Reproduction & Fertility最新文献

Obesity is a rapidly growing public health issue among women of reproductive age associated with decreased reproductive function including implantation failure. This can result from a myriad of factors including impaired gametes and endometrial dysfunction. The mechanisms of how obesity-related hyperinsulinaemia disrupts endometrial function are poorly understood. We investigated potential mechanisms by which insulin alters endometrial transcript expression. Ishikawa cells were seeded into a microfluidics device attached to a syringe pump to deliver a constant flow rate of 1uL/min of the following: 1) control 2) vehicle control (acetic acid) or, 3) Insulin (10 ng/ml) for 24 hours (n=3 biological replicates). Insulin-induced transcriptomic response of endometrial epithelial cells was determined via RNA sequencing, and DAVID and Webgestalt to identify Gene Ontology (GO) terms and signalling pathways. A Total of 29 transcripts showed differential expression levels across two comparison groups (control v vehicle control; vehicle control v insulin). Nine transcripts were differentially expressed in vehicle control v insulin comparison (p<0.05). Functional annotation analysis of transcripts altered by insulin (n=9) identified three significantly enriched GO terms: SRP-dependent cotranslational protein targeting to membrane, poly(A) binding, and RNA binding (p<0.05). Over-representation analysis found three significantly enriched signalling pathways relating to insulin-induced transcriptomic response: protein export, glutathione metabolism, and ribosome pathways (p<0.05). Transfection of siRNA for RASPN successfully knocked down expression (p<0.05) but this did not have any effect on cellular morphology. Insulin-induced dysregulation of biological functions and pathways highlight potential mechanisms by which high insulin concentrations within maternal circulation may perturb endometrial receptivity.

Background IVF add-ons are techniques, medicines or procedures used in addition to standard IVF with the aim of improving the chance of success. The United Kingdom's IVF regulator, ( the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) developed a traffic light system to categorise add-ons as either green, amber, or red, based on results of randomised controlled trials. Method Qualitative interviews were undertaken to explore understanding and views of the HFEA traffic light system among IVF clinicians, embryologists and IVF patients across Australia and the United Kingdom. Results A total of 73 interviews were conducted. Overall, participants were supportive of the intention of the traffic light system, however many limitations were raised. It was widely recognized that a simple traffic light system necessarily omits information which may be important to understanding the evidence base. In particular, the red category was used in scenarios that patients viewed as having different implications for their decision-making, including 'no evidence' and 'evidence of harm'. Patients were surprised at the absence of any green add-ons and questioned the value of a traffic light system in this context. Many participants considered the website a helpful starting point, but desired more detail, including the contributing studies, results specific to patient demographics (e.g., <35 years and >35 years), and inclusion of more options (e.g. acupuncture). Overall, participants believed the website to be reliable and trustworthy, particularly due to the Government affiliation, and despite some concerns regarding transparency and an overly cautious regulator. Conclusion Participants identified many limitations with the current application of the traffic light system. These could be considered in any future updates to the HFEA website and for others developing similar decision support tools.

Objective: Testicular samples obtained for fertility preservation often need to be transported between clinics. This study aimed to mimic this short-term hypothermic storage (4-8 °C) and explore the impact of these conditions and the transport medium composition on prepubertal rat testicular tissue samples.

Methods: Testicular tissue samples obtained from seven days post-partum rats were transferred to six compositionally different basal culture media and a balanced salt solution, which had been kept at 4-8 °C prior to transfer. The samples were preserved for either 12 or 24 hours in these hypothermic conditions. The potential effects of the short-term storage were evaluated by assessing the morphology, measuring the testosterone levels by radioimmunoassay and analysing 96 genes with TaqMan Low-Density Arrays. Summarizing results: Levels of gene expression related to energy, apoptosis and angiogenesis pathways were altered after hypothermic storage for 12 and especially 24 hours. We observed only minor differences in gene expression profiles for germ and testicular somatic cells, and no differences in tissue morphology and testosterone production levels.

