Altered Immune Cell Profiles in the Follicular Fluid of Patients with Poor Ovarian Response According to the POSEIDON Criteria.

Objective: This study aims to investigate alterations in immune cell counts within preovulatory follicles of patients with poor ovarian response (POR) during assisted reproductive technology (ART), classified according to the POSEIDON criteria.

Methods: This single-centre cross-sectional study included 543 women undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment, selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria: 292 with normal ovarian response and 251 with poor response. Follicular fluid (FF) was collected on the day of oocyte retrieval and analysed by flow cytometry to determine the proportions of macrophages (Mφs), M1 and M2 Mφs, T cells (CD4 and CD8 T cells), dendritic cells (DCs), including type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1) and type 2 conventional dendritic cells (cDC2), and neutrophils.

Effect of Humanin and MOTS-c on ameliorating reproductive damage induced by prepubertal cyclophosphamide chemotherapy in male mice.

Male patients who undergo prepubertal chemotherapy face the dual problems of fertility preservation in adulthood, including low testosterone, hypersexual function, and infertility. Humanin, as a small polypeptide coded within the mitochondrial DNA, with the mitochondrial short open reading frame named MOTS-c, both was believed to regulate mitochondrial homeostasis, be anti-inflammatory, improve metabolism, anti-apoptosis, and multiple pharmacological effects. However, there exists little evidence that reported Humanin and MOTS-c 's effects on moderating male spermatogenic function of patients after prepubertal chemotherapy.

Associations between a normal-range free thyroxine concentration and ovarian reserve in infertile women undergoing treatment via assisted reproductive technology.

Background: Some recent studies have shown that female subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is associated with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether serum-free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations within the reference range are associated with ovarian reserve in women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 4933 infertile women with normal-range fT4 concentrations who received assisted reproductive technology treatment in our clinic.

Acrosin activity negatively influences the cumulative live birth rate in patients undergoing IVF treatment.

Research Question: Is acrosin activity related to cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) over 1 year after IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment or both?

Design: Retrospective monocentric cohort study of 5704 couples who started IVF/ICSI treatments between 2016 and 2021. Acrosin activity was determined by a modified Kennedy method using a commercial kit. Patients were divided into two groups according to their acrosin activity: below 25 μIU/10 spermatozoa; and an acrosin activity 25 μIU/10 spermatozoa or above.

The association between hepatitis B virus and semen quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Some studies have suggested that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection had a negative association with semen quality, but the conclusions have been inconsistent. The purpose of our study was to systematically assess the association between HBV infection and semen parameters.

Methods: We searched electronic databases for studies published from January 1980 to August 2023.

The humanin analogue (HNG) alleviates intrauterine adhesions by inhibiting endometrial epithelial cells ferroptosis: a rat model-based study.

Study Question: Does a humanin analogue (HNG) have a therapeutic effect on intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) caused by uterine cavity surgery in a rat model?

Summary Answer: HNG supplementation attenuated the development of endometrial fibrosis and IUAs, improved fertility, and contributed to the regulation of endometrial fibrosis by inhibiting endometrial ferroptosis in rats with IUAs.

What Is Known Already: IUAs, which are characterized by endometrial fibrosis, are a common cause of female infertility. Humanin (rattin in rats) is a mitochondrial-derived peptide that is widely expressed in multiple tissues.

Thyroid Autoimmunity Is Not Associated with Embryo Quality or Pregnancy Outcomes in Euthyroid Women Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology in China.

Studies have shown that thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) is associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between TAI and embryo quality in euthyroid women undergoing fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). This retrospective cohort study included euthyroid infertile women with and without TAI (defined as a serum thyroperoxidase concentration ≥34 IU/mL or a thyroglobulin concentration ≥115.

Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Sperm DNA Fragmentation: A Cross-sectional Study of 5401 Men Seeking Infertility Care.

Context: Our previous study showed that paternal subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) had a detrimental effect on the clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies. However, it remains to be determined whether paternal SCH affects sperm DNA integrity.

