ALKBH5 controls the meiosis-coupled mRNA clearance in oocytes by removing the N -methyladenosine methylation.

N-methyladenosine (mA) maintains maternal RNA stability in oocytes. One regulator of mA, ALKBH5, reverses mA deposition and is essential in RNA metabolism. However, the specific role of ALKBH5 in oocyte maturation remains elusive.

Polyamine metabolite spermidine rejuvenates oocyte quality by enhancing mitophagy during female reproductive aging.

Advanced age is a primary risk factor for female infertility due to reduced ovarian reserve and declining oocyte quality. However, as an important contributing factor, the role of metabolic regulation during reproductive aging is poorly understood. Here, we applied untargeted metabolomics to identify spermidine as a critical metabolite in ovaries to protect oocytes against aging.

A new flow-based design for double-lumen needles.

Oocyte retrieval forms a crucial part of in vitro fertilisation treatment and its ultimate outcome. Standard double-lumen needles, which include a sequence of aspiration and flushing steps, are characterised by a similar success rate to single-lumen needles, despite their increased cost. A novel hydrodynamics-based needle called the OxIVF needle is proposed here, which is geared towards the generation of an internal flow field within the full follicular volume via laterally, rather than frontally, oriented flushing, leading to successful retrievals with no additional stress on the oocyte.

Facilitation of Ovarian Response by Mechanical Force-Latest Insight on Fertility Improvement in Women with Poor Ovarian Response or Primary Ovarian Insufficiency.

The decline in fertility in aging women, especially those with poor ovarian response (POR) or primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), is a major concern for modern IVF centers. Fertility treatments have traditionally relied on gonadotropin- and steroid-hormone-based IVF practices, but these methods have limitations, especially for women with aging ovaries. Researchers have been motivated to explore alternative approaches.

Factors affecting cumulative live birth rate after the 1st oocyte retrieved in polycystic ovary syndrome patients in women during IVF/ICSI-ET.

Background: The factors affecting the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) of PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrom) patients who received in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) needs more research for a better outcome.

Methods: Here we carried out a retrospective analysis of 1380 PCOS patients who received IVF/ICSI-ET for the first time from January 2014 to December 2016. We divided them into cumulative live birth group (group A) and non-cumulative live birth group (group B) according to whether there were live births.

Exploring the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of women of reproductive age towards fertility and elective oocyte cryopreservation for age-related fertility decline in the UK: a cross-sectional survey.

Study Question: What are the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards fertility and elective oocyte cryopreservation (OC) for age-related fertility decline (ARFD) in women in the UK?

Summary Answer: Awareness of OC for ARFD has reportedly improved compared to studies carried out almost a decade ago, but inconsistencies in knowledge remain regarding the rate of miscarriage amongst specific age groups, the financial costs and optimal age to undergo OC for ARFD.

What Is Known Already: The age of first-time motherhood has increased amongst western societies, with many women of reproductive age underestimating the impact of age on fertility. Further understanding of women's awareness of their fertility, the options available to preserve it and the barriers for seeking treatment earlier are required in order to prevent the risk of involuntary childlessness.

Aneuploidy in oocytes from women of advanced maternal age: analysis of the causal meiotic errors and impact on embryo development.

Study Question: In oocytes of advanced maternal age (AMA) women, what are the mechanisms leading to aneuploidy and what is the association of aneuploidy with embryo development?

Summary Answer: Known chromosome segregation errors such as precocious separation of sister chromatids explained 90.4% of abnormal chromosome copy numbers in polar bodies (PBs), underlying impaired embryo development.

What Is Known Already: Meiotic chromosomal aneuploidies in oocytes correlate with AMA (>35 years) and can affect over half of oocytes in this age group.

Review of human oocyte cryopreservation in ART programs: Current challenges and opportunities.

Oocyte cryopreservation has notably increased in recent times, to become an essential part of clinical infertility treatment. Since the 1980s, many improvements in oocyte cryopreservation (OC) have been adopted, including the great advance with the application of vitrification. The commonly used vitrification protocol applies different cryoprotectants (Ethylene glycol and/or DMSO and/or PROH and sucrose and/or Trehalose) and two different steps: firstly, exposure in equilibration solution for 5-15 min, followed by a vitrification solution for 60-90 s at room temperature.