Conclusions: Short-term hypothermic storage of testicular tissue with a maximum duration of 24 hours does not affect the overall expression profile of testicular cell-specific genes; however, in a minor way, it affects the expression of specific cellular genes.

Endometriosis is a common yet under-recognised chronic inflammatory disease, affecting 176 million women, trans and gender diverse people globally. The National Endometriosis Clinical and Scientific Trials (NECST) Registry is a new clinical registry, collecting and tracking diagnostic and treatment data, and patient-reported outcomes on people with endometriosis. The registry is a research priority action item from the 2018 National Action Plan for Endometriosis and aims to provide, large-scale, national and longitudinal population-based data on endometriosis. Working groups (consisting of patients with endometriosis, clinicians and researchers) developing the NECST Registry data dictionary and data collection platform started in 2019. Our data dictionary was developed based on existing and validated questionnaires, tools, meta-data and data cubes - World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF) Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project (EPHect), endometriosis CORE outcomes set, patient-reported outcome measures, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases-10th Revision Australian Modification diagnosis codes, and Australian Government datasets: Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (for sociodemographic data), Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS; for medical procedures) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS; for medical therapies). The resulting NECST Registry is an online, secure cloud-based database; prospectively collecting minimum core clinical and health data across eight patient and clinician modules and longitudinal data tracking disease life course. The NECST Registry has ethics approval (HREC/62508/MonH-2020) and is registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000987763).

Growth patterns and associated endocrine profiles were compared between dominant anovulatory (ADF) and ovulatory follicles (OvF) developing from different waves within and between menstrual cycles in women. Follicular mapping profiles of 49 healthy women of reproductive age and blood samples were obtained every 1-3 days. Sixty-three dominant follicles were classified into wave 1 (W1ADF; n = 8) and wave 2 (W2ADF; n = 6) anovulatory follicles and wave 2 (W2OvF; n = 33) and wave 3 (W3OvF; n = 16) ovulatory follicles. Comparisons were made between W1ADF and W2ADF, W2ADF and W2OvF, and W2OvF and W3OvF. The waves were numbered 1, 2, or 3 based on when the waves emerged relative to the preceding ovulation. W1ADF emerged closer to the preceding ovulation, and W2ADF emerged in the late luteal or early follicular phase. The interval from emergence to maximum diameter was shorter for W2ADF than W1ADF and for W3OvF than W2OvF. Selection of W3OvF occurred at a smaller diameter compared to W2OvF. W1ADF regressed at a faster rate than W2ADF. Also, W1ADF were associated with lower mean FSH and higher mean estradiol than W2ADF. In contrast, W3OvF were associated with higher FSH and LH compared to W2OvF. However, W2OvF were associated with higher progesterone than W3OvF. This study contributes to the understanding of the physiologic mechanisms underlying selection of the dominant follicle, ovulation, and pathophysiology of anovulation in women, as well as optimization of ovarian stimulation protocols for assisted reproduction.

Abstract: Sperm cryopreservation is a valuable tool for the long-term preservation of male fertility. Thus, determining the optimal technique for isolating spermatozoa post-thaw is vital to ensure recovery of the highest quality spermatozoa with minimal iatrogenic damage. This not only enhances the chances of successful conception but also reduces the risk of genetic damage in the embryo. To address this issue, human semen samples were cryopreserved using a slow freezing protocol and Quinn's Advantage™ Sperm Freeze medium. The samples were subsequently thawed and subjected to three types of sperm isolation procedures: direct swim-up, density gradient centrifugation, and electrophoretic separation using the Felix™ device. Cryopreservation led to the anticipated loss of sperm motility and vitality in association with increases in lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. Following sperm selection, all three isolation techniques resulted in an increase in sperm motility which was particularly evident with the swim-up and Felix™ procedures. The latter also significantly improved sperm vitality. There were no differences between sperm separation techniques with respect to morphology, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation remained essentially unchanged when cell vitality was taken into account. By contrast, major differences were observed in DNA integrity and lipid aldehyde formation, where Felix™ isolated cells exhibiting significantly less DNA damage than the other isolation procedures as well as lower levels of 4-hydroxynonenal formation. Electrophoretic sperm isolation, therefore, offers significant advantages over alternative separation strategies, in terms of the quality of the gametes isolated and the time taken to achieve the isolation.

