarianos pré-antrais pode ajudar na conservação de muitas espécies domésticas e selvagens. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se verificar o efeito do etileno glicol, em diferentes concentrações, na morfometria e número de células da granulosa de folículos pré-antrais inclusos em tecido ovariano bovino. O teste de toxicidade foi realizado com fragmentos ovarianos expostos ao etileno glicol em concentrações de 10, 20 ou 40%. O tecido foi analisado por técnica histológica clássica. Os folículos primordiais expostos à concentração de 40% apresentaram redução do diâmetro folicular e ovocitário quando comparados ao grupo controle (sem exposição, 10% e 20% (P0,05. Esses resultados sugerem que folículos primários são mais resistentes aos efeitos do etileno glicol quando comparados aos primordiais.The cryopreservation of the ovarian preantral follicles could help the conservation of several domestic and wild animal species. The objective of this study was to verify the effect of different concentrations of ethylene glycol on the morphometry and number of granulosa cells of the preantral ovarian follicles. A toxicity test was conducted with strips of ovarian cortex using ethylene glycol (10, 20 or 40%. Tissue analysis was done using classical histology techniques. The primordial follicles expose at a concentration of 40% showed reduction of the follicular diameter and oocyte when compared to the control (non exposing, 10 and 20% groups (P0.05. These results suggest that primary follicles are more resistant to the effect of ethylene glycol when compared to primordial ones.

  3. Premature ovarian failure

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    Vujović Svetlana

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Premature ovarian failure (POF is the occurrence of hypergonadotropic hypoestrogenic amenorrhea in women under the age of forty years. It is idiopathic in 74-90% patients. Known cases can be divided into primary and secondary POF. In primary POF genetic aberrations can involve the X chromosome (monosomy, trisomy, translocations, deletions or autosomes. Genetic mechanisms include reduced gene dosage and non-specific chromosome effects impairing meiosis, decreasing the pool of primordial follicles and increasing atresia due to apoptosis or failure of follicle maturation. Autoimmune ovarian damage is caused by alteration of T-cell subsets and T-cell mediated injury, increase of autoantibody producing B-cells, a low number of effector/cytotoxic lymphocyte, which decreases the number and activity of natural killer cells. Bilateral oophorectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and infections cause the secondary POF. Symptoms of POF include irritability, nervousness, loss of libido, depression, lack of concentration, hot flushes, weight gaining, dry skin, vaginal dryness, frequent infections etc. The diagnosis is confirmed by the level of FSH of over 40 IU/L and estradiol below 50 pmol/L in women aged below 40 years. Biochemical and other hormonal analysis (free thyroxin, TSH, prolactin, testosterone, karyotype (<30 years of age, ultrasound of the breasts and pelvis are advisable. Optimal therapy is combined estrogen progestagen therapy given in a sequential rhythm, after excluding absolute contraindications. Testosterone can be added to adnexectomized women and those with a low libido. Sequential estrogen progestagen replacement therapy is the first line therapy for ovulation induction in those looking for pregnancy and after that oocyte donation will be advised. Appropriate estro-progestagen therapy improves the quality of life and prevents complications such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, stroke etc.

  4. Ethnicity as a determinant of ovarian reserve: differences in ovarian aging between Spanish and Indian women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iglesias, Carlos; Banker, Manish; Mahajan, Nalini; Herrero, Leyre; Meseguer, Marcos; Garcia-Velasco, Juan A

    2014-07-01

    To investigate differences in ovarian reserve markers (antimüllerian hormone [AMH] and antral follicle count [AFC]) in Indian and Spanish women. Cross-sectional study. In vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. Infertile Spanish (n=229) and Indian (n=236) women who underwent controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF from January to October 2012. None. Data on ovarian reserve markers and results after ovarian stimulation were collected. The mean age of women undergoing their first or second IVF cycle was significantly higher in Spanish than in Indian women (37.5±3.3 years vs. 31.5±3.8 years). Despite this 6-year age gap, AFCs were similar (9.5±4.7 vs. 9.9±4.6), as were day 3 FSH levels (7.5±4.5 IU/L vs. 6.9±2.3 IU/L). AMH levels were slightly lower in Spanish women (1.6±1.7 ng/mL vs. 2.5±1.6 ng/mL). Multivariate regression analysis showed that being Indian decreased AFC by 2.3, such that AFC in Indian women was similar to that in Spanish women 6.3 years older (95% confidence interval 3.39-1.10). Similar ovarian reserve markers and ovarian response were observed in women with a 6-year age difference in favor of the Spanish, suggesting ethnic differences in ovarian aging. Further research is needed to understand whether these differences are genetically induced or are caused by other variables, such as nutrition. Our results may help clinicians to counsel infertile women when discussing assisted reproductive technology outcomes according to age and ethnic background. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Prediction of polycystic ovarian syndrome based on ultrasound findings and clinical parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moschos, Elysia; Twickler, Diane M

    2015-03-01

    To determine the accuracy of sonographic-diagnosed polycystic ovaries and clinical parameters in predicting polycystic ovarian syndrome. Medical records and ultrasounds of 151 women with sonographically diagnosed polycystic ovaries were reviewed. Sonographic criteria for polycystic ovaries were based on 2003 Rotterdam European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines: at least one ovary with 12 or more follicles measuring 2-9 mm and/or increased ovarian volume >10 cm(3) . Clinical variables of age, gravidity, ethnicity, body mass index, and sonographic indication were collected. One hundred thirty-five patients had final outcomes (presence/absence of polycystic ovarian syndrome). Polycystic ovarian syndrome was diagnosed if a patient had at least one other of the following two criteria: oligo/chronic anovulation and/or clinical/biochemical hyperandrogenism. A logistic regression model was constructed using stepwise selection to identify variables significantly associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (p polycystic ovaries and 115 (89.8%) had polycystic ovarian syndrome (p = .009). Lower gravidity, abnormal bleeding, and body mass index >33 were significant in predicting polycystic ovarian syndrome (receiver operating characteristics curve, c = 0.86). Pain decreased the likelihood of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound were sensitive in predicting polycystic ovarian syndrome. Ultrasound, combined with clinical parameters, can be used to generate a predictive index for polycystic ovarian syndrome. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Evaluation of bovine (Bos indicus ovarian potential for in vitro embryo production in the Adamawa plateau (Cameroon

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    J. Kouamo

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available An abattoir study was conducted to evaluate the ovarian potential of 201 local zebu cattle from Ngaoundere, Adamawa region (Cameroon for in vitro embryo production (IVEP. The ovaries were excised, submerged in normal saline solution (0.9% and transported to the laboratory for a detailed evaluation. Follicles on each ovary were counted, their diameters (Φ measured and were grouped into 3 categories: small (Φ 8 mm. Each ovary was then sliced into a petri dish; the oocytes were recovered in Dulbecco’s phosphate buffered saline, examined under a stereoscope (x10 and graded into four groups based on the morphology of cumulus oophorus cells and cytoplasmic changes of the oocytes. Grade I (GI: oocytes with more than 4 layers of bunch of compact cumulus cells mass with evenly granulated cytoplasm; grade II (GII: oocyte with at least 2-4 layers of compact cumulus cell mass with evenly granulated cytoplasm; grade III (GIII: oocyte with at least one layer of compact cumulus cell mass with evenly granulated cytoplasm; grade IV (GIV: denuded oocyte with no cumulus cells or incomplete layer of cumulus cell or expanded cells and having dark or unevenly granulated cytoplasm. The effects of both ovarian (ovarian localization, corpus luteum, size and weight of ovary and non-ovarian factors (breed, age, body condition score (BCS and pregnancy status of cow on the follicular population and oocyte recovery rate were determined. There were an average of 16.75±0.83 follicles per ovary. The small, medium and large follicles were 8.39±0.60, 8.14±0.43 and 0.21±0.02 respectively. Oocyte recovery was 10.97±0.43 per ovary (65%. Oocytes graded I, II, III and IV were 3.53±0.19 (32.21%, 2.72±0.15 (24.82%, 2.24±0.15 (20.43% and 2.47±0.20 (22.54% respectively. The oocyte quality index was 2.26. Younger non pregnant cows having BCS of 3 and large ovaries presented higher number of follicles and oocyte quality (P < 0.05 compared with other animals. Oocytes with

  7. The local effects of ovarian diathermy in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connolly, Fiona; Rae, Michael T; Butler, Mairead; Klibanov, Alexander L; Sboros, Vassilis; McNeilly, Alan S; Duncan, W Colin

    2014-01-01

    In order to develop a medical alternative to surgical ovarian diathermy (OD) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) more mechanistic information is required about OD. We therefore studied the cellular, molecular and vascular effects of diathermy on the ovary using an established ovine model of PCOS. Pregnant sheep were treated twice weekly with testosterone propionate (100 mg) from day 30-100 gestation. Their female offspring (n = 12) were studied during their second breeding season when the PCOS-like phenotype, with anovulation, is fully manifest. In one group (n = 4) one ovary underwent diathermy and it was collected and compared to the contralateral ovary after 24 hours. In another group a treatment PCOS cohort underwent diathermy (n = 4) and the ovaries were collected and compared to the control PCOS cohort (n = 4) after 5 weeks. Ovarian vascular indices were measured using contrast-enhanced ultrasound and colour Doppler before, immediately after, 24 hours and five weeks after diathermy. Antral follicles were assessed by immunohistochemistry and ovarian stromal gene expression by quantitative RT-PCR 24 hours and 5 weeks after diathermy. Diathermy increased follicular atresia (Povarian microvasculature (P = 0.05) but this was not seen at 24 hours. However 24 hours after diathermy there was a reduction in the stromal Doppler blood flow signal (Povarian resistance index (Povarian stromal blood flow with an increased ovarian artery resistance index associated with atresia of antral follicles.

  8. Role of Growth Differentiation Factor 9 and Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 in Ovarian Function and Their Importance in Mammalian Female Fertility — A Review

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    Fernanda Cavallari de Castro

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Growth factors play an important role during early ovarian development and folliculogenesis, since they regulate the migration of germ cells to the gonadal ridge. They also act on follicle recruitment, proliferation/atresia of granulosa cells and theca, steroidogenesis, oocyte maturation, ovulation and luteinization. Among the growth factors, the growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9 and the bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15, belong to the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β superfamily, have been implicated as essential for follicular development. The GDF9 and BMP15 participate in the evolution of the primordial follicle to primary follicle and play an important role in the later stages of follicular development and maturation, increasing the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression, plasminogen activator and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR. These factors are also involved in the interconnections between the oocyte and surrounding cumulus cells, where they regulate absorption of amino acids, glycolysis and biosynthesis of cholesterol cumulus cells. Even though the mode of action has not been fully established, in vitro observations indicate that the factors GDF9 and BMP15 stimulate the growth of ovarian follicles and proliferation of cumulus cells through the induction of mitosis in cells and granulosa and theca expression of genes linked to follicular maturation. Thus, seeking greater understanding of the action of these growth factors on the development of oocytes, the role of GDF9 and BMP15 in ovarian function is summarized in this brief review.

  9. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Ovaries of Healthy Women: Determination of Normal Values

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hauth, E.A.M.; Jaeger, H.J.; Libera, H.; Lange, S.; Forsting, M.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To establish normal values for the volume and maximal diameter of ovaries and ovarian follicles and for the number of ovarian follicles in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on menstrual cycle phase and age. Material and Methods: We performed MRI of the pelvis on 100 healthy women. Volume of the ovaries and largest ovarian follicles and the number of ovarian follicles were determined by menstrual cycle phase and age. Results: The mean volume of the ovaries significantly increased with age and reached its peak between 31 and 40 years, and subsequently decreased. The mean volume of the largest ovarian follicles also significantly increased with age to reach its peak at 41-50 years. The highest mean numbers of ovarian follicles were found at 20-40 years. When the volumes of ovaries and of the largest ovarian follicles, and the number of ovarian follicles were compared between the first and second phase of the menstrual cycle, no significant differences were found. Conclusion: The volume and maximal diameter of ovaries and ovarian follicles and the number of ovarian follicles differ significantly with age, but not between the two phases of the menstrual cycle. Knowledge of MRI-related normal values can be expected to aid the early identification of ovarian pathologies

  10. Liquid facets-related (lqfR is required for egg chamber morphogenesis during Drosophila oogenesis.

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    Peter A Leventis

    Full Text Available Clathrin interactor 1 [CLINT1] (also called enthoprotin/EpsinR is an Epsin N-terminal homology (ENTH domain-containing adaptor protein that functions in anterograde and retrograde clathrin-mediated trafficking between the trans-Golgi network and the endosome. Removal of both Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologs, Ent3p and Ent5p, result in yeast that are viable, but that display a cold-sensitive growth phenotype and mistrafficking of various vacuolar proteins. Similarly, either knock-down or overexpression of vertebrate CLINT1 in cell culture causes mistrafficking of proteins. Here, we have characterized Drosophila CLINT1, liquid-facets Related (lqfR. LqfR is ubiquitously expressed throughout development and is localized to the Golgi and endosome. Strong hypomorphic mutants generated by imprecise P-element excision exhibit extra macrochaetae, rough eyes and are female sterile. Although essentially no eggs are laid, the ovaries do contain late-stage egg chambers that exhibit abnormal morphology. Germline clones reveal that LqfR expression in the somatic follicle cells is sufficient to rescue the oogenesis defects. Clones of mutant lqfR follicle cells have a decreased cell size consistent with a downregulation of Akt1. We find that while total Akt1 levels are increased there is also a significant decrease in activated phosphorylated Akt1. Taken together, these results show that LqfR function is required to regulate follicle cell size and signaling during Drosophila oogenesis.

  11. Effect of High Fat Dietary Intake during Maternal Gestation on Offspring Ovarian Health in a Pig Model

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    Mengmeng Xu

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Excessive fat intake is a global health concern as women of childbearing age increasingly ingest a high fat diet. We therefore determined the association of a maternal high fat diet in pregnancy with offspring ovarian health during the gestation and postnatal female offspring in pig a model. Thirty-two Yorkshire gilts with similar bodyweights mated at the third estrus were randomly assigned to two nutrition levels of either a control (CON, crude fat: 7.27% or a high fat diet (HFD, crude fat: 11.78%. Ovary samples were collected during the fetal (Day 55 (g55 and Day 90 of gestation (g90 and offspring (prepuberty Day 160 (d160 and age at puberty period to detect ovary development, antioxidant status and apoptosis cells. Maternal HFD did not influence notch signaling gene expression, which regulates primordial follicle formation and transformation, and ovarian histological effect at g55 and g90. However, maternal HFD reduced the numbers of large follicles at d160 and small follicle numbers upon puberty compared to CON in offspring. The results also revealed that the antioxidant index of total antioxidative capability (T-AOC, cytoplasmic copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPx activities and mRNA expression were higher in the CON than the HFD at g90 and d160, whereas, malondialdehyde (MDA concentration was decreased in the CON. Maternal HFD increased the inhibitor of the apoptosis-related gene of B-cell lymphoma-2 (bcl2 mRNA expression at g90 and d160, whereas, pro-apoptotic-related gene bcl-2 assaciated X protein (bax was reduced. These data show that the maternal high fat diet does not delay fetal ovarian development, but it changes ovarian health by the induction of oxidative stress and accelerating cell apoptosis in offspring.

  12. The non-target bi-ovarian branches occlusion in fibroids embolization on resumption of menses and ovarian function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Wenbo; Yang Jianyong; Chen Wei; Zhuang Wenquan; Yao Shuzhong

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the effect of the non-target bi-ovarian branches occlusion in fibroids embolization on resumption of menses and ovarian function. Methods: The patients with the non-target bi-ovarian branches occlusion in uterine fibroids embolization (UFE) were classified into two groups, one for lipiodol deposited in bi-ovarian areas (Group A) , another for non lipiodol deposited in ovarian areas or in single ovarian area (Group B of non lipiodol deposited in bi-ovarian areas). The statistical difference between the data of group A and group B were assessed with Fisher test. All UFE were performed with the mixture of lipiodol and pingyangmycin. The serum level of Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) were measured before UFE and 6 months after UFE. The statistical difference between the data of before and after UFE was assessed with t test. Results: Fifteen patients [age ranged 26-46 years, average (39.00 ± 5.62) years] had been followed up for an average (30.5±6.4) months (range 16-47 months). In 12 of 15, regular menses resumed after an average of (3.0 ±0.3) weeks (range 2-6 weeks). In 3 of 15 (20%), regular menses did not resume. The sexual hormone findings of menopause were found in three cases with amenorrhea after UFE. Amenorrhea was found in three cases with lipiodol deposited in bi-ovarian areas (Group A). Non-amenorrhea was found in the group of non-lipiodol deposited in bi-ovarian areas (Group B). There were significant statistical difference between Group A and Group B (P=0.002 19). Non amenorrhea was found in the patients aged over 45 years old. Three patients were found amenorrhea in the patients aged younger than 45 years old. There were no significant statistical difference between the serum level of FSH, LH and E2 before and 6 months after UFE (P>0.05). Conclusion: The incidence of amenorrhea is very high in the patients with lipiodol deposited in bi-ovarian areas when the bi-ovarian branches of

  13. Antral follicle count predicts natural menopause in a population-based sample: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Women's Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wellons, Melissa F; Bates, Gordon Wright; Schreiner, Pamela J; Siscovick, David S; Sternfeld, Barbara; Lewis, Cora E

    2013-08-01

    The timing of menopause is associated with multiple chronic diseases. Tools that predict this milestone have relevance for clinical and research purposes. Among infertile women, a positive relationship exists between antral follicle count (AFC) and response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, a marker of ovarian reserve. However, an age-independent relationship between AFC and menopause has not been demonstrated. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the relationship between AFC measured in women aged 34 to 49 years and incident natural menopause during 7 years of follow-up. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study is a longitudinal community-based study (Chicago, IL; Birmingham, AL; Minneapolis, MN; and Oakland, CA) begun in 1985-1986. In 2002-2003, the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Women's Study measured follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and performed a transvaginal ultrasound protocol that included AFC (2-10 mm follicles on both ovaries). Incident natural menopause was assessed by surveys in 2005-2006 and 2009-2010. In our sample (n = 456), the median (interquartile range) AFC and FSH level were 5 (2-9) and 7.8 (5.6-11.0) mIU/mL, respectively, at a mean (range) age of 42 (34-49) years in 2002-2003. One hundred one women reported natural menopause by 2009-2010. In Cox models, current smoking, stable menses, FSH level higher than 13 mIU/mL, and AFC of 4 or less were independently associated with incident natural menopause. Compared with AFC higher than 4, those with an AFC of 4 or less were nearly twice as likely to have undergone menopause during 7 years of follow-up (hazard ratio, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.19-3.02) after adjustment for covariates. AFC has been found to be independently associated with natural menopause during 7 years of follow-up after controlling for other markers of ovarian aging.

  14. Preovulatory progesterone concentration associates significantly to follicle number and LH concentration but not to pregnancy rate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yding Andersen, Claus; Bungum, Leif; Nyboe Andersen, Anders

    2011-01-01

    Using data from a large prospective randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effect of recombinant LH (rLH)co-administration for ovarian stimulation, the present study assessed whether progesterone concentration on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration was associated...... with or without rLH administration from day 6 of stimulation. There was no significant association between the late-follicular-phase progesterone concentration and the clinical pregnancy rate. However, progesterone concentration was strongly associated with the number of follicles and retrieved oocytes. Late......-follicular-phase LH concentration also showed a significant positive association with progesterone concentration (P = 0.018). Administration of rLH during ovarian stimulation did not affect progesterone concentration. The present study does not support an association between progesterone concentration on the day...

  15. Serum Biopterin and Neopterin Levels as Predictors of Empty Follicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akihiro Hamuro

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective This study measured serum and follicular fluid (FF levels of biopterin, neopterin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF in patients receiving mild ovarian stimulation for oocyte retrieval. Patients and Methods Infertile patients who underwent ovarian stimulation were divided into the following: Group 1, no oocyte retrieval ( n = 12, and Group 2, retrieval of more than four oocytes ( n = 13. Median total gonadotropin dose in both groups was 150 IU. Biopterin and neopterin levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. VEGF and M-CSF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Compared to Group 2, serum and FF levels of neopterin and VEGF and serum levels of M-CSF were significantly increased, and serum and FF levels of biopterin were significantly decreased in Group 1 ( P < 0.05 each. Conclusion Biopterin and neopterin levels showed similar differences in FF and serum of patients with empty follicles. Decreased biopterin and increased neopterin in serum could predict poor oocyte retrieval.

  16. Unilateral Versus Bilateral Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling Using Thermal Dose Adjusted According to Ovarian Volume in CC-Resistant PCOS, A Randomized Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Sayed, Mohamed Lotfy Mohamed; Ahmed, Mostafa Abdo; Mansour, Marwa Abdel Azim; Mansour, Shymma Abdel Azim

    2017-10-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of unilateral laparoscopic ovarian drilling versus bilateral laparoscopic ovarian drilling with thermal dose adjusted according to ovarian volume in clomiphene citrate (CC)-resistant PCOS patients in terms of endocrine changes, menstrual cycle resumption, ovulation and pregnancy rates. This study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zagazig university hospitals. One hundred CC-resistant PCOS patients were divided into two groups. Group (I) (50 patients) underwent unilateral laparoscopic ovarian drilling with thermal dose adjusted according to ovarian volume (60 J/cm 3 of ovarian tissue), and group (II) (50 patients) underwent bilateral laparoscopic ovarian drilling using the same previously mentioned thermal dose. Endocrinal changes and menstrual cycle resumption were assessed within 8 weeks postoperatively, but the ovulation and pregnancy rates were estimated after 6-month follow-up period. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups as regards demographic data ( p  > 0.05). As regards menstruation cycle resumption (62.5 vs. 81%) ( p  = 0.047), total ovulation rate (54.2 vs. 78.7%) ( p  = 0.011) and cumulative pregnancy rate (33.3 vs. 55.3%) ( p  = 0.031), there was statistically significant difference between both groups. After drilling, there were highly statistically significant decrease in the mean serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and significant decrease in the mean serum levels of testosterone in both groups. Mean serum level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) did not change significantly in both groups after drilling. Bilateral laparoscopic ovarian drilling with thermal dose adjusted according to ovarian volume is more effective than the right-sided unilateral technique with thermal dose adjusted according to ovarian volume in terms of menstrual cycle resumption, ovulation and cumulative pregnancy rates in CC-resistant PCOS patients.

  17. Storage of bovine isolated follicles: A new alternative way to improve the recovery rate of viable embryos from ovarian follicles of slaughtered cows

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pavlok, Antonín; Čech, S.; Kubelka, Michal; Lopatářová, M.; Holý, L.; Jindra, M.

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 96, 1-2 (2006), 186-195 ISSN 0378-4320 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1QS500450568 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515 Keywords : bovine follicle storage * in vitro fertilization * embryo culture Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 2.186, year: 2006

  18. Genetic variations altering FSH action affect circulating hormone levels as well as follicle growth in healthy peripubertal girls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busch, Alexander S; Hagen, Casper P; Almstrup, Kristian; Main, Katharina M; Juul, Anders

    2016-04-01

    Do variants of the genes encoding follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) beta subunit (B) and FSH receptor (R) impact circulating reproductive hormone levels and ovarian follicle maturation in healthy peripubertal girls? FSHB and FSHR genetic variants exert, alone or their combination, distinct effects on reproductive hormone levels as well as ovarian follicle maturation in healthy peripubertal girls. FSHB and FSHR genetic variants impact reproductive hormone levels as well as associated pathologies in women. While FSHR c. 2039A>G is known to alter gonadotrophin levels in women, FSHR c.-29G>A has not yet been shown to exert effect and there are conflicting results concerning FSHB c.-211G>T. This population-based study included 633 girls recruited as part of two cohorts, the COPENHAGEN Puberty Study (2006-2014, a cross-sectional and ongoing longitudinal study) and the Copenhagen Mother-Child Cohort (1997-2002, including transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) of the ovaries in a subset of 91 peripubertal girls). Clinical examinations, including pubertal breast stage (Tanner's classification B1-B5) were performed. Circulating levels of FSH, luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin-B were assessed by immunoassays. In a subset of the girls (n = 91), ovarian volume and the number/size of antral follicles were assessed by TAUS. Genotypes were determined by competitive PCR. FSHR c.2039A>G minor alleles were positively associated with serum FSH (β = 0.08, P = 0.004), LH (β = 0.06, P = 0.012) and estradiol (β = 0.06, P = 0.017) (adjusted for Tanner stages). In a combined model, FSHR c.-29G>A and FSHR c.2039A>G alleles were positively associated with FSH levels in early-pubertal girls (B2 + B3, n = 327, r = 0.1, P = 0.02) and in young adolescents (B4 + B5, n = 149, r = 0.2, P = 0.01). Serum AMH and inhibin B levels were not significantly influenced by the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Single SNPs were not associated with follicles

  19. Revisiting ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome: Towards OHSS free clinic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manish Banker

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A rapid development and application of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs and ovulation-induction drugs may lead to ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS. Young age, low body mass index (BMI, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS, previous OHSS, high follicle count, and elevated serum estradiol (E2 are the certain factors that predispose women to OHSS. Many strategies have been used to reduce or avoid OHSS. Use of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG increases ovarian vascular permeability and is responsible for activating the vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF pathway and thus the entire cascade, leading to symptomatic OHSS. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH agonists are used as a replacement for hCG for final oocyte maturation in antagonist cycles. Reducing or eliminating the use of hCG and use of GnRH agonist triggered GnRH antagonist cycles and cryopreservation of oocytes or embryos is the most promising approach in making OHSS free clinic a reality.

  20. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibit growth and reduce estradiol levels of antral follicles in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, Rupesh K.; Singh, Jeffery M.; Leslie, Tracie C.; Meachum, Sharon; Flaws, Jodi A.; Yao, Humphrey H-C

    2010-01-01

    Any insult that affects survival of ovarian antral follicles can cause abnormal estradiol production and fertility problems. Phthalate esters (PEs) are plasticizers used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to reduced fertility in humans and animal models. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) decrease serum estradiol levels and aromatase (Arom) expression, prolong estrous cycles, and cause anovulation in animal and culture models. These observations suggest PEs directly target antral follicles. We therefore tested the hypothesis that DEHP (1-100 μg/ml) and MEHP (0.1-10 μg/ml) directly inhibit antral follicular growth and estradiol production. Antral follicles from adult mice were cultured with DEHP or MEHP, and/or estradiol for 96 h. During culture, follicle size was measured every 24 h as a measurement of follicle growth. After culture, media were collected for measurement of estradiol levels and follicles were subjected to measurement of cylin-D-2 (Ccnd2), cyclin-dependant-kinase-4 (Cdk4), and Arom. We found that DEHP and MEHP inhibited growth of follicles and decreased estradiol production compared to controls at the highest doses. DEHP and MEHP also decreased mRNA expression of Ccnd2, Cdk4, and Arom at the highest dose. Addition of estradiol to the culture medium prevented the follicles from DEHP- and MEHP-induced inhibition of growth, reduction in estradiol levels, and decreased Ccnd2 and Cdk4 expression. Collectively, our results indicate that DEHP and MEHP may directly inhibit antral follicle growth via a mechanism that partially includes reduction in levels of estradiol production and decreased expression of cell cycle regulators.

