Spaceflight induces changes in gene expression profiles linked to insulin and estrogen.

Organismal adaptations to spaceflight have been characterized at the molecular level in model organisms, including Drosophila and C. elegans. Here, we extend molecular work to energy metabolism and sex hormone signaling in mice and humans.

Beyond the surface: Does stage I-II endometriosis impact fertility? Exploring the challenges of mild disease.

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecologic conditions that women face throughout their lives. Despite advances in technology, diagnosis and treatment of this relapsing and remitting condition is still challenging for many women. This review focuses on literature pertaining to minimal/mild (stage I/II) endometriosis and its impact on fertility.

Walking on thin endometrium.

Purpose Of Review: Endometrial thickness has been regarded a predictor of success in assisted reproductive technology cycles and it seems a common practice to cancel embryo transfer when it is below a cut-off. However, various cut-offs have been proposed without a causal relationship between endometrial thickness and embryo implantation being established, casting doubt on the current dogma.

Recent Findings: Methodological limitations of the available studies on endometrial thickness are increasingly recognized and better designed studies do not demonstrate a cut-off value which requires cancelling an embryo transfer.

A critical appraisal of studies on endometrial thickness and embryo transfer outcome.

A receptive endometrium is required for successful embryo implantation. Endometrial thickness, as measured by ultrasonography, is the most commonly used marker of endometrial receptivity in assisted reproductive technology cycles. Several factors simultaneously affect both endometrial thickness and probability of live birth, including age, oestradiol concentration and oocyte number, among others.

Obesity downregulates lipid metabolism genes in first trimester placenta.

Placentas of obese women have low mitochondrial β-oxidation of fatty acids (FA) and accumulate lipids in late pregnancy. This creates a lipotoxic environment, impairing placental efficiency. We hypothesized that placental FA metabolism is impaired in women with obesity from early pregnancy.

Disposable paper-based microfluidics for fertility testing.

Fifteen percent of couples of reproductive age suffer from infertility globally and the burden of infertility disproportionately impacts residents of developing countries. Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), including fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), have been successful in overcoming various reasons for infertility including borderline and severe male factor infertility which consists of 20%-30% of all infertile cases. Approximately half of male infertility cases stem from suboptimal sperm parameters.

Non-oestrogenic modalities to reverse urogenital aging.

Urogenital aging is a common process affecting all women in the post-menopausal period of their life, and it is substantially due to oestrogen deprivation after ovarian function cessation. These changes can lead to a progressive, chronic, and complex association of symptoms identified as the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, which has a significant impact on quality of life. Genitourinary syndrome and urogenital aging do not resolve spontaneously and usually recur when treatment is stopped.

A new look at the etiology of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: extraordinary cultivations.

Purpose: So far, studies have not clearly identified infectious agents as an etiological factor for interstitial cystitis (IC). Specific microbiological diagnosis for detecting the pathogen with higher sensitivity in IC may decrease the treatment costs and increase psychosocial health of the patients.

Methods: A prospective clinical study was performed in 26 IC patients and 20 controls between April and September 2017.

Maternal levels of growth differentiation factor-15 in patients with preeclampsia.

Objective: Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-induced cytokine and related to the prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. Our purpose is to measure the maternal levels of GDF-15 in patients with early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE) and late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE).

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted including 72 pregnant women, 23 with normal pregnancies and 49 with preeclampsia (26 with EOPE and 23 with LOPE).

Ovarian reserve after internal iliac artery ligation.

Aim: Ligation of major vessels supplying ovaries may alter hormones and ovarian reserve due to disturbances of vascular circulation. Our purpose is to measure serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and ovarian volume in patients who had internal iliac artery ligation (IIAL) and/or IIAL plus hysterectomy due to uterine atony.

Methods: Patients who underwent IIAL and IIAL+ hysterectomy were evaluated 6 months after their operations and were compared with the control group.

Endometrial receptivity: lessons from systems biology and candidate gene studies of endometriosis.

Endometrial receptivity is essential for embryo implantation and ongoing successful pregnancy. The temporal "window" during which the endometrium allows implantation, known as window of implantation (WOI), which is, characterized alteration of many genes. Transcriptomic changes at the time of implantation let us discover many genes and their protein products whose altered expression effects endometrial receptivity.

Parasitic myoma after laparoscopic surgery: a mini-review.

The aim of this review is to summarize the cases of parasitic myomas after laparoscopic surgery. A literature search was performed using the PubMed database for the period of January 1997 to December 2014. We used the following keywords: "laparoscopic hysterectomy," "laparoscopic myomectomy," "morcellation," "parasitic fibroids," "parasitic myomas," and "leiomyomatosis.