Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine-CERM最新文献

Objective: Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is a disorder characterized by impaired ovarian function. Sleep disorders are disruptions of the circadian rhythm, which appears to be closely linked to reproductive systems. This study aimed to investigate the impact of poor sleep quality on the ovarian reserve of childbearing-age women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in China from June 2021 to March 2023. In total, 102 participants diagnosed with chronic insomnia disorder were included in the study. Questionnaires were administered to assess participants' menstrual patterns, insomnia severity, anxiety, and depression. The anti-Müllerian hormone level and the basal antral follicle count were measured for ovarian reserve evaluation. Correlation analysis and ordinal logistic regression analysis were conducted.

Results: The women with insomnia presented high percentages of hypomenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and dysmenorrhea (78.4%, 74.5%, and 46.1%, respectively). Severe sleep disorder in the past month was identified as an independent risk factor for hypomenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome (odds ratio [OR], 2.64 and OR, 2.688; p<0.05). The prevalence of DOR among women with insomnia (33.3%) was significantly higher than the average reported in previous studies for young women. Insomnia duration exceeding 1 year was determined to be an independent risk factor for DOR in women aged 36 to 40 years (OR, 4.5; p=0.033).

Conclusion: This study highlights the association between sleep disorders and menstrual problems. Prolonged poor sleep quality in women aged 36 to 40 years was identified as a significant risk factor for DOR. We should pay more attention to improving sleep quality in order to maintain normal ovarian function.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in patients with a poor ovarian response who used methyltestosterone, versus those using a placebo, in an infertility clinic setting.

Methods: This clinical trial included 120 women who had undergone IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection due to poor ovarian reserve and infertility. The study took place at the Yas Infertility Center in Tehran, Iran, between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019. In the intervention group, 25 mg of methyltestosterone was administered daily for 2 months prior to the initiation of assisted reproductive treatment. The control group was given placebo tablets for the same duration before starting their cycle. Each group was randomly assigned 60 patients. All analyses were performed using SPSS ver. 23 (IBM Corp.).

Results: The endometrial thickness in the intervention group was 7.57±1.22 mm, whereas in the control group, it was 7.11±1.02 (p=0.028). The gonadotropin number was significantly higher in the control group (64.7±13.48 vs. 57.9±9.25, p=0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the antral follicular count. The chemical and clinical pregnancy rates in the intervention group were 18.33% and 15% respectively, compared to 8.33% and 6.67% in the control group. The rate of definitive pregnancy was marginally higher in the intervention group (13.3% vs. 3.3%, p=0.05).

Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that pretreatment with methyltestosterone significantly increases endometrium thickness and is associated with an increase in the definitive pregnancy rate.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is a major problem for human health worldwide. The mechanisms of vitamin D in the male reproductive system are unknown. After coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines were developed, doubts were raised about their possible effects on male fertility. Based on vitamin D's function in the immune system, its potential role as an adjuvant for COVID-19 vaccines is intriguing. The aims of this study were to assess the effects of vitamin D first on sperm parameters and sex hormones, and then as an immune adjuvant on sperm parameters and sex hormones after study participants had received their second doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Methods: Phase 1 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) included 72 men with idiopathic infertility, and phase 2 had 64 participants who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Both groups were instructed to take 50,000 IU of vitamin D twice monthly for 3 months. Sperm parameters and sex hormones were assessed pre- and post-supplementation.

Results: Regular vitamin D intake for 3 months significantly increased the participants' vitamin D levels (p=0.0001). Both phases showed a positive correlation between vitamin D intake and sperm parameters. Vaccination had no negative effects on sperm parameters and sex hormones. Vitamin D was associated with follicle-stimulating hormone (p=0.02) and testosterone (p=0.0001) in phase 2 after treatment.

Conclusion: Our results support vitamin D supplementation as an immune adjunct to COVID-19 vaccination for improving sperm parameters and hormone levels. COVID-19 vaccination is not harmful for male fertility potential, and vitamin D is an effective factor for male fertility.

Objective: Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease among reproductive-age women. Numerous hypotheses exist regarding the pathogenesis of endometriosis. In Turkey, the consumption of Allium cepa (commonly known as the "onion cure") is a popular treatment employed to alleviate a variety of gynecological disorders.