  1. Measurement of antral follicle count in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment: results of a worldwide web-based survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christianson, Mindy S; Shoham, Gon; Tobler, Kyle J; Zhao, Yulian; Cordeiro, Christina N; Leong, Milton; Shoham, Zeev

    2015-10-01

    The purpose of the present study was to identify trends in the therapeutic approaches used to measure antral follicle count (AFC) in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment worldwide. A retrospective evaluation utilizing the results of a web-based survey, IVF-Worldwide ( www.IVF-Worldwide.com ), was performed. Responses from 796 centers representing 593,200 cycles were evaluated. The majority of respondents (71.2 %) considered antral follicle count as a mandatory part of their practice with most (69.0 %) measuring AFC in the follicular phase. Most respondents (89.7 %) reported that they would modify the IVF stimulation protocol based on the AFC. There was considerable variation regarding a limit for the number of antral follicles required to initiate an IVF cycle with 46.1 % designating three antral follicles as their limit, 39.9 % selecting either four or five follicles as their limit, and 14.0 % reporting a higher cutoff criteria. With respect to antral follicle size, 61.5 % included follicles ranging between 2 and 10 mm in the AFC. When asked to identify the best predictor of ovarian hyper-response during IVF cycles, AFC was selected most frequently (49.4 %), followed by anti-Mullerian hormone level (42.7 %). Age was selected as the best predictor of ongoing pregnancy rate in 81.7 % of respondents. While a large proportion of respondents utilized AFC as part of their daily practice and modified IVF protocol based on the measurement, the majority did not consider AFC as the best predictor of ongoing pregnancy rate.

  2. Ovarian stimulation with follicle-stimulating hormone under increasing or minimal concentration of progesterone in dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Sherry, T M; Matsui, M; Kida, K; Miyamoto, A; Megahed, G A; Shehata, S H; Miyake, Y-I

    2010-03-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the presence or absence of Corpus luteum (CL) on the follicular population during superstimulation in dairy cows (Holstein-Friesian cattle). Animals were divided into two groups as follows: (1) Growing CL group (G1): Cows (n=7) received a total dose of 28 Armour units (AU) follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) through the first 4 d (twice daily) after spontaneous ovulation (Day 0). (2) CL Absence group (G2): Cows (n=10) received prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) at 9 or 10 d after ovulation. After 36h, all the follicles (larger than 5mm) were aspirated (Day 0). The FSH treatment started 24h after aspiration and continued for 4 d. The number of small (3 to or = 8mm) follicles was examined on Days 1, 3, and 5 in all groups. Blood samples were collected daily for 5 d, and progesterone (P(4)), estradiol (E(2)), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone (GH) in plasma were measured by enzyme immunoassays. The results showed that in G1, the P(4) level increased gradually from 0.5 ng/mL at Day 1 to 2 ng/mL at Day 5, whereas in G2, the P(4) level was completely below 0.5 ng/mL. All cows of the G2 group showed an increase of E(2) at Day 3 or Day 4 followed by an increase of IGF-1 within 24h, while GH increased concomitantly with the E(2) increase in 8 of 10 trials. On the other hand, cows of the G1 group showed neither E(2) nor IGF-1 increase. Moreover, at the end of the treatment, the number of follicles in the G2 group was significantly increased compared with that of the G1 group (22.8+/-2.0 vs. 11.6+/-2.0). In conclusion, low P(4) level during FSH treatment enhanced multiple follicular growth and E(2) secretion, which was followed by increase of IGF-1 and GH. Therefore, the absence of the CL may play a critical role in the superovulation response by controlling the number of growing follicles. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Ovarian Grafts 10 Days after Xenotransplantation: Folliculogenesis and Recovery of Viable Oocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Henrique Almeida Campos-Junior

    Full Text Available Ovarian xenotransplantation is a promising alternative to preserve fertility of oncologic patients. However, several functional aspects of this procedure remained to be addressed. The aim of this study was evaluate the feasibility of xenotransplantation as a strategy to maintain bovine ovarian grafts and produce oocytes. Adult ovarian cortical pieces were xenotransplanted to the dorsal subcutaneous of female NOD-SCID mice (n = 62. Grafts were recovered ten days after xenotransplantation. Host and graft weights; folliculogenesis progression; blood perfusion, relative gene expression and number of macrophage and neutrophil of xenografts; in vitro developmental competence of graft-derived oocytes were evaluated. Folliculogenesis was supported in the grafts, as indicated by the presence of primordial, primary, secondary, antral, and atretic follicles. The xenografts showed a greater volumetric density of atretic follicles and higher hyperemia and number of host-derived macrophage and neutrophil (P<0.05, when compared to non-grafted fragments. There was a higher blood perfusion under the back skin in the transplantation sites of host animals than in control and non-grafted (P<0.01. BAX and PRDX1 genes were up-regulated, while BCL2, FSHR, IGF1R and IGF2R were down-regulated, when compared to the control (P<0.01. Twenty seven oocytes were successfully harvested from grafts, and some of these oocytes were able to give rise to blastocysts after in vitro fertilization. However, cleavage and blastocyst rates of xenograft derived oocytes were lower than in control (P<0.01. Despite showing some functional modifications, the ovarian xenografts were able to support folliculogenesis and produce functional oocytes.

  4. Assessment of Multiple Intrauterine Gestations from Ovarian Stimulation (AMIGOS) Trial: Baseline Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diamond, Michael P.; Legro, Richard S.; Coutifaris, Christos; Alvero, Ruben; Robinson, Randal D.; Casson, Peter; Christman, Gregory M.; Ager, Joel; Huang, Hao; Hansen, Karl R.; Baker, Valerie; Usadi, Rebecca; Seungdamrong, Aimee; Bates, G. Wright; Rosen, R. Mitchell; Haisonleder, Daniell; Krawetz, Stephen A.; Barnhart, Kurt; Trussell, J.C.; Jin, Yufeng; Santoro, Nanette; Eisenberg, Esther; Zhang, Heping

    2015-01-01

    Objective To identify baseline characteristics of women with unexplained infertility to determine whether treatment with an aromatase inhibitor will result in a lower rate of multiple gestations than current standard ovulation induction medications. Design Randomized, prospective clinical trial Patients 900 couples with unexplained infertility Interventions: Ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins, clomiphene citrate, or letrozole in conjunction with intrauterine insemination. Setting Multicenter University based clinical practices. Main Outcome Measures Demographic, laboratory, imaging, and survey characteristics. Interventions Collection of baseline demographics, blood samples, and ultrasonographic assessments. Results Demographic characteristics of women receiving clomiphene citrate, letrozole, or gonadotropins for ovarian stimulation were very consistent. Their mean age was 32.2 ± 4.4 years and infertility duration was 34.7± 25.7 months, with 59% primary infertility. More than 1/3 of the women were current or past smokers. The mean BMI was 27 and mean AMH level was 2.6; only 11 women (1.3%) had antral follicle counts of less than 5. Similar observations were identified for hormonal profiles, ultrasound characterization of the ovaries, semen parameters, and quality of life assessments in both male and female partners. Conclusion The cause of infertility in the couples recruited to this treatment trial is elusive, as the women were regularly ovulating and had evidence of good ovarian reserve both by basal FSH, AMH levels, and antral follicle counts; the male partners had normal semen parameters. The three treatment subgroups have common baseline characteristics, thereby providing comparable patient populations for testing the hypothesis that use of letrozole for ovarian stimulation can reduce the rates of multiples from that observed with gonadotropin and clomiphene citrate treatment. PMID:25707331

  5. Culture of bovine ovarian follicle wall sections maintained the highly estrogenic profile under basal and chemically defined conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasconcelos, R.B.; Salles, L.P.; Silva, I. Oliveira e; Gulart, L.V.M.; Souza, D.K.; Torres, F.A.G.; Bocca, A.L.; Silva, A.A.M. Rosa e

    2013-01-01

    Follicle cultures reproduce in vitro the functional features observed in vivo. In a search for an ideal model, we cultured bovine antral follicle wall sections (FWS) in a serum-free defined medium (DM) known to induce 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) production, and in a nondefined medium (NDM) containing serum. Follicles were sectioned and cultured in NDM or DM for 24 or 48 h. Morphological features were determined by light microscopy. Gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor were determined by RT-PCR; progesterone (P 4 ) and E 2 concentrations in the media were measured by radioimmunoassay. DM, but not NDM, maintained an FWS morphology in vitro that was similar to fresh tissue. DM also induced an increase in the expression of all steroidogenic enzymes, except FSH receptor, but NDM did not. In both DM and NDM, there was a gradual increase in P 4 throughout the culture period; however, P 4 concentration was significantly higher in NDM. In both media, E 2 concentration was increased at 24 h, followed by a decrease at 48 h. The E 2 :P 4 ratio was higher in DM than in NDM. These results suggest that DM maintains morphological structure, upregulates the expression of steroidogenic enzyme genes, and maintains steroid production with a high E 2 :P 4 ratio in FWS cultures

  6. Novel use of the ovarian follicular pool to postpone menopause and delay osteoporosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Claus Yding; Kristensen, Stine Gry

    2015-01-01

    Life expectancy has increased by more than 30 years during the last century and continues to increase. Many women already live decades in menopause deprived of naturally produced oestradiol and progesterone, leading to an increasing incidence of menopause-related disorders such as osteoporosis......, cardiovascular diseases and lack of general well-being. Exogenous oestradiol has traditionally been used to alleviate menopause-related effects. This commentary discusses a radical new method to postpone menopause. Part of the enormous surplus of ovarian follicles can now be cryostored in youth for use after...... menopause. Excision of ovarian tissue will advance menopause marginally and will not reduce natural fertility. Grafted tissue restores ovarian function with circulating concentrations of sex steroids for years in post-menopausal cancer survivors. Future developments may further utilize the enormous store...

  7. Comparative evaluation of sonographic ovarian morphology of Indian women with polycystic ovary syndrome versus those of normal women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanjeed Ahmed

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To study ovarian morphology by ultrasound in women with or without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS and to establish cut-off values of these parameters in Indian women with PCOS. Materials and Methods: A total of 119 consecutive women diagnosed PCOS and 77 apparently healthy women were enrolled. Transabdominal ultrasound examination was carried out to assess ovarian volume, stromal echogenecity, follicle number and size. Cut-off values of the above ovarian parameters with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV and negative predictive values (NPV were calculated. Results: Sensitivity of 79.49% and specificity of 90.67% was achieved with a cut-off of 8 mL as ovarian volume. A cut-off value of 9 follicles to distinguish between PCOS and control women yielded a sensitivity of 82.35% and specificity of 92.0% while as a follicular size of 5 mm yielded sensitivity and specificity of 74.67% and 78.15% respectively. With all the three parameters sensitivity was 87.39% and specificity 87.84% with 92.04% PPV and 81.25% NPV. Conclusion: Using two or three sonographic criteria in combination improves sensitivity and helps diagnose additional patients with PCOS. Our results are at variance with the established cut-off values highlighting the fact that American Society for Reproductive Medicine consensus cut-off values are not reproducible in Indian context.

  8. The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p15, p16, p21, and p27 during ovarian follicle growth initiation in the mouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bayrak Aykut

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cyclins regulate the cell cycle in association with cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs. CDKs are under inhibitory control of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs. Method In this study we tested the expression of CDKIs p15, p16, p21 and p27 by immunohistochemistry to determine the role of CDKIs in the initiation of primordial follicle growth. Ovaries were collected from 60-day-old cycling B6D2F1/J mice (n = 16. Results Expression of p15, p16, p21 and p27 did not vary in granulosa and theca cells by the follicle stage. However, p16 staining was stronger (++ in the oocytes of all primordial, and 57.4 ± 3.1% of primary follicles compared to the remaining primary and more advanced follicles (+. Interestingly, primary follicles with weaker (+ oocyte staining for p16 had significantly larger mean follicle diameter compared to the primary and primordial follicles with stronger (++ oocyte staining (55.6 ± 2.1 vs. 32.0 ± 1.0 and 26.5 ± 0.7 μm, respectively, p Conclusions These preliminary findings suggest that the initiation of oocyte growth, which seems to lead follicle growth, is associated with diminished p16 expression in the mouse ovary. Further studies are needed to investigate the factors that regulate the expression of p16 in the oocyte, which might also govern the initiation of primordial follicle growth.

  9. Cytogenetic Analysis of 65 Women with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

    OpenAIRE

    Seda Ates

    2016-01-01

    Aim: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized as amenorrhea for more than 6 months, occurring before the age of 40, with an increased follicle-stimulating hormone and low estrogen concentrations. The aim of our study is to determine the types and distribution of cytogenetic abnormalities among women with POI. Material and Method: The study is based on the retrospective karyotype analysis of 65 women with idiopathic POI referred to the Medical Genetics Department at the Bezmialem...

  10. Ovarian transcriptome associated with reproductive senescence in the long-living Ames dwarf mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Augusto; Matkovich, Scot J; Saccon, Tatiana; Victoria, Berta; Spinel, Lina; Lavasani, Mitra; Bartke, Andrzej; Golusinski, Pawel; Masternak, Michal M

    2017-01-05

    The aim of the current work was to evaluate the ovarian follicle reserve and the ovarian transcriptome in Ames dwarf (df/df) mice. The results suggest a delayed ovarian aging in df/df mice compared to normal (N) mice. Although a high number of genes were differentially expressed during aging of N mice, only a small fraction of these changed with aging in df/df mice. These alterations involved more than 500 categorized biological processes. The majority of these biological processes, including inflammatory/immune responses, were up-regulated with aging in N mice, while old df/df mice were characterized by down-regulation of these same processes in comparison to age matched N mice. However, biological processes related to DNA damage and repairing were commonly down-regulated with aging in both genotypes. In conclusion, delayed ovarian aging in long-living df/df mice was associated with reduced expression of genes related to the inflammatory and immune responses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Nitric oxide and thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 contribute to ovarian follicular development in immature hyper- and hypo-thyroid rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Kaizhi; Sulieman, Fedail Jaafar; Li, Junrong; Wei, Quanwei; Xu, Mulin; Shi, Fangxiong

    2015-03-01

    Thyroid dysfunction can cause ovarian cycle and ovulatory disturbances, however, the molecular link(s) between these two disorders remains largely unknown. In the current study, we examined the roles of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 (TRα1) in these disorders using immature hyper-thyroid (hyper-T) and hypo-thyroid (hypo-T) rats. In comparison to controls, hyper-T rats had higher serum concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), whereas hypo-T rats had lower serum T3 and T4. Serum estradiol (E2) level was decreased in both hyper-T and hypo-T animals and serum E2 in hyper-T rats were lower than in hypo-T rats. We found that neuronal NOS (nNOS) and TRα1 were present in oocytes, granulosa cells and theca cells of all examined rat groups. Ovarian nitric oxide (NO) content and the constitutive NOS (cNOS) activity in hyper-T rats were significantly decreased compared with control or hypo-T rats. Moreover, the number of large antral follicles was reduced in hyper-T rats, and number of primordial follicles was decreased in hypo-T rats compared with control rats. In conclusion, we observed an association between thyroid hormone and NO signaling pathways during the process of ovarian follicular development in immature rats. In hyperthyroidism, thyroid hormones induced an estrogen deficiency that inhibited the function of nNOS, resulting in the inhibition of NO synthesis and suppressed development of large antral follicles, while in hypothyroidism only development of primordial follicles was inhibited. Copyright © 2014 Society for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  12. Detection of DNA damage in oocytes of small ovarian follicles following phosphoramide mustard exposures of cultured rodent ovaries in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrillo, Stephanie K.; Desmeules, Patrice; Truong, To-Quyen; Devine, Patrick J.

    2011-01-01

    Healthy oocytes are critical for producing healthy children, but little is known about whether or not oocytes have the capacity to identify and recover from injury. Using a model ovotoxic alkylating drug, cyclophosphamide (CPA), and its active metabolite, phosphoramide mustard (PM), we previously showed that PM (≥ 3 μM) caused significant follicle loss in postnatal day 4 (PND4) mouse ovaries in vitro. We now investigate whether PM induces DNA damage in oocytes, examining histone H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX), a marker of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Exposure of cultured PND4 mouse ovaries to 3 and 0.1 μM PM induced significant losses of primordial and small primary follicles, respectively. PM-induced γH2AX was observed predominantly in oocytes, in which foci of γH2AX staining increased in a concentration-dependent manner and peaked 18-24 h after exposure to 3-10 μM PM. Numbers of oocytes with ≥ 5 γH2AX foci were significantly increased both 1 and 8 days after exposure to ≥ 1 μM PM compared to controls. Inhibiting the kinases that phosphorylate H2AX significantly increased follicle loss relative to PM alone. In adult mice, CPA also induced follicle loss in vivo. PM also significantly decreased primordial follicle numbers (≥ 30 μM) and increased γH2AX foci (≥ 3 μM) in cultured PND4 Sprague-Dawley rat ovaries. Results suggest oocytes can detect PM-induced damage at or below concentrations which cause significant follicle loss, and there are quantitative species-specific differences in sensitivity. Surviving oocytes with DNA damage may represent an increased risk for fertility problems or unhealthy offspring.

  13. Serum inhibin B in polycystic ovary syndrome as a potential marker of ovarian dysfunction

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    Ćetković Aleksandar

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is one of the most common causes of anovulation, infertility and hyperandrogenism, and the prevalence of this condition in women of reproductive is 5-10%. The growth of early ovarian antral follicles is arrested and dominant follicle selection is disturbed in this syndrome. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to investigate whether inhibin B serum concentrations represent the extent of ovarian abnormalities in patients with PCOS. METHOD Inhibin B serum concentrations on the third day of spontaneous menstrual cycle and other endocrine characteristics were compared between 20 patients with PCOS and 19 healthy women in the control group. RESULTS Inhibin B concentrations were not significantly different between women with PCOS and women in the control group. In patients with PCOS there was statistically significant correlation between serum inhibin B and LH (r=0.514; p=0.021. There were no positive correlations between inhibin B and others endocrine parameters in patients with PCOS (FSH, E2, T, androstenedione. CONCLUSION Inhibin B serum concentrations on the third day of spontaneous menstrual cycle in women with PCOS are not different from the concentrations in healthy women. Serum Inhibin B levels in patients with PCOS are only slightly correlated with the endocrine markers of the disease so it could not represent the magnitude of ovarian dysfunction in this syndrome.

  14. Culture of bovine ovarian follicle wall sections maintained the highly estrogenic profile under basal and chemically defined conditions

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    Vasconcelos, R.B. [Laboratório de Biotecnologia da Reprodução, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Salles, L.P. [Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Silva, I. Oliveira e; Gulart, L.V.M. [Laboratório de Biotecnologia da Reprodução, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Souza, D.K. [Laboratório de Biotecnologia da Reprodução, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Faculdade de Ceilândia, Universidade de Brasília, Ceilândia, DF (Brazil); Torres, F.A.G. [Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Bocca, A.L. [Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil); Silva, A.A.M. Rosa e [Laboratório de Biotecnologia da Reprodução, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF (Brazil)

    2013-08-16

    Follicle cultures reproduce in vitro the functional features observed in vivo. In a search for an ideal model, we cultured bovine antral follicle wall sections (FWS) in a serum-free defined medium (DM) known to induce 17β-estradiol (E{sub 2}) production, and in a nondefined medium (NDM) containing serum. Follicles were sectioned and cultured in NDM or DM for 24 or 48 h. Morphological features were determined by light microscopy. Gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor were determined by RT-PCR; progesterone (P{sub 4}) and E{sub 2} concentrations in the media were measured by radioimmunoassay. DM, but not NDM, maintained an FWS morphology in vitro that was similar to fresh tissue. DM also induced an increase in the expression of all steroidogenic enzymes, except FSH receptor, but NDM did not. In both DM and NDM, there was a gradual increase in P{sub 4} throughout the culture period; however, P{sub 4} concentration was significantly higher in NDM. In both media, E{sub 2} concentration was increased at 24 h, followed by a decrease at 48 h. The E{sub 2}:P{sub 4} ratio was higher in DM than in NDM. These results suggest that DM maintains morphological structure, upregulates the expression of steroidogenic enzyme genes, and maintains steroid production with a high E{sub 2}:P{sub 4} ratio in FWS cultures.

  15. Increased Progesterone/Estradiol Ratio on the Day of hCG Administration Adversely Affects Success of In Vitro Fertilization–Embryo Transfer in Patients Stimulated with Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonist and Recombinant Follicle-stimulating Hormone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Che Ou

    2008-06-01

    Conclusion: Premature luteinization, defined as late follicular P/E2 ratio of > 1 in long GnRHa cycles with rFSH stimulation, adversely affected ovarian responses and clinical outcomes. It seems unrelated to preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH elevation and LH/hCG content of gonadotropins and could be associated with poor ovarian response and the presence of dysmature follicles. [Taiwan J Obstet Cynecol 2008;47(2:1 68-1 74

  16. Orthotopic transplantation of cryopreserved mouse ovaries and gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogues in the restoration of function following chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage.

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    Qing Li

    Full Text Available Therapy advances are constantly improving survival rates of cancer patients, however the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs can seriously affect patients' quality of life. In women, fertility and premature ovarian endocrine dysfunction are of particular concern. It is urgently we find methods to preserve or reconstruct ovarian function for these women. This study compares GnRHa treatment with ovarian tissue cryopreservation and orthotopic transplantation in a chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage murine model. 56 inbred Lewis rats were divided into 4 treatment groups: Saline control (group I; cyclophosphamide only (group II; cyclophosphamide plus GnRHa (group III; cyclophosphamide and grafting of thawed cryopreserved ovaries (group IV. Body weight, estrous cycle recovery time, ovarian weight, morphology and follicle count, as well as breeding and fertility were compared among groups. Only group IV was able to restore to normal body weight by the end of the observation period and resumed normal estrous cycles in a shorter time compared to other treatment groups. There was a decrease in primordial follicles in all treatment groups, but group III had the greatest reduction. Although, there was no difference in pregnancy, only one animal littered normal pups in group II, none littered in group III and four littered in group IV. Thus, cryopreservation and orthotopic transplantation of ovarian tissue can restore the fertility of rats subjected to chemotherapy in a manner that is superior to GnRHa treatment. We also observed increased rates of hepatic, splenic and pulmonary haemorrhage in group III, suggesting there may be synergistic toxicity of GnRHa and cyclophosphamide.

  17. Gene expression profiling of preovulatory follicle in the buffalo cow: effects of increased IGF-I concentration on periovulatory events.

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    Jyotsna U Rao

    Full Text Available The preovulatory follicle in response to gonadotropin surge undergoes dramatic biochemical, and morphological changes orchestrated by expression changes in hundreds of genes. Employing well characterized bovine preovulatory follicle model, granulosa cells (GCs and follicle wall were collected from the preovulatory follicle before, 1, 10 and 22 h post peak LH surge. Microarray analysis performed on GCs revealed that 450 and 111 genes were differentially expressed at 1 and 22 h post peak LH surge, respectively. For validation, qPCR and immunocytochemistry analyses were carried out for some of the differentially expressed genes. Expression analysis of many of these genes showed distinct expression patterns in GCs and the follicle wall. To study molecular functions and genetic networks, microarray data was analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis which revealed majority of the differentially expressed genes to cluster within processes like steroidogenesis, cell survival and cell differentiation. In the ovarian follicle, IGF-I is established to be an important regulator of the above mentioned molecular functions. Thus, further experiments were conducted to verify the effects of increased intrafollicular IGF-I levels on the expression of genes associated with the above mentioned processes. For this purpose, buffalo cows were administered with exogenous bGH to transiently increase circulating and intrafollicular concentrations of IGF-I. The results indicated that increased intrafollicular concentrations of IGF-I caused changes in expression of genes associated with steroidogenesis (StAR, SRF and apoptosis (BCL-2, FKHR, PAWR. These results taken together suggest that onset of gonadotropin surge triggers activation of various biological pathways and that the effects of growth factors and peptides on gonadotropin actions could be examined during preovulatory follicle development.

  18. Ovarian response markers lead to appropriate and effective use of corifollitropin alpha in assisted reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Marca, Antonio; D'Ippolito, Giovanni

    2014-02-01

    Corifollitropin alpha is a highly effective gonadotrophin, which maintains multifollicular growth for a week. The advantages of its administration include ease of use of the drug, making the treatment more patient friendly, resulting in a lower level of distress for the patient. At the same time, the pregnancy rate resulting from its use in IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles is similar to that found when daily recombinant FSH is administered. The ovarian response to corifollitropin alpha is dependent on clinically established predictors such as baseline FSH, antral follicle count (AFC) and age. There is a general trend towards a higher ovarian response with an increasing AFC and the number of oocytes per attempt decreased with increasing baseline FSH and age. Even if the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome following corifollitropin alpha is very similar to the rate reported in literature for young women undergoing IVF, the risk of overstimulation may be reduced by avoiding maximal ovarian stimulation in women anticipated to be hyperresponders. High basal anti-Müllerian hormone and/or AFC can identify women with enhanced functional ovarian reserve at risk of overstimulation, and the risk is even higher if maximally stimulated with corifollitropin alpha or high dose of daily recombinant FSH. Corifollitropin alpha is a highly effective gonadotrophin which maintains multifollicular growth for a week. The ovarian response to corifollitropin was demonstrated to be dependent on clinically established predictors such as baseline FSH, antral follicle count (AFC) and age. There was a general trend toward a higher ovarian response with an increasing AFC and the mean number of oocytes per attempt decreased with increasing baseline FSH and age. Even if the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) following corifollitropin alpha is very similar to the rate of OHSS reported in literature for young women undergoing IVF, the risk of overstimulation may be

  19. Role of Scrib and Dlg in anterior-posterior patterning of the follicular epithelium during Drosophila oogenesis

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    Yu Lingzhu

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Proper patterning of the follicle cell epithelium over the egg chamber is essential for the Drosophila egg development. Differentiation of the epithelium into several distinct cell types along the anterior-posterior axis requires coordinated activities of multiple signaling pathways. Previously, we reported that lethal(2giant larvae (lgl, a Drosophila tumor suppressor gene, is required in the follicle cells for the posterior follicle cell (PFC fate induction at mid-oogenesis. Here we explore the role of another two tumor suppressor genes, scribble (scrib and discs large (dlg, in the epithelial patterning. Results We found that removal of scrib or dlg function from the follicle cells at posterior terminal of the egg chamber causes a complete loss of the PFC fate. Aberrant specification and differentiation of the PFCs in the mosaic clones can be ascribed to defects in coordinated activation of the EGFR, JAK and Notch signaling pathways in the multilayered cells. Meanwhile, the clonal analysis revealed that loss-of-function mutations in scrib/dlg at the anterior domains result in a partially penetrant phenotype of defective induction of the stretched and centripetal cell fate, whereas specification of the border cell fate can still occur in the most anterior region of the mutant clones. Further, we showed that scrib genetically interacts with dlg in regulating posterior patterning of the epithelium. Conclusion In this study we provide evidence that scrib and dlg function differentially in anterior and posterior patterning of the follicular epithelium at oogenesis. Further genetic analysis indicates that scrib and dlg act in a common pathway to regulate PFC fate induction. This study may open another window for elucidating role of scrib/dlg in controlling epithelial polarity and cell proliferation during development.

