Obesity contributes to mortality and displays alterations in calcium, urea and hemoglobin levels in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.

Background & Aims: Obesity courses with metabolic and inflammatory changes that include, among others, higher expression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The pathophysiology of the new coronavirus suggests an affinity for angiotensin-2 converting enzyme receptors, cytokine storm, and systemic hypercoagulability. Thus, obesity could contribute to the worse evolution of individuals with COVID-19.

Female Prostate Development: Morphological Analysis of the Budding Dynamic.

The presence of the prostate in female mammals has long been known. However, pieces of information related to its development are still lacking. The aim of this study was to explore the budding dynamic during the initial prostate development in female gerbils.

The Influence of Pregnancy on Female Prostate Morphophysiology in Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

Morphophysiological changes of the female prostate during pregnancy are still little known. Considering that this gland is highly influenced by steroid hormones, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pregnancy on female prostate morphophysiology in gerbils. Pregnant females were timed, and the prostates were analyzed at pregnancy days 6 (P6), 12 (P12), 18 (P18), and 24 (P24).

Testosterone exposure in prenatal life disrupts epithelial nuclear morphology, smooth muscle layer pattern, and FGF10 and Shh expression in prostate.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether high levels of exogenous testosterone (T) interfere in prostate morphogenesis. Pregnant females were exposed to subcutaneous injections of T cypionate (500 μg/animal) at gestational days 20 and 22. Male and female pups were euthanized at postnatal days 1 and 15.

In vitro long-term culture of isolated ovine preantral follicles: Influence of ethanol on steroid production, oocyte meiotic resumption, and metabolomic profile.

Ethanol is used routinely to dilute cell culture media supplements with little or no water solubility. This study evaluates the effect of low concentration of ethanol on the follicular development, oocyte maturation, hormone production, gene expression, and metabolomics profile of spent culture medium after long-term culture of isolated ovine preantral follicles. For this, follicles were cultured for 18 days in α-Minimum Essential Medium alone (control treatment) or supplemented with 100 ng/mL recombinant bovine FSH (rbFSH treatment) or with 0.

Developmental changes induced by exogenous testosterone during early phases of prostate organogenesis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of prenatal testosterone exposure on prostate development in male and female neonatal gerbils. Pregnant females were exposed to subcutaneous injections of testosterone cypionate (500 μg/animal) at gestational days 20 and 22. Male and female pups were then euthanized at postnatal day 1.

Vitrification of caprine secondary and early antral follicles as a perspective to preserve fertility function.

The present study aimed to evaluate the structure, survival and development of isolated caprine (secondary-SEC and early antral-EANT) follicles, after vitrification in the presence of synthetic polymers and in vitro culture. Additionally, transzonal projections (TZPs) and p450 aromatase enzyme were evaluated. After isolation, SEC and EANT follicles were in vitro cultured for six days or vitrified.

Effect of Catalase or Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplementation in the Vitrification Solution of Ovine Ovarian Tissue.

Aim: The present study evaluates the effect of different concentrations of antioxidants (catalase - CAT and alpha lipoic acid - ALA) on the follicular activation and morphology, DNA damage, ROS production, and mitochondrial activity in vitrified sheep ovarian tissue.

Methods: This experiment was divided into two steps. First, ovarian fragments were distributed into the following treatments: fresh tissue or control (CTR), incubation (INC), vitrification without antioxidant (VWA), with CAT (10, 20, or 40 IU mL) or ALA (25, 50, or 100 μM mL).

Unexpected effect of the vehicle (grain ethanol) of homeopathic FSH on the in vitro survival and development of isolated ovine preantral follicles.

The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of medium replacement system (experiment I) and of FSH presentations (homeopathic - FSH 6cH and allopathic FSH - rFSH; experiment II) on the in vitro development, hormone production and gene expression of isolated ovine preantral follicles cultured for 6 days. In experiment I, secondary follicles were cultured in the α-MEM supplemented with FSH 6cH (0.05 fg/ml) or recombinant bovine FSH (100 ng/ml) without/with daily medium addition.

In situ cultured preantral follicles is a useful model to evaluate the effect of anticancer drugs on caprine folliculogenesis.

Despite the increase in the incidence of cancer, the number of women who survive cancer treatment is growing. However, one of the principal results of chemotherapy is premature ovarian failure (POF). The aim of this study was to use the in situ culture preantral follicles as an in vitro model to evaluate the toxicity of two anticancer drugs, doxorubicin (DXR) and paclitaxel (PTX), on the integrity and development of ovarian follicles.

Activin-A promotes the development of goat isolated secondary follicles in vitro.