Lay summary: Long-term storage of sperm is vital to assisted reproductive technology because it permits the preservation of fertility that might be compromised as a result of factors such as chemotherapy or vasectomy. This goal can be achieved via cryopreservation - the freezing of cells to -196°C. When the sperm are subsequently required for conception, they must be carefully separated from the cryopreservation medium in a manner that maximizes the chances of successful conception and minimizes the risk of genetic defects in the offspring. In this paper, three isolation techniques were compared for their ability to separate ideal sperm from semen and media following cryopreservation. It was found that cryopreservation led to lower levels of motility and vitality and created higher levels of DNA and cell membrane damage. Of the three techniques compared, only cells separated on the basis of their size and electric charge (electrophoretic isolation) exhibited significantly lower levels of DNA fragmentation.

Abstract: The transition of maternal to zygotic gene expression regulation is critical for human preimplantation embryo development. In recent years, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) had been applied to detect the factors that regulate human oocyte maturation and early embryo development. Here, the evaluation of transcriptomes in single blastomere from the embryo collected from patients by scRNA-seq was performed. There were 20 blastomeres biopsied from 8-cell embryos of seven patients who received more than two ART cycles due to low embryo competence. Meanwhile, ten cells were collected from 8-cell embryos of four patients who received ART treatment due to male or tubal factors. The blastomeres were then evaluated using the previously established scRNA-seq method to determine the associations between their gene expression and developmental competence. The total number of genes detected in 8-cell embryos that failed to form blastocyst including maternal and zygotic mRNAs was reduced. There were 324 differently expressed genes detected among the 8-cell embryos including 65 genes that were significantly suppressed in the 8-cell embryos that failed to form blastocyst. Further analysis found these 8-cell embryos arrested at the cleavage stage due to the dysfunction of the cell cycle, DNA transcription activity, histone methylation, and cell division-related genes such as SMCO-1, ZNF271P,ZNF679, ASF1b, BEX3, DPPA2, and ORC4. The alterations of gene expression detected in human 8-cell embryos are tightly associated with its developmental competence and could be used as targets to enhance embryo development or parameters to predict the embryo's development outcomes.

Lay summary: Many females are suffering infertility due to the failure of embryonic development at early stages due to unknown causes. At the very beginning of human embryo development, the embryos start to express its own genes, which should be achieved at 8-cell stage. In current research, we isolated one cell from 8-cell embryos and detected the gene expression at single-cell level. Then the remaining cells of these embryos were cultured to form blastocyst. Meanwhile, the data was analyzed according to the outcomes of embryo development. We detected 324 differently expressed genes between the 8-cell embryos that succeeded and failed to form blastocyst. Our research showed the association between the gene expression and the developmental competence of 8-cell embryos. The findings could be used to predict the embryo quality and potential therapy target to improve the efficiency of assisted reproductive techniques.

Abstract: In laboratory mice, sperm quality is usually assessed in spermatozoa collected from the cauda epididymidis of freshly sacrificed males. Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) is a non-terminal alternative that would allow repeated sperm collection for sperm quality assessment in living males. To test whether PESA is a suitable method to assess sperm quality, we compared sperm traits between samples collected by PESA vs the commonly applied terminal cauda epididymidis dissection. The collected sperm samples were analyzed using computer-assisted sperm analysis and various parameters, including sperm motility, swimming velocity and morphology, were determined. We were able to retrieve motile sperm from all mice using PESA and the terminal cauda epididymidis dissection. Based on computer-assisted sperm analysis, however, sperm motility and swimming velocity were significantly lower after PESA compared to samples obtained by cauda epididymidis dissection. In addition, we found significantly more morphological abnormalities in PESA samples, probably induced as a side effect of the sampling technique. Although sperm samples collected by PESA are successfully used for in vitro fertilization, we cannot recommend PESA as a suitable method to assess sperm quality in mice, since the procedure seems to impair various sperm traits.