Objective: To investigate the association between SCH and sperm DNA fragmentation in men seeking infertility care.

Cumulative live birth rates after IVF/ICSI cycles with sperm prepared by density gradient centrifugation vs. swim-up: a retrospective study using a propensity score-matching analysis.

Background: Density gradient centrifugation (DGC) and swim-up (SU) are the two most widely used sperm preparation methods for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). However, existing comparisons of IVF/ICSI outcomes following these sperm preparation methods are insufficient and controversial.

Methods: This retrospective study included all first autologous IVF and ICSI cycles performed between March 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020 in a single university-based center.

Normal-Range Paternal Serum-Free Thyroxine Concentrations and Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technologies.

A recent study showed that paternal subclinical hypothyroidism adversely affects the clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). The aim of this study was to determine whether paternal serum-free thyroxine (fT4) concentrations within the reference range are associated with ART outcomes. This retrospective cohort study included 4066 couples who received 4894 ART treatment cycles in our clinic between April 1, 2016 and August 31, 2021.

The role of humanin in the regulation of reproduction.

Humanin, a mitochondria-derived peptide, has been found to exert variously protective function in many tissues, especially in the nervous tissues. However, relatively limited studies have focused on the role of humanin in the regulation of reproduction. Current observations indicate that humanin plays an important role in regulating the response of the cell to oxidative stress and apoptosis in ovaries and testes via the modulation of several signaling pathways, especially when the body is in an abnormal state.

Obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies resulting from preimplantation genetic testing: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) includes methods that allow embryos to be tested for severe inherited diseases or chromosomal abnormalities. In addition to IVF/ICSI and repeated freezing and thawing of the embryos, PGT requires a biopsy to obtain embryonic genetic material for analysis. However, the potential effects of PGT on obstetric and neonatal outcomes are currently uncertain.

Humanin Alleviates Insulin Resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Human and Rat Model-Based Study.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, is characterized by hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance (IR); however, the pathogenesis of local ovarian IR in PCOS remains largely unclear. Humanin, a mitochondria-derived peptide, has been reported to be associated with IR. Our previous study confirmed that humanin is expressed in multiple cell types in the ovary and is present in follicular fluid.

Humanin regulates oxidative stress in the ovaries of polycystic ovary syndrome patients via the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinological pathology among women of reproductive age, whereas the pathogenesis is still not fully understood. Systemic and ovarian oxidative stress (OS) imbalance is a pivotal feature of PCOS. Humanin, a mitochondria-derived peptide, has been reported to function as an antioxidant in cardiomyocytes, pancreatic beta cells and other cells, but how this function is regulated remains unclear.

Effect of transient scrotal hyperthermia on human sperm: an iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis.

Background: Through this prospective study, we aimed to explore the change of molecular modification after the transient scrotal hyperthermia on human sperm.

Methods: Ten healthy subjects selected with strict screening criteria underwent testicular warming in a 43 °C water bath for 30 min a day for 10 consecutive days. Semen samples were collected 2 weeks before the first heat treatment and 6 weeks after the first heat treatment.

Predictive value of the sperm DNA fragmentation index for low or failed IVF fertilization in men with mild-to-moderate asthenozoospermia.

Introduction: It has been observed that there is an increased incidence of total fertilization failure (TFF) and a low fertilization rate (LFR, <25 %) during conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments involving men with poor sperm motility. These men also exhibit a high sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), which has adverse effects on various IVF outcomes. However, the relationship between a high DFI and an increased TFF or LFR during IVF cycles has not been elucidated.

Paternal Subclinical Hypothyroidism Affects the Clinical Outcomes of Fertilization/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.

Maternal subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, it is still unclear whether SCH affects male fertility. The aim of this study was to determine the association between paternal SCH and clinical outcomes after fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI).

Cross-talk between autophagy and apoptosis regulates testicular injury/recovery induced by cadmium via PI3K with mTOR-independent pathway.