  20. Early Alterations in Ovarian Surface Epithelial Cells and Induction of Ovarian Epithelial Tumors Triggered by Loss of FSH Receptor

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    Xinlei Chen

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the behavior of the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE, which plays a central role in ovarian cancer etiology. It has been suggested that incessant ovulation causes OSE changes leading to transformation and that high gonadotropin levels during postmenopause activate OSE receptors, inducing proliferation. We examined the chronology of OSE changes, including tumor appearance, in a mouse model where ovulation never occurs due to deletion of follitropin receptor. Changes in epithelial cells were marked by pan-cytokeratin (CK staining. Histologic changes and CK staining in the OSE increased from postnatal day 2. CK staining was observed inside the ovary by 24 days and increased thereafter in tumor-bearing animals. Ovaries from a third of aged (1 year mutant mice showed CK deep inside, indicating cell migration. These tumors resembled serous papillary adenoma of human ovaries. Weak expression of GATA-4 and elevation of PCNA, cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, and plateletderived growth factor receptors α and β in mutants indicated differences in cell proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. Thus, we report that OSE changes occur long before epithelial tumors appear in FORKO mice. Our results suggest that neither incessant ovulation nor follicle-stimulating hormone receptor presence in the OSE is required for inducing ovarian tumors; thus, other mechanisms must contribute to ovarian tumorigenesis.

  1. Antral Follicle Count Predicts Natural Menopause in a Population-Based Sample: The CARDIA Women’s Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wellons, Melissa F.; Bates, Gordon Wright; Schreiner, Pamela J.; Siscovick, David S.; Sternfeld, Barbara; Lewis, Cora E.

    2013-01-01

    Objective The timing of menopause is associated with multiple chronic diseases. Tools to predict this milestone have relevance for clinical and research purposes. Among infertile women, a positive relationship exists between antral follicle count (AFC) and response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, a marker of ovarian reserve. However, a relationship between AFC and menopause that is age-independent has not been demonstrated. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the relationship between AFC measured in women at ages 34–49 and incident natural menopause over 7-years of follow-up. Methods The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study is a longitudinal community-based study (Chicago, Illinois; Birmingham, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Oakland, California) begun in 1985–1986. In 2002–03, the CARDIA Women’s Study measured FSH levels and performed a transvaginal ultrasound protocol that included AFC (2mm–10mm follicles on both ovaries). Incident natural menopause was assessed by survey in 2005–06 and 2009–10. Results In our sample (n=456), median AFC and FSH were 5 (IQR 2–9) and 7.8 mIU/mL (IQR 5.6–11.0), respectively, at a mean age of 42 (range 34–49) in 2002–03. 101 women reported natural menopause by 2009–10. In Cox models, current smoking, stable menses, FSH>13, and AFC ≤4 were independently associated with incident natural menopause. Compared to AFC >4, those with AFC ≤4 were nearly twice as likely to have undergone menopause over 7-years of follow-up (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.19–3.02) after adjustment for covariates. Conclusion AFC is independently associated with natural menopause over 7-years of follow-up after controlling for other markers of ovarian aging. PMID:23422869

  2. Individualization of controlled ovarian stimulation in IVF using ovarian reserve markers: from theory to practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Marca, Antonio; Sunkara, Sesh Kamal

    2014-01-01

    The main objective of individualization of treatment in IVF is to offer every single woman the best treatment tailored to her own unique characteristics, thus maximizing the chances of pregnancy and eliminating the iatrogenic and avoidable risks resulting from ovarian stimulation. Personalization of treatment in IVF should be based on the prediction of ovarian response for every individual. The starting point is to identify if a woman is likely to have a normal, poor or a hyper response and choose the ideal treatment protocol tailored to this prediction. The objective of this review is to summarize the predictive ability of ovarian reserve markers, such as antral follicle count (AFC) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and the therapeutic strategies that have been proposed in IVF after this prediction. A systematic review of the existing literature was performed by searching Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane library and Web of Science for publications in the English language related to AFC, AMH and their incorporation into controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) protocols in IVF. Literature available to May 2013 was included. The search generated 305 citations of which 41 and 25 studies, respectively, reporting the ability of AMH and AFC to predict response to COS were included in this review. The literature review demonstrated that AFC and AMH, the most sensitive markers of ovarian reserve identified to date, are ideal in planning personalized COS protocols. These sensitive markers permit prediction of the whole spectrum of ovarian response with reliable accuracy and clinicians may use either of the two markers as they can be considered interchangeable. Following the categorization of expected ovarian response to stimulation clinicians can adopt tailored therapeutic strategies for each patient. Current scientific trend suggests the elective use of the GnRH antagonist based regimen for hyper-responders, and probably also poor responders, as likely to be beneficial. The

  3. Expression of growth differentiation factor 9 messenger RNA in porcine growing and preovulatory ovarian follicles

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Procházka, Radek; Němcová, Lucie; Nagyová, Eva; Kaňka, Jiří

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 71, - (2004), s. 1290-1295 ISSN 0006-3363 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/01/0903; GA AV ČR IAA5045102 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5045916 Keywords : cumulus cells * follicle * granulosa cells Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.550, year: 2004

  4. Circulating AMH reflects ovarian morphology by magnetic resonance imaging and 3D ultrasound in 121 healthy girls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hagen, Casper P; Mouritsen, Annette; Mieritz, Mikkel G

    2015-01-01

    aimed to evaluate whether serum levels of AMH reflects ovarian morphology in healthy girls. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a population-based cohort study involving the general community. PARTICIPANTS: Included in the study were 121 healthy girls 9.8-14.7 years of age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical...... volume, follicles ≥1 mm. Circulating levels of AMH, inhibin B, estradiol, FSH, and LH were assessed by immunoassays; T and androstenedione were assessed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: AMH reflected the number of small (MRI 2-3 mm) and medium (4-6 mm) follicles (Pearson's Rho...

  5. Preovulatory progesterone concentration associates significantly to follicle number and LH concentration but not to pregnancy rate

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    Yding Andersen, Claus; Bungum, Leif; Nyboe Andersen, Anders

    2011-01-01

    Using data from a large prospective randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effect of recombinant LH (rLH)co-administration for ovarian stimulation, the present study assessed whether progesterone concentration on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration was associated...... with or without rLH administration from day 6 of stimulation. There was no significant association between the late-follicular-phase progesterone concentration and the clinical pregnancy rate. However, progesterone concentration was strongly associated with the number of follicles and retrieved oocytes. Late...

  6. Polycystic ovarian disease: US features in 104 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, H C; Futterweit, W; Thornton, J C

    1987-04-01

    Ultrasonographic (US) study was performed in 25 healthy women and 104 patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). Although the average size of ovaries in the PCOD patients was much larger than that of the healthy women, 29.7% of ovaries in the PCOD patients were normal in size. The shapes of the ovaries (roundness index) in PCOD patients were not different from those of the healthy women. There was no significant correlation between the size and shape of the ovaries. Bilaterally enlarged, globular-shaped ovaries were rare and usually asymmetric in size. The most important feature of PCOD on US scans is the bilaterally increased numbers of developing follicles (0.5-0.8 cm in size), usually more than five in each ovary. Although maturing follicles (1.5-2.9 cm) are much rarer in PCOD patients (13.5%) than in healthy women (36%), the incidences of follicular cysts (greater than 3 cm) was about the same in both.

  7. Cryopreservation and xenografting of human ovarian fragments: medulla decreases the phosphatidylserine translocation rate

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    Vladimir Isachenko

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Phosphatidylserine is the phospholipid component which plays a key role in cell cycle signaling, specifically in regards to necrosis and apoptosis. When a cell affected by some negative factors, phosphatidylserine is no longer restricted to the intracellular side of membrane and can be translocated to the extracellular surface of the cell. Cryopreservation can induce translocation of phosphatidylserine in response to hypoxia, increasing intracellular Ca2+, osmotic disruption of cellular membranes, generation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation. As such the aim of this study was to test the level of phosphatidylserine translocation in frozen human medulla-contained and medulla-free ovarian tissue fragments. Methods Ovarian fragments from twelve patients were divided into small pieces of two types, medulla-free cortex (Group 1, n = 42, 1.5–3.0 × 1.5–3.0 × 0.5–0.8 mm and cortex with medulla (Group 2, n = 42, 1.5–3.0 × 1.5–3.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm, pre-cooled after operative removal to 5 °C for 24 h and then conventionally frozen with 6 % dimethyl sulfoxide, 6 % ethylene glycol and 0.15 M sucrose in standard 5-ml cryo-vials. After thawing at +100 °C and step-wise removal of cryoprotectants in 0.5 M sucrose, ovarian pieces were xenografted to SCID mice for 45 days. The efficacy of tissues cryopreservation, taking into account the presence or absence of medulla, was evaluated by the development of follicles (histology with hematoxylin-eosin and through the intensity of translocation of phosphatidylserine (FACS with FITC-Annexin V and Propidium Iodide. Results For Groups 1 and 2, the mean densities of follicles per 1 mm3 were 9.8, and 9.0, respectively. In these groups, 90 and 90 % preantral follicles appeared morphologically normal. However, FACS analysis showed a significantly decreased intensity of translocation of phosphatidylserine (FITC-Annexin V positive after

  8. Ovarian characteristics in sheep with multiple fecundity genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNatty, Kenneth P; Heath, Derek A; Clark, Zaramasina; Reader, Karen; Juengel, Jennifer L; Pitman, Janet L

    2017-02-01

    Ewes heterozygous for combinations of the Inverdale (FecX I ; I+), Booroola (FecB; B+) and Woodlands (FecX2 W ; W+) mutations have ovulation rates higher than each mutation separately. The aims of the experiments described herein were to examine the ovarian phenotypes in I+B+ and I+B+W+ ewes and to compare these with the appropriate ++ (controls), I+ and BB animals available for this study. The mean ± s.e.m. ovulation rates in the ++ (n = 23), I+ (10), I+B+ (7), I+B+W+ (10) and BB (3) animals were 1.8 ± 0.1, 2.5 ± 0.2, 6.6 ± 1.0, 9.6 ± 0.9 and 9.7 ± 0.9 respectively. The maximum number of granulosa cells per follicle in the ++ and I+ genotypes was accumulated after exceeding 5 mm diameter, whereas in I+B+, I+B+W+ and BB animals, this was achieved when follicles reached >2-3 mm. The number of putative preovulatory follicles, as assessed from those with LH-responsive granulosa cells, 24 h after the induction of luteolysis, was higher (P Reproduction and Fertility.

  9. Drosophila Myc is required for normal DREF gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dang Thi Phuong Thao; Seto, Hirokazu; Yamaguchi, Masamitsu

    2008-01-01

    The Drosophila DNA replication-related element-binding factor (dDREF) is required for the expression of many proliferation-related genes carrying the DRE sequence, 5'-TATCGATA. Finding a canonical E-box, 5'-CACGTG, in the dDREF gene promoter prompted us to explore the possibility that the dDREF gene is a target of Drosophila Myc (dMyc). Luciferase transient expression assays combined with RNA interference in Drosophila S2 cells revealed that knockdown of dmyc reduced dDREF gene promoter activity by 35% to 82%, an effect at least partly mediated by the E-box in the promoter. dm 4 /Y hemizygous mutant larvae demonstrated no maternal dMyc and severe impairment of dDREF mRNA transcription. dMyc loss of function in dm 2 /dm 2 homozygous mutant follicle cell clones also resulted in loss of anti-dDREF immunostaining in nuclei. In contrast, co-expression of dMyc-dMax up-regulated dDREF promoter activity in S2 cells. Furthermore, dMyc over-expressing clones exhibited a high level of dDREF gene expression in wing and eye discs. These results taken together indicate that dMyc is indeed required for dDREF gene expression

  10. Mouse preantral follicle growth in 3D co-culture system using human menstrual blood mesenchymal stem cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajabi, Zahra; Yazdekhasti, Hossein; Noori Mugahi, Seyed Mohammad Hossein; Abbasi, Mehdi; Kazemnejad, Somaieh; Shirazi, Abolfazl; Majidi, Masoumeh; Zarnani, Amir-Hassan

    2018-03-01

    Follicle culture provides a condition which can help investigators to evaluate various aspects of ovarian follicle growth and development and impact of different components and supplementations as well as presumably application of follicle culture approach in fertility preservation procedures. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), particularly those isolated from menstrual blood has the potential to be used as a tool for improvement of fertility. In the current study, a 3D co-culture system with mice preantral follicles and human Menstrual Blood Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MenSCs) using either collagen or alginate beads was designed to investigate whether this system allows better preantral follicles growth and development. Results showed that MenSCs increase the indices of follicular growth including survival rate, diameter, and antrum formation as well as the rate of in vitro maturation (IVM) in both collagen and alginates beads. Although statistically not significant, alginate was found to be superior in terms of supporting survival rate and antrum formation. Hormone assay demonstrated that the amount of secreted 17 β-estradiol and progesterone in both 3D systems increased dramatically after 12 days, with the highest levels in system employing MenSCs. Data also demonstrated that relative expression of studied genes increased for Bmp15 and Gdf9 and decreased for Mater when follicles were cultured in the presence of MenSCs. Collectively, results of the present study showed that MenSCs could improve indices of follicular growth and maturation in vitro. Further studies are needed before a clinical application of MenSCs-induced IVM is considered. Copyright © 2018 Society for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. All rights reserved.

  11. Morphological changes in ovaries and histological changes in tertiary ovarian follicles in ewes after protracted irradiation in anoestrus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halagan, J.; Arendarcik, J.; Molnarova, M.; Stanikova, A.

    1985-01-01

    Changes in volume and weight and histomorphological changes of the tertiary follicles of ewes were studied by morphometric and qualitative histological methods after protracted irradiation to a dose of 4.8 Gy in the anoestrous period. The trial was performed in May with 21 ewes of the Slovak Merino breed, divided into three groups. The first group (five ewes) were the controls. The second and third groups (each containing eight ewes) were exposed to gamma rays for five days. Within ten days after treatment, all the irradiated and control ewes were given Ampicillin Spofa per os at a dose of 250 mg per head/day and Roboran Spofa at a dose of 10 g per head/day. The animals were killed by bleeding on the fifth day of irradiation and on the tenth day after the end of treatment. The volume and weight of the ovaries were determined and the common histological method was used to cut these ovaries into 7 μm slices in series 70 μm apart. The slices were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and were evaluated by means of light microscopy. After irradiation the weight of the ovaries was found to decrease significantly; however, the ovary volume remained unchanged. The atretic and non-atretic tertiary follicles were subjected to qualitative histological differentiation after Marion et al. (1968) and the number of non-atretic follicles was found to have decreased significantly in the irradiated ewes. The late type of atresia contributes most significantly to an increase in the proportion of atretic tertiary follicles. The administration of vitamins after irradiation reduced the occurrence of atretic changes. (author)

  12. Microscopic morphology and apoptosis of ovarian tissue after cryopreservation using a vitrification method in post-hatching turkey poults, Meleagris gallopavo

    Science.gov (United States)

    1. Microscopic morphology of ovarian tissue in post-hatching turkey poults at various ages was investigated. 2. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used and the diameter of the oocytes and follicles were measured using microphotography. 3. Immediately after hatching, oocytes in one-day turkey pou...

  13. Antral follicle count in normal (fertility-proven) and infertile Indian women.

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    Agarwal, Arjit; Verma, Ashish; Agarwal, Shubhra; Shukla, Ram Chandra; Jain, Madhu; Srivastava, Arvind

    2014-07-01

    Antral follicle count (AFC) has been labeled as the most accurate biomarker to assess female fecundity. Unfortunately, no baseline Indian data exists, and we continue using surrogate values from the Western literature (inferred from studies on women, grossly different than Indian women in morphology and genetic makeup). (1) To establish the role of AFC as a function of ovarian reserve in fertility-proven and in subfertile Indian women. (2) To establish baseline cut-off AFC values for Indian women. Prospective observational case-control study. Thirty patients undergoing workup for infertility were included and compared to equal number of controls (women with proven fertility). The basal ovarian volume and AFC were measured by endovaginal. USG the relevant clinical data and hormonal assays were charted for every patient. SPSS platform was used to perform the Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test for intergroup comparisons. Correlations were determined by Pearson's ranked correlation coefficient. Regression analysis revealed the highest correlation of AFC and age in fertile and infertile patients with difference in mean AFC of both the groups. Comparison of the data recorded for cases and controls showed no significant difference in the mean ovarian volume. AFC has the closest association with chronological age in normal and infertile Indian women. The same is lower in infertile women than in matched controls. Baseline and cut-off values in Indian women are lower than that mentioned in the Western literature.

  14. Scavenger receptors mediate the role of SUMO and Ftz-f1 in Drosophila steroidogenesis.

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    Ana Talamillo

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available SUMOylation participates in ecdysteroid biosynthesis at the onset of metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster. Silencing the Drosophila SUMO homologue smt3 in the prothoracic gland leads to reduced lipid content, low ecdysone titers, and a block in the larval-pupal transition. Here we show that the SR-BI family of Scavenger Receptors mediates SUMO functions. Reduced levels of Snmp1 compromise lipid uptake in the prothoracic gland. In addition, overexpression of Snmp1 is able to recover lipid droplet levels in the smt3 knockdown prothoracic gland cells. Snmp1 expression depends on Ftz-f1 (an NR5A-type orphan nuclear receptor, the expression of which, in turn, depends on SUMO. Furthermore, we show by in vitro and in vivo experiments that Ftz-f1 is SUMOylated. RNAi-mediated knockdown of ftz-f1 phenocopies that of smt3 at the larval to pupal transition, thus Ftz-f1 is an interesting candidate to mediate some of the functions of SUMO at the onset of metamorphosis. Additionally, we demonstrate that the role of SUMOylation, Ftz-f1, and the Scavenger Receptors in lipid capture and mobilization is conserved in other steroidogenic tissues such as the follicle cells of the ovary. smt3 knockdown, as well as ftz-f1 or Scavenger knockdown, depleted the lipid content of the follicle cells, which could be rescued by Snmp1 overexpression. Therefore, our data provide new insights into the regulation of metamorphosis via lipid homeostasis, showing that Drosophila Smt3, Ftz-f1, and SR-BIs are part of a general mechanism for uptake of lipids such as cholesterol, required during development in steroidogenic tissues.

  15. Expression of matrix metalloproteinases and ovarian morphological changes in androgenized cyclic female guinea pigs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jun-rong; Shen, Ting; Wang, Yan-li; Wei, Quan-wei; Shi, Fang-xiong

    2016-02-01

    This study was conducted to investigate expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and ovarian morphological changes in androgenized cyclic female guinea pigs. Adult cyclic female guinea pigs were injected daily for 28 days with medium doses of testosterone propionate (TP; 1 mg/100g), high doses of TP (2 mg/100g), or saline (control). Serum concentrations of testosterone, estradiol (E2), and progesterone (P4) were measured. Histologic sections of ovaries were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and by immunohistochemistry. Expressions of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the ovary were characterized by immunohistochemistry. After 28 days of TP injection, serum testosterone concentrations were increased dose-dependently. An appropriate dosage of TP could induce permanent anovulation in guinea pigs, making them a potential model for human polycystic ovary syndrome. MMP-2 and MMP-9 are jointly involved in the growth and atresia of ovarian follicles in cyclic guinea pigs. Increased numbers of atretic antral follicles in the ovary might be associated with the observed high expression of MMP-2 in androgenized cyclic guinea pigs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Individualization of the FSH starting dose in IVF/ICSI cycles using the antral follicle count

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    La Marca Antonio

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The FSH starting dose is usually chosen according to women’s age, anamnesis, clinical criteria and markers of ovarian reserve. Currently used markers include antral follicle count (AFC, which is considered to have a very high performance in predicting ovarian response to FSH. The objective of the present study to elaborate a nomogram based on AFC for the calculation of the appropriate FSH starting dose in IVF cycles. Methods This is a retrospective study performed at the Mother-Infant Department of Modena University Hospital. IVF patients (n=505 were subjected to blood sampling and transvaginal ultrasound for measurement of serum day3 FSH, estradiol and AFC. The variables predictive of the number of retrieved oocytes were assessed by backwards stepwise multiple regression. The variables reaching the statistical significance were then used in the calculation for the final predictive model. Results A model based on age, AFC and FSH was able to accurately predict the ovarian sensitivity and accounted for 30% of the variability of ovarian response to FSH. An FSH dosage nomogram was constructed and overall it predicts a starting dose lower than 225 IU in 50.2% and 18.1% of patients younger and older than 35 years, respectively. Conclusions The daily FSH dose may be calculated on the basis of age and two markers of ovarian reserve, namely AFC and FSH, with the last two variables being the most significant predictors. The nomogram seems easily applicable during the daily clinical practice.

  17. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and biomarkers of ovarian reserve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jukic, Anne Marie Z; Baird, Donna D; Wilcox, Allen J; Weinberg, Clarice R; Steiner, Anne Z

    2018-07-01

    The aim of the study was to examine the associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and biomarkers of ovarian reserve in a large community-based sample of women. In 2010 to 2016, women aged 30 to 44 years without any known fertility problems were recruited from the Chapel Hill, NC area for a prospective time-to-pregnancy cohort study. At enrollment 561 women provided a blood sample that was used to measure 25(OH)D, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone, and inhibin-B. Unadjusted associations were estimated with Spearman correlation coefficients. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate associations of 25(OH)D with ovarian reserve biomarkers, after adjusting for age, race, body mass index, smoking history, and recent use of hormonal birth control. The mean 25(OH)D was 36 ng/mL (SD = 11 ng/mL). 25(OH)D was not correlated with AMH, follicle-stimulating hormone, or inhibin-B (all r < 0.03). Multivariable results with continuous hormonal outcomes were also null. For dichotomous outcomes, there was a tendency for insufficient 25(OH)D (<30 ng/mL) to be associated with low AMH (<0.7 ng/mL) (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.8 [0.9-4]). For the most part, 25(OH)D was not associated with ovarian reserve biomarkers in a group of women trying to become pregnant. We found some evidence that low 25(OH)D (<30 ng/mL) was associated with low AMH, but this should be confirmed in studies with a higher prevalence of low 25(OH)D.

  18. Methoxychlor reduces estradiol levels by altering steroidogenesis and metabolism in mouse antral follicles in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basavarajappa, Mallikarjuna S.; Craig, Zelieann R.; Hernandez-Ochoa, Isabel; Paulose, Tessie; Leslie, Traci C.; Flaws, Jodi A.

    2011-01-01

    The organochlorine pesticide methoxychlor (MXC) is a known endocrine disruptor that affects adult rodent females by causing reduced fertility, persistent estrus, and ovarian atrophy. Since MXC is also known to target antral follicles, the major producer of sex steroids in the ovary, the present study was designed to test the hypothesis that MXC decreases estradiol (E 2 ) levels by altering steroidogenic and metabolic enzymes in the antral follicles. To test this hypothesis, antral follicles were isolated from CD-1 mouse ovaries and cultured with either dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or MXC. Follicle growth was measured every 24 h for 96 h. In addition, sex steroid hormone levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and mRNA expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes as well as the E 2 metabolic enzyme Cyp1b1 were measured using qPCR. The results indicate that MXC decreased E 2 , testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone (P 4 ) levels compared to DMSO. In addition, MXC decreased expression of aromatase (Cyp19a1), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (Hsd17b1), 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (Cyp17a1), 3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (Hsd3b1), cholesterol side-chain cleavage (Cyp11a1), steroid acute regulatory protein (Star), and increased expression of Cyp1b1 enzyme levels. Thus, these data suggest that MXC decreases steroidogenic enzyme levels, increases metabolic enzyme expression and this in turn leads to decreased sex steroid hormone levels. - Highlights: → MXC inhibits steroidogenesis → MXC inhibits steroidogenic enzymes → MXC induces metabolic enzymes

  19. Assessing The Impact Of Cancer Therapies On Ovarian Reserve

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracia, Clarisa R.; Sammel, Mary D.; Freeman, Ellen; Prewitt, Maureen; Carlson, Claire; Ray, Anushree; Vance, Ashley; Ginsberg, Jill P.

    2013-01-01

    Objective To determine whether measures of ovarian reserve differ between females exposed to cancer therapies in a dose-dependent manner as compared to healthy controls of similar age and late-reproductive age. Design Cross-sectional analysis of data from a prospective cohort study Setting University Medical Center Patients 71 cancer survivors age 15-39; 67 healthy, similarly aged unexposed subjects; 69 regularly menstruating women of late-reproductive age (40-52 years). Interventions: None Main Outcome measures Early follicular phase hormones (FSH, Estradiol, Inhibin B, AMH) and ovarian ultrasound measurements (ovarian volume and Antral Follicle Counts) were compared using multivariable linear regression. Results In adjusted models, FSH, AMH and AFC differed between exposed vs. unexposed (FSH 11.12mIU/ml vs. 7.25mIU/ml, p=0.001; AMH 0.81ng/ml vs. 2.85ng/ml, pscore was associated with increased levels of FSH (p= 0.016) and decreased levels of AMH (p=0.003). Exposure to pelvic radiation was associated with impairment in FSH, AMH, AFC and ovarian volume. AMH was similar in women previously exposed to high-dose cancer therapy and 40-42 year old controls. Conclusions Measures of ovarian reserve are impaired in a dose-dependent manner among cancer survivors compared to unexposed females of similar age. Reproductive hormone levels in menstruating survivors exposed to high-dose therapy are similar to late-reproductive women. The predictive value of measures for pregnancy and menopause must be studied. PMID:22137491

  20. The significance of monitoring sex hormones levels after ovarian tissue auto-transplantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Qiuwei; Xu Peizhen; Yu Bin; Zhou Hong

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the significance of monitoring serum sex hormones levels after ovarian tissue auto-transplantation. Methods: Twenty-five patients with stage IV recurrent endometriosis after one or two times of conservative surgeries underwent radical surgery. Their ovarian tissue fragments were transplanted to greater omentum. Serum follicle-stimulation hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E 2 ) levels were measured monthly since fourth month post-operatively. After E 2 was increased, based body temperature was measured and vaginal hormone cytology was examined weekly for maturation index (MI) to assess the ovulatory phase and luteal phase in those with viable ovarian tissues. Serum levels of FSH, LH and E 2 in ovulatory phase and luteal phase were determined 20 women with viable ovarian tissues for three cycles as well as in 20 normal sexually mature women and 20 operative menopausal women. Results: There were 12 cases who had increasing of E 2 at four months post operatively and 8 cases more at six months. The other 5 cases with low serum E 2 levels and high FSH and LH levels at 12 months were designated as failures. The survival rate of transplanted ovarian tissue was 80.0%. There were no significant differences of the serum FSH, LH and E 2 levels in ovulatory phase and luteal phase between women with viable grafted ovarian tissues and normal sexually mature women. Conclusion: Monitoring of sex hormones is a good means to assess the viability of the transplanted ovarian tissue fragments

  1. Recovery of ovarian function after postradiation menopause. Do FSH levels have a definitive prognostic value?; Recuperation de fonctionnement ovarien apres menopause radio-induite. L`hormone folliculostimulante (FSH) a-t-elle une valeur pronostique definitive?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Letur-Konirsch, H. [Hopital Necker-Enfants-Malades, 75 - Paris (France); Guis, F. [Hopital Antoine-Beclere, Clamart (France)

    1996-08-01

    Menopause, conventionally defined as the permanent cessation as a result of loss of ovarian follicular activity, is biologically expressed by the collapse of plasma levels and increased plasma levels of the gonadotrophins FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). At present, estimation of the ovarian follicle reserve is based on endocrine capacity tests of the ovaries, with increased FSH representing the first sign of exocrine ovarian failure. We report the case of one of our amenorrhoeic patients after chemotherapy, total body radiation and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute immuno-blastic leukaemia. This patient was included in an in vitro fertilization with oocyte donation (IVF-OD) programme for iatrogenic premature ovarian failure with increased FSH levels. Instead of high levels of gonadotrophins, this young woman recovered spontaneous follicular developments, benefited from standard IVF with her own oocytes and brought a twin pregnancy to term. This observation shows that a high FSH level is not a definitive prediction of ovarian exocrine capacity. In young women of child-bearing age such as these wanting a child and showing signs of endogenous estrogen impregnation, evaluation of the existence and quality of follicular development is an important factor. (author). 13 refs.

