Defining hirsutism in Chinese women: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To determine the normative cut-off score that defines hirsutism among Chinese women, and the effect of age, menstrual irregularities, and polycystic ovaries on the same.

Design: Cross-sectional, population-based study.

Setting: A multistage systematic cluster random sampling among 16 communities from two rural and two city regions.

Women with high telomerase activity in luteinised granulosa cells have a higher pregnancy rate during in vitro fertilisation treatment.

Objective: To study the effect of telomerase activity (TA) in human luteinised granulosa cells (GCs) on the outcome of in vitro fertilisation treatment.

Methods: Fifty-six women, aged 23 to 39 years, were enrolled and divided into four groups according to their levels of TA.

Results: Seventeen cases in group A exhibited nondetectable TA, 16 cases in group B expressed low levels of TA (between 0.

Regulation of AMH and SCF expression in human granulosa cells by GnRH agonist and antagonist.

With the progress of cancer treatment, fertility preservation has become an urgent requisition. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) and antagonist (GnRH-ant) have been used to protect fertility for these patients. However, studies showed that although GnRH-a and GnRH-ant had a comparable down-regulating effect on the pituitary, GnRH-ant could not preserve ovarian function.

Determining the normal cut-off levels for hyperandrogenemia in Chinese women of reproductive age.

Objective: To determine the normative cut-off levels of free testosterone (FT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and total testosterone (TT) among reproductive age women in China.

Study Design: A total of 450 reference subjects without known factors affecting androgen levels were selected from a total study population of 904 presumably healthy women undergoing annual check-ups. The upper limits of normal levels of biochemical androgens were computed by k-means cluster analysis, with the results categorized by age and expressed as both concentrations and percentiles.

Metabolic abnormalities in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome in south China.

Background: Adults with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can have multiple metabolic abnormalities. However, studies in the adolescent population are still limited and these results seem to vary widely. This study was to investigate the metabolic abnormalities in adolescents with PCOS in South China and the potential risk factors contributed to these health risks.

Protection of CHO cells by transfer of survivin driven by ovarian-specific promoter OSP-2.

Chemotherapy is the major therapy for cancer in clinic. However, chemotherapeutic agents can harm the other tissues/organs besides cancer. Thus, there are great interests in protecting the innocents by the transfer of protective genes.

Elevated serum anti-mullerian hormone in adolescent and young adult Chinese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Purposes: To explore the serum anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) level in adolescent and young adult Chinese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and to evaluate its diagnostic value for PCOS.

Study Design: Serum AMH was measured in a cohort of 47 adolescent and young adult Chinese patients with PCOS and 40 age-matched controls. Its diagnostic potential was evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.

Appropriate BMI levels for PCOS patients in Southern China.

Background: This study was designed to establish appropriate body mass index (BMI) level for PCOS women and to compare metabolic abnormalities between PCOS women and control women in Southern China.

Methods: This clinical cross-sectional study included 999 PCOS patients (857 adults and 142 adolescents) and 922 age-matched controls (742 adults and 180 adolescents).

Results: The proportion of PCOS patients with a BMI above 23 kg/m(2) was 34.

[Effects of gonadotroph-releasing hormone analogues on follicle apoptosis in rats with chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage].

Objective: To study the effects of gonadotroph-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist (GnRH-a) and GnRH antagonist (GnRH-ant) on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced follicle apoptosis in female rats.

Methods: Thirty-six female Sprague- Dawley rats were randomized into 6 groups, namely normal saline (NS), CTX, GnRH-a+NS, GnRH-a+CTX, GnRH-ant+NS, and GnRH-ant+CTX groups. The rats were sacrificed between the first and second week after the treatments.

[Plasma metastin in adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome.].

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the correlationship between plasma metastin and pathogenesis of adolescent women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: From Jan. 2006 to Jun.

Increased plasma metastin levels in adolescent women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: This study was designed to: (1) measure metastin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and in adolescent controls; (2) investigate the possible correlations between metastin and PCOS-related reproductive and metabolic disturbances.

Study Design: The study was a clinical study. Nineteen adolescent women with PCOS, twenty-three adult women with the syndrome, and twenty adolescent controls were selected.

Association of biochemical hyperandrogenism with type 2 diabetes and obesity in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of hyperandrogenism on metabolic disorders among patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical records of 883 women with PCOS and 717 premenopausal controls identified from the general population.

Results: A total of 686 (77.

Regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor-I expression in the pituitary and ovary by a GnRH agonist and antagonist.

The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) and antagonist (GnRH-ant) on the expression of GnRH receptor-I (GnRHR-I) in pituitary and ovaries in cyclophosphamide (CTX) chemotherapeutic rats and to investigate the possible mechanism of interventions of GnRH-a and GnRH-ant in CTX-induced ovarian damage. In total, 36 female rats were distributed into 6 groups at random: normal saline (NS) group, CTX group, GnRH-a + NS group, GnRH-a + CTX group, GnRH-ant + NS group, and GnRH-ant + CTX group. After the rats were killed, the expression of GnRHR-I messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and proteins in pituitary and ovaries were examined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively.

