Comparison of large single and small multiple doses of cyclophosphamide exposure in mice during early prepubertal age on fertility outcome.

Cyclophosphamide (CY) exposure is known to affect the ovary and impair fertility. Clinically, treatment is generally given over multiple doses, but research models have generally used single doses. The relative effects of administering multiple small doses of CY in the prepubertal period are not elucidated.

Unveiling the fibrotic puzzle of endometriosis: An overlooked concern calling for prompt action.

Endometriosis is a benign, estrogen-dependent, persistent chronic inflammatory heterogeneous condition that features fibrotic adhesions caused by periodic bleeding. The characteristic ectopic lesions are marked by a widely spread dense fibrotic interstitium comprising of fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, collagen fibers, extracellular proteins, inflammatory cells, and active angiogenesis. Fibrosis is now recognized as a critical component of endometriosis because of which current treatments, such as hormonal therapy and surgical excision of lesions are largely ineffective with severe side effects, high recurrence rates, and significant morbidity.

Enhanced cell survival in prepubertal testicular tissue cryopreserved with membrane lipids and antioxidants rich cryopreservation medium.

The present study explores the advantages of enriching the freezing medium with membrane lipids and antioxidants in improving the outcome of prepubertal testicular tissue cryopreservation. For the study, testicular tissue from Swiss albino mice of prepubertal age group (2 weeks) was cryopreserved by slow freezing method either in control freezing medium (CFM; containing DMSO and FBS in DMEM/F12) or test freezing medium (TFM; containing soy lecithin, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, cholesterol, vitamin C, sodium selenite, DMSO and FBS in DMEM/F12 medium) and stored in liquid nitrogen for at least one week. The tissues were thawed and enzymatically digested to assess viability, DNA damage, and oxidative stress in the testicular cells.

Improving the Dehydroepiandrosterone Induced PCOS Rat Model: Interplay of Age, High Fat Diet, and Treatment Regimen on Reproductive and Metabolic Phenotypes.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a ubiquitous reproductive condition with triggering hallmarks such as glucose intolerance, hyperandrogenism, and dyslipidemia. Despite the existence of various PCOS animal models, an ideal model which could encompass all PCOS-specific phenotype is of dire need. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) induced PCOS rats are frequently employed; though, determining the superior model among pubertal and prepubertal rats, incorporation of high fat diet (HFD), and their sustainability remains uncertain.

The landscape of assisted reproductive technology access in India.

Historically, infertility has been stigmatized in the Indian society, primarily due to societal norms that equate marriage with procreation. In twentieth century, India focused primarily on over-fertility in its family planning programs, with little attention given to the complexities of infertility. The introduction of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in the late 1970s made a global revolution, including in India, offering hope to infertile couples.

Liposome-based Freezing Medium Improves the Outcome of Mouse Prepubertal Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation.

Cryopreservation of testicular tissue holds an important role in the field of fertility preservation, particularly for prepubertal boys diagnosed with cancer. However, prepubertal testicular tissue cryopreservation is still considered to be in the experimental stage necessitating the refinement of cryopreservation protocol. Considering the fact that loss of membrane lipids is the primary cause of freeze-thaw-induced loss of testicular cell functions, in this study, we explored the beneficial properties of exogenous supplementation of membrane lipids in the form of liposomes in enhancing the cryosurvival of prepubertal testicular tissue.

Metformin augments major cytoplasmic organization except for spindle organization in oocytes cultured under hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic conditions: An in vitro study.

The present study aimed to investigate the role of antidiabetic drug metformin on the cytoplasmic organization of oocytes. Germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes were collected from adult female Swiss albino mice and subjected to in vitro maturation (IVM) in various experimental groups- control, vehicle control (0.3% ethanol), metformin (50 μg/mL), high glucose and high lipid (HGHL, 10 mM glucose; 150 μM palmitic acid; 75 μM stearic acid and 200 μM oleic acid in ethanol), and HGHL supplemented with metformin.

Embryos from Prepubertal Hyperglycemic Female Mice Respond Differentially to Oxygen Tension In Vitro.

Reduced oxygen during embryo culture in human ART prevents embryo oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is also the major mechanism by which maternal diabetes impairs embryonic development. This study employed induced hyperglycemia prepubertal mice to mimic childhood diabetes to understand the effects of varying oxygen tension during in vitro embryonic development.

Puberty Blocker and Aging Impact on Testicular Cell States and Function.

Spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) acquisition of meiotogenetic state during puberty to produce genetically diverse gametes is blocked by drugs collectively referred as 'puberty blocker' (PB). Investigating the impact of PB on juvenile SSC state and function is challenging due to limited tissue access and clinical data. Herein, we report largest clinically annotated juvenile testicular biorepository with all children with gender dysphoria on chronic PB treatment highlighting shift in pediatric patient demography in US.

Degradation meets development: Implications in β-cell development and diabetes.

Pancreatic development is orchestrated by timely synthesis and degradation of stage-specific transcription factors (TFs). The transition from one stage to another stage is dependent on the precise expression of the developmentally relevant TFs. Persistent expression of particular TF would impede the exit from the progenitor stage to the matured cell type.