Planned oocyte cryopreservation: the state of the ART.

The objective of this review is to provide an update on planned oocyte cryopreservation. This fertility preservation method increases reproductive autonomy by allowing women to postpone childbearing whilst maintaining the option of having a biological child. Oocyte cryopreservation is no longer considered experimental, and its use has increased dramatically in recent years as more women delay childbearing for personal, professional and financial reasons.

The association between history of retained placenta and success rate of misoprostol treatment for early pregnancy failure.

Background: To date, the association between retained placenta and treatment success rate of misoprostol for early pregnancy failure has yet to be evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate this association and further investigated the connection between medical, clinical and sonographic parameters and treatment success.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women with early pregnancy failure treated with misoprostol from 2006 to 2021.

Assessment of developmental rate of mouse embryos yielded from in vitro fertilization of the oocyte with treatment of melatonin and vitamin C simultaneously.

Background: In recent decades, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been widely used as a method of assisted reproductive technology (ART) to improve fertility in individuals. To be more successful in this laboratory method, we used the presence of two common types of antioxidants (melatonin and vitamin C) simultaneously and exclusively in IVF medium.

Methods: The cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were obtained from Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HMG) -stimulated mice.

The impact of female BMI on sperm DNA damage repair ability of oocytes and early embryonic development potential in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles.

Background: Obesity adversely influences the quality of oocytes and embryos and can affect DNA repair in embryos, leading to reproductive issues. However, the effects of body mass index (BMI) on DNA repair ability in oocytes during intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles have not yet been investigated. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to analyze the influence of sperm DNA damage on embryo development and reproductive outcomes in overweight/obese and normal-weight women in ICSI cycles.

Abdominal ectopic pregnancy.

An ectopic pregnancy (EP) accounts for 1-2% of all pregnancies, of which 90% implant in the fallopian tube. An abdominal ectopic pregnancy (AEP) is defined as an ectopic pregnancy occurring when the gestational sac is implanted in the peritoneal cavity outside the uterine cavity or the fallopian tube. Implantation sites may include the omentum, peritoneum of the pelvic and abdominal cavity, the uterine surface and abdominal organs such as the spleen, intestine, liver and blood vessels.

Fertility preservation in patients with gynaecologic malignancy: Response to ovarian stimulation and long-term outcomes.

Objective: To the best of our knowledge, the available evidence on the effect and efficacy of controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in this group of patients remains poorly reported. Concerns related to the impact of stimulation to cancer progression and recurrence, as well as the risk of disease dissemination during egg collection, might explain the aforementioned trend.

Methods: Overall, our FP Service received 192 gynaecological referrals, between 2005 and 2021, regarding gynaecologic conditions mainly cancer related.

Serum and follicular fluid metabolome and markers of ovarian stimulation.

Study Question: What metabolic pathways and metabolites in the serum and follicular fluid are associated with peak estradiol levels and the number of mature oocytes?

Summary Answer: In the serum metabolome, mostly fatty acid and amino acid pathways were associated with estradiol levels and mature oocytes while in the follicular fluid metabolome, mostly lipid, vitamin, and hormone pathways were associated with peak estradiol levels and mature oocytes.

What Is Known Already: Metabolomics has identified several metabolic pathways and metabolites associated with infertility but limited data are available for ovarian stimulation outcomes.

Study Design, Size, Duration: A prospective cohort study of women undergoing IVF from 2009 to 2015.

FOXO3 and PTEN expression in the ovary of girls with extra-gonadal cancer with or without chemotherapy treatment prior to cryopreservation.

Background: FOXO3/pFOXO3 and PTEN expression is known to regulate the dormancy/activation of ovarian primordial follicles. How chemotherapy could influence the expression of FOXO3 and PTEN in pre- and post-menarcheal girls with extra-gonadal cancer remains unexplored.

Methods: Ovarian samples were collected from 27 girls suffering from extra-gonadal cancer.

Examining willingness to donate frozen oocytes among women of reproductive age.

Research Question: What are the predictors of willingness to donate frozen oocytes among women of reproductive age in Australia?