The role of activin-A in follicular development and on the mRNA expression levels of different genes in goat secondary follicles was evaluated. Goat secondary follicles (≥ 150 μm) were cultured for 18 days under control conditions or with the addition of either 50 or 100 ng/ml activin-A (Experiment 1). The mRNA levels for the genes that code for activin-A, ActR-IA, ActR-IB, ActR-IIA, ActR-IIB, follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSH-R) and P450 aromatase were measured in each condition (Experiment 2).

The effects of insulin and follicle-simulating hormone (FSH) during in vitro development of ovarian goat preantral follicles and the relative mRNA expression for insulin and FSH receptors and cytochrome P450 aromatase in cultured follicles.

The actions of different concentrations of insulin alone or in combination with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were evaluated by in vitro follicular development and mRNA expression of cytochrome P450 aromatase (CYP19A1) and as receptors for insulin (INSR) and FSH (FSHR) from isolated, cultured goat preantral follicles. Goat preantral follicles were microdissected and cultured for 18 days in the absence or presence of insulin (5 and 10 ng/ml or 10 μg/ml) alone or in combination with FSH. After 18 days, the addition of the maximum concentration of insulin to the culture medium reduced follicular survival and antrum formation rates significantly compared to the other treatments.

Effect of medium composition on the in vitro culture of bovine pre-antral follicles: morphology and viability do not guarantee functionality.

Summary This study investigated the effect of three different culture media (α minimum essential medium (α-MEM), McCoy or TCM199 during the in vitro culture (IVC) of bovine isolated pre-antral follicles. Pre-antral follicles greater than 150 μm in size were isolated and cultured for 0 (control), 8 or 16 days in one of the abovementioned culture media. Follicles were evaluated for survival, growth and antrum formation at days 8 and 16.

BMPRIB and BMPRII mRNA expression levels in goat ovarian follicles and the in vitro effects of BMP-15 on preantral follicle development.

This study evaluated the levels of bone morphogenetic protein receptors BMPRIB and BMPRII mRNA in goat follicles and the effects of bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP-15) on the in vitro development of cultured preantral follicles. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to analyze the levels of BMPRIB and BMPRII mRNA in caprine preantral follicles and in small and large antral follicles. Preantral follicles (≥150 μm) were also isolated from goat ovaries and cultured for 18 days in α-MEM(+) supplemented with or without BMP-15 (10, 50, or 100 ng/ml).

Increased steroidogenic factor-1 dosage triggers adrenocortical cell proliferation and cancer.

Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1/Ad4BP; NR5A1), a nuclear receptor transcription factor, has a pivotal role in adrenal and gonadal development in humans and mice. A frequent feature of childhood adrenocortical tumors is SF-1 amplification and overexpression. Here we show that an increased SF-1 dosage can by itself augment human adrenocortical cell proliferation through concerted actions on the cell cycle and apoptosis.

Nephroblastoma overexpressed/cysteine-rich protein 61/connective tissue growth factor/nephroblastoma overexpressed gene-3 (NOV/CCN3), a selective adrenocortical cell proapoptotic factor, is down-regulated in childhood adrenocortical tumors.

Context: Childhood adrenocortical tumors (ACTs) have a fetal adrenal phenotype and overexpress steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1). Nephroblastoma overexpressed (NOV)/cysteine-rich protein 61/connective tissue growth factor/nephroblastoma overexpressed gene-3 mRNA is significantly down-regulated in childhood ACTs.

Objective: The objective of the study was to measure NOV protein levels in childhood ACTs and characterize NOV expression regulation and biological function in human adrenocortical cells.

Specific immunoassays for placental alkaline phosphatase as a tumor marker.

Human placental (hPLAP) and germ cell (PLAP-like) alkaline phosphatases are polymorphic and heat-stable enzymes. This study was designed to develop specific immunoassays for quantifying hPLAP and PLAP-like enzyme activity (EA) in sera of cancer patients, pregnant women, or smokers. Polyclonal sheep anti-hPLAP antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography with whole hPLAP protein (ICA-PLAP assay) or a synthetic peptide (aa 57-71) of hPLAP (ICA-PEP assay); the working range was 0.

SF-1 overexpression in childhood adrenocortical tumours.

The steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) gene encodes a transcription factor playing a pivotal role in the regulation of adrenogenital development. We have recently shown that SF-1 is amplified in childhood adrenocortical tumours (ACT). This study was aimed to assess if an increase in SF-1 gene copy number was associated with increased protein levels and to study the correlation between SF-1 expression and ACT clinical parameters.

Amplification of the steroidogenic factor 1 gene in childhood adrenocortical tumors.

Southern Brazil has one of the highest incidences of childhood adrenocortical tumors (ACTs), occurring 10-15 times more frequently than worldwide estimates. The reasons for this increase remain elusive. In an attempt to further characterize the genetic changes in childhood ACTs, we recently detected a consistent gain of 9q (or a portion of it) in eight of nine cases of pediatric ACTs and amplification of 9q34 in the majority of these cases using comparative genomic hybridization.