Correction: Ogawa et al. Micronutrient Antioxidants for Men (Menevit) Improve Sperm Function by Reducing Oxidative Stress, Resulting in Improved Assisted Reproductive Technology Outcomes. 2024, , 635.

In the originally published article [...

Nationwide Survey on the Status of Oncofertility in Japan and Involvement of Embryologists in the Practice of Fertility Preservation.

To investigate the actual status of fertility preservation techniques in oncofertility in Japan and to clarify the involvement of embryologists in this field. This survey was conducted online, targeting embryologists working at 622 facilities registered with the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology for assisted reproductive technology. The response rate was 56.

Micronutrient Antioxidants for Men (Menevit) Improve Sperm Function by Reducing Oxidative Stress, Resulting in Improved Assisted Reproductive Technology Outcomes.

Oxidative stress (OS) affects men's health and impairs spermatogenesis. Micronutrient antioxidants are available for male infertility as complemental support; however, their efficacy remains debatable. This study aimed to investigate whether antioxidants can help to reduce sperm OS and improve semen analysis and quality.

Clinical outcomes of personalized blastocyst embryo transfer after endometrial receptivity analysis: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To evaluate clinical outcomes after endometrial receptivity analysis (ERA).

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study involving 861 women who underwent ERA testing at certified fertility clinics in Japan, and who received subsequent personalized blastocyst embryo transfers (ET) between 2018 and 2020. Clinical outcomes, including pregnancies, miscarriages, and live births, were evaluated according to receptivity status for ERA.

Impact of Homocysteine as a Preconceptional Screening Factor for In Vitro Fertilization and Prevention of Miscarriage with Folic Acid Supplementation Following Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Homocysteine is an amino acid naturally produced in the body and metabolized via the methionine cycle. High homocysteine levels can increase the risk of infertility and pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, preterm delivery, miscarriage, and low birth weight. Preconceptional homocysteine levels may be reduced by taking folic acid supplements to reduce the risk of such complications.

IVM of human immature oocytes for infertility treatment and fertility preservation.

Background: Thousands of healthy babies are born from in vitro maturation (IVM) procedures, but the rate of efficiency differs with the source of immature oocytes obtained. Recently, there are different IVM protocols proposed for infertility treatment and fertility preservation.

Methods: Based on the literature, the clinical application for IVM of immature oocytes was summarized.

High concentration of dopamine treatment may induce acceleration of human sperm motility.

Purpose: In humans, catecholamines (including dopamine) have been identified in semen and fallopian tubes, while dopamine D2 receptors (D2DR) are found in the sperm midpiece region. How dopamine dose affects human sperm function and whether dopamine treatment is useful in assisted reproductive technology is unclear.

Methods: Sperm samples were obtained from patients with normal semen parameters undergoing fertility treatment.

Creation, effects on embryo quality, and clinical outcomes of a new embryo culture medium with 31 optimized components derived from human oviduct fluid: A prospective multicenter randomized trial.

Purpose: Our aim is to make an ideal embryo culture medium close to human oviduct fluid (HOF) components, and to evaluate the quality of this medium with embryo quality and clinical outcomes in assisted reproductive technology (ART) by a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods: Study I: HOF was collected laparoscopically from patients (= 28) with normal pelvic findings. According to HOF analysis results, the new medium "HiGROW OVIT" (OVIT) was designed.

Clinical outcomes of microdissection testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in Japanese men with Y chromosome microdeletions.

Purpose: We investigated the clinical results of Japanese men with Y chromosome microdeletions.

Methods: This study retrospectively examined 2163 azoospermic or severe oligozoospermic patients. We investigated the frequency of azoospermia factor (AZF) deletions and sperm retrieval rate (SRR) by microTESE in patients with these deletions, then analyzed the ICSI outcomes.

Successful monozygotic triplet pregnancy after a single blastocyst transfer following in vitro maturation of oocytes from a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case report.

Background: Although women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)-related sub-fertility are high responders to controlled ovarian stimulation, it is difficult to obtain mature oocytes in these women. Therefore, in vitro maturation (IVM), which is the technique of letting the contents of the ovarian follicles and the oocytes inside mature in vitro, has often been proposed in such women. We describe the first successful delivery of monozygotic triplets resulting from transfer of a single blastocyst following IVM of oocytes.

The clinical outcome of Dienogest treatment followed by in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer in infertile women with endometriosis.

Background: Endometriosis is considered to be the most intractable cause of female infertility. Administering any type of treatment for endometriosis before in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is an important strategy for improving the IVF-ET outcomes for infertile women with endometriosis. In fact, treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist just before IVF-ET has been reported to improve the clinical outcome in endometriosis patients.

Potassium bromate disrupts mitochondrial distribution within murine oocytes during in vitro maturation.

Purpose: As disturbed mitochondrial distribution is thought to be a cause of the aging of oocytes, it was investigated whether oxidizing agents exert harmful effects on nuclear maturation and mitochondrial cluster formation in murine oocytes and whether antioxidants could rescue such harmful effects in vitro.

Methods: Oocytes were obtained from female Institute of Cancer Research mice 48 h after an intraperitoneal injection of 7.5 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin.

Genome-wide microRNA expression profiling in placentae from frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer.

Background: Frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) is increasingly available for the improvement of the success rate of assisted reproductive technologies other than fresh embryo transfer (ET). There have been numerous findings that FET provides better obstetric and perinatal outcomes. However, the birth weight of infants conceived using FET is heavier than that of those conceived via ET.