Methods: In this study, our objective was to assess the therapeutic mechanisms of the onion bulb A. cepa using an autologous endometriosis model in Sprague-Dawley rats. Previous research has shown that A. cepa possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic properties. We evaluated the pathological condition of endometriotic implants by employing hematoxylin-eosin staining and Ki67 immunohistochemistry analysis. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) have been identified as profibrotic markers that are highly overexpressed in endometriotic tissues relative to eutopic endometrial tissue. Furthermore, TGF-β1 influences the differentiation and progression of endometriosis. To quantify profibrotic activity, we measured TGF-β1 and α-SMA using the immunosorbent assay method.

Results: Lower histologic evaluation scores for endometriotic implants were observed in the group receiving high-dose A. cepa relative to the other groups. Ki67 expression was reduced following the high-dose A. cepa regimen, which consisted of 30% A. cepa and 70% normal feed. However, no statistically significant differences in TGF-β1 or α-SMA levels were observed among the groups (p=0.7 and p=0.778, respectively).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that A. cepa could serve as a therapeutic agent in endometriosis treatment, as evidenced by the reduction in proliferative potential. Nevertheless, A. cepa was not associated with significantly lower levels of endometriosis-associated TGF-β1 or α-SMA.

Objective: Given the noteworthy implications of alcohol consumption and its association with male infertility, there has been a notable focus on investigating natural alternatives to mitigate its adverse effects. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the potential protective effect of phycocyanin extract derived from the blue algae Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis against ethanol-induced oxidative stress, disturbances in testicular morphology, and alterations in sperm production.

Methods: Male rats were divided into four groups (five rats each): the control group received a saline solution, the ethanol exposed group (EtOH) was subjected to intraperitoneal injections of 10 mL/kg of ethanol solution at a concentration of 38% (v/v), the phycocyanin alone treated group (P) received oral administration of phycocyanin at a dosage of 50 mg/kg, and the phycocyanin-cotreated group (PE) was given oral phycocyanin followed by ethanol injections. All treatments were administered over a period of 14 days.

Results: Our findings demonstrated that ethanol exposure induced reproductive toxicity, characterized by reduced sperm production and viability, alterations in testicular weight and morphology, increased lipid peroxidation levels, and elevated oxidative enzyme activity. In addition, the ethanol-intoxicated group showed perturbations in serum biochemical parameters. However, the simultaneous exposure to ethanol and phycocyanin exhibited a counteractive effect against ethanol toxicity.

Conclusion: The results showed that supplementation of phycocyanin prevented oxidative and testicular morphological damage-induced by ethanol and maintained normal sperm production, and viability.

Infertility is a complex disease characterized by extreme genetic heterogeneity, compounded by various environmental factors. While there are exceptions, individual genetic and genomic variations related to infertility are typically rare, often family-specific, and may serve as susceptibility factors rather than direct causes of the disease. Consequently, identifying the cause of infertility and developing prevention and treatment strategies based on these factors remain challenging tasks, even in the modern genomic era. In this review, we first examine the genetic and genomic variations associated with infertility, and subsequently summarize the concepts and methods of preimplantation genetic testing in light of advances in genome analysis technology.

Ovarian reserve diminishes with age, and older women experience a corresponding shift in sex hormone levels. These changes contribute to an age-dependent decrease in fertility and a decline in overall health. Furthermore, while survival rates following cancer treatment have improved for young female patients, a reduction in ovarian function due to the side effects of such treatments can be difficult to avoid. To date, no effective therapy has been recommended to preserve ovarian health in these patients. Mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) are considered a promising option for cell therapy aimed at maintaining fertility and fecundity. Although MPCs derived from human adult tissues are recognized for their various protective effects against ovarian senescence, they are limited in quantity. Consequently, human pluripotent stem cell-derived MPCs (hPSC-MPCs), which exhibit high proliferative capacity and retain genetic stability during growth, have been utilized to delay reproductive aging. This review highlights the impact of hPSC-MPCs on preserving the functionality of damaged ovaries in female mouse models subjected to chemotherapy and natural aging. It also proposes their potential as a valuable cell source for fertility preservation in women with a variety of diseases.

