Hyperandrogenemia impairs endometrial vitamin D receptor expression in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objectives: To determine the effects of hyperandrogenemia and other phenotypic parameters on endometrial vitamin D receptor (VDR-X2 and VDR-X4) expression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing ovarian stimulation and total embryo freezing.

Methods: Forty-four PCOS patients were divided into four phenotypes according to the criteria for hyperandrogenemia (HA), ovulatory dysfunction (OD), and polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM): phenotype A (HA+OD+PCOM), phenotype B (HA+OD), phenotype C (HA+PCOM), and phenotype D (OD+PCOM). Endometrial VDR expression was determined by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Accompanied by Hyperandrogenemia or Metabolic Syndrome Triggers Glomerular Podocyte Injury.

To determine whether the urinary excretion of podocyte degradation products varies according to PCOS phenotype and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The concentrations of podocalyxin (PDX) and nephrin, chronic markers of podocyte damage, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a marker of acute glomerular damage, were analyzed in the morning urine samples of 50 PCOS patients and 50 healthy controls matched by age and BMI. Albuminuria was assessed by calculating the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR).

Long pentraxin 3 and vitamin D receptor mRNA expression pattern of cumulus granulosa cells isolated from PCOS oocytes at different stages of nuclear maturation.

Background: A fine-tuned pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory balance in the follicular unit is essential for cumulus expansion and successful ovulation. While the long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) gene is required for the expansion of cumulus cells (CCs), ovulation, resumption of meiosis and fertilization, the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR-X2) is required for intra-follicle redox balance. This study was planned to determine the expression pattern of VDR-X2 and PTX3 mRNA in CCs isolated from germinal vesicle (GV), metaphase I (MI), and metaphase II (MII) oocytes of PCOS patients with ovulatory dysfunction.

Endometrial Injury Upregulates Expression of Receptivity Genes in Women with Implantation Failure.

Background: Homeobox genes A10 (HOXA10) and A11 (HOXA11), members of the abdominal B gene family, are responsible for embryonic survival and implantation. This study was planned to investigate whether endometrial injury alters the expression of both transcripts in women with implantation failure.

Methods: A total of 54 women with implantation failure were divided into two equal groups as experimental (scratching) and sham (no scratching).

Biomechanical Forces Determine Fibroid Stem Cell Transformation and the Receptivity Status of the Endometrium: A Critical Appraisal.

Myometrium cells are an important reproductive niche in which cyclic mechanical forces of a pico-newton range are produced continuously at millisecond and second intervals. Overproduction and/or underproduction of micro-forces, due to point or epigenetic mutation, aberrant methylation, and abnormal response to hypoxia, may lead to the transformation of fibroid stem cells into fibroid-initiating stem cells. Fibroids are tumors with a high modulus of stiffness disturbing the critical homeostasis of the myometrium and they may cause unfavorable and strong mechanical forces.

Genome-wide expression analysis of endometrium before and after endometrioma surgery.

Objective: This study was planned to investigate possible alteration in the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in eutopic endometrium before and after laparoscopic removal of the ovarian endometrioma.

Study Design: Six infertile women with ovarian endometrioma who underwent laparoscopic endometrioma cystectomy and six fertile control subjects who underwent tubal sterilization were included the study. Endometrial samples were collected before and 3 months after surgery throughout the mid-luteal phase.

Combating sars-cov-2 through lipoxins, proteasome, caveolin and nuclear factor-κb pathways in non-pregnant and pregnant populations.

It can be misleading to think that the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) which has a very strong mutation and adaptation capabilities, uses only the angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) pathway to reach target cells. Despite all the precautions taken, the pandemic attack continues and the rapid increase in the number of deaths suggest that this virus has entered the cell through different pathways and caused damage through different mechanisms. The main reason why the ACE2 pathway comes to the fore in all scientific studies is that this receptor is located at the entry point of basic mechanisms that provide alveolo-capillary homeostasis.

Factors preventing materno-fetal transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Although many pregnant women have been infected by coronavirus, the presence of intrauterine vertical transmission has not been conclusively reported yet. What prevents this highly contagious virus from reaching the fetus? Is it only the presence of a strong placental barrier, or is it the natural absence of the some receptor that the viruses use for transmission? We, therefore, need to comprehensively understand the mechanism of action of the mammalian epithelial barriers located in two different organs with functional similarity. The barriers selected as potential targets by SARS-CoV-2 are the alveolo-capillary barrier (ACB), and the syncytio-capillary barrier (SCB).

Intra-ovarian stem cell transplantation in management of premature ovarian insufficiency: towards the induced Oogonial Stem Cell (iOSC).

The specialized resident-stem cells in gonads are tasked with restorating damaged ovarian cells following injury to maintain sequential reproductive events. When we talk about premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) we accept the existence of decreased stem cell and their regenerative abilities. The present study was to explain how restorating damaged ovarian cells following injury to maintain sequential reproductive events in evidence-based medicine indexed in PubMed and Web of Science.

Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling Improves Endometrial Homeobox Gene Expression in PCOS.

The study was designed to investigate whether laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) of ovaries alters the expression levels of HOXA-10 and HOXA-11 mRNA in the endometrium of infertile women with clomiphene-resistant PCOS. Expression of HOXA-10 and HOXA-11 mRNA in the endometrium obtained before and after LOD during the midsecretory phase was measured. Expression of each gene was evaluated using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Testis spectroscopy may predict sperm retrieval rate in men with non-obstructive azoospermia undergoing micro-TESE: A pilot study.

Objective: To investigate whether prior testis magnetic resonance spectroscopy predicts the success or failure of micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA).