Lay summary: In mice, sperm quality is usually assessed in sperm collected from the epididymis (organ where ripe sperm is stored) of euthanized males. However, there is one non-terminal and minimal invasive alternative to collect sperm, called percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA), which allows repeated sample collections from the same individual. Given that individual sperm quality is variable and can change according to various factors, PESA could allow to track sperm quality over time and would be highly appreciated in different research fields. Here, we tested the suitability of PESA to determine sperm quality by comparing sperm samples collected by PESA vs the commonly applied terminal epididymis dissection. We used computer-assisted sperm analysis to determine various sperm quality traits. Surprisingly, we found that sperm collected by PESA showed significantly reduced motility, swimming velocity and more morphological abnormalities compared to sperm samples collected by epididymis dissection. Thus, we cannot recommend PESA as a suitable method to determine sperm quality traits as the procedure itself seems to affect collected sperm cells.

Cytotoxic chemotherapies have been a mainstay of cancer treatment, but are associated with numerous systemic adverse effects, including impacts to fertility and endocrine health. Irreversible ovarian damage and follicle depletion are side-effects of chemotherapy that can lead to infertility and premature menopause, both being major concerns of young cancer patients. Notably, many women will proceed with fertility preservation, but unfortunately existing strategies don't entirely solve the problem. Most significantly, oocyte and embryo freezing do not prevent cancer treatment-induced ovarian damage from occurring, which may result in the impairment of long-term hormone production. Unfortunately, loss of endogenous endocrine function is not fully restored by hormone replacement therapy. Additionally, while GnRH agonists are standard care for patients receiving alkylating chemotherapy to lessen the risk of premature menopause, their efficacy is incomplete. The lack of more broadly effective options stems, in part, from our poor understanding of how different treatments damage the ovary. Here, we summarise the impacts of two commonly utilised chemotherapies - cyclophosphamide and cisplatin - on ovarian function and fertility, and discuss the mechanisms underpinning this damage. Additionally, we critically analyse current research avenues in the development of novel fertility preservation strategies, with a focus on fertoprotective agents.

Abstract: Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating condition which can affect the entire reproductive life course of women with a potentially detrimental effect on pregnancy. Pregnancy (and increasing parity) can affect endometriosis by modulating disease severity and suppressing symptoms. Multiparous women could be less likely to suffer from endometriosis-related pregnancy complications than primiparous women. We aimed to systematically review the evidence examining the role of parity in the relationship between pregnancy outcomes and endometriosis. A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library was performed from inception to May 2022. We searched for experimental and observational studies. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was used to assess the quality of evidence with the risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions tool incorporated. Eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis. Primiparous women with endometriosis had almost double the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (OR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.50-2.63, P < 0.001) compared to multiparous women with endometriosis. Primiparous women with endometriosis were at significantly increased risk of preterm delivery, caesarean delivery, and placenta praevia compared to primiparous women without endometriosis. There were no significant differences in outcomes when multiparous women with endometriosis were compared to multiparous women without endometriosis. There is limited evidence to suggest that primiparous women with endometriosis may be at higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to multiparous women. The modulatory role of parity in the pathophysiology of endometriosis and its impact on pregnancy outcomes should be investigated.

Lay summary: Endometriosis can adversely affect pregnancy and cause complications that can affect both mother and baby. The severity and symptoms of endometriosis are lessened in pregnancy and with increasing births. Women who have previously given birth could experience fewer pregnancy complications than women giving birth for the first time. We reviewed the literature to compare pregnancy outcomes in women with endometriosis by whether they had given birth before or not. Our review included 11 studies. More women with endometriosis giving birth for the first time had blood pressure disorders in pregnancy than women with endometriosis who had given birth before. First-time mothers with endometriosis tended to have a baby born early, caesarean delivery, and an abnormally located placenta compared to those without endometriosis. This study supports the theory that women with endometriosis in their first pregnancy are at higher risk of complications and may benefit from additional monitoring.