  2. Expression of Siglec-11 by human and chimpanzee ovarian stromal cells, with uniquely human ligands: implications for human ovarian physiology and pathology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoxia; Chow, Renee; Deng, Liwen; Anderson, Dan; Weidner, Noel; Godwin, Andrew K; Bewtra, Chanda; Zlotnik, Albert; Bui, Jack; Varki, Ajit; Varki, Nissi

    2011-01-01

    Siglecs (Sialic acid-binding Immunoglobulin Superfamily Lectins) are cell surface signaling receptors of the I-type lectin group that recognize sialic acid-bearing glycans. CD33-related-Siglecs are a subset with expression primarily in cells of hematopoietic origin and functional relevance to immune reactions. Earlier we reported a human-specific gene conversion event that markedly changed the coding region for the extracellular domain of Siglec-11, associated with human-specific expression in microglia (Hayakawa T, Angata T, Lewis AL, Mikkelsen TS, Varki NM, Varki A. 2005. A human-specific gene in microglia. Science. 309:1693). Analyzing human gene microarrays to define new patterns of expression, we observed high levels of SIGLEC11 transcript in the ovary and adrenal cortex. Thus, we examined human and chimpanzee tissues using a well-characterized anti-Siglec-11 mouse monoclonal antibody. Although adrenal expression was variable and confined to infiltrating macrophages in capillaries, ovarian expression of Siglec-11 in both humans and chimpanzees was on fibroblasts, the first example of Siglec expression on mesenchyme-derived stromal cells. Cytokines from such ovarian stromal fibroblasts play important roles in follicle development and ovulation. Stable transfection of SIGLEC11 into a primary human ovarian stromal fibroblast cell line altered the secretion of growth-regulated oncogene α, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-7, transforming growth factor β1 and tumor necrosis factor-α, cytokines involved in ovarian physiology. Probing for Siglec-11 ligands revealed distinct and strong mast cell expression in human ovaries, contrasting to diffuse stromal ligands in chimpanzee ovaries. Interestingly, there was a trend of increased Siglec-11 expression in post-menopausal ovaries compared with pre-menopausal ones. Siglec-11 expression was also found on human ovarian stromal tumors and in polycystic ovarian syndrome, a human-specific disease. These results indicate potential

  3. Letrozole+ GnRH antagonist stimulation protocol in poor ovarian responders undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles: An RCT

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    Mahbod Ebrahimi

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH antagonist protocol has been proposed as a potentially proper option for the patients with limited ovarian reserve. Nevertheless, there is no significant difference in terms of clinical pregnancy between the GnRH antagonist and agonist cycles. The use of aromatase inhibitors such as letrozole was suggested by some studies. Objective: The object of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of letrozole cotreatment with GnRH-antagonist protocol in ovarian stimulation of poor responder patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Materials and Methods: A double-blinded randomized control trial was conducted on 70 infertile women with poor ovarian response based on Bologna criteria in two groups: letrozole+GnRH-antagonist (LA group and placebo+GnRH-antagonist (PA group (n=35/each. The LA group involved at letrozole 2.5 mg daily over 5 days and recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone 225 IU/daily. The PA group received placebo over 5 days and recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone at the same starting day and dose, similar to LA group. GnRH-antagonist was introduced once one or more follicle reached ≥14 mm. The main outcome measures were the number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, implantation rate, cycle cancellation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate. Results: There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between groups. There were no significant differences between groups regarding the number of oocytes retrieved (p=0.81, number of embryos transferred (p=0.82, fertilization rate (p=0.225, implantation rate (p=0.72, total cycle cancelation rate (p=0.08, and clinical pregnancy rate (p=0.12. Conclusion: The use of letrozole in GnRH-antagonist cycles does not improve clinical outcomes in poor responder patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

  4. Developmental programming: postnatal estradiol amplifies ovarian follicular defects induced by fetal exposure to excess testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veiga-Lopez, A; Wurst, A K; Steckler, T L; Ye, W; Padmanabhan, V

    2014-04-01

    Excess of prenatal testosterone (T) induces reproductive defects including follicular persistence. Comparative studies with T and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) have suggested that follicular persistence is programmed via estrogenic actions of T. This study addresses the androgenic and estrogenic contributions in programming follicular persistence. Because humans are exposed to estrogenic environmental steroids from various sources throughout their life span and postnatal insults may also induce organizational and/or activational changes, we tested whether continuous postnatal exposure to estradiol (E) will amplify effects of prenatal steroids on ovarian function. Pregnant sheep were treated with T, DHT, E, or ED (E and DHT) from days 30 to 90 of gestation. Postnatally, a subset of the vehicle (C), T, and DHT females received an E implant. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed in the first breeding season during a synchronized cycle to monitor ovarian follicular dynamics. As expected, number of ≥8 mm follicles was higher in the T versus C group. Postnatal E reduced the number of 4 to 8 mm follicles in the DHT group. Percentage of females bearing luteinized follicles and the number of luteinized follicles differed among prenatal groups. Postnatal E increased the incidence of subluteal cycles in the prenatal T-treated females. Findings from this study confirm previous findings of divergences in programming effects of prenatal androgens and estrogens. They also indicate that some aspects of follicular dynamics are subject to postnatal modulation as well as support the existence of an extended organizational period or the need for a second insult to uncover the previously programmed event.

  5. The effect of functional status of the ovaries on the embryological results of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation

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    Grzegorz Mrugacz

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation is an integral part of infertility treatment. Despite many years of use, some aspects of controlled ovarian stimulation have not yet been clarified, especially the role of the functional status of the ovaries before hormonal stimulation. Aim of the research: To assess the effect of the functional status of the ovaries on the embryological results of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Material and methods: The retrospective study included female patients treated for infertility. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the ultrasonographic appearance of the ovaries before controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Patients with small antral follicles 0.05. The numbers of A, C, D quality embryos were comparable between the groups (p > 0.05. There were more B quality embryos in group I than II (p > 0.05. The embryo growth rate was significantly faster in group I than II. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that the functional status of the ovaries before controlled ovarian hyperstimulation plays a pivotal role in treatment outcome.

  6. Predictive factors of early moderate/severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in non-polycystic ovarian syndrome patients: a statistical model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashrafi, Mahnaz; Bahmanabadi, Akram; Akhond, Mohammad Reza; Arabipoor, Arezoo

    2015-11-01

    To evaluate demographic, medical history and clinical cycle characteristics of infertile non-polycystic ovary syndrome (NPCOS) women with the purpose of investigating their associations with the prevalence of moderate-to-severe OHSS. In this retrospective study, among 7073 in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles, 86 cases of NPCO patients who developed moderate-to-severe OHSS while being treated with IVF/ICSI cycles were analyzed during the period of January 2008 to December 2010 at Royan Institute. To review the OHSS risk factors, 172 NPCOS patients without developing OHSS, treated at the same period of time, were selected randomly by computer as control group. We used multiple logistic regression in a backward manner to build a prediction model. The regression analysis revealed that the variables, including age [odds ratio (OR) 0.9, confidence interval (CI) 0.81-0.99], antral follicles count (OR 4.3, CI 2.7-6.9), infertility cause (tubal factor, OR 11.5, CI 1.1-51.3), hypothyroidism (OR 3.8, CI 1.5-9.4) and positive history of ovarian surgery (OR 0.2, CI 0.05-0.9) were the most important predictors of OHSS. The regression model had an area under curve of 0.94, presenting an allowable discriminative performance that was equal with two strong predictive variables, including the number of follicles and serum estradiol level on human chorionic gonadotropin day. The predictive regression model based on primary characteristics of NPCOS patients had equal specificity in comparison with two mentioned strong predictive variables. Therefore, it may be beneficial to apply this model before the beginning of ovarian stimulation protocol.

  7. Estrogen, Progesterone and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

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    Ho Shuk-Mei

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Ovarian carcinoma (OCa continues to be the leading cause of death due to gynecologic malignancies and the vast majority of OCa is derived from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE and its cystic derivatives. Epidemiological evidence strongly suggests that steroid hormones, primarily estrogens and progesterone, are implicated in ovarian carcinogenesis. However, it has proved difficult to fully understand their mechanisms of action on the tumorigenic process. New convincing data have indicated that estrogens favor neoplastic transformation of the OSE while progesterone offers protection against OCa development. Specifically, estrogens, particularly those present in ovulatory follicles, are both genotoxic and mitogenic to OSE cells. In contrast, pregnancy-equivalent levels progesterone are highly effective as apoptosis inducers for OSE and OCa cells. In this regard, high-dose progestin may exert an exfoliation effect and rid an aged OSE of pre-malignant cells. A limited number of clinical studies has demonstrated efficacies of antiestrogens, aromatase inhibitors, and progestins alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of OCa. As a result of increased life expectancy in most countries, the number of women taking hormone replacement therapies (HRT continues to grow. Thus, knowledge of the mechanism of action of steroid hormones on the OSE and OCa is of paramount significance to HRT risk assessment and to the development of novel therapies for the prevention and treatment of OCa.

  8. Overexpression of miR-21 in stem cells improves ovarian structure and function in rats with chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage by targeting PDCD4 and PTEN to inhibit granulosa cell apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Xiafei; He, Yuanli; Wang, Xuefeng; Peng, Dongxian; Chen, Xiaoying; Li, Xinran; Wang, Qing

    2017-08-14

    Chemotherapy-induced premature ovarian failure (POF) is a severe complication affecting tumor patients at a childbearing age. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can partially restore the ovarian structure and function damaged by chemotherapy. miR-21 is a microRNA that can regulate cell apoptosis. This study discusses the repair effect and mechanism of MSCs overexpressing miR-21 on chemotherapy-induced POF. Rat MSCs and granulosa cells (GCs) were isolated in vitro. MSCs were transfected with miR-21 lentiviral vector (LV-miR-21) to obtain MSCs stably expressing miR-21 (miR-21-MSCs). The microenvironment of an ovary receiving chemotherapy was mimicked by adding phosphamide mustard (PM) into the cellular culture medium. The apoptosis rate and the mRNA and protein expression of target genes PTEN and PDCD4 were detected in MSCs. Apoptosis was induced by adding PM into the culture medium for GCs, which were cocultured with miR-21-MSCs. The apoptosis rate and the mRNA and protein expression of PTEN and PDCD4 were detected. The chemotherapy-induced POF model was built into rats by intraperitoneal cyclophosphamide injection. miR-21-MSCs were transplanted into the bilateral ovary. The rats were sacrificed at 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after the last injection. The ovarian weights, follicle count, estrous cycle, and sex hormone levels (estradiol (E2) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)) were detected. Apoptosis of GCs was determined by TUNEL assay. The miR-21 and mRNA and protein expression of PTEN and PDCD4 were determined. The apoptosis decreased in MSCs transfected with miR-21. The mRNA and protein expression of target genes PTEN and PDCD4 was downregulated. GCs cocultured with miR-21-MSCs showed a decreased apoptosis, an upregulation of miR-21, and a downregulation of PTEN and PDCD4. Following the injection of miR-21-MSCs, the ovarian weight and follicle counts increased; E 2 levels increased while FSH levels decreased, with less severe apoptosis of GCs. The miR-21 expression

  9. Is radiation-induced ovarian failure in rhesus monkeys preventable by luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists?: Preliminary observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ataya, K.; Pydyn, E.; Ramahi-Ataya

    1995-01-01

    With the advent of cancer therapy, increasing numbers of cancer patients are achieving long term survival. Impaired ovarian function after radiation therapy has been reported in several studies. Some investigators have suggested that luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (LHRHa) can prevent radiation-induced ovarian injury in rodents. Adult female rhesus monkeys were given either vehicle or Leuprolide acetate before, during, and after radiation. Radiation was given in a dose of 200 rads/day for a total of 4000 rads to the ovaries. Frequent serum samples were assayed for estradiol (E 2 ) and FSH. Ovariectomy was performed later. Ovaries were processed and serially sectioned. Follicle count and size distribution were determined. Shortly after radiation started, E 2 dropped to low levels, at which it remained, whereas serum FSH level, which was low before radiation, rose soon after starting radiation. In monkeys treated with a combination of LHRHa and radiation, FSH started rising soon after the LHRHa-loaded minipump was removed (after the end of radiation). Serum E 2 increased after the end of LHRHa treatment in the non-irradiated monkey, but not in the irradiated monkey. Follicle counts were not preserved in the LHRHa-treated monkeys that received radiation. The data demonstrated no protective effect of LHRHa treatment against radiation-induced ovarian injury in this rhesus monkey model. 58 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  10. Comparison of manual and automated measurements of monodominant follicle diameter with different follicle size in infertile patients.

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    Ping Pan

    Full Text Available This study evaluated the consistency of manual and automated measurements of monodominant follicle diameter with different follicle size in infertile patients. Transvaginal two-dimensional (2D ultrasound and SonoAVC (Sonography-based Automated Volume Calculation were both performed in 226 infertile patients with monodominant follicle growth. 2D diameters were separately compared with SonoAVC-generated d(V and m-d values in different follicle category, i.e. >10 to 14 mm, >14 to 18 mm, >18 to 22 mm and >22 mm. There was moderate degree of consistency between 2D diameter and SonoAVC-generated parameters regardless of follicle size. The mean differences were 0.82 mm between 2D diameter and SonoAVC-generated d(V value, and 0.22 mm between 2D diameter and SonoAVC-generated m-d value, respectively. The discrepancy of manual and automated measurements tended to increase as follicle size increased. Our study suggested that compared with manual measurement, SonoAVC might underestimate follicle size. The absolute size of a follicle affected the consistency of two techniques.

  11. The amazing miniorgan: Hair follicle

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    Çiler Çelik Özenci

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Hair is a primary characteristic of mammals, and exerts a wide range of functions including thermoregulation, physical protection, sensory activity, and social interactions. The hair shaft consists of terminally differentiated keratinocytes that are produced by the hair follicle. Hair follicle development takes place during fetal skin development and relies on tightly regulated ectodermal–mesodermal interactions. Hair follicles form during embryonic development and, after birth, undergo recurrent cycling of growth (anagen, apoptosis-driven regression (catagen, and relative quiescence (telogen. As a functional mini-organ, the hair follicle develops in an environment with dynamic and alternating changes of diverse molecular signals. Our molecular understanding of hair follicle biology relies heavily on genetically engineered mouse models with abnormalities in hair structure, growth, and/or pigmentation and significant advances have been made toward the identification of key signaling pathways and the regulatory genes involved. In this review, the basic concepts of hair follicle, a mini-complex organ, biology will be presented and its importance in clinical applications will be summarized.

  12. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in human ovarian follicles and its association with intrafollicular hormone levels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bøtkjær, Jane Alrø; Jeppesen, Janni Vikkelsø; Wissing, Marie Louise

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate follicular fluid (FF) levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) in relation to levels of intrafollicular hormones. Furthermore, immunostaining of human follicles of varying diameters was studied for PAPP-A, antimüllerian hormone (AMH), and aromatase, and the biological...... activity of PAPP-A in FF was evaluated....

  13. Ovarian failure due to cancer treatment and fertility preservation options

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soheila Aminimoghaddam

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI, commonly referred to premature ovarian failure, is defined as ovarian failure before the age of 40 years. It is the loss of ovarian function caused by a process directly affecting ovaries. Cancer therapy which includes surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy influence ovarian function, leading to premature menopause and loss of fertility. POI is idiopathic in most cases (74-90%. The known causes, in addition to anticancer treatment, are other processes like chromosomal abnormalities, autoimmunity, and natural aging can result in secondary ovarian failure, which is detected by an increase in serum gonadotropin levels (FSH and LH. There are evident risks of POI in women treated for cancer. Those who receive anticancer treatments have an increased risk of developing POI. There by, anticancer drugs and radiation therapy are considered as the most common toxins of ovaries. Although cancer incidence rates in women less than 50 years old continue to increase during recent years, mortality rates are dramatically decreasing due to modern advances in treatment. Increasing numbers of survivors are now confronted with the long-term consequences of exposure to these treatments. The pool of primordial follicles in the ovary is fixed and any injury to the ovary can potentially reduce this ovarian reserve, effectively advancing the patient’s reproductive age, thus narrowing the window of reproductive opportunity. Ovarian failure occurs in a significant percentage of childhood cancer survivors and many of them will seek care for reproductive dysfunction. Nevertheless, Embryo cryopreservation, oocyte cryopreservation, ovary tissue cryopreservation, ovarian suppression and oophoro-pexy are some options to preserve fertility in these groups. As a result, having foreknowledge of potential treatment related ovarian failure will allow the physician to give a better counsel to patients and their family regarding the importance and

  14. Effect of stem cell transplantation of premature ovarian failure in animal models and patients: A meta-analysis and case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lei; Guo, Shilei; Wei, Cui; Li, Honglan; Wang, Haiya; Xu, Yan

    2018-05-01

    Stem cell transplantation has been considered a promising therapeutic approach for premature ovarian failure (POF). However, to date, no quantitative data analysis of stem cell therapy for POF has been performed. Therefore, the present study performed a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of stem cell transplantation in improving ovarian function in animal models of POF. In addition, a case report of a patient with POF subjected to stem cell treatment was included to demonstrate that stem cell therapy also contributes to the recovery of ovarian function in patients. Published studies were identified by a systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane's library databases, and references cited in associated reviews were also considered. Data regarding follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), ovarian weight, follicle count, the number of pregnancies and other parameters, including delivery route and cell type, were extracted. Pooled analysis, sensitivity analyses, subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed. In the case of POF, transvaginal ultrasound (TVS), abdominal ultrasound (TAS) and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) were performed to observe the endometrial morphology and blood flow signals in the patient. Overall, pooled results from 16 pre-clinical studies demonstrated that stem cell-based therapy significantly improved FSH levels [standardized mean difference (SMD)=-1.330; 95% confidence interval (CI), -(2.095-0.565); P=0.001], E2 levels (SMD=2.334; 95% CI, 1.350-3.319; Pstem cell-based therapy may be an effective method for the resumption of ovarian function in a patient and in animal models of POF; however, large-scale and high-quality future studies are required to confirm the present findings due to heterogeneity.

  15. Circulating basal anti-Müllerian hormone levels as predictor of ovarian response in women undergoing ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nardo, Luciano G; Gelbaya, Tarek A; Wilkinson, Hannah; Roberts, Stephen A; Yates, Allen; Pemberton, Phil; Laing, Ian

    2009-11-01

    To evaluate the clinical value of basal anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) measurements compared with other available determinants, apart from chronologic age, in the prediction of ovarian response to gonadotrophin stimulation. Prospective cohort study. Tertiary referral center for reproductive medicine and an IVF unit. Women undergoing their first cycle of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Basal levels of FSH and AMH as well as antral follicle count (AFC) were measured in 165 subjects. All patients were followed prospectively and their cycle outcomes recorded. Predictive value of FSH, AMH, and AFC for extremes of ovarian response to stimulation. Out of the 165 women, 134 were defined as normal responders, 15 as poor responders, and 16 as high responders. Subjects in the poor response group were significantly older then those in the other two groups. Anti-Müllerian hormone levels and AFC were markedly raised in the high responders and decreased in the poor responders. Compared with FSH and AFC, AMH performed better in the prediction of excessive response to ovarian stimulation-AMH area under receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC(AUC)) 0.81, FSH ROC(AUC) 0.66, AFC ROC(AUC) 0.69. For poor response, AMH (ROC(AUC) 0.88) was a significantly better predictor than FSH (ROC(AUC) 0.63) but not AFC (ROC(AUC) 0.81). AMH prediction of ovarian response was independent of age and PCOS. Anti-Müllerian hormone cutoffs of >3.75 ng/mL and stimulation with exogenous gonadotrophins. Overall, this biomarker is superior to basal FSH and AFC, and has the potential to be incorporated in to work-up protocols to predict patient's ovarian response to treatment and to individualize strategies aiming at reducing the cancellation rate and the iatrogenic complications of COH.

  16. Prediction of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome in Patients Treated with Corifollitropin alfa or rFSH in a GnRH Antagonist Protocol.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georg Griesinger

    Full Text Available What is the threshold for the prediction of moderate to severe or severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS based on the number of growing follicles ≥ 11 mm and/or estradiol (E2 levels?The optimal threshold of follicles ≥11 mm on the day of hCG to identify those at risk was 19 for both moderate to severe OHSS and for severe OHSS. Estradiol (E2 levels were less prognostic of OHSS than the number of follicles ≥ 11 mm.In comparison to long gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH agonist protocols, the risk of severe OHSS is reduced by approximately 50% in a GnRH antagonist protocol for ovarian stimulation prior to in vitro fertilisation (IVF, while the two protocols provide equal chances of pregnancy per initiated cycle. Nevertheless, moderate to severe OHSS may still occur in GnRH antagonist protocols if human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG is administered to trigger final oocyte maturation, especially in high responder patients. Severe OHSS following hCG trigger may occur with an incidence of 1-2% in a relatively young (aged 18 to 36 years IVF population treated in a GnRH-antagonist protocol.From the Engage, Ensure and Trust trials, in total, 2,433 women who received hCG for oocyte maturation and for whom the number of follicles ≥ 11 mm and the level of E2 on the day of hCG administration were known were included in the analyses.The threshold for OHSS prediction of moderate and severe OHSS was assessed in women treated with corifollitropin alfa or daily recombinant follicle stimulation hormone (rFSH in a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH-antagonist protocol. Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses for moderate to severe OHSS and severe OHSS were performed on the combined dataset and the sensitivity and specificity for the optimal threshold of number of follicles ≥ 11 mm, E2 levels on the day of (hCG, and a combination of both, were determined.The optimal threshold of follicles ≥ 11 mm on the day of hCG to identify those at

  17. Expression of ErbB3-binding protein-1 (EBP1 during primordial follicle formation: role of estradiol-17ß.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anindit Mukherjee

    Full Text Available The formation of primordial follicles involves the interaction between the oocytes and surrounding somatic cells, which differentiate into granulosa cells. Estradiol-17ß (E promotes primordial follicle formation in vivo and in vitro; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The expression of an ERBB3-binding protein 1 (EBP1 is downregulated in 8-day old hamster ovaries concurrent with the increase in serum estradiol levels and the formation of primordial follicles. The objectives of the present study were to determine the spatio-temporal expression and putative E regulation of EBP1 in ovarian cells during perinatal development with respect to primordial follicle formation. Hamster EBP1 nucleic acid and amino acid sequences were more than 93% and 98% similar, respectively, to those of mouse and human, and contained nucleolar localization signal, RNA-binding domain and several phosphorylation sites. EBP1 protein was present in somatic cells and oocytes from E15, and declined in oocytes by P1 and in somatic cells by P5. Thereafter, EBP1 expression increased through P7 with a transient decline on P8 primarily in interstitial cells. EBP1 mRNA levels mirrored protein expression pattern. E treatment on P1 and P4 upregulated EBP1 expression by P8 whereas E treatment on P4 downregulated it by 72 h suggesting a compensatory upregulation due to E pretreatment. Treatment with an FSH-antiserum, which suppressed primordial follicle formation, prevented the decline in EBP1 levels, and the effect was reversed by E treatment. Therefore, the results provide the first evidence that EBP1 may play an important role in mediating the effect of E in the differentiation of somatic cells into granulosa cells during primordial follicle formation.

  18. Ultrastructure of the ovarian follicles, oviducts and oocytes of Gyrocotyle urna (Neodermata: Gyrocotylidea)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Poddubnaya, L. G.; Kuchta, Roman; Scholz, Tomáš; Xylander, W.E.R.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 3 (2010), s. 173-184 ISSN 0015-5683 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/08/0885; GA AV ČR KJB600960902; GA MŠk LC522 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Platyhelminthes * comparative morphology * TEM * ovary * oocapt * ovarian receptacle * fertilisation canal Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.533, year: 2010

  19. Three-dimensional culture of buffalo granulosa cells in hanging drop mimics the preovulatory follicle stage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Monica; Agrawal, Himanshu; Pandey, Mamta; Singh, Dheer; Onteru, Suneel K

    2018-03-01

    Granulosa cell (GC) culture models mimicking the intrafollicular environment are limited. Such models have a great potential in reproductive toxicity studies. The buffalo, a monovulatory species like humans, could be a better model than polyovulatory rodents. Therefore, we targeted the development and characterization of three-dimensional (3D) culture systems for buffalo GCs. The GCs from small ovarian follicles (SF) maintained the CYP19 gene expression for 144 hr in a 2D culture system. Hence, GCs from SF were cultured directly in 3D using hanging drop and Poly-([2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate]) (polyHEMA) methods in the DMEM media containing 1 ng/ml FSH and 10 ng/ml IGF-1 for 144 hr. The expression profile of nine GC-specific transcripts; CYP19, TNFAIP6, AMH, PTI, NR4A1, FSHR, RUNX, LHR, and COX2/PTGS2; revealed that 3D-spheroids developed in hanging drop method maintained the GC phenotype of preovulatory follicles. Therefore, hanging drop method is a best method for culturing GCs to mimic the intrafollicular environment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. A mild ovarian stimulation strategy in women with poor ovarian reserve undergoing IVF: a multicenter randomized non-inferiority trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youssef, M A; van Wely, M; Al-Inany, H; Madani, T; Jahangiri, N; Khodabakhshi, S; Alhalabi, M; Akhondi, M; Ansaripour, S; Tokhmechy, R; Zarandi, L; Rizk, A; El-Mohamedy, M; Shaeer, E; Khattab, M; Mochtar, M H; van der Veen, F

    2017-01-01

    In subfertile women with poor ovarian reserve undergoing IVF does a mild ovarian stimulation strategy lead to comparable ongoing pregnancy rates in comparison to a conventional ovarian stimulation strategy? A mild ovarian stimulation strategy in women with poor ovarian reserve undergoing IVF leads to similar ongoing pregnancy rates as a conventional ovarian stimulation strategy. Women diagnosed with poor ovarian reserve are treated with a conventional ovarian stimulation strategy consisting of high-dose gonadotropins and pituitary downregulation with a long mid-luteal start GnRH-agonist protocol. Previous studies comparing a conventional strategy with a mild ovarian stimulation strategy consisting of low-dose gonadotropins and pituitary downregulation with a GnRH-antagonist have been under powered and their effectiveness is inconclusive. This open label multicenter randomized trial was designed to compare one cycle of a mild ovarian stimulation strategy consisting of low-dose gonadotropins (150 IU FSH) and pituitary downregulation with a GnRH-antagonist to one cycle of a conventional ovarian stimulation strategy consisting of high-dose gonadotropins (450 IU HMG) and pituitary downregulation with a long mid-luteal GnRH-agonist in women of advanced maternal age and/or women with poor ovarian reserve undergoing IVF between May 2011 and April 2014. Couples seeking infertility treatment were eligible if they fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: female age ≥35 years, a raised basal FSH level >10 IU/ml irrespective of age, a low antral follicular count of ≤5 follicles or poor ovarian response or cycle cancellation during a previous IVF cycle irrespective of age. The primary outcome was ongoing pregnancy rate per woman randomized. Analyses were on an intention-to-treat basis. We randomly assigned 195 women to the mild ovarian stimulation strategy and 199 women to the conventional ovarian stimulation strategy. Ongoing pregnancy rate was 12.8% (25/195) for mild

  1. Short-term androgen priming by use of aromatase inhibitor and hCG before controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF. A randomized controlled trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lossl, K; Andersen, C Yding; Loft, A

    2008-01-01

    Temporary exposure of follicles to increased levels of androgens may augment follicular responsiveness. The present study tested whether short-term androgen priming by aromatase inhibitor and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) before controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) increases the number of top......-quality embryos after IVF/ICSI....