Autophagy and apoptosis are two major modes of cell death. A balanced interplay between both is vital for phagocytic clearance of apoptotic testicular cells. Here, generating a SD rats model-treated with cadmium (Cd) to mimic environmental exposure on human, we show that autophagy and apoptosis present synchronous change trends in Cd-induced testicular injury/self-recovery.

Subclinical Hypothyroidism Is Associated with Lower Ovarian Reserve in Women Aged 35 Years or Older.

Overt thyroid diseases have been identified as risk factors for female infertility. However, it remains largely unclear whether subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH), a very common thyroid disorder, is associated with female infertility. This study aimed to investigate the potential association between SCH and the ovarian reserve in women seeking infertility treatment.

Antifertility effectiveness of a novel polymer matrix composite and its influence on the endometrium in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Objective(s): To explored the antifertility effectiveness and influence on the endometrium of a micro-copper/low-density polyethylene/methyl vinyl silicone rubber (Cu/LDPE/MVQ) composite in rhesus macaques.

Study Design: Healthy reproductive aged female rhesus macaques underwent abdominal hysterotomy for surgical placement of either the experimental Cu/LDPE/MVQ composite (Cu/LDPE/MVQ, n=5), bare copper wire (Cu, n=5), or hysterotomy only sham-operation group [(SOI, n=4), (SOII, n=6)]. Females in the Cu/LPDE/MVQ, Cu, and SOI groups were housed with fertile males for approximately three menstrual cycles.

Effect of levothyroxine supplementation on pregnancy loss and preterm birth in women with subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pregnancy loss and preterm birth. However, the ability of levothyroxine (LT4) supplementation to attenuate the risks of these outcomes remains controversial.

Objective And Rationale: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of LT4 supplementation on pregnancy loss rate (PLR) and preterm birth rate (PBR) among pregnant women with SCH and TAI.

Polymorphism of MTHFR 1298A>C in relation to adverse pregnancy outcomes in Chinese populations.

Background: Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) are involved in a series of abnormal pregnancies like embryo growth arrest, spontaneous abortion, premature birth, stillbirth, fetal malformation, birth defects and other pathological pregnancy, and childbirth complications. Polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR, 607093) is one of the main genetic causes of APO. However, there is still debate on whether MTHFR 1298A>C, rs1801131, polymorphism is related to APO.

Effects of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein on the proliferation and apoptosis of spermatogenic cells in vitro following heat stress.

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) is reduced by scrotal hyperthermia in cryptorchidism, varicocoele and heat treatment, but there is no direct evidence clarifying the relationship between CIRBP and spermatogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of CIRBP in GC2-spd cells (a mouse spermatocyte cell line) before and after heat treatment, and to determine the effects of the downregulation or overexpression of CIRBP on spermatocyte cell proliferation and apoptosis. GC2-spd cells overexpressing CIRBP and GC2-spd cells in CIRBP was knocked down were constructed to investigate the function of CIRBP in cell proliferation and apoptosis using a cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry respectively.

Copper nanoparticle-induced uterine injury in female rats.

Copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) have been used increasingly in various products and applications. Although recent studies have reported that exposure to Cu-NPs leads to organ accumulation and obvious toxicity, it remains unclear whether Cu-NPs can be translocated to and cause damage in the uterus. In this study, we investigated the potential for uterine injury and gene expression patterns in female rats exposed to 3.

Follicular fluid humanin concentration is related to ovarian reserve markers and clinical pregnancy after IVF-ICSI: a pilot study.

Research Question: Is humanin present in the human ovary and follicular fluid? What relationship exists between humanin concentration in the follicular fluid and ovarian reserve and clinical outcomes after IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)?

Design: Follicular fluid samples were collected from 179 patients undergoing their first IVF or ICSI cycle during oocyte retrieval. Ovarian tissues were collected from two patients undergoing surgery for ovarian cysts. Ovarian humanin localization was analysed using immunofluorescence staining.