Secretomes from Conventional Insemination and Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection Derived Embryos Differentially Modulate Endometrial Cells In Vitro.

Conventional Insemination (CI) and Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) are routinely used insemination methods in clinical Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) settings. However, the existing data on the developmental competence and implantation potential of CI and ICSI derived embryos are not unequivocal. This prospective study on 23 patients undergoing ART treatment explored whether the secretomes of CI- and ICSI-derived embryo differentially alter the expression of integrins (α and β integrin) and MUCIN-1 (MUC-1) in a human endometrial epithelial cell line (Ishikawa).

Advanced Maternal Age Affects the Cryosusceptibility of Ovulated but not In Vitro Matured Mouse Oocytes.

Oocyte cryopreservation is offered to women of various age groups for both health and social reasons. Oocytes derived from either controlled ovarian stimulation or in vitro maturation (IVM) are cryopreserved via vitrification. As maternal age is a significant determinant of oocyte quality, there is limited data on the age-related susceptibility of oocytes to the vitrification-warming procedure alone or in conjunction with IVM.

Acute and sub-chronic toxicity of Liberin, an anti-diabetic polyherbal formulation in rats.

Background: The polyherbal formulation (PHF) liberin, is known to exert anti-hyperglycemic effects in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hence, it is important to study the safety profile of PHF in the current study through acute and chronic toxicity evaluation.

Objectives: This research aims to assess the acute and sub-chronic toxicity of PHF in rats.

Differential sperm histone retention in normozoospermic ejaculates of infertile men negatively affects sperm functional competence and embryo quality.

Background: The unique epigenetic architecture that sperm cells acquire during spermiogenesis by retaining <15% of either canonical or variant histone proteins in their genome is essential for normal embryogenesis. Whilst heterogeneous levels of retained histones are found in morphologically normal spermatozoa, their effect on reproductive outcomes is not fully understood.

Methods: Processed spermatozoa (n = 62) were tested for DNA integrity by sperm chromatin dispersion assay, and retained histones were extracted and subjected to dot-blot analysis.

Oncofertility awareness among primary care physicians in India.

Background: Primary care physicians not only coordinate referrals to oncology services but can play a crucial role in successful fertility preservation referrals in cancer-diagnosed patients. Hence, it is important to assess their knowledge and attitudes towards fertility preservation.

Methods: An eighteen-item oncofertility survey was administered to primary care physicians between May 2019 to September 2020.

Use of sensitivity-enhanced nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy equipped with a 1.7-mm cryogenically cooled micro-coil probe in identifying human sperm intracellular metabolites.

Context: The clinical value of human sperm metabolites has not been established due to the technical complexity in detecting these metabolites when sperm numbers are low.

Aims: To detect endogenous intracellular metabolites in fresh and post-thaw human spermatozoa using 800MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy equipped with a 1.7-mm cryo-probe.

Impact of prepubertal bovine ovarian tissue pre-freeze holding duration on follicle quality.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation prior to gonadotoxic treatment is the only recommended option for fertility preservation in prepubertal girls. Due to the technical complexity of this technique, limited number of centres across the world are equipped to offer the facility. Hence, the retrieved ovarian tissue needs to be maintained at hypothermic temperature (4 °C) for long time during shipment.

High doses of clethodim-based herbicide GrassOut Max poses reproductive hazard by affecting male reproductive function and early embryogenesis in Swiss albino mice.

Clethodim is a widely used and approved class II herbicide, with little information about its impact on the reproductive system. Herein, we investigated the male reproductive toxicity of clethodim using a mouse model. GrassOut Max (26% clethodim-equivalent) or analytical grade clethodim (≥90%) were given orally to male mice for 10 d in varying doses.

Engineered Nano-carrier systems for the oral targeted delivery of follicle stimulating Hormone: Development, characterization, and, assessment of in vitro and in vivo performance and targetability.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is widely used for the treatment of female infertility, where the level of FSH is suboptimal due to which arrest in follicular development and anovulation takes place. Currently, only parenteral formulations are available for FSH in the market. Due to the drawbacks of parenteral administration and the high market shares of FSH, there is a need for easily accessible oral formulation.

Haploid Parthenogenetic Embryos Exhibit Unique Stress Response to pH, Osmotic and Oxidative Stress.

Preimplantation-stage embryos are susceptible to various types of stress when cultured in vitro. Parthenogenetic embryos that lack spermatozoa contribution exhibit aberrant developmental dynamics due to their uniparental origin. Herein, we assessed whether the absence of paternal genome affects the susceptibility of the embryos to pH, osmotic and oxidative stress.

Anti-tuberculosis drugs used in a directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) schedule alter endocrine patterns and reduce the ovarian reserve and oocyte quality in the mouse.

Context: Tuberculosis is one of the major infectious diseases, with people of reproductive age group having a high risk of infection.

Aims: The present study was designed to understand the consequences of anti-tuberculosis drugs (ATDs) used in DOTS (directly observed treatment short course) schedule on ovarian function.

Methods: Adult female Swiss albino mice were orally administered with combinations of ATDs used in the DOTS schedule every day for 4weeks.