  2. Disruption of Zebrafish Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (fshr) But Not Luteinizing Hormone Receptor (lhcgr) Gene by TALEN Leads to Failed Follicle Activation in Females Followed by Sexual Reversal to Males.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhiwei; Lau, Shuk-Wa; Zhang, Lingling; Ge, Wei

    2015-10-01

    Gonadotropins are primary hormones that control vertebrate reproduction. In a recent study, we analyzed the impacts of FSH and LH on zebrafish reproduction by disrupting FSH and LH-β genes (fshb and lhb) using transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) technology. Using the same approach, we successfully deleted FSH and LH receptor genes (fshr and lhcgr) in the present study. In contrast to the deficiency of its cognate ligand FSH, the fshr-deficient females showed a complete failure of follicle activation with all ovarian follicles arrested at the primary growth-previtellogenic transition, which is the marker for puberty onset in females. Interestingly, after blockade at the primary growth stage for varying times, all females reversed to males, and all these males were fertile. In fshr-deficient males, spermatogenesis was normal in adults, but the initiation of spermatogenesis in juveniles was retarded. In contrast to fshr, the deletion of the lhcgr gene alone caused no obvious phenotypes in both males and females; however, double mutation of fshr and lhcgr resulted in infertile males. In summary, our results in the present study showed that Fshr was indispensable to folliculogenesis and the disruption of the fshr gene resulted in a complete failure of follicle activation followed by masculinization into males. In contrast, lhcgr does not seem to be essential to zebrafish reproduction in both males and females. Neither Fshr nor Lhcgr deficiency could phenocopy the deficiency of their cognate ligands FSH and LH, which is likely due to the fact that Fshr can be activated by both FSH and LH in the zebrafish.

  3. Expression of 14-3-3 protein isoforms in mouse oocytes, eggs and ovarian follicular development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Santanu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The 14-3-3 (YWHA proteins are a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed family of proteins. Seven mammalian isoforms of 14-3-3 are known (β, γ, ε, ζ, η, τ and, σ. These proteins associate with many intracellular proteins involved in a variety of cellular processes including regulation of the cell cycle, metabolism and protein trafficking. We are particularly interested in the role of 14-3-3 in meiosis in mammalian eggs and the role 14-3-3 proteins may play in ovarian function. Therefore, we examined the expression of 14-3-3 proteins in mouse oocyte and egg extracts by Western blotting after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, viewed fixed cells by indirect immunofluorescence, and examined mouse ovarian cells by immunohistochemical staining to study the expression of the different 14-3-3 isoforms. Results We have determined that all of the mammalian 14-3-3 isoforms are expressed in mouse eggs and ovarian follicular cells including oocytes. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy of isolated oocytes and eggs confirmed the presence of all of the isoforms with characteristic differences in some of their intracellular localizations. For example, some isoforms (β, ε, γ, and ζ are expressed more prominently in peripheral cytoplasm compared to the germinal vesicles in oocytes, but are uniformly dispersed within eggs. On the other hand, 14-3-3η is diffusely dispersed in the oocyte, but attains a uniform punctate distribution in the egg with marked accumulation in the region of the meiotic spindle apparatus. Immunohistochemical staining detected all isoforms within ovarian follicles, with some similarities as well as notable differences in relative amounts, localizations and patterns of expression in multiple cell types at various stages of follicular development. Conclusions We found that mouse oocytes, eggs and follicular cells within the ovary express all seven isoforms of the 14-3-3 protein. Examination of the

  4. Infertile women below the age of 40 have similar anti-Müllerian hormone levels and antral follicle count compared with women of the same age with no history of infertility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvidman, H. W.; Bentzen, J. G.; Thuesen, L. L.

    2016-01-01

    STUDY QUESTION: Do infertile patients below the age of 40 years have a lower ovarian reserve, estimated by anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and total antral follicle count (AFC), than women of the same age with no history of infertility? SUMMARY ANSWER: Serum AMH and AFC were not lower in infertile p...

  5. Hair follicle proteoglycans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Couchman, J R

    1993-01-01

    that are present in the epithelial and stromal compartments of hair follicles. However, the transmembrane proteoglycan syndecan may be important in follicle morphogenesis, both with respect to the epithelium and dermal papilla cells. Syndecan may possess both heparan and chondroitin sulfate chains, interacts...... basement membranes, including those surrounding the epithelial compartment of hair follicles. Additionally, and quite unlike the dermis, the dermal papilla is enriched in basement-membrane components, especially a chondroitin 6-sulfate-containing proteoglycan, BM-CSPG. The function of this proteoglycan...... is not known, but developmental studies indicate that it may have a role in stabilizing basement membranes. In the hair cycle, BM-CSPG decreases through catagen and is virtually absent from the telogen papilla. One or more heparan sulfate proteoglycans, including perlecan, are also present in papilla...

  6. Each small antral follicle in ovaries of women with polycystic ovary syndrome produces more antimüllerian hormone than its counterpart in a normal ovary: an observational cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhide, Priya; Dilgil, Merve; Gudi, Anil; Shah, Amit; Akwaa, Charity; Homburg, Roy

    2015-02-01

    To ascertain if subfertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) secrete more antimüllerian hormone (AMH) per antral follicle than control women. Observational cross-sectional study. Fertility clinic. A total of 438 women attending the fertility clinic over a period of 13 months from September 2012 to September 2013. Serum concentrations of AMH and the total antral follicle count (AFC) were obtained from women attending the fertility clinic. The ratio of AMH/AFC for each subject was calculated. Women were categorized into three groups: PCOS, polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM), and control. PCOS and PCOM were defined based on the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine Rotterdam consensus criteria. The ratio of AMH/AFC for each subject in the three groups: PCOS, PCOM, and control. The median AMH/AFC ratios in the PCOS, PCOM, and control groups were 1.92, 1.13, and 1.00, respectively. The AMH/AFC ratio was significantly higher in the PCOS group compared with the PCOM and control groups (F[2,152] = 21.82). Women in the three groups were not statistically different regarding age, body mass index, earlier ovarian surgery, and smoking status. Subfertile women with PCOS secrete significantly more AMH per antral follicle than women with PCOM only and control women. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Therapeutic Ultrasound Examination of Follicular Reserve, and Ovarian Tissue Angiogenesis in Mice, 14 Days after Heterotopic Transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N Abtahi

    2014-06-01

    Results: The study results showed that the CD31 angiogenic factor was expressed more in the irradiated animals than in control group animals and ultrasound-therapy resulted in better follicular preservation. Conclusion: The ultrasound therapy can improve preservation of ovarian follicle .This is probably due to acceleration of angiogenesis and increase in production of growth factors by low intensity pulse ultrasound.

  8. New advances in ovarian autotransplantation to restore fertility in cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salama, Mahmoud; Woodruff, Teresa K

    2015-12-01

    Human ovary autotransplantation is a promising option for fertility preservation of young women and girls undergoing gonadotoxic treatments for cancer or some autoimmune diseases. Although experimental, it resulted in at least 42 healthy babies worldwide. According to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic literature review was performed for all relevant full-text articles published in English from 1 January 2000 to 01 October 2015 in PubMed to explore the latest clinical and research advances of human ovary autotransplantation. Human ovary autotransplantation involves ovarian tissue extraction, freezing/thawing, and transplantation back into the same patient. Three major forms of human ovary autotransplantation exist including (a) transplantation of cortical ovarian tissue, (b) transplantation of whole ovary, and (c) transplantation of ovarian follicles (artificial ovary). According to the recent guidelines, human ovary autotransplantation is still considered experimental; however, it has unique advantages in comparison to other options of female fertility preservation. Human ovary autotransplantation (i) does not need prior ovarian stimulation, (ii) allows immediate initiation of cancer therapy, (iii) can restore both endocrine and reproductive ovarian functions, and (iv) may be the only fertility preservation option suitable for prepubertal girls or for young women with estrogen-sensitive malignancies. As any other fertility preservation option, human ovary autotransplantation has both advantages and disadvantages and may not be feasible for all cases. The major challenges facing this option are how to avoid the risk of reintroducing malignant cells and how to prolong the lifespan of ovarian transplant as well as how to improve artificial ovary results.

  9. Effects of aqueous extract from Asparagus officinalis L. roots on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormone levels and the number of ovarian follicles in adult rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hojatollah Karimi Jashni

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Asparagus is a plant with high nutritional, pharmaceutical, and industrial values. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of asparagus roots on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormones and oogenesis in female rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 40 adult female Wistar rats were divided into five groups, which consist 8 rats. Groups included control, sham and three experimental groups receiving different doses (100, 200, 400 mg/kg/bw of aqueous extract of asparagus roots. All dosages were administered orally for 28 days. Blood samples were taken from rats to evaluate serum levels of Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH, follicular stimulating hormone (FSH, Luteinal hormone (LH, estrogen, and progesterone hormones. The ovaries were removed, weighted, sectioned, and studied by light microscope. Results: Dose-dependent aqueous extract of asparagus roots significantly increased serum levels of GnRH, FSH, LH, estrogen, and progestin hormones compared to control and sham groups. Increase in number of ovarian follicles and corpus luteum in groups treated with asparagus root extract was also observed (p<0.05. Conclusion: Asparagus roots extract stimulates secretion of hypothalamic- pituitary- gonadal axis hormones. This also positively affects oogenesis in female rats.

  10. Tet protein function during Drosophila development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Wang

    Full Text Available The TET (Ten-eleven translocation 1, 2 and 3 proteins have been shown to function as DNA hydroxymethylases in vertebrates and their requirements have been documented extensively. Recently, the Tet proteins have been shown to also hydroxylate 5-methylcytosine in RNA. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmrC is enriched in messenger RNA but the function of this modification has yet to be elucidated. Because Cytosine methylation in DNA is barely detectable in Drosophila, it serves as an ideal model to study the biological function of 5hmrC. Here, we characterized the temporal and spatial expression and requirement of Tet throughout Drosophila development. We show that Tet is essential for viability as Tet complete loss-of-function animals die at the late pupal stage. Tet is highly expressed in neuronal tissues and at more moderate levels in somatic muscle precursors in embryos and larvae. Depletion of Tet in muscle precursors at early embryonic stages leads to defects in larval locomotion and late pupal lethality. Although Tet knock-down in neuronal tissue does not cause lethality, it is essential for neuronal function during development through its affects upon locomotion in larvae and the circadian rhythm of adult flies. Further, we report the function of Tet in ovarian morphogenesis. Together, our findings provide basic insights into the biological function of Tet in Drosophila, and may illuminate observed neuronal and muscle phenotypes observed in vertebrates.

  11. A draft map of the human ovarian proteome for tissue engineering and clinical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouni, Emna; Vertommen, Didier; Chiti, Maria Costanza; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Amorim, Christiani Andrade

    2018-02-23

    Fertility preservation research in women today is increasingly taking advantage of bioengineering techniques to develop new biomimetic materials and solutions to safeguard ovarian cell function and microenvironment in vitro and in vivo. However, available data on the human ovary are limited and fundamental differences between animal models and humans are hampering researchers in their quest for more extensive knowledge of human ovarian physiology and key reproductive proteins that need to be preserved. We therefore turned to multi-dimensional label-free mass spectrometry to analyze human ovarian cortex, as it is a high-throughput and conclusive technique providing information on the proteomic composition of complex tissues like the ovary. In-depth proteomic profiling through two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, western blot, histological and immunohistochemical analyses, and data mining helped us to confidently identify 1,508 proteins. Moreover, our method allowed us to chart the most complete representation so far of the ovarian matrisome, defined as the ensemble of extracellular matrix proteins and associated factors, including more than 80 proteins. In conclusion, this study will provide a better understanding of ovarian proteomics, with a detailed characterization of the ovarian follicle microenvironment, in order to enable bioengineers to create biomimetic scaffolds for transplantation and three-dimensional in vitro culture. By publishing our proteomic data, we also hope to contribute to accelerating biomedical research into ovarian health and disease in general. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Anti-Müllerian Hormone among Fertile and Infertile Women in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Is there A Difference?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Okunola Temitope

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background Reduced ovarian reserve predicts poor ovarian response and poor suc- cess rates in infertile women who undergo assisted reproductive technology (ART. Ovarian reserve also decreases with age but the rate of decline varies from one woman to another. This study aims to detect differences in ovarian reserve as measured by basal serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH between a matched cohort of fertile and infertile regularly menstruating women, 18-45 years of age. Materials and Methods This case-control study involved 64 fertile and 64 subfertile women matched by age at recruitment. Peripheral blood samples were taken from the women recruited from the Gynecological and Outpatient Clinics of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Serum FSH and AMH were quantified using ELISA at the Metabolic Research Laboratory of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Results A significant difference existed in the mean FSH of fertile (6.97 ± 3.34 and infertile (13.34 ± 5.24, P=0.013 women. We observed a significant difference in AMH between fertile (2.71 ± 1.91 and infertile (1.60 ± 2.51, P=0.029 women. There was a negative correlation between FSH and AMH in both fertile (r=-0.311, P=0.01 and infertile (r=-0.374, P=0.002 women. Conclusion The difference in ovarian reserve observed in this study suggests that reduced ovarian reserve in regularly menstruating women may be associated with early ovarian ageing or subfertility.

  13. Correlation between ovarian steroidogenesis and beta-endorphin in the Lizard Uromastyx acanthinura: Immunohistochemical approach.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean Marie Exbrayat

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In Mammals, opioid peptides are involved in various physiological processes including the reproductive function. The knowledge of the distribution of beta-endorphin, one of opioid peptides in Reptiles ovaries is very limited. Therefore, the present study used the lizard ovarian follicles to further elucidate the role of this peptide in steroidogenesis. In Uromastyx acanthinura, the localization of both this peptide and sex steroid hormone was investigated by the immunohistochemical approach. This technique was used to evaluate the distribution of these substances and their relationship. The beta-endorphin is strongly distributed in the granulosa cells and oocyte cytoplasm of the previtellogenic follicles in sexually quiescent lizards (winter when steroidogenesis was interrupted. In spring, the signal became weak, or even absent, in the vitellogenic and previtellogenic follicles. The granulosa cells of the previtellogenic follicles showed an important synthesis of 17beta-estradiol. Females that did not undergo in vitellogenesis in spring showed the same profile than quiescent females of winter. These findings represent the first evidence of the presence of beta-endorphin in the ovary of this lizard. The seasonal variations observed in the reproductive cycle suggest that this opioid peptide is involved in the modulation of seasonal steroidogenesis.

  14. Weigh the pros and cons to ovarian reserve before stripping ovarian endometriomas prior to IVF/ICSI: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Xin; Chen, Lei; Ge, Shuqi; Cai, Lisi

    2017-01-01

    To explore the effects of conservative surgery for endometriomas on ovarian responsiveness during assisted reproductive technology (ART) and provide reproductive and gynecological doctors with a more reliable reference program for the treatment of endometriomas. A literature search was performed by searching the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Science Direct databases. Studies with inter- and intra-patient comparisons of ovarian responses and oocyte quality between operated and unoperated ovaries and that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved, and the data from the outcome measures were extracted and pooled for this meta-analysis. Twenty-one published studies (2649 ART cycles) were included. The total amount of gonadotropin (Gn) used (inverse variance (IV):0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.13, 1.82], P = 0.0007) was significantly increased in the women with endometriomas who had a history of cystectomy. The estrogen (E) level on the day of hCG administration (IV: -0.29; 95% CI: [-0.41, -0.17], P<0.00001), the number of mature or dominant follicles (IV: -1.17; 95% CI: [-1.51, -0.82], P<0.00001) and the total number of oocytes retrieved (IV: -1.78; 95% CI: [-2.38, -1.17], P<0.00001) were significantly decreased in the women with endometriomas who had a history of cystectomy. The duration of stimulation (IV: 0.02; 95% CI: [-0.09, 0.13], P = 0.77), the total number of formed embryos (IV: -0.06; 95% CI: [-0.17, 0.04], P = 0.25), the pregnancy rate(IV:0.98;95%CI[0.82,1.18], P = 0.83) and the live birth rate(IV:0.93;95%CI[0.70,1.23], P = 0.61)were not statistically different between the two groups. Similar intra-patient results were found in the number of mature or dominant follicles (IV: -0.88; 95% CI: [-1.25, -0.52], P<0.00001) and the total number of oocytes retrieved (IV: -3.48; 95% CI: [-4.77, -2.19], P<0.00001). ART might be a better therapeutic method for ovarian endometrioma-related infertility than cystectomy.

  15. The pluripotency of hair follicle stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Robert M

    2006-02-01

    The hair follicle bulge area is an abundant, easily accessible source of actively growing, pluripotent adult stem cells. Nestin, a protein marker for neural stem cells, is also expressed in follicle stem cells as well as their immediate differentiated progeny. The nestin-expressing hair follicle stem cells differentiated into neurons, glial cells, keratinocytes and smooth muscle cells in vitro. Hair-follicle stem cells were implanted into the gap region of a severed sciatic nerve. The hair follicle stem cells greatly enhanced the rate of nerve regeneration and the restoration of nerve function. The follicle stem cells transdifferentiated largely into Schwann cells which are known to support neuron regrowth. Function of the rejoined sciatic nerve was measured by contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle upon electrical stimulation. After severing the tibial nerve and subsequent transplantation of hair-follicle stem cells, the transplanted mice recovered the ability to walk normally. These results suggest that hair-follicle stem cells provide an important accessible, autologous source of adult stem cells for regenerative medicine.

  16. Function of hypothalamic-hypophyseal-ovarian system in radiation treatment of patients with cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modnikov, O.P.

    1984-01-01

    Radioimmunoassay of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-ovarian interrelationships was performed in 87 patients with cervical cancer and 37 practically healthy women. The basal level of the follicle-stimulating hormone (ESH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol as well as their response to the administration of the releasing factor of the hypothalamus (luliberin) were studied. Some disorders that manifested thermselved in the decreased level of estradiol, were established in the patients with cervical cancer even before irradiation. Concomitant radiation therapy resulted in pronounced changes in the activities of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-ovarian system that manifested themselves in the lowered rate of LH increment in response to the administration of luliberin and the absence of estradiol response to the load. These changes persisted long after the termination of concomitant radiation therapy

  17. Somatic insulin signaling regulates a germline starvation response in Drosophila egg chambers

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    Burn, K. Mahala; Shimada, Yuko; Ayers, Kathleen; Lu, Feiyue; Hudson, Andrew M.; Cooley, Lynn

    2014-01-01

    Egg chambers from starved Drosophila females contain large aggregates of processing (P) bodies and cortically enriched microtubules. As this response to starvation is rapidly reversed upon re-feeding females or culturing egg chambers with exogenous bovine insulin, we examined the role of endogenous insulin signaling in mediating the starvation response. We found that systemic Drosophila insulin-like peptides (dILPs) activate the insulin pathway in follicle cells, which then regulate both microtubule and P body organization in the underlying germline cells. This organization is modulated by the motor proteins Dynein and Kinesin. Dynein activity is required for microtubule and P body organization during starvation, while Kinesin activity is required during nutrient-rich conditions. Blocking the ability of egg chambers to form P body aggregates in response to starvation correlated with reduced progeny survival. These data suggest a potential mechanism to maximize fecundity even during periods of poor nutrient availability, by mounting a protective response in immature egg chambers. PMID:25481758

  18. MicroRNA Expression Profile in Bovine Granulosa Cells of Preovulatory Dominant and Subordinate Follicles during the Late Follicular Phase of the Estrous Cycle.

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    Samuel Gebremedhn

    Full Text Available In bovine, ovarian follicles grow in a wave-like fashion with commonly 2 or 3 follicular waves emerging per estrous cycle. The dominant follicle of the follicular wave which coincides with the LH-surge becomes ovulatory, leaving the subordinate follicles to undergo atresia. These physiological processes are controlled by timely and spatially expressed genes and gene products, which in turn are regulated by post-transcriptional regulators. MicroRNAs, a class of short non-coding RNA molecules, are one of the important posttranscriptional regulators of genes associated with various cellular processes. Here we investigated the expression pattern of miRNAs in granulosa cells of bovine preovulatory dominant and subordinate follicles during the late follicular phase of bovine estrous cycle using Illumina miRNA deep sequencing. In addition to 11 putative novel miRNAs, a total of 315 and 323 known miRNAs were detected in preovulatory dominant and subordinate follicles, respectively. Moreover, in comparison with the subordinate follicles, a total of 64 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in preovulatory dominant follicles, of which 34 miRNAs including the miR-132 and miR-183 clusters were significantly enriched, and 30 miRNAs including the miR-17-92 cluster, bta-miR-409a and bta-miR-378 were significantly down regulated in preovulatory dominant follicles. In-silico pathway analysis revealed that canonical pathways related to oncogenesis, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, apoptosis and metabolism were significantly enriched by the predicted target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs. Furthermore, Luciferase reporter assay analysis showed that one of the differentially regulated miRNAs, the miR-183 cluster miRNAs, were validated to target the 3'-UTR of FOXO1 gene. Moreover FOXO1 was highly enriched in granulosa cells of subordinate follicles in comparison with the preovulatory dominant follicles demonstrating reciprocal expression pattern

  19. Ovarian condition of Holstein dairy cows between 30 and 90 days postpartum in the microregion of Uberlândia, MG

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    Anderson Kloster Munhoz

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Anestrous postpartum is a state of complete sexual inactivity without estrous manifestations and the return of ovarian activity in postpartum may be negatively affected by several factors, such as negative energy balance (NEB, loss of body condition score (BCS, season in which the calving occurs, nutritional deficiencies, dystocic calving, retained placenta, uterine infections and metabolic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of BCS and number of days in milk (DIM on ovarian cyclicity of Holstein dairy cows. Ovarian conditions of 168 cows between 30 to 90 days in milk (DIM were evaluated twice by ultrasonography with seven days of interval and cows were classified in four categories: ovaries with presence of small follicles (Category 1: up to 10 mm; ovaries with medium follicles (Category 2: 10 to 18 mm; ovaries with large follicles (Category 3: over 20 mm and ovaries with presence of corpus luteum (CL (Category 4. The cows classified in categories 1, 2 and 3 were considered in anestrous. Data were analyzed by logistic regression at Minitab (P<0.05. As a result 15 cows (8.93% were in Category 1, 34 (20.24% in Category 2, 4 (2.38% in Category 3 and 115 (68.45% in Category 4. There was no effect (P>0.05 of DIM in the percentage of cycling cows, however there was a tendency (P=0.074 that cows with greater BCS (≥ 2.75 had a higher cyclicity rate (74.44% vs. 61.54% than cows with lower BCS. Days in milk effect was not detected in cyclicity rate in cows between 30 and 90 DIM, but there was a tendency of Holstein cows with greater body condition score to had higher cyclicity rate.

  20. ABO blood type is associated with ovarian reserve in Chinese women with subfertility.

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    Mu, Liangshan; Jin, Wumin; Yang, Haiyan; Chen, Xia; Pan, Jiexue; Lin, Jia; Wang, Peiyu; Huang, Xuefeng

    2016-08-09

    Ovarian reserve reflects both the quantity and quality of oocytes available for procreation, and is affected by many known and unknown factors. ABO blood type is related to a number of infertility processes, but it is unclear whether and how ABO blood type affects ovarian reserve. Here, we explored the relationship between ABO blood type and ovarian reserve in Chinese women with subfertility. Day-3 serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and blood type were examined in 14,875 women who underwent IVF or ICSI treatment. Blood type proportions in the patient population were as follows: 30.98% type A, 24.54% type B, 7.57% type AB, and 36.91% type O. A higher percentage of women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) were blood type O, while a lower percentage had the B antigen (B and AB). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that blood type O was associated with a greater risk of DOR than blood type B and B antigen-positive types. By contrast, the B antigen (B and AB) was associated with a lower incidence of DOR than blood type O. These results suggest that blood type O is a risk factor for DOR while the B antigen (blood type B or AB) is a protective factor for ovarian reserve in Chinese women with subfertility. Further studies are needed to confirm this effect and identify the underlying mechanisms.

  1. Effects of previous ovarian surgery for endometriosis on the outcome of assisted reproduction treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geber, Selmo; Ferreira, Daniela Parreiras; Spyer Prates, Luis Felipe Víctor; Sales, Liana; Sampaio, Marcos

    2002-01-01

    Endometriosis affects 2-50% of women at reproductive age. Surgery is an option for treatment, but there is no convincing evidence that it promotes a significant improvement in fertility. Also, the removal of ovarian endometrioma might lead to a reduction in the follicular reserve and response to stimulation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of previous ovarian surgery for endometriosis on the ovarian response in assisted reproduction treatment cycles and its pregnancy outcome. A total of 61 women, with primary infertility and previously having undergone ovarian surgery for endometriosis, who had received 74 IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, were studied (study group). A further 74 patients with primary infertility who underwent 77 IVF/ICSI cycles within#10; the same period of time, at the same clinic and without previous ovarian surgery or endometriosis were studied as a control group. Patients were matched for age and treatment performed. Patients 35 years with previous ovarian surgery needed more ampoules for ovulation induction (P = 0.017) and had fewer follicles and oocytes than women in the control group (P = 0.001). Duration of folliculogenesis was similar in both groups, as was fertilization rate. A total of 10 patients achieved pregnancy in the study group (34.5%) and 14 (48.3%) in the control group. Although a lower pregnancy rate was observed in patients who had undergone previous ovarian surgery, this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.424). In conclusion, ovarian surgery for the treatment of endometriosis reduces the ovarian outcome in IVF/ICSI cycles in women >35 years old, and might also decrease pregnancy rates. Therefore, for infertile patients, non-surgical treatment might be a better option to avoid reduction of the ovarian response.