Objective: Ovarian tissue vitrification is widely utilized for fertility preservation in prepubertal and adolescent female patients with cancer. The current literature includes reports of successful pregnancy and live birth following autografting. However, the effects of the vitrification process on cumulus-mural granulosa cells (C-mGCs)-somatic cells in ovarian tissue crucial for oocyte maturation and early embryonic development-remain unclear. This study was conducted to explore the impact of vitrification on the cellular function of C-mGCs by quantifying the expression of growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9), bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP-15), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), connexin 37, survivin, and caspase 3.

Methods: Mature and immature C-mGCs were obtained from 38 women with polycystic ovary syndrome who participated in an in vitro fertilization program. The C-mGCs were then divided into two groups: fresh and vitrified. The expression levels of target genes were assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results: After vitrification, GDF-9 expression was significantly decreased among both mature and immature C-mGCs, with 0.2- and 0.1-fold changes, respectively (p<0.01). Similarly, FSHR expression in the mature and immature groups was reduced by 0.1- and 0.02-fold, respectively, following vitrification (p<0.01). The expression levels of the other genes, including BMP-15, LHR, connexin 37, survivin, and caspase 3, remained similar across the examined groups (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Vitrification may compromise oocyte maturation through reduced GDF-9 and FSHR expression in C-mGCs after warming.

Objective: Diabetes mellitus induces fertility problems in men, mainly because of increased free radicals. Natural resources are effective for male infertility treatment. This study investigated the effects of harmine, an alkaloid available in Peganum harmala L., on the male reproductive system of diabetic rats.

Methods: We divided 32 rats into four groups, and eight were randomly placed in each group. For diabetes induction, the animals received 50 mg/kg of streptozotocin intraperitoneally. After 1 week, animals received 15 mg/kg of harmine (28 days; intraperitoneal). Histopathological examinations, serum levels of male hormones, levels of nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the testes, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), insulin serum levels, fasting blood glucose levels, the apoptotic index, and semen analysis were assessed.

Results: The diabetes group exhibited morphological changes in testicular tissue, significant decreases in the diameter of the seminiferous tubule, the Johnsen score, testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, insulin serum levels, and TAC in testicular tissue (p<0.01). Harmine treatment ameliorated the morphological changes in the testes and improved sperm parameters relative to the diabetes group (p<0.05). The NO and MDA levels in the testes, fasting blood glucose serum levels, and apoptotic index parameters were significantly elevated in the diabetes group, while in the diabetes+harmine group, these parameters were reduced (p<0.01).

Conclusion: Harmine protects testicular tissue and sperm against diabetes-induced damage. This effect of harmine is associated with a rebalancing of the antioxidant capacity that subsequently decreases apoptosis in the testes.

Objective: Scrotal hyperthermia poses a significant threat to spermatogenesis and fertility in mammalian species. This study investigated the effects of vitamin B12 and vitamin C on spermatogenesis in adult male mice subjected to long-term scrotal hyperthermia. The rationale is based on the sensitivity of germ cells and epididymal sperm to increased scrotal temperatures. While various factors, both internal and external, can raise the testicular temperature, this study focused on the potential therapeutic roles of vitamins B12 and C.

Methods: After inducing scrotal hyperthermia in mice, vitamin B12 and vitamin C were administered for 35 days. We assessed sperm parameters, serum testosterone levels, stereological parameters, the percentage of apoptotic cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and glutathione (GSH) levels. Additionally, real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the expression of the c-kit, stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (Stra8), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Pcna) genes.

Results: Vitamin C was more effective than vitamin B12 in improving sperm parameters and enhancing stereological parameters. The study showed a significant decrease in apoptotic cells and a beneficial modulation of ROS and GSH levels following vitamin administration. Moreover, both vitamins positively affected the expression levels of the c-kit, Stra8, and Pcna genes.

Conclusion: This research deepens our understanding of the combined impact of vitamins B12 and C in mitigating the effects of scrotal hyperthermia, providing insights into potential therapeutic strategies for heat stress-related infertility. The findings highlight the importance of considering vitamin supplementation as a practical approach to counter the detrimental effects of elevated scrotal temperatures on male reproductive health.