Design: An online survey involving 303 women of reproductive age (18-49 years) in Australia who had not frozen their oocytes or planned to freeze their oocytes in the next 12 months. The survey assessed demographic variables, prototype willingness model variables (attitude, subjective norm, prototype similarity and prototype favourability) and additional variables (altruism, empathy and infertility awareness) as predictors of hypothetical scenarios of willingness to donate frozen oocytes. A multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance explored differences in willingness to donate frozen oocytes.

Feasibility and efficiency of delayed ovarian stimulation and metaphase II oocyte banking for fertility preservation and childbearing desire after fertility-impairing treatment.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of delayed ovarian stimulation and metaphase II oocyte banking for fertility preservation after fertility-impairing treatment regardless of the initial disease. We conducted a cohort study based on population of women < 40 years of age with diminished ovarian reserve caused by fertility-impairing treatment (n = 129). Three groups of women were compared according to the type of initial disease: hematological malignancies, solid tumors, and benign diseases.

The ultrastructural nature of human oocytes' cytoplasmic abnormalities and the role of cytoskeleton dysfunction.

Objective: To investigate the structural bases of human oocytes' cytoplasmic abnormalities and the causative mechanism of their emergence. Knowledge of an abnormal oocyte's intracellular organization is vital to establishing reliable criteria for clinical evaluation of oocyte morphology.

Design: Laboratory-based study on experimental material provided by a private assisted reproduction clinic.

Impact of letrozole co-treatment during ovarian stimulation on oocyte yield, embryo development, and live birth rate in women with normal ovarian reserve: secondary outcomes from the RIOT trial.

Study Question: Does letrozole (LZ) co-treatment during ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins for in IVF impact follicle recruitment, oocyte number and quality, embryo quality, or live birth rate (LBR)?

Summary Answer: No impact of LZ was found in follicle recruitment, number of oocytes, quality of embryos, or LBR.

What Is Known Already: Multi-follicle stimulation for IVF produces supra-physiological oestradiol levels. LZ is an aromatase inhibitor that lowers serum oestradiol thus reducing negative feedback and increasing the endogenous gonadotropins in both the follicular and the luteal phases, effectively normalizing the endocrine milieu during IVF treatment.

The Effect of Wharton's Jelly-Derived Conditioned Medium on the In Vitro Maturation of Immature Oocytes, Embryo Development, and Genes Expression Involved in Apoptosis.

Oocyte cytoplasmic maturation is a crucial process during in vitro maturation (IVM), and finding an appropriate IVM medium that promotes oocyte competence is very critical in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (WJ-MSCs)-derived conditioned media on the maturation of immature oocytes and their developmental potential in humans after IVM, as well as apoptotic gene expression. A total of 392 germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes were collected from 207 women aged 25-35 years and divided into two IVM groups: (1) control group, which was cultured in Cleav medium, and (2) experimental group, which was cultured in supernatants of umbilical cord Wharton's jelly as a conditioned medium (CM).

Human platelet lysate improves the growth and survival of cultured human pre-antral follicles.

Research Question: How do platelet-rich plasma products like human platelet lysate (HPL) and umbilical cord plasma (UCP) affect the growth and survival of isolated human pre-antral follicles in vitro?

Design: Human pre-antral follicles (n = 724; mean diameter: 75 µm; range: 46-237 µm) were isolated from ovarian medulla donated by 14 patients undergoing unilateral oophorectomy for ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Follicles were encapsulated in 0.5% alginate and cultured for 8 days in media supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (n = 171), 2.

ApoC3 is expressed in oocytes and increased expression is associated with PCOS progression.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a lifelong metabolic disorder and the most common cause of anovulatory infertility affecting women in reproductive age. Our recent study reported that apolipoprotein C3 (ApoC3) could be a potential diagnostic serum marker for metabolism disturbance in PCOS patients, but whether it is present in the ovaries and what role it plays has not yet been described.

Objective: Aimed to investigate ApoC3 expression in ovary of PCOS, and to discuss its potential role in PCOS progression.

Maternal body mass index is not associated with assisted reproductive technology outcomes.

The effects of body mass index (BMI) on assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes such as ovarian dysfunction, poor ovum quality, and endometrial dysfunction have been studied; however, many aspects remain controversial. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated the relationship between BMI and ART outcomes. For 14,605 oocyte retrieval cycles at our hospital between January 2016 and December 2020, BMI was divided into five groups (< 18.