  2. CGG repeat length and AGG interruptions as indicators of fragile X-associated diminished ovarian reserve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lekovich, Jovana; Man, Limor; Xu, Kangpu; Canon, Chelsea; Lilienthal, Debra; Stewart, Joshua D; Pereira, Nigel; Rosenwaks, Zev; Gerhardt, Jeannine

    2017-12-21

    PurposeFragile X premutation (PM) carriers may experience difficulties conceiving a child probably due to fragile X-associated diminished ovarian reserve (FXDOR). We investigated which subgroups of carriers with a PM are at higher risk of FXDOR, and whether the number of AGG interruptions within the repeat sequence further ameliorates the risk.MethodsWe compared markers of ovarian reserve, including anti-Müllerian hormone, antral follicle count, and number of oocytes retrieved between different subgroups of patients with a PM.ResultsWe found that carriers with midrange repeats size (70-90 CGG) demonstrate significantly lower ovarian reserve. Additionally, the number of AGG interruptions directly correlated with parameters of ovarian reserve. Patients with longer uninterrupted CGG repeats post-AGG interruptions had the lowest ovarian reserve.ConclusionThis study connects AGG interruptions and certain CGG repeat length to reduced ovarian reserve in carriers with a PM. A possible explanation for our findings is the proposed gonadotoxicity of the FMR1 transcripts. Reduction of AGG interruptions could increase the likelihood that secondary RNA structures in the FMR1 messenger RNA are formed, which could cause cell dysfunction within the ovaries. These findings may provide women with guidance regarding their fertility potential and accordingly assist with their family planning.GENETICS in MEDICINE advance online publication, 21 December 2017; doi:10.1038/gim.2017.220.

  3. Estrus behavior, ovarian dynamics, and progesterone secretion in Criollo cattle during estrous cycles with two and three follicular waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quezada-Casasola, Andrés; Avendaño-Reyes, Leonel; Macías-Cruz, Ulises; Ramírez-Godínez, José Alejandro; Correa-Calderón, Abelardo

    2014-04-01

    In beef and dairy cattle, the number of follicular waves affects endocrine, ovarian, and behavioral events during a normal estrous cycle. However, in Mexican-native Criollo cattle, a shortly and recently domesticated breed, the association between wave patterns and follicular development has not been studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of number of follicular waves in an estrous cycle on development of anovulatory and ovulatory follicles, corpus luteum (CL) development and functionality, as well as estrual behavior in Criollo cows. Ovarian follicular activities of 22 cycling multiparous Criollo cows were recorded daily by transrectal ultrasound examinations during a complete estrous cycle. Additionally, blood samples were collected daily to determine serum progesterone concentrations. Only two- (n = 17, 77.3%) and three-wave follicular (n = 5, 22.7%) patterns were observed. Duration of estrus, length of estrous cycle, and length of follicular and luteal phases were similar (P > 0.05) between cycles of two and three waves. Two-wave cows ovulated earlier (P 0.05) by number of waves. Growth rate of first dominant follicle was higher (P 0.05) between two- and three-wave patterns. In conclusion, Criollo cows have two or three follicular waves per estrous cycle, which alters partially ovulatory follicle development and ovulation time after detection of estrus. Length of estrous cycle, as well as CL development and functionality, was not affected by number of follicular waves.

  4. Single and repeated GnRH agonist stimulation tests compared with basal markers of ovarian reserve in the prediction of outcome in IVF

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hendriks, D.J.; Broekmans, F.J.M.; Bancsi, L.F.J.M.M.; Looman, C.W.N.; Jong, F.H. de; Velde, E.R. te

    Purpose: To study the value of a single or repeated GnRH agonist stimulation test (GAST) in predicting outcome in IVF compared to basal ovarian reserve tests. Methods: A total of 57 women was included. In a cycle prior to the IVF treatment, on day 3, an antral follicle count (AFC) was performed

  5. Genetic and clinical predictors of ovarian response in assisted reproductive technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiweko, B.; Damayanti, I.; Suryandari, D.; Natadisastra, M.; Pratama, G.; Sumapraja, K.; Meutia, K.; Iffanolia, P.; Harzief, A. K.; Hestiantoro, A.

    2017-08-01

    Several factors are known to influence ovarian response to rFSH stimulation such as age, antral follicle count (AFC), and basal FSH level, Mutation of allele Ser680Asn in FSHR gene was responsible to ovarian resistance toward exogenous FSH. The aim of this study is to develop a prediction model of ovarian response to COS in IVF. This study was a prospective cohort study. One hundred and thirteen women undergoing their first cycle of IVF in Yasmin IVF Clinic Jakarta were recruited to this study. Clinical datas included were age, BMI, and AFC. Basal FSH and E2 as well as serum AMH was measured from peripheral blood taken at second day of cycle. Bsr-1 enzyme is used to identify the polymorphism in exon 10 position 680 with RFLP technique. Three genotype polymorphism, Asn/Asn (255 bp ribbon), Asn/Ser (97 bp and 158 bp), and Ser/Ser (97 bp, 158 bp, and 255 bp). AFC has the highest predictor for ovarian response with AUC 0.922 (CI 95% 0.833-1.000). AMH also showed high predicting value (AUC 0.843 CI 95% 0.663-1.000). The multivariate analysis revealed combination of AFC, AMH, age, and basal FSH is a good model for ovarian response prediction (AUC=0.97). No significant relation between Asn/Asn, Asn/Ser, or Ser/Ser genotype FSHR polymorphism with ovarian response (p = 0.866) and total dose of rRSH (p = 0.08). This study showed that model combination of AFC, AMH, patient’s age and basal FSH are very good to predict number of mature oocytes.

  6. Dioxin exposure reduces the steroidogenic capacity of mouse antral follicles mainly at the level of HSD17B1 without altering atresia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karman, Bethany N., E-mail: bklement@illinois.edu; Basavarajappa, Mallikarjuna S., E-mail: mbshivapur@gmail.com; Hannon, Patrick, E-mail: phannon2@illinois.edu; Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu

    2012-10-01

    2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a potent ovarian toxicant. Previously, we demonstrated that in vitro TCDD (1 nM) exposure decreases production/secretion of the sex steroid hormones progesterone (P4), androstenedione (A4), testosterone (T), and 17β-estradiol (E2) in mouse antral follicles. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism by which TCDD inhibits steroidogenesis. Specifically, we examined the effects of TCDD on the steroidogenic enzymes, atresia, and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) protein. TCDD exposure for 48 h increased levels of A4, without changing HSD3B1 protein, HSD17B1 protein, estrone (E1), T or E2 levels. Further, TCDD did not alter atresia ratings compared to vehicle at 48 h. TCDD, however, did down regulate the AHR protein at 48 h. TCDD exposure for 96 h decreased transcript levels for Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, Hsd17b1, and Cyp19a1, but increased Hsd3b1 transcript. TCDD exposure particularly lowered both Hsd17b1 transcript and HSD17B1 protein. However, TCDD exposure did not affect levels of E1 in the media nor atresia ratings at 96 h. TCDD, however, decreased levels of the proapoptotic factor Bax. Collectively, these data suggest that TCDD exposure causes a major block in the steroidogenic enzyme conversion of A4 to T and E1 to E2 and that it regulates apoptotic pathways, favoring survival over death in antral follicles. Finally, the down‐regulation of the AHR protein in TCDD exposed follicles persisted at 96 h, indicating that the activation and proteasomal degradation of this receptor likely plays a central role in the impaired steroidogenic capacity and altered apoptotic pathway of exposed antral follicles. -- Highlights: ► TCDD disrupts steroidogenic enzymes in mouse antral follicles. ► TCDD particularly affects the HSD17B1 enzyme in mouse antral follicles. ► TCDD does not affect atresia ratings in mouse antral follicles. ► TCDD decreases levels of the proapoptitic factor Bax in mouse antral follicles.

  7. The lack of autophagy triggers precocious activation of Notch signaling during Drosophila oogenesis

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    Barth Julia MI

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The proper balance of autophagy, a lysosome-mediated degradation process, is indispensable for oogenesis in Drosophila. We recently demonstrated that egg development depends on autophagy in the somatic follicle cells (FC, but not in the germline cells (GCs. However, the lack of autophagy only affects oogenesis when FCs are autophagy-deficient but GCs are wild type, indicating that a dysfunctional signaling between soma and germline may be responsible for the oogenesis defects. Thus, autophagy could play an essential role in modulating signal transduction pathways during egg development. Results Here, we provide further evidence for the necessity of autophagy during oogenesis and demonstrate that autophagy is especially required in subsets of FCs. Generation of autophagy-deficient FCs leads to a wide range of phenotypes that are similar to mutants with defects in the classical cell-cell signaling pathways in the ovary. Interestingly, we observe that loss of autophagy leads to a precocious activation of the Notch pathway in the FCs as monitored by the expression of Cut and Hindsight, two downstream effectors of Notch signaling. Conclusion Our findings point to an unexpected function for autophagy in the modulation of the Notch signaling pathway during Drosophila oogenesis and suggest a function for autophagy in proper receptor activation. Egg development is affected by an imbalance of autophagy between signal sending (germline and signal receiving cell (FC, thus the lack of autophagy in the germline is likely to decrease the amount of active ligand and accordingly compensates for increased signaling in autophagy-defective follicle cells.

  8. Possible Role of Autoimmunity in Patients with Premature Ovarian Insuf f iciency

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    Renata Košir Pogačnik

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: To evaluate the involvement of immune abnormality in patients with idiopathic premature ovarian insufficiency (POI. In addition to the known etiology, autoimmune disorders may be a pathologic mechanism for POI. Materials and Methods: Our study was a prospective controlled trial. Twenty women with POI, reasons other than autoimmune excluded, were enrolled in this study. The control group consisted of 17 healthy women. In both groups, family and personal history were taken and the levels of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, anti-Müllerian hormone, inhibin B, antithyroglobulin and antithyroid peroxidase antibodies were determined. Antiovarian antibodies and subpopulations of peripheral blood T-lymhocytes were also determined. Results: Participants in the study group exhibited hypergonadotropichypogonadism, while high levels of follicle stimulating hormone and low levels of inhibin B and anti- Müllerian hormone were observed. In 16 (80% patients, POI was associated in their personal and familial history with another autoimmune disease. Fifty percent of patients presented highly elevated antithyroid antibodies. The lymphocyte subset, especially B cells, was significantly higher (p=0.014, and peripheral regulatory lymphocytes CD25+ high were significantly lower (p=0.015 in the study group than in the control group. Antiovarian antibodies were detected in 20% of patients with POI. Conclusion: We presume that the presence of anti-ovarian antibodies together with abnormalities of cellular immunity may in some cases potentially represent the involvement of an autoimmune mechanism in idiopathic POI.

  9. Polarization of the epithelial layer and apical localization of integrins are required for engulfment of apoptotic cells in the Drosophila ovary

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    Tracy L. Meehan

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Inefficient clearance of dead cells or debris by epithelial cells can lead to or exacerbate debilitating conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Despite the importance of engulfment by epithelial cells, little is known about the molecular changes that are required within these cells. The misregulation of integrins has previously been associated with disease states, suggesting that a better understanding of the regulation of receptor trafficking could be key to treating diseases caused by defects in phagocytosis. Here, we demonstrate that the integrin heterodimer αPS3/βPS becomes apically enriched and is required for engulfment by the epithelial follicle cells of the Drosophila ovary. We found that integrin heterodimer localization and function is largely directed by the α-subunit. Moreover, proper cell polarity promotes asymmetric integrin enrichment, suggesting that αPS3/βPS trafficking occurs in a polarized fashion. We show that several genes previously known for their roles in trafficking and cell migration are also required for engulfment. Moreover, as in mammals, the same α-integrin subunit is required by professional and non-professional phagocytes and migrating cells in Drosophila. Our findings suggest that migrating and engulfing cells use common machinery, and demonstrate a crucial role for integrin function and polarized trafficking of integrin subunits during engulfment. This study also establishes the epithelial follicle cells of the Drosophila ovary as a powerful model for understanding the molecular changes required for engulfment by a polarized epithelium.

  10. GnRH-agonist implants suppress reproductive function and affects ovarian LHR and FSHR expression in prepubertal female cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehl, N S; Srisuwatanasagul, S; Swangchan-Uthai, T; Sirivaidyapong, S; Khalid, M

    2017-01-01

    Effect of a GnRH-agonist (deslorelin) was studied on reproductive function and ovarian luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) and follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) expression in prepubertal female cats that were either implanted with 4.7-mg deslorelin (implanted: n = 6) or not (controls: n = 18) or ovariohysterectomized at prepubertal age (prepubertal OVH: n = 6). Body weights, fecal estradiol, and sexual behavior of implanted and control cats were monitored for 48 weeks followed by collection of ovaries and uteri. Ovaries and uteri were collected from control cats at follicular, luteal, and inactive stage (n = 6/group) and from prepubertal OVH cats at prepubertal age. Ovaries and uteri were analyzed for anatomical/histological characteristics. Ovaries were also analyzed for LHR and FSHR expression. Statistical analysis showed higher (P ≤ 0.05) body weight in control than implanted cats only during 22nd to 26th weeks of the study. Estrus was observed in control cats only. Deslorelin reduced (P ≤ 0.05) ovarian weight and number of antral follicles but did not affect endometrial thickness and gland diameter. However, myometrial thickness of implanted cats was significantly lower than control cats at follicular and luteal stage. Ovarian LHR mRNA expression was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in implanted cats than control cats at follicular stage. FSHR mRNA and LHR protein expression did not differ among the three groups. FSHR protein expression was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in prepubertal OVH cats and was not affected by deslorelin. In conclusion, deslorelin suppresses reproductive function in prepubertal female cats for at least 48 weeks possibly through a change in the ovarian mRNA expression of LHR. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. EFFECT OF NIGELLA SATIVA ON NUMBER OF CYSTIC FOLLICLES IN LETROZOLE INDUCED POLYCYSTIC OVARIES IN MICE

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    Noreen Anwar

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To observe the protective effect of Nigella sativa on number of cystic follicles in Letrozole induced polycystic ovaries in mice. Study Design: Laboratory based randomized control trial. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College in collaboration with National Institute of Health from Nov 2014 to Nov 2015. Material and Methods: Forty female BALB/c mice were selected and divided in four groups, each having 10 animals. Group A served as control and was given normal diet. Group B was given Letrozole at a dose of 1milligram/kilogram body weight. Group C was treated with Letrozole for eight weeks at a dose of 1milligram/kilogram body weight and Nigella sativa seeds powder at a dose of 10grams/kilogram body weight once daily starting at 22 day and continued up to eight weeks. Group D was treated with Letrozole for eight weeks at a dose of 1milligram/kilogram body weight and Nigella sativa oil at a dose of 4milliliter/kilogram body weight once daily starting at 22 day and continued up to eight weeks. Animals were dissected a day after last dose. Size, shape, color and consistency of ovary was observed. Right ovary was processed, embedded and stained for histological study. Number of cystic follicles were counted and noted. Results: Significant number of cystic follicles was observed in ovaries of animals of group B as compared to group A. While their number decreased significantly in group C and D as compared to group B. Conclusion: Nigella sativa seeds powder and its oil, both have a similar protective effect on histomorphology of ovary of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS in mice by decreasing the number of cystic follicles.

  12. Recent advances in the field of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and opportunities for research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladanyi, Camille; Mor, Amir; Christianson, Mindy S; Dhillon, Namisha; Segars, James H

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to summarize the latest advances and successes in the field of ovarian tissue cryopreservation while identifying gaps in current knowledge that suggest opportunities for future research. A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines for all relevant full-text articles in PubMed published in English that reviewed or studied historical or current advancements in ovarian tissue cryopreservation and auto-transplantation techniques. Ovarian tissue auto-transplantation in post-pubertal women is capable of restoring fertility with over 80 live births currently reported with a corresponding pregnancy rate of 23 to 37%. The recently reported successes of live births from transplants, both in orthotopic and heterotopic locations, as well as the emerging methods of in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro culture of primordial follicles, and possibility of in vitro activation (IVA) suggest new fertility options for many women and girls. Vitrification, as an ovarian tissue cryopreservation technique, has also demonstrated successful live births and may be a more cost-effective method to freezing with less tissue injury. Further, transplantation via the artificial ovary with an extracellular tissue matrix (ECTM) scaffolding as well as the effects of sphingosine-1-phosphate (SIP) and fibrin modified with heparin-binding peptide (HBP), heparin, and a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have demonstrated important advancements in fertility preservation. As a fertility preservation method, ovarian tissue cryopreservation and auto-transplantation are currently considered experimental, but future research may pave the way for these modalities to become a standard of care for women facing the prospect of sterility from ovarian damage.

  13. Iron stores and obesity are negatively associated with ovarian volume and anti-Müllerian hormone levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jehn-Hsiahn; Chou, Chia-Hung; Yang, Wei-Shiung; Ho, Hong-Nerng; Yang, Yu-Shih; Chen, Mei-Jou

    2015-12-01

    Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with increased iron stores, but have conflicting effects on ovarian reserve in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Iron-catalyzed oxidative stress might be detrimental to ovarian tissue and granulosa cell function. In this study we determined the association between body iron stores, obesity, and ovarian reserve in women with PCOS. One hundred and fifty-six women diagnosed with PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria and 30 normoweight healthy control women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Ovarian volume, total antral follicle count, and the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level were measured as an indicator of ovarian reserve. Ferritin and transferrin-bound iron levels were significantly higher in women with PCOS than normoweight controls. Obese women with PCOS had higher ferritin levels (p = 0.006), but lower AMH levels (p ovarian volume were inversely related to the ferritin level, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and body mass index in women with PCOS. Body mass index and ferritin level remained significantly correlated with a lower AMH level and reduced ovarian volume, respectively, after considering other confounding variables. An elevated ferritin level and obesity were negatively associated with ovarian volume and the AMH level, respectively, in women with PCOS. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. The physiology of follicle selection

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    Zeleznik Anthony J

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract During the follicular phase of the primate menstrual cycle, a single follicle usually matures to the preovulatory stage and releases its oocyte for fertilization and the potential establishment of pregnancy. In assisted reproductive technology procedures, it is desirable to override the natural process of follicle selection to produce many oocytes that are capable of being fertilized and undergoing normal embryo development. The goal of this chapter is to summarize the current views regarding the natural process of follicle selection in primates and to discuss how this process may be amplified to produce a greater number of oocytes.

  15. The proteolytic activity of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A is potentially regulated by stanniocalcin-1 and -2 during human ovarian follicle development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jepsen, Malene R.; Kløverpris, Søren; Bøtkjær, Jane A.

    2016-01-01

    STUDY QUESTION: Is the proteolytic activity of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) regulated by the stanniocalcins (STC1 and STC2) during human follicle maturation? SUMMARY ANSWER: The STCs and PAPP-A show similar expression by immunohistochemistry in developing follicles, and regulation...... of PAPP-A proteolytic activity is suggested by the identification of inhibited protein complexes between PAPP-A and STC1 or STC2 in human follicular fluid (FF). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-regulating proteinase PAPP-A is secreted by the granulosa cells of estrogen...

  16. Expressed microRNA associated with high rate of egg production in chicken ovarian follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, N; Gaur, U; Zhu, Q; Chen, B; Xu, Z; Zhao, X; Yang, M; Li, D

    2017-04-01

    MicroRNA (miRNA) is a highly conserved class of small noncoding RNA about 19-24 nucleotides in length that function in a specific manner to post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in organisms. Tissue miRNA expression studies have discovered a myriad of functions for miRNAs in various aspects, but a role for miRNAs in chicken ovarian tissue at 300 days of age has not hitherto been reported. In this study, we performed the first miRNA analysis of ovarian tissues in chickens with low and high rates of egg production using high-throughput sequencing. By comparing low rate of egg production chickens with high rate of egg production chickens, 17 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs were found (P chickens with high rates of egg production, suggesting that these miRNAs have an important role in ovary development and reproductive management of chicken. Furthermore, we uncovered that a significantly up-regulated miRNA-gga-miR-200a-3p-is ubiquitous in reproduction-regulation-related pathways. This miRNA may play a special central role in the reproductive management of chicken, and needs to be further studied for confirmation. © 2016 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

  17. Subclinical impairment of ovarian reserve in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with normal menstruation not using alkylating therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Wenhong; Zhan, Zhongping; Liang, Xiaoyan; Chen, Jianhui; Huang, Xingfang; Liao, Caiyun

    2013-12-01

    Disease activity is a major factor in menstrual disorders in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients not receiving alkylating therapy. However, the ovarian reserve of SLE women with normal menstruation is still unclear. Twenty-three SLE patients naïve to cytotoxic agents (SLE group) and nineteen SLE patients receiving current or previous cyclophosphamide (CTX) therapy (without other cytotoxic agents; SLE-CTX group) were enrolled. Twenty-one age-matched healthy women served as controls. All patients and controls had a regular menstrual cycle. Basal hormone levels, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and antral follicle count (AFC) were analyzed in the two study groups and compared with the control group. No significant differences were found between the SLE, SLE-CTX, and control groups in age, body mass index (BMI), and basal FSH and LH levels. The E2 (P=0.023) levels were high and the AMH (P=0.000) values and AFC (P=0.001) were significantly lower in the SLE and SLE-CTX groups compared to control. However, these values were similar between the SLE and SLE-CTX groups. SLE patients not receiving alkylating therapy who had normal menstruation and short illness duration still had an impaired ovarian reserve.

  18. Effects of indomethacin on ovarian leukocytes during the periovulatory period in the rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarradas Esteban

    2003-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We have investigated the effects of indomethacin (IM, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and the role of prostaglandins on the accumulation of leukocytes in the rat ovary during the periovulatory period. Adult cycling rats were injected sc with 1 mg of IM in olive oil or vehicle on the morning of proestrus. Some animals were killed at 16:00 h in proestrus. On the evening (19:00 h of proestrus, IM-treated rats were injected with 500 micrograms of prostaglandin E1 in saline or vehicle. Animals were killed at 01:30 and 09:00 h in estrus. There was an influx of macrophages, neutrophils, and eosinophils into the theca layers of preovulatory follicles, and of neutrophils and eosinophils into the ovarian medulla from 16:00 h in proestrus to 01:30 h in estrus. All these changes, except the accumulation of neutrophils in the theca layers of preovulatory follicles, were blocked by IM treatment. At 09:00 h in estrus, large clusters of neutrophils were observed in IM-treated rats, around abnormally ruptured follicles. The accumulation of leukocytes was not restored by prostaglandin supplementation, despite the inhibition of abnormal follicle rupture and restoration of ovulation in these animals. These results suggest that different mechanisms are involved in leukocyte accumulation in the ovary during the periovulatory period, and that the inhibitory effects of IM on the influx of leukocytes are not dependent on prostaglandin synthesis inhibition.

  19. The effect of ethanol sclerotherapy of 5 minutes duration on cyst diameter and rat ovarian tissue in simple ovarian cysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Şimşek M

    2015-03-01

    : In comparison with G1, there was a statistically significant reduction in the mean ovarian cyst dimensions in G2, while there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to total number of follicles. Again, a significant increase in apoptotic activity and germinal epithelial degeneration was observed in G2 as compared to G1. The two groups were similar in terms of adhesion formation. Conclusion: Although 95% EST results in a reduction in the size of simple ovarian cysts, this effect seems to be achieved at the expense of ovarian tissue injury. Keywords: ethanol instillation, salpingectomy, ovarian morphology, simple ovarian cyst, adhesion 

  20. Modulation of steroidogenesis by vitamin D3 in granulosa cells of the mouse model of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhshalizadeh, Shabnam; Amidi, Fardin; Alleyassin, Ashraf; Soleimani, Masoud; Shirazi, Reza; Shabani Nashtaei, Maryam

    2017-06-01

    Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder of women of reproductive age characterized by polycystic ovarian morphology, anovulation or oligomenorrhea, and hyperandrogenism. It is shown that disruption in the steroidogenesis pathway caused by excess androgen in PCOS is a critical element of abnormal folliculogenesis and failure in dominant follicle selection. Vitamin D plays an important role in the regulation of ovulatory dysfunction and can influence genes involved in steroidogenesis in granulosa cells. In the present study, we investigated the effects of vitamin D3 on steroidogenic enzyme expression and activities in granulosa cell using a PCOS mouse model. In our study, the PCOS mouse model was developed by the injection of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for 20 days. The mRNA and protein expression levels of genes involved in steroidogenesis in granulosa cells were compared between polycystic and normal ovaries using real-time PCR and Western blotting assays. Granulosa cells of DHEA-induced PCOS mice were then cultured with and without vitamin D3 and mRNA and protein expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes and serum 17beta-estradiol and progesterone levels were investigated using qRT-PCR, western blot, and radioimmunoassay, respectively. Steroidogenic enzymes including Cyp11a1, StAR, Cyp19a1, and 3β-HSD were upregulated in granulosa cells of PCOS mice when compared to normal mice. Treatment with vitamin D3 decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes in cultured granulosa cells. Vitamin D3 also decreased aromatase and 3β-HSD activity that leads to decreased 17beta-estradiol and progesterone release. This study suggests that vitamin D3 could modulate the steroidogenesis pathway in granulosa cells of PCOS mice that may lead to improving follicular development and maturation. This is a step towards a possible conceivable treatment for PCOS. AMHR-II: anti-müllerian hormone receptor-II; 3β-HSD: 3

  1. Impact of obesity on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced altered ovarian connexin gap junction proteins in female mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganesan, Shanthi; Nteeba, Jackson; Keating, Aileen F.