Material And Methods: Nine men with NOA who were scheduled for micro-TESE for the first time, 9 NOA men with a history of previous micro-TESE and 5 fertile men were enrolled. All NOA patients and fertile controls underwent testis spectroscopy.

Nppc/Npr2/cGMP signaling cascade maintains oocyte developmental capacity.

The follicle must fulfill the following criteria if it is to survive the period between early embryonic life and the luteinizing hormone (LH) peak. It should (i) be surrounded by pregranulosa cells; (ii) complete the first meiotic division and become dormant; and (iii) continue metabolism during the dormant stage. Interaction between the natriuretic peptide precursor type C (Nppc) and its receptor, natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (Npr2), affects female fertility through the production of oocytes with developmental capacity and maintain oocyte meiotic arrest.

Molecular role of peptides/proteins in subfertility of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Obesity and hyperandrogenemia are known to have adverse effects on both developing follicle and endometrium receptivity in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Insulin resistance also contributes to this dilemma as a cause or a consequence and leads to worsening of the clinical picture. The difficulty in obtaining pregnancy despite the presence of a large number of oocyte has concentrated our attention on oocyte quality and development.

Patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3-gene (adiponutrin), preptin, kisspeptin and amylin regulates oocyte developmental capacity in PCOS.

This study was planned to test whether follicular fluid (FF) levels of patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3-gene (PNPLA3:adiponutrin), preptin, kisspeptin, and amylin change in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). A total of 40 infertile volunteers undergoing IVF/ICSI were included in the study. They were divided into two groups as PCOS (n=20) and control group without PCOS (n=20).

Navigation problems of ICSI or naive blastocyst can be solved with artificial blastocyst.

Embryos have evolved a remarkable capacity to find implantation site. The impressive navigation ability of natural blastocysts may rely on highly sensitive signals arising from embryos and specialized signal processing strategies in the endometrium. Navigation capabilities may be compromised in ICSI embryos because of altered biochemical signaling.

DHEA supplementation improves endometrial HOXA-10 mRNA expression in poor responders.

Objective: The study was planned to investigate whether DHEA supplementation had an impact on endometrial receptivity in women who were poor responders (POR).

Material And Methods: Twenty-eight POR women who were undergoing hysteroscopy and five fertile control subjects were included. The POR women were equally subdivided into two separate groups as patients who were currently using DHEA and those who were not.

Hypothesis: Co-transfer of genuine embryos and implantation-promoting compounds via artificial containers improve endometrium receptivity.

As with other organs endometrial functions are altered with the advancing age. Age related decrease in reproductive functions leads to decline in the number of oocytes retrieved and the synthesis of endometrial receptivity molecules. Despite the significant improvement in assisted reproductive technologies we do not have so many options to enhance endometrial receptivity.

Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies are not frequently observed in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a single-center study.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been reported to occur concurrently in some cases. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies, which have been reported to have diagnostic value for RA, in children with type 1 DM. The study included 90 children with type 1 DM (Group 1) and 76 control cases (Group 2).

Ghrelin action on GnRH neurons and pituitary gonadotropes might be mediated by GnIH-GPR147 system.

Acylated ghrelin (AG) effect on GnRH secretion is mediated, at least in part, by GH secreta-gogue receptor (GHS-R) which is present in the GnRH neurons. As the acylation is mandatory for binding to GHS-R, unacylated isoform of ghrelin (UAG) action on gonadotropin secretion is likely to be mediated by other receptors or mediators that have not been identified yet. UAG, therefore, may act partially via a GHS-R-independent mechanism and inhibitory impact of UAG on GnRH neurons may be executed via modulation of other neuronal networks.

Great migration: epigenetic reprogramming and germ cell-oocyte metamorphosis determine individual ovarian reserve.

Emigration is defined as a synchronized movement of germ cells between the yolk sack and genital ridges. The miraculous migration of germ cells resembles the remigration of salmon traveling from one habitat to other. This migration of germ cells is indispensible for the development of new generations.

Expression of Endometrial Receptivity Genes Increase After Myomectomy of Intramural Leiomyomas not Distorting the Endometrial Cavity.

This study was designed to investigate whether endometrial receptivity genes are altered in infertile patients with intramural leiomyomas (IM) not distorting the endometrial cavity undergoing myomectomy. We measured endometrial HOXA-10, HOXA-11, LIF, ITGB3, and ITGAV messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions levels before and after myomectomy/metroplasty during mid-luteal phase in participants with IM, submucosal leiomyomas (SM), and septate uterus and fertile participants without fibroids. Initial endometrial sampling was obtained at the time of surgery, and second sampling was obtained 3 months after myomectomy/metroplasty.

Selective Regulation of Oocyte Meiotic Events Enhances Progress in Fertility Preservation Methods.

Following early embryonic germ cell migration, oocytes are surrounded by somatic cells and remain arrested at diplotene stage until luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Strict regulation of both meiotic arrest and meiotic resumption during dormant stage are critical for future fertility. Inter-cellular signaling system between the somatic compartment and oocyte regulates these meiotic events and determines the follicle quality.

Peptides: Basic determinants of reproductive functions.

Mammalian reproduction is a costly process in terms of energy consumption. The critical information regarding metabolic status is signaled to the hypothalamus mainly through peripheral peptides from the adipose tissue and gastrointestinal tract. Changes in energy stores produce fluctuations in leptin, insulin, ghrelin and glucose signals that feedback mainly to the hypothalamus to regulate metabolism and fertility.

Laparoscopic endometrioma resection increases peri-implantation endometrial HOXA-10 and HOXA-11 mRNA expression.

Objective: To determine whether laparoscopic endometrioma resection alters peri-implantation endometrial HOXA-10, HOXA-11, LIF, ITGB3 and ITGAV mRNA expression.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Medical school.