[Effect of anti-Müllerian hormone on P450 aromatase mRNA expression in cultured human luteinized granulose cells].

Objective: To investigate the effect of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) on hormone secretion and P450 aromatase mRNA expression from cultured human luteinized granulosa cells.

Methods: Human luteinized granulose cells were derived from 10 patients treated by in vitro fertilization-embryo transplantation (IVF-ET) in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June to December 2006. Granulose cells were divided into group A, B, C, D, E depending on different concentration of AMH, testosterone group and blank group.

Low prevalence of the metabolic syndrome but high occurrence of various metabolic disorders in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: Variations in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in different races were reported. We sought to report this prevalence and its components in Chinese women with PCOS and compared these characteristics with healthy controls.

Design: Anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters were evaluated in 578 PCOS patients diagnosed by the Rotterdam criteria and 281 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls.

Cloning and transcriptional activity of a novel ovarian-specific promoter from rat retrovirus-like elements.

The long terminal repeats (LTRs) are the control centers for retrovirus gene expression, which possess all of the requisite signals. It has been proved that the LTRs of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) could constitutively activate genes in diverse cell types. Recently, a retrovirus-like element, OSP-1 (ovarian-specific promoter 1), was extracted from rat ovary according to the LTRs of MoMLV, whose name was derived from the fact of ovarian-specific transcription.

Cryopreservation of human ovarian tissue by solid-surface vitrification.

Objective: To cryopreserve human ovarian tissue using solid-surface vitrification (SSV) technique for the first time.

Study Design: Human ovarian slices from each of 26 patients were randomly allocated to fresh, SSV, and slow-freezing groups, respectively. Histological observation and the TUNEL assay of the tissue were performed after cryopreservation.

Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in unselected women from southern China.

Objective: The objective was to determine the prevalence and metabolic parameters of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in southern China.

Study Design: The study was observational with a parallel study. Participants were studied in a medical examination center.

[Cyclophosphamide-induced rat ovarian damage and expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor in the damaged ovaries].

Objective: To investigate ovarian follicular damage induced by chemotherapeutic agents and gonadotropin- releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) expression in the damaged ovaries in rats.

Methods: Two groups of adult SD rats were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of a single-dose cyclophosphamide and saline, respectively, and 8 weeks later, the ovaries were taken for observing the ovarian damages. The distribution of GnRHR was detected with immunohistochemistry, and RT-PCR was used to determine the expression of GnRHR mRNA in the rat ovaries.

[Effects of gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues on chemotherapy-induced ovarian function damage in rats].

Objective: To investigate the effects of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) and antagonist (GnRH-ant) on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced ovarian damage in rats.

Methods: Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided randomly into six groups, which received normal saline (NS), CTX, GnRH-a + NS, GnRH-a + CTX, GnRH-ant + NS, and GnRH-ant + CTX respectively. Levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E(2)) were measured successively by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, and half of the rats were killed in the first week and between the fourth and the fifth week after stop of medication, respectively to compare the weight of the ovaries and the number of the primordial follicles and the growth follicles.

[Cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian damage and stem cell factor expression in rat ovaries].

Objective: To investigate the possible pathways for ovarian injury after administration of cyclophosphamide in rats.

Methods: Adult SD rats received a single injection of saline vehicle or chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide, and 8 weeks later, the ovaries were removed, fixed and serially sectioned for pathological examination and ovarian follicle counting. The expression of stem cell factor (SCF) protein was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and immunoreactive score, and SCF mRNA expression determined by RT-PCR in rat ovaries.

[Genetic diagnosis of Huntington disease].

We report here a simple and effective method to assess the CAG repeat size of HD gene for gene diagnosis of Huntington disease. Genomic DNA sequences in polymorphic CAG repeat HD gene was amplified by PCR with TaKaRa LA Taq DNA polymerase and GC buffer. To distinguish normal alleles from HD alleles, DNA fragments of affected alleles were recovered as templates for secondary PCR.

[Molecular cloning and expression in cryptorchid testis of SRG2 from a mouse testis spermatocyte apoptosis-related gene].

It was observed that the spermatogenic cells apoptosis dramatically increased in infertile man. Cloning of novel spermatogenic cell-specific gene related to apoptosis is of momentous physiological and pathological significance to illustrate the apoptosis mechanism and the biology process of spermatogenic cells. A novel mouse gene full-length cDNA sequence-SRG2 was identified (GenBank accession number AF395083), which was significantly changed in cryptorchidism, from a mouse testis cDNA library using a cDNA fragment (GenBank accession number BE644542) as an electronic probe.

[46,XY female sex reversal patient with a novel point mutation in the coding sequence of the SRY gene].

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism of a Chinese patient with 46, XY sex reversal.

Methods: DNA fragments of the SRY gene from the typical XY female sex reversal patient and her father were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified PCR fragments were cloned into the pUCm-T vector, and direct sequencing was carried out on an ABI 377-3 automated DNA sequencer to detect the mutation.