    2015-01-01

    The ovarian gap junction proteins alpha 4 (GJA4 or connexin 37; CX37), alpha 1 (GJA1 or connexin 43; CX43) and gamma 1 (GJC1 or connexin 45; CX45) are involved in cell communication and folliculogenesis. 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) alters Cx37 and Cx43 expression in cultured neonatal rat ovaries. Additionally, obesity has an additive effect on DMBA-induced ovarian cell death and follicle depletion, thus, we investigated in vivo impacts of obesity and DMBA on CX protein levels. Ovaries were collected from lean and obese mice aged 6, 12, 18, or 24 wks. A subset of 18 wk old mice (lean and obese) were dosed with sesame oil or DMBA (1 mg/kg; ip) for 14 days and ovaries collected 3 days thereafter. Cx43 and Cx45 mRNA and protein levels decreased (P < 0.05) after 18 wks while Cx37 mRNA and protein levels decreased (P < 0.05) after 24 wks in obese ovaries. Cx37 mRNA and antral follicle protein staining intensity were reduced (P < 0.05) by obesity while total CX37 protein was reduced (P < 0.05) in DMBA exposed obese ovaries. Cx43 mRNA and total protein levels were decreased (P < 0.05) by DMBA in both lean and obese ovaries while basal protein staining intensity was reduced (P < 0.05) in obese controls. Cx45 mRNA, total protein and protein staining intensity level were decreased (P < 0.05) by obesity. These data support that obesity temporally alters gap junction protein expression and that DMBA-induced ovotoxicity may involve reduced gap junction protein function. - Highlights: • Ovarian gap junction proteins are affected by ovarian aging and obesity. • DMBA exposure negatively impacts gap junction proteins. • Altered gap junction proteins may contribute to infertility

  2. Impact of obesity on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced altered ovarian connexin gap junction proteins in female mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ganesan, Shanthi, E-mail: shanthig@iastate.edu; Nteeba, Jackson, E-mail: nteeba@iastate.edu; Keating, Aileen F., E-mail: akeating@iastate.edu

    2015-01-01

    The ovarian gap junction proteins alpha 4 (GJA4 or connexin 37; CX37), alpha 1 (GJA1 or connexin 43; CX43) and gamma 1 (GJC1 or connexin 45; CX45) are involved in cell communication and folliculogenesis. 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) alters Cx37 and Cx43 expression in cultured neonatal rat ovaries. Additionally, obesity has an additive effect on DMBA-induced ovarian cell death and follicle depletion, thus, we investigated in vivo impacts of obesity and DMBA on CX protein levels. Ovaries were collected from lean and obese mice aged 6, 12, 18, or 24 wks. A subset of 18 wk old mice (lean and obese) were dosed with sesame oil or DMBA (1 mg/kg; ip) for 14 days and ovaries collected 3 days thereafter. Cx43 and Cx45 mRNA and protein levels decreased (P < 0.05) after 18 wks while Cx37 mRNA and protein levels decreased (P < 0.05) after 24 wks in obese ovaries. Cx37 mRNA and antral follicle protein staining intensity were reduced (P < 0.05) by obesity while total CX37 protein was reduced (P < 0.05) in DMBA exposed obese ovaries. Cx43 mRNA and total protein levels were decreased (P < 0.05) by DMBA in both lean and obese ovaries while basal protein staining intensity was reduced (P < 0.05) in obese controls. Cx45 mRNA, total protein and protein staining intensity level were decreased (P < 0.05) by obesity. These data support that obesity temporally alters gap junction protein expression and that DMBA-induced ovotoxicity may involve reduced gap junction protein function. - Highlights: • Ovarian gap junction proteins are affected by ovarian aging and obesity. • DMBA exposure negatively impacts gap junction proteins. • Altered gap junction proteins may contribute to infertility.

  3. Chinese herbal medicine for subfertile women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Kunyan; Zhang, Jing; Xu, Liangzhi; Wu, Taixiang; Lim, Chi Eung Danforn

    2016-10-12

    Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive endocrinology abnormalities, and affects 5% to 10% of women of reproductive age. Western medicines, such as oral contraceptives, insulin sensitizers and laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD), have been used to treat PCOS. Recently, many studies have been published that consider Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) as an alternative treatment for women with PCOS. To assess the efficacy and safety of CHM for subfertile women with PCOS. We searched sources, including the following databases, from inception to 9 June 2016: the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group Specialized Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), PsycINFO, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, Wanfang and trial registries. In addition, we searched the reference lists of included trials and contacted experts in the field to locate trials. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that considered the use of CHM for the treatment of subfertile women with PCOS. Two review authors independently screened appropriate trials for inclusion, assessed the risk of bias in included studies and extracted data. We contacted primary study authors for additional information. We conducted meta-analyses. We used the odds ratios (ORs) to report dichotomous data, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We assessed the quality of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methods. We included five RCTs with 414 participants. The comparisons in the included trials were as follows: CHM versus clomiphene, CHM plus clomiphene versus clomiphene (with or without ethinyloestradiol cyproterone acetate (CEA)), CHM plus follicle aspiration plus ovulation induction versus follicle aspiration plus ovulation induction alone, and CHM plus laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) versus LOD alone. The overall quality of the

  4. Development of steroid signaling pathways during primordial follicle formation in the human fetal ovary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, Paul A; Anderson, Richard A; Saunders, Philippa T; Kinnell, Hazel; Mason, J Ian; Evans, Dean B; Bhattacharya, Siladitya; Flannigan, Samantha; Franks, Stephen; Monteiro, Ana; O'Shaughnessy, Peter J

    2011-06-01

    Ovarian primordial follicle formation is critical for subsequent human female fertility. It is likely that steroid, and especially estrogen, signaling is required for this process, but details of the pathways involved are currently lacking. The aim was to identify and characterize key members of the steroid-signaling pathway expressed in the second trimester human fetal ovary. We conducted an observational study of the female fetus, quantifying and localizing steroid-signaling pathway members. The study was conducted at the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Ovaries were collected from 43 morphologically normal human female fetuses from women undergoing elective termination of second trimester pregnancies. We measured mRNA transcript levels and immunolocalized key steroidogenic enzymes and steroid receptors, including those encoded by ESR2, AR, and CYP19A1. Levels of mRNA encoding the steroidogenic apparatus and steroid receptors increased across the second trimester. CYP19A1 transcript increased 4.7-fold during this period with intense immunostaining for CYP19A detected in pregranulosa cells around primordial follicles and somatic cells around oocyte nests. ESR2 was localized primarily to germ cells, but androgen receptor was exclusively expressed in somatic cells. CYP17A1 and HSD3B2 were also localized to oocytes, whereas CYP11A1 was detected in oocytes and some pregranulosa cells. The human fetal ovary expresses the machinery to produce and detect multiple steroid signaling pathways, including estrogenic signaling, with the oocyte acting as a key component. This study provides a step-change in our understanding of local dynamics of steroid hormone signaling during the key period of human primordial follicle formation.

  5. Analysis of Chinese women with primary ovarian insufficiency by high resolution array-comparative genomic hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Can; Fu, Fang; Yang, Xin; Sun, Yi-Min; Li, Dong-Zhi

    2011-06-01

    Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is defined as a primary ovarian defect characterized by absent menarche (primary amenorrhea) or premature depletion of ovarian follicles before the age of 40 years. The etiology of primary ovarian insufficiency in human female patients is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential genetic causes in primary amenorrhea patients by high resolution array based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) analysis. Following the standard karyotyping analysis, genomic DNA from whole blood of 15 primary amenorrhea patients and 15 normal control women was hybridized with Affymetrix cytogenetic 2.7M arrays following the standard protocol. Copy number variations identified by array-CGH were confirmed by real time polymerase chain reaction. All the 30 samples were negative by conventional karyotyping analysis. Microdeletions on chromosome 17q21.31-q21.32 with approximately 1.3 Mb were identified in four patients by high resolution array-CGH analysis. This included the female reproductive secretory pathway related factor N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) gene. The results of the present study suggest that there may be critical regions regulating primary ovarian insufficiency in women with a 17q21.31-q21.32 microdeletion. This effect might be due to the loss of function of the NSF gene/genes within the deleted region or to effects on contiguous genes.

  6. Co-expression of the Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor and Stem Cell Markers: A Novel Approach to Target Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-01

    ovarian cancer stem cell markers to consider it as a new experimental target for novel nanotechnology approaches capable of destroying ovarian cancer stem...FSHR mRNA after several generations in an amount consistent with stem cell characteristics. Nude mouse experiments to confirm co-expression in vivoare

  7. HemoHIM improves ovarian morphology and decreases expression of nerve growth factor in rats with steroid-induced polycystic ovaries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sung Ho; Lee, Hae June; Kim, Joong Sun; Moon, Changjong; Kim, Jong Choon; Bae, Chun Sik; Park, Hae Ran; Jung, Uhee; Jo, Sung Kee

    2009-12-01

    Estradiol valerate (EV)-induced polycystic ovaries (PCOs) in rats cause the anovulation and cystic ovarian morphology. We investigated whether treatment with HemoHIM influences the ovarian morphology and the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in an EV-induced PCO rat model. PCO was induced by a single intramuscular injection of EV (4 mg, dissolved in sesame oil) in adult cycling rats. HemoHIM was either administered orally (100 mg/kg of body weight/day) for 35 consecutive days or injected intraperitoneally (50 mg/kg of body weight) every other day after EV injection. Ovarian morphology was almost normalized, and NGF was normalized in the PCO + HemoHIM group. HemoHIM lowered the high numbers of antral follicles and increased the number of corpora lutea in PCOs. The results are consistent with a beneficial effect of HemoHIM in the prevention and treatment of PCO syndrome.

  8. Ganglionic adrenergic action modulates ovarian steroids and nitric oxide in prepubertal rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado, Silvia Marcela; Casais, Marilina; Sosa, Zulema; Rastrilla, Ana María

    2006-08-01

    Both peripheral innervation and nitric oxide (NO) participate in ovarian steroidogenesis. The purpose of this work was to analyse the ganglionic adrenergic influence on the ovarian release of steroids and NO and the possible steroids/NO relationship. The experiments were carried out in the ex vivo coeliac ganglion-superior ovarian nerve (SON)-ovary system of prepubertal rats. The coeliac ganglion-SON-ovary system was incubated in Krebs Ringer-bicarbonate buffer in presence of adrenergic agents in the ganglionic compartment. The accumulation of progesterone, androstenedione, oestradiol and NO in the ovarian incubation liquid was measured. Norepinephrine in coeliac ganglion inhibited the liberation of progesterone and increased androstenedione, oestradiol and NO in ovary. The addition of alpha and beta adrenergic antagonists also showed different responses in the liberation of the substances mentioned before, which, from a physiological point of view, reveals the presence of adrenergic receptors in coeliac ganglion. In relation to propranolol, it does not revert the effect of noradrenaline on the liberation of progesterone, which leads us to think that it might also have a "per se" effect on the ganglion, responsible for the ovarian response observed for progesterone. Finally, we can conclude that the ganglionic adrenergic action via SON participates on the regulation of the prepubertal ovary in one of two ways: either increasing the NO, a gaseous neurotransmitter with cytostatic characteristics, to favour the immature follicles to remain dormant or increasing the liberation of androstenedione and oestradiol, the steroids necessary for the beginning of the near first estral cycle.

  9. The transcriptional corepressor SMRTER influences both Notch and ecdysone signaling during Drosophila development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bryan W. Heck

    2011-12-01

    SMRTER (SMRT-related and ecdysone receptor interacting factor is the Drosophila homologue of the vertebrate proteins SMRT and N-CoR, and forms with them a well-conserved family of transcriptional corepressors. Molecular characterization of SMRT-family proteins in cultured cells has implicated them in a wide range of transcriptional regulatory pathways. However, little is currently known about how this conserved class of transcriptional corepressors regulates the development of particular tissues via specific pathways. In this study, through our characterization of multiple Smrter (Smr mutant lines, mosaic analysis of a loss-of-function Smr allele, and studies of two independent Smr RNAi fly lines, we report that SMRTER is required for the development of both ovarian follicle cells and the wing. In these two tissues, SMRTER inhibits not only the ecdysone pathway, but also the Notch pathway. We differentiate SMRTER's influence on these two signaling pathways by showing that SMRTER inhibits the Notch pathway, but not the ecdysone pathway, in a spatiotemporally restricted manner. We further confirm the likely involvement of SMRTER in the Notch pathway by demonstrating a direct interaction between SMRTER and Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H], a DNA-binding transcription factor pivotal in the Notch pathway, and the colocalization of both proteins at many chromosomal regions in salivary glands. Based on our results, we propose that SMRTER regulates the Notch pathway through its association with Su(H, and that overcoming a SMRTER-mediated transcriptional repression barrier may represent a key mechanism used by the Notch pathway to control the precise timing of events and the formation of sharp boundaries between cells in multiple tissues during development.

  10. Superficially located enlarged lymphoid follicles characterise nodular gastritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamura, Takuma; Sakai, Yasuhiro; Hoshino, Hitomi; Iwaya, Yugo; Tanaka, Eiji; Kobayashi, Motohiro

    2015-01-01

    Nodular gastritis is a form of chronic Helicobacter pylori gastritis affecting the gastric antrum and characterised endoscopically by the presence of small nodular lesions resembling gooseflesh. It is generally accepted that hyperplasia of lymphoid follicles histologically characterises nodular gastritis; however, quantitative analysis in support of this hypothesis has not been reported. Our goal was to determine whether nodular gastritis is characterised by lymphoid follicle hyperplasia.The number, size, and location of lymphoid follicles in nodular gastritis were determined and those properties compared to samples of atrophic gastritis. The percentages of high endothelial venule (HEV)-like vessels were also evaluated.The number of lymphoid follicles was comparable between nodular and atrophic gastritis; however, follicle size in nodular gastritis was significantly greater than that seen in atrophic gastritis. Moreover, lymphoid follicles in nodular gastritis were positioned more superficially than were those in atrophic gastritis. The percentage of MECA-79 HEV-like vessels was greater in areas with gooseflesh-like lesions in nodular versus atrophic gastritis.Superficially located hyperplastic lymphoid follicles characterise nodular gastritis, and these follicles correspond to gooseflesh-like nodular lesions observed endoscopically. These observations suggest that MECA-79 HEV-like vessels could play at least a partial role in the pathogenesis of nodular gastritis.

  11. Transcriptomes of bovine ovarian follicular and luteal cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah M. Romereim

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Affymetrix Bovine GeneChip® Gene 1.0 ST Array RNA expression analysis was performed on four somatic ovarian cell types: the granulosa cells (GCs and theca cells (TCs of the dominant follicle and the large luteal cells (LLCs and small luteal cells (SLCs of the corpus luteum. The normalized linear microarray data was deposited to the NCBI GEO repository (GSE83524. Subsequent ANOVA determined genes that were enriched (≥2 fold more or decreased (≤−2 fold less in one cell type compared to all three other cell types, and these analyzed and filtered datasets are presented as tables. Genes that were shared in enriched expression in both follicular cell types (GCs and TCs or in both luteal cells types (LLCs and SLCs are also reported in tables. The standard deviation of the analyzed array data in relation to the log of the expression values is shown as a figure. These data have been further analyzed and interpreted in the companion article “Gene expression profiling of ovarian follicular and luteal cells provides insight into cellular identities and functions” (Romereim et al., 2017 [1].

  12. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) blood test

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... ency/article/003710.htm Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) blood test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. The follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) blood test measures the level of FSH in blood. FSH ...

  13. Androgen Stimulates Growth of Mouse Preantral Follicles In Vitro: Interaction With Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and With Growth Factors of the TGFβ Superfamily.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laird, Mhairi; Thomson, Kacie; Fenwick, Mark; Mora, Jocelyn; Franks, Stephen; Hardy, Kate

    2017-04-01

    Androgens are essential for the normal function of mature antral follicles but also have a role in the early stages of follicle development. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common cause of anovulatory infertility, is characterized by androgen excess and aberrant follicle development that includes accelerated early follicle growth. We have examined the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on development of isolated mouse preantral follicles in culture with the specific aim of investigating interaction with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), the steroidogenic pathway, and growth factors of the TGFβ superfamily that are known to have a role in early follicle development. Both testosterone and DHT stimulated follicle growth and augmented FSH-induced growth and increased the incidence of antrum formation among the granulosa cell layers of these preantral follicles after 72 hours in culture. Effects of both androgens were reversed by the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide. FSH receptor expression was increased in response to both testosterone and DHT, as was that of Star, whereas Cyp11a1 was down-regulated. The key androgen-induced changes in the TGFβ signaling pathway were down-regulation of Amh, Bmp15, and their receptors. Inhibition of Alk6 (Bmpr1b), a putative partner for Amhr2 and Bmpr2, by dorsomorphin resulted in augmentation of androgen-stimulated growth and modification of androgen-induced gene expression. Our findings point to varied effects of androgen on preantral follicle growth and function, including interaction with FSH-activated growth and steroidogenesis, and, importantly, implicate the intrafollicular TGFβ system as a key mediator of androgen action. These findings provide insight into abnormal early follicle development in PCOS.

  14. Locus coeruleus lesions and PCOS: role of the central and peripheral sympathetic nervous system in the ovarian function of rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farideh Zafari Zangeneh

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder associated with ovulatory dysfunction”. “Autonomic and central nervous systems play important roles in the regulation of ovarian physiology”. The noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC plays a central role in the regulation of the sympathetic nervous system and synaptically connected to the preganglionic cell bodies of the ovarian sympathetic pathway and its activation is essential to trigger spontaneous or induced LH surges. This study evaluates sympathetic outflow in central and peripheral pathways in PCO rats. Objective: Our objectives in this study were (1 to estimate LC activity in rats with estradiol valerate (EV-induced PCO; (2 to antagonized alpha2a adrenoceptor in systemic conditions with yohimbine. Materials and Methods: Forty two rats were divided into two groups: 1 LC and yohimbine and 2 control. Every group subdivided in two groups: eighteen rats were treated with estradiol valerate for induction of follicular cysts and the remainders were sesame oil groups. Results: Estradiol concentration was significantly augmented by the LC lesion in PCO rats (p<0.001, while LC lesion could not alter serum concentrations of LH and FSH, like yohimbine. The morphological observations of ovaries of LC lesion rats showed follicles with hyperthecosis, but yohimbine reduced the number of cysts, increased corpus lutea and developed follicles. Conclusion: Rats with EV-induced PCO increased sympathetic activity. LC lesion and yohimbine decreased the number of cysts and yohimbine increased corpus lutea and developed follicles in PCO rats.

  15. A huge ovarian mucinous cystadenoma associated with contralateral teratoma and polycystic ovary syndrome in an obese adolescent girl.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thaweekul, Patcharapa; Thaweekul, Yuthadej; Mairiang, Karicha

    2016-12-01

    A 13-year-old, obese girl presented with acute abdominal pain with abdominal distension for a year. The physical examination revealed marked abdominal distension with a large well-circumscribed mass sized 13×20 cm. Her body mass index (BMI) was 37.8 kg/m2. An abdominal CT scan revealed a huge multiloculated cystic mass and a left adnexal mass. She had an abnormal fasting plasma glucose and low HDL-C. Laparotomy, right salpingooophorectomy, left cystectomy, lymph node biopsies and partial omentectomy were performed. The left ovary demonstrated multiple cystic follicles over the cortex. The histologic diagnosis was a mucinous cystadenoma of the right ovary and a matured cystic teratoma of the left ovary. Both obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are associated with a greater risk of ovarian tumours, where PCOS could be either the cause or as a consequence of an ovarian tumour. We report an obese, perimenarchal girl with bilateral ovarian tumours coexistent with a polycystic ovary and the metabolic syndrome.

  16. Prevalence of ovarian adrenal rest tumours and polycystic ovaries in females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: results of ultrasonography and MR imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stikkelbroeck, Nike M.M.L.; Schouten, Diana; Otten, Barto J. [University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, P.O. Box 9101, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Hermus, Ad R.M.M. [University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Department of Endocrinology, P.O. Box 9101, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Suliman, Harold M.; Jager, Gerrit J. [University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Department of Radiology, P.O. Box 9101, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Braat, Didi D.M. [University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, P.O. Box 9101, Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2004-10-01

    The aim of the investigation was to assess the prevalence of ovarian adrenal rest tumours and polycystic ovaries in female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Thirteen female CAH patients (median age 19.8 years, range 14.8-23.5 years) underwent transvaginal (n=6) or transabdominal (n=7) ultrasonography by a gynaecologist and MR imaging (n=13) of the ovaries (pre and post contrast-enhanced T1- and T2-weighted images). Ovarian adrenal rest tumours were defined as small hypoechoic and multifocal nodules on ultrasound and isointense lesions on T1- and hypointense on T2-weighted MR images (derived from characteristics of testicular adrenal rest tumours). Polycystic ovaries were defined as the presence of {>=}10 follicles arranged peripherally around or scattered throughout increased stroma. No ovarian adrenal rest tumours were found either on ultrasound, or by MR imaging. Polycystic ovaries were found in 2 of the 13 patients (15.4%), both with ultrasound and MR. No ovarian adrenal rest tumours were detected in these female CAH patients, which suggests that ovarian adrenal rest tumours in CAH females are rare. The prevalence of polycystic ovaries corresponded to that in the general population. From these results, we would suggest that routine ovarian imaging in CAH females is not indicated. However, when ovarian dysfunction is present, ovarian imaging is advised, first by ultrasonography, to detect ovarian adrenal rest tumours or polycystic ovaries. (orig.)

  17. Prevalence of ovarian adrenal rest tumours and polycystic ovaries in females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: results of ultrasonography and MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stikkelbroeck, Nike M.M.L.; Schouten, Diana; Otten, Barto J.; Hermus, Ad R.M.M.; Suliman, Harold M.; Jager, Gerrit J.; Braat, Didi D.M.

    2004-01-01

    The aim of the investigation was to assess the prevalence of ovarian adrenal rest tumours and polycystic ovaries in female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Thirteen female CAH patients (median age 19.8 years, range 14.8-23.5 years) underwent transvaginal (n=6) or transabdominal (n=7) ultrasonography by a gynaecologist and MR imaging (n=13) of the ovaries (pre and post contrast-enhanced T1- and T2-weighted images). Ovarian adrenal rest tumours were defined as small hypoechoic and multifocal nodules on ultrasound and isointense lesions on T1- and hypointense on T2-weighted MR images (derived from characteristics of testicular adrenal rest tumours). Polycystic ovaries were defined as the presence of ≥10 follicles arranged peripherally around or scattered throughout increased stroma. No ovarian adrenal rest tumours were found either on ultrasound, or by MR imaging. Polycystic ovaries were found in 2 of the 13 patients (15.4%), both with ultrasound and MR. No ovarian adrenal rest tumours were detected in these female CAH patients, which suggests that ovarian adrenal rest tumours in CAH females are rare. The prevalence of polycystic ovaries corresponded to that in the general population. From these results, we would suggest that routine ovarian imaging in CAH females is not indicated. However, when ovarian dysfunction is present, ovarian imaging is advised, first by ultrasonography, to detect ovarian adrenal rest tumours or polycystic ovaries. (orig.)

  18. Genetic variations altering FSH action affect circulating hormone levels as well as follicle growth in healthy peripubertal girls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Busch, Alexander S.; Hagen, Casper P; Almstrup, Kristian

    2016-01-01

    of ovarian follicles in minor allele carriers of FSHB c.-211G>T and FSHR c.-29G>A. This may explain previous findings of delayed pubertal onset in these girls. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: Funding was provided by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (09-067180), Danish Ministry...... of the Environment, CeHoS (MST-621-00065), Capital Region of Denmark (December 2011), Ministry of Higher Education and Science (DFF-1331-00113) and EDMaRC (Danish Ministry of Health). A.S.B. was funded from December 2015 by ReproUnion (EU Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak). The authors declare no conflict...

  19. Association of basal serum androgen levels with ovarian response and ICSI cycle outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abide Yayla, C; Ozkaya, E; Kayatas Eser, S; Sanverdi, I; Devranoglu, B; Kutlu, T

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive value of basal serum testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels during follicular phase for ovarian response and outcome in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles of women with diminished ovarian reserve. We prospectively gathered data of basal serum androgen levels and ICSI cycle characteristics of 120 women with diminished ovarian reserve. Association of basal serum T and DHEAS levels with ovarian response was analyzed. Basal T and DHEAS levels were similar between pregnant and non-pregnant cases (P > 0.05). There were significant differences between groups with and without successful embryo implantation in terms of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), gonadotropin starting and total dose, and peak estradiol level (P stimulation due to unresponsiveness (n = 26, 21.7%), no oocyte at oocyte pickup (n = 11, 9.2%), no mature oocyte (n = 6, 5%), and failure of fertilization or embryo development (n = 15, 12.5%). Basal androgen levels were not significant predictors for any of the cycle outcome. AMH level was a significant predictor for failure of fertilization or embryo development (AUC 0.722, P = 0.01) and cancelation of stimulation (AUC 0.801, P stimulation (AUC 0.774, P basal T and DHEAS levels have no value in predicting any of the cycle outcome parameters.

  20. CMKLR1 deficiency maintains ovarian steroid production in mice treated chronically with dihydrotestosterone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Mi; Huang, Chen; Wang, Yu-Fei; Ren, Pei-Gen; Chen, Li; Xiao, Tian-Xia; Wang, Bao-Bei; Pan, Yan-Fei; Tsang, Benjamin K; Zabel, Brian A; Ma, Bao-Hua; Zhao, Hui-Ying; Zhang, Jian V

    2016-02-19

    Elevated serum chemerin levels correlate with increased severity of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the role of CMKLR1 signaling in ovarian biology under conditions of excess DHT remains unclear. In this study we compared the effects of continuous 90-day high dose DHT exposure (83.3 □g/day) on wild type and CMKLR1-deficient mice. DHT induced PCOS-like clinical signs in wild type mice as well as significant changes in the expression of hormone receptors, steroid synthesis enzymes, and BMPs and their receptors. In contrast, CMKLR1-deficient mice significantly attenuated DHT-induced clinical signs of PCOS and alterations in ovarian gene expression. To determine whether the BMP4 signaling pathway was involved in the pathogenic effects of CMKLR1 signaling in DHT-induced ovarian steroidogenesis, antral follicles were isolated from wild type and CMKLR1 knockout (KO) mice and treated in vitro with combinations of hCG, DHT, and BMP4 inhibitors. BMP4 inhibition attenuated the induction effects of hCG and DHT on estrogen and progesterone secretion in CMKLR1 KO mice, but not in WT mice, implicating the BMP4 signaling pathway in the CMKLR1-dependent response to DHT. In conclusion, CMKLR1 gene deletion attenuates the effects of chronic DHT treatment on ovarian function in experimental PCOS, likely via BMP4 signaling.

  1. The effects of propolis extract on ovarian tissue and oxidative stress in rats with maternal separation stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atefeh Arabameri

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Stress in infancy has dramatic effects on different systems, including the nervous system, endocrine, immune, reproductive and etc. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of extract of Iranian propolis (EIP on ovarian tissue and oxidative stress in rats with maternal separation stress. Materials and Methods: 48 immature female rats were divided randomly into six groups. 1 Control group, 2 Control group+saline, 3 Stress group, includes infants that were separated from their mothers 6 hr/day, the 4th, 5th and 6th groups consisted of infants who in addition to daily stress received 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of EIP, respectively. Then serum corticosterone, 17-beta-estradiol, malondialdehyde, total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and ferric reducing antioxidant power levels were measured. The ovarian sections were stained by H&E, PAS, and TUNEL methods and were studied with optical microscopy. Results: Stress increased the blood serum corticosterone levels and 17-beta-estradiol reduced significantly (p<0.001 and EIP prevented from this changes (p<0.01. EIP significantly increased the number of ovarian follicles, oocytes and oocytes diameter in neonatal rat following stress (p<0.01. EIP also significantly decreased the number of atretic follicles, TUNEL+granulosa cells, malondialdehyde levels and increased ferric reducing antioxidant power, total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase serum levels in neonatal rats following stress. The dose of 200 mg/kg EIP was more effective. Conclusion: This Study showed that the Iranian Propolis significantly could prevent oxidative stress and histopathological changes in the ovary of the neonatal rat the following stress.

  2. Modelling hair follicle growth dynamics as an excitable medium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip J Murray

    Full Text Available The hair follicle system represents a tractable model for the study of stem cell behaviour in regenerative adult epithelial tissue. However, although there are numerous spatial scales of observation (molecular, cellular, follicle and multi follicle, it is not yet clear what mechanisms underpin the follicle growth cycle. In this study we seek to address this problem by describing how the growth dynamics of a large population of follicles can be treated as a classical excitable medium. Defining caricature interactions at the molecular scale and treating a single follicle as a functional unit, a minimal model is proposed in which the follicle growth cycle is an emergent phenomenon. Expressions are derived, in terms of parameters representing molecular regulation, for the time spent in the different functional phases of the cycle, a formalism that allows the model to be directly compared with a previous cellular automaton model and experimental measurements made at the single follicle scale. A multi follicle model is constructed and numerical simulations are used to demonstrate excellent qualitative agreement with a range of experimental observations. Notably, the excitable medium equations exhibit a wider family of solutions than the previous work and we demonstrate how parameter changes representing altered molecular regulation can explain perturbed patterns in Wnt over-expression and BMP down-regulation mouse models. Further experimental scenarios that could be used to test the fundamental premise of the model are suggested. The key conclusion from our work is that positive and negative regulatory interactions between activators and inhibitors can give rise to a range of experimentally observed phenomena at the follicle and multi follicle spatial scales and, as such, could represent a core mechanism underlying hair follicle growth.

  3. [PIWI protein as a nucleolus visitor in Drosophila melanogaster].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikhaleva, E A; Iakushev, E Iu; Stoliarenko, A D; Klenov, M S; Pozovskiĭ, Ia M; Gvozdev, V A

    2015-01-01

    The evolutionarily conserved nuclear Piwi protein of Drosophila melanogaster is a representative of the Argonaute small RNA binding protein family. Guided by small piRNAs, Piwi functions in transposon silencing in somatic and germ cells of the gonad. We found that in ovarian somatic and germ cells, as well as in the established ovarian somatic cell line, Piwi is concentrated predominantly in the nucleolus--the main nuclear compartment, participating not only in rRNA synthesis, but also in various cell stress responses. We demonstrated the colocalization of Piwi with nucleolar marker proteins--fibrillarin and Nopp140. A mutation preventing Piwi transport to the nucleus and disturbing transposon silencing (piwi(Nt)) leads to 6-8-fold upregulation of rRNA genes expression, as evaluated by the level of transcripts of transposon insertions in 28S rRNA genes. RNase treatment of live cultured ovarian somatic cells depletes Piwi from the nucleolus. The same effect is observed upon inhibiting RNA polymerase I which transcribes rRNA, but not RNA polymerase II. In contrast, upon heat shock Piwi is concentrated in the nucleolus and is depleted from the nucleoplasm. These results implicate Piwi in RNA polymerase activity modulation and stress response in the nucleolus. We discuss possible noncanonical Piwi functions along with its canonical role in transposon silencing by piRNAs.

  4. Transplantation of an alginate-matrigel matrix containing isolated ovarian stromal cells: first step in developing an artificial ovary

    OpenAIRE

    Vanacker, Julie; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; des Rieux, Anne; Jaeger, Jonathan; Luyckx, Valérie; Van Langendonckt, Anne; Donnez, Jacques; Andrade Amorim, Christiani; 3rd International Conference “Strategies in Tissue Engineering”

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: For women diagnosed with leukemia, transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue after disease remission is not advisable due to the risk of reintroduction of malignant cells. To restore fertility in these patients, a biodegradable artificial ovary that offers an environment allowing isolated follicles and stromal cells (SCs) to survive and grow needs to be developed. The aim of this study is therefore to test the survival and proliferation of isolated SCs encapsulated in an a...

  5. Comparison between a single dose of goserelin (depot) and multiple daily doses of leuprolide acetate for pituitary suppression in IVF treatment: a clinical endocrinological study of the ovarian response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geber, Selmo; Sales, Liana; Sampaio, Marcos A C

    2002-07-01

    Compare the efficacy and safety of two different GnRHa, used for pituitary suppression in IVF cycles. A total of 292 patients using depot goserelin (Group 1) and 167 using daily leuprolide acetate (Group 2) were compared. Days required to achieve pituitary function suppression, duration of ovarian stimulation, total dose of HMG, number of aspirated follicles, number of oocytes retrieved, and presence of functional ovarian cyst were analyzed. The time taken to achieve downregulation was similar. The mean number of ampoules used for superovulation was higher in Group 1; however, this difference was observed only for patients >40 years old that started GnRHa in the follicular phase. There was no difference between the two groups in the duration of superovulation, in the number of follicles aspirated, and the number of oocytes retrieved. In the group of patients with >40 years the incidence of ovarian cysts was higher in Group 2. Both routes of GnRHa have similar effects for pituitary suppression and ovulation induction in assisted reproductive technology. Therefore the long-acting GnRHa is an excellent option, as only a single subcutaneous dose is necessary, decreasing the risk of the patient to forget its use and, most important, it does not interfere in the patient's quality of life.

  6. FSH-FSHR3-stem cells in ovary surface epithelium: basis for adult ovarian biology, failure, aging, and cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhartiya, Deepa; Singh, Jarnail

    2015-01-01

    Despite extensive research, genetic basis of premature ovarian failure (POF) and ovarian cancer still remains elusive. It is indeed paradoxical that scientists searched for mutations in FSH receptor (FSHR) expressed on granulosa cells, whereas more than 90% of cancers arise in ovary surface epithelium (OSE). Two distinct populations of stem cells including very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) and ovarian stem cells (OSCs) exist in OSE, are responsible for neo-oogenesis and primordial follicle assembly in adult life, and are modulated by FSH via its alternatively spliced receptor variant FSHR3 (growth factor type 1 receptor acting via calcium signaling and the ERK/MAPK pathway). Any defect in FSH-FSHR3-stem cell interaction in OSE may affect folliculogenesis and thus result in POF. Ovarian aging is associated with a compromised microenvironment that does not support stem cell differentiation into oocytes and further folliculogenesis. FSH exerts a mitogenic effect on OSE and elevated FSH levels associated with advanced age may provide a continuous trigger for stem cells to proliferate resulting in cancer, thus supporting gonadotropin theory for ovarian cancer. Present review is an attempt to put adult ovarian biology, POF, aging, and cancer in the perspective of FSH-FSHR3-stem cell network that functions in OSE. This hypothesis is further supported by the recent understanding that: i) cancer is a stem cell disease and OSE is the niche for ovarian cancer stem cells; ii) ovarian OCT4-positive stem cells are regulated by FSH; and iii) OCT4 along with LIN28 and BMP4 are highly expressed in ovarian cancers. © 2015 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

  7. Environmental pollutants, a possible etiology for premature ovarian insufficiency: a narrative review of animal and human data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vabre, Pauline; Gatimel, Nicolas; Moreau, Jessika; Gayrard, Véronique; Picard-Hagen, Nicole; Parinaud, Jean; Leandri, Roger D

    2017-04-07

    Because only 25% of cases of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) have a known etiology, the aim of this review was to summarize the associations and mechanisms of the impact of the environment on this pathology. Eligible studies were selected from an electronic literature search from the PUBMED database from January 2000 to February 2016 and associated references in published studies. Search terms included ovary, follicle, oocyte, endocrine disruptor, environmental exposure, occupational exposure, environmental contaminant, pesticide, polyaromatic hydrocarbon, polychlorinated biphenyl PCB, phenol, bisphenol, flame retardant, phthalate, dioxin, phytoestrogen, tobacco, smoke, cigarette, cosmetic, xenobiotic. The literature search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We have included the human and animal studies corresponding to the terms and published in English. We have excluded articles that included results that did not concern ovarian pathology and those focused on ovarian cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis or precocious puberty. We have also excluded genetic, auto-immune or iatrogenic causes from our analysis. Finally, we have excluded animal data that does not concern mammals and studies based on results from in vitro culture. Data have been grouped according to the studied pollutants in order to synthetize their impact on follicular development and follicular atresia and the molecular pathways involved. Ninety-seven studies appeared to be eligible and were included in the present study, even though few directly address POI. Phthalates, bisphenol A, pesticides and tobacco were the most reported substances having a negative impact on ovarian function with an increased follicular depletion leading to an earlier age of menopause onset. These effects were found when exposure occured at different times throughout the lifetime from the prenatal to the adult period

  8. Polycystic ovary morphology is associated with insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, So-Hyeon; Sung, Yeon-Ah; Hong, Young Sun; Jeong, Kyungah; Chung, Hyewon; Lee, Hyejin

    2017-10-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) and metabolic disturbances including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although insulin resistance could be associated with PCOM, recent studies have shown controversial results. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between PCOM and insulin resistance. This was a cross-sectional clinical study. A total of 679 women with PCOS who were diagnosed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Disease (NICHD) criteria and 272 control women were analysed. We measured fasting glucose and insulin levels, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test-derived glucose and insulin levels, testosterone levels, ovarian volume and follicle number. Polycystic ovary morphology was described in 543 women (80.0%) with PCOS. Women with PCOS had significantly higher 2 hours postload glucose, fasting and 2 hours postload insulin levels, ovarian volume, ovarian follicle numbers and lower insulin sensitivity compared with those of the controls (all P<.01). In women with PCOS, ovarian volume and ovarian follicle number were negatively associated with the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index after adjusting for age, body mass index and total testosterone; however, this association was not observed in the controls. In the logistic regression analysis, increased ovarian follicle number was associated with decreased insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS. In PCOS, enlarged ovarian volume and follicle excess were associated with insulin resistance, and the number of ovarian follicles could be a predictor of insulin resistance. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Follistatin during pregnancy and its potential role as an ovarian suppressing agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köninger, Angela; Schmidt, Börge; Damaske, Daniela; Birdir, Cahit; Enekwe, Antje; Kimmig, Rainer; Strowitzki, Thomas; Gellhaus, Alexandra

    2017-05-01

    Ovarian quiescence is a common condition during pregnancy. In vitro, follistatin, an antagonist of follicle-stimulating hormone, blocks follicular development at early stages, and its serum levels increase during pregnancy. A possible surrogate biomarker of ovarian arrest during pregnancy is a decrease in anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels followed by an increase in these levels on the second day after labor. The purpose of this study was to determine whether follistatin could act as an ovarian-suppressing agent during pregnancy. Follistatin levels and AMH levels were determined at various stages of pregnancy and postpartum. The follistatin and AMH levels of 69 patients were retrospectively determined with the AMH Gen II ELISA and with the Human Follistatin Quantikine ELISA Kit. For 49 patients, samples were available from various trimesters for cross-sectional analysis; for the other 20, samples were available longitudinally from day one before labor and then daily on days 1 through 4 after labor. Statistical significance was determined with linear regression, the Friedman rank sum test and the Wilcoxon-Nemenyi-McDonald-Thompson post hoc test. The behavior of follistatin levels was exactly opposite that of AMH levels: Follistatin levels increased significantly during pregnancy and on the first day after parturition but declined afterwards, whereas AMH levels decreased significantly during pregnancy and increased after labor. Follistatin can induce ovarian arrest during pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. PIVET rFSH dosing algorithms for individualized controlled ovarian stimulation enables optimized pregnancy productivity rates and avoidance of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yovich, John L; Alsbjerg, Birgit; Conceicao, Jason L; Hinchliffe, Peter M; Keane, Kevin N

    2016-01-01

    The first PIVET algorithm for individualized recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) dosing in in vitro fertilization, reported in 2012, was based on age and antral follicle count grading with adjustments for anti-Müllerian hormone level, body mass index, day-2 FSH, and smoking history. In 2007, it was enabled by the introduction of a metered rFSH pen allowing small dosage increments of ~8.3 IU per click. In 2011, a second rFSH pen was introduced allowing more precise dosages of 12.5 IU per click, and both pens with their individual algorithms have been applied continuously at our clinic. The objective of this observational study was to validate the PIVET algorithms pertaining to the two rFSH pens with the aim of collecting ≤15 oocytes and minimizing the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The data set included 2,822 in vitro fertilization stimulations over a 6-year period until April 2014 applying either of the two individualized dosing algorithms and corresponding pens. The main outcome measures were mean oocytes retrieved and resultant embryos designated for transfer or cryopreservation permitted calculation of oocyte and embryo utilization rates. Ensuing pregnancies were tracked until live births, and live birth productivity rates embracing fresh and frozen transfers were calculated. Overall, the results showed that mean oocyte numbers were 10.0 for all women algorithms in our clinic meant that the starting dose was not altered for 79.1% of patients and for 30.1% of those receiving the very lowest rFSH dosages (≤75 IU). Only 0.3% patients were diagnosed with severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, all deemed avoidable due to definable breaches from the protocols. The live birth productivity rates exceeded 50% for women algorithms led to only 11.6% of women generating >15 oocytes, significantly lower than recently published data applying conventional dosages (38.2%; Palgorithms to each other, the outcomes were mainly comparable for

  11. Fetal cyclophosphamide exposure induces testicular cancer and reduced spermatogenesis and ovarian follicle numbers in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comish, Paul B; Drumond, Ana Luiza; Kinnell, Hazel L; Anderson, Richard A; Matin, Angabin; Meistrich, Marvin L; Shetty, Gunapala

    2014-01-01

    Exposure to radiation during fetal development induces testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) and reduces spermatogenesis in mice. However, whether DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents elicit these effects in mice remains unclear. Among such agents, cyclophosphamide (CP) is currently used to treat breast cancer in pregnant women, and the effects of fetal exposure to this drug manifested in the offspring must be better understood to offer such patients suitable counseling. The present study was designed to determine whether fetal exposure to CP induces testicular cancer and/or gonadal toxicity in 129 and in 129.MOLF congenic (L1) mice. Exposure to CP on embryonic days 10.5 and 11.5 dramatically increased TGCT incidence to 28% in offspring of 129 mice (control value, 2%) and to 80% in the male offspring of L1 (control value 33%). These increases are similar to those observed in both lines of mice by radiation. In utero exposure to CP also significantly reduced testis weights at 4 weeks of age to ∼ 70% of control and induced atrophic seminiferous tubules in ∼ 30% of the testes. When the in utero CP-exposed 129 mice reached adulthood, there were significant reductions in testicular and epididymal sperm counts to 62% and 70%, respectively, of controls. In female offspring, CP caused the loss of 77% of primordial follicles and increased follicle growth activation. The results indicate that i) DNA damage is a common mechanism leading to induction of testicular cancer, ii) increased induction of testis cancer by external agents is proportional to the spontaneous incidence due to inherent genetic susceptibility, and iii) children exposed to radiation or DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents in utero may have increased risks of developing testis cancer and having reduced spermatogenic potential or diminished reproductive lifespan.

  12. Fetal cyclophosphamide exposure induces testicular cancer and reduced spermatogenesis and ovarian follicle numbers in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul B Comish

    Full Text Available Exposure to radiation during fetal development induces testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT and reduces spermatogenesis in mice. However, whether DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents elicit these effects in mice remains unclear. Among such agents, cyclophosphamide (CP is currently used to treat breast cancer in pregnant women, and the effects of fetal exposure to this drug manifested in the offspring must be better understood to offer such patients suitable counseling. The present study was designed to determine whether fetal exposure to CP induces testicular cancer and/or gonadal toxicity in 129 and in 129.MOLF congenic (L1 mice. Exposure to CP on embryonic days 10.5 and 11.5 dramatically increased TGCT incidence to 28% in offspring of 129 mice (control value, 2% and to 80% in the male offspring of L1 (control value 33%. These increases are similar to those observed in both lines of mice by radiation. In utero exposure to CP also significantly reduced testis weights at 4 weeks of age to ∼ 70% of control and induced atrophic seminiferous tubules in ∼ 30% of the testes. When the in utero CP-exposed 129 mice reached adulthood, there were significant reductions in testicular and epididymal sperm counts to 62% and 70%, respectively, of controls. In female offspring, CP caused the loss of 77% of primordial follicles and increased follicle growth activation. The results indicate that i DNA damage is a common mechanism leading to induction of testicular cancer, ii increased induction of testis cancer by external agents is proportional to the spontaneous incidence due to inherent genetic susceptibility, and iii children exposed to radiation or DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents in utero may have increased risks of developing testis cancer and having reduced spermatogenic potential or diminished reproductive lifespan.

  13. Randomized trial of adjuvant ovarian suppression in 926 premenopausal patients with early breast cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arriagada, R; Lê, M G; Spielmann, M; Mauriac, L; Bonneterre, J; Namer, M; Delozier, T; Hill, C; Tursz, T

    2005-03-01

    The aim of this multicenter trial was to evaluate the role of ovarian suppression in patients with early breast cancer previously treated with local surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Nine hundred and twenty-six premenopausal patients with completely resected breast cancer and either axillary node involvement or histological grade 2 or 3 tumors were randomized after surgery to adjuvant chemotherapy alone (control arm) or adjuvant chemotherapy plus ovarian suppression (ovarian suppression arm). Ovarian suppression was obtained by either radiation-induced ovarian ablation or triptorelin for 3 years. The analyses were performed with Cox models stratified by center. Median follow-up was 9.5 years. Mean age was 43 years. Ninety per cent of patients had histologically proven positive axillary nodes, 63% positive hormonal receptors and 77% had received an anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen. Ovarian suppression was by radiation-induced ovarian ablation (45% of patients) or with triptorelin (48%). At the time of randomization, all patients had regular menses or their follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels indicated a premenopausal status. The 10-year disease-free survival rates were 49% [95% confidence interval (CI) 44% to 54%] in both arms (P = 0.51). The 10-year overall survival rates were 66% (95% CI 61% to 70%) for the ovarian suppression arm and 68% (95% CI 63% to 73%) for the control arm (P = 0.19). There were no variations in the treatment effect according to age, hormonal receptor status or ovarian suppression modality. However, in patients suppression significantly decreased the risk of recurrence (P = 0.01). The results of this trial, after at least 10 years of follow-up, do not favor the use of ovarian suppression after adjuvant chemotherapy. The potential beneficial effect in younger women with hormono-dependent tumors should be further assessed.

  14. Metabolomic changes in follicular fluid induced by soy isoflavones administered to rats from weaning until sexual maturity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Wenxiang; Zhang, Wenchang; Liu, Jin; Sun, Yan; Li, Yuchen; Li, Hong; Xiao, Shihua; Shen, Xiaohua

    2013-01-01

    Female Wistar rats at 21 days of age were treated with one of three concentrations of soy isoflavones (SIF) (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg body weight, orally, once per day) from weaning until sexual maturity (3 months) in order to evaluate the influence of SIF on ovarian follicle development. After treatment, the serum sex hormone levels and enumeration of ovarian follicles of the ovary were measured. The metabolic profile of follicular fluid was determined using HPLC-MS. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to identify differences in metabolites and reveal useful toxic biomarkers. The results indicated that modest doses of SIF affect ovarian follicle development, as demonstrated by decreased serum estradiol levels and increases in both ovarian follicle atresia and corpora lutea number in the ovary. SIF treatment-related metabolic alterations in follicular fluid were also found in the PCA and PLS-DA models. The 24 most significantly altered metabolites were identified, including primary sex hormones, amino acids, fatty acids and metabolites involved in energy metabolism. These findings may indicate that soy isoflavones affect ovarian follicle development by inducing metabolomic variations in the follicular fluid. - Highlights: ► Modest doses of soy isoflavones (SIF) do affect ovarian follicle development. ► SIF treatment-related metabolic alterations in follicular fluid were found. ► The 24 most significantly altered metabolites were identified

  15. Metabolomic changes in follicular fluid induced by soy isoflavones administered to rats from weaning until sexual maturity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Wenxiang [Department of Nutrition and Health Care, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian (China); Zhang, Wenchang, E-mail: wenchang2002@sina.com [Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian (China); Liu, Jin [Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian (China); Sun, Yan [Center for Reproductive Medicine, Teaching Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian (China); Li, Yuchen; Li, Hong; Xiao, Shihua; Shen, Xiaohua [Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian (China)

    2013-06-15

    Female Wistar rats at 21 days of age were treated with one of three concentrations of soy isoflavones (SIF) (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg body weight, orally, once per day) from weaning until sexual maturity (3 months) in order to evaluate the influence of SIF on ovarian follicle development. After treatment, the serum sex hormone levels and enumeration of ovarian follicles of the ovary were measured. The metabolic profile of follicular fluid was determined using HPLC-MS. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to identify differences in metabolites and reveal useful toxic biomarkers. The results indicated that modest doses of SIF affect ovarian follicle development, as demonstrated by decreased serum estradiol levels and increases in both ovarian follicle atresia and corpora lutea number in the ovary. SIF treatment-related metabolic alterations in follicular fluid were also found in the PCA and PLS-DA models. The 24 most significantly altered metabolites were identified, including primary sex hormones, amino acids, fatty acids and metabolites involved in energy metabolism. These findings may indicate that soy isoflavones affect ovarian follicle development by inducing metabolomic variations in the follicular fluid. - Highlights: ► Modest doses of soy isoflavones (SIF) do affect ovarian follicle development. ► SIF treatment-related metabolic alterations in follicular fluid were found. ► The 24 most significantly altered metabolites were identified.

  16. Unravelling hair follicle-adipocyte communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Barbara; Horsley, Valerie

    2012-11-01

    Here, we explore the established and potential roles for intradermal adipose tissue in communication with hair follicle biology. The hair follicle delves deep into the rich dermal macroenvironment as it grows to maturity where it is surrounded by large lipid-filled adipocytes. Intradermal adipocytes regenerate with faster kinetics than other adipose tissue depots and in parallel with the hair cycle, suggesting an interplay exists between hair follicle cells and adipocytes. While adipocytes have well-established roles in metabolism and energy storage, until recently, they were overlooked as niche cells that provide important growth signals to neighbouring skin cells. We discuss recent data supporting adipocytes as niche cells for the skin and skin pathologies that may be related to alterations in skin adipose tissue defects. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  17. Effects of electroacupuncture on luteal regression and steroidogenesis in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome model rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xuan; Chen, Li; Xia, You-Bing; Xie, Min; Sun, Qin; Yao, Bing

    2018-03-15

    Electroacupuncture (EA) is an effective and safe therapeutic method widely used for treating clinical diseases. Previously, we found that EA could decrease serum hormones and reduce ovarian size in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rat model. Nevertheless, the mechanisms that contribute to these improvements remain unclear. HE staining was used to count the number of corpora lutea (CL) and follicles. Immunohistochemical and ELISA were applied to examine luteal functional and structural regression. Immunoprecipitation was used for analyzing the interaction between NPY (neuropeptide Y) and COX-2; western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to evaluate the expressions of steroidogenic enzymes and PKA/CREB pathway. EA treatment significantly reduced the ovarian weight and the number of CL, also decreased ovarian and serum levels of PGE2 and COX-2 expression; increased ovarian PGF2α levels and PGF2α/PGE2 ratio; decreased PCNA expression and distribution; and increased cyclin regulatory inhibitor p27 expression to have further effect on the luteal formation, and promote luteal functional and structural regression. Moreover, expression of COX-2 in ovaries was possessed interactivity increased expression of NPY. Furthermore, EA treatment lowered the serum hormone levels, inhibited PKA/CREB pathway and decreased the expressions of steroidogenic enzymes. Hence, interaction with COX-2, NPY may affect the levels of PGF2α and PGE2 as well as impact the proliferation of granulosa cells in ovaries, thus further reducing the luteal formation, and promoting luteal structural and functional regression, as well as the ovarian steroidogenesis following EA treatment. EA treatment could be an option for preventing OHSS in ART. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Changes of endocrine and ultrasound markers as ovarian aging in modifying the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) staging system with subclassification of mid reproductive age stage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Ting; Luo, Aiyue; Jiang, Jingjing; Du, Xiaofang; Yang, Shuhong; Lai, Zhiwen; Shen, Wei; Lu, Yunping; Ma, Ding; Wang, Shixuan

    2013-01-01

    To demonstrate the changes of ovarian aging markers across the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) stages and modify it with subclassification of mid reproductive age stage (MR). Healthy females were classified according to the STRAW system. Serum basal FSH, LH, E2, and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) were detected, FSH/LH ratio calculated, and antral follicle counts (AFCs) determined in follicular phase. Progression through the whole STRAW stages under MR stage subdivided is associated with elevations in FSH, LH, FSH/LH ratio and decreases in E2, AMH and AFCs (p age in MR stage. 0.982 ng/ml AMH and 3 antral follicles (low level of MR 25-30 years) were set as cutoffs to distinguish MR stage into early mid reproductive age (EMR) and late mid reproductive age (LMR) stages. The women in EMR stage compared with LMR could retrieve more oocytes in IVF treatment (p stage, demonstrating disparate reproductive aging period with reduced ovarian reserve in young age across the STRAW stages.

  19. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) promotes primordial follicle growth and reduces DNA fragmentation through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signalling pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezerra, Maria É S; Barberino, Ricássio S; Menezes, Vanúzia G; Gouveia, Bruna B; Macedo, Taís J S; Santos, Jamile M S; Monte, Alane P O; Barros, Vanessa R P; Matos, Maria H T

    2018-05-30

    We investigated the effects of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on the morphology and follicular activation of ovine preantral follicles cultured in situ and whether the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway is involved in IGF-1 action in the sheep ovary. Ovine ovarian fragments were fixed for histological and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) analyses (fresh control) or cultured in supplemented alpha-minimum essential medium (α-MEM+; control) or α-MEM+ with IGF-1 (1, 10, 50, 100 or 200ngmL-1) for 7 days. Follicles were classified as normal or atretic, primordial or growing and the oocyte and follicle diameters were measured. DNA fragmentation was evaluated by TUNEL assay. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry was performed on the fresh control, α-MEM+ and 100ngmL-1 IGF-1 samples. Inhibition of PI3K activity was performed through pretreatment with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) expression was analysed after culture in the absence or presence of LY294002. IGF-1 at 100ngmL-1 increased (PIGF-1. LY294002 significantly inhibited follicular activation stimulated by α-MEM+ and 100ngmL-1 IGF-1 and reduced pAKT expression in follicles. Overall, IGF-1 at 100ngmL-1 promoted primordial follicle activation, cell proliferation and reduced DNA fragmentation after in situ culture through the PI3K/AKT pathway.

  20. PREOVULATORY FOLLICLE DEVELOPMENT IN HIGH YIELDING COWS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radovan Tomášek

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to examine the development of preovulatory follicles in pregnant and non-pregnant high yielding cows. The treatment by supergestran and oestrophan was used to synchronize the estrous cycle. Ovaries were monitored by transrectal ultrasonography. The linear increase of preovulatory follicles was observed in pregnant (P < 0,001 and non-pregnant (P < 0,001 cows during 8 days before ovulation. In conclusion, preovulatory follicles in pregnant and non-pregnant high yielding cows developed similarly.