Female Secondary Sexual Characteristics Research Articles

Pregnancy following in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer in a patient with gonadal dysgenesis

Gonadal dysgenesis is a congenital condition in which there is gonadal dysfunction as a result of anomalies of sex chromosomes or mutations in the genes involved in the development of the indifferent embryonic gonads. It usually remains undiagnosed until when puberty fails to occur in patients. There is absence of development of female secondary sexual characteristics and primary amenorrhea. Infertility is an important manifestation of this condition, and this has a significant impact on the quality of the reproductive and family life of the patients, especially in areas where importance is placed on childbirth in marriages. This case is that of a woman with pure 46, XX gonadal dysgenesis with primary infertility who was able to achieve conception following IVF (in-vitro fertilization) with donor oocyte at our facility. This has helped to buttress the fact that with proper evaluation and effective application of hormone replacement therapy and assisted reproductive techniques, women with such cases can be helped to achieve conception and give birth.

Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome: A case report

Technology cannot replace clinical acumen. Think of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) in a female child with inguinal hernia. Diagnosis was missed in our patient when she presented with inguinal hernia the first time. Karyotyping should be done. Sex of rearing in CAIS is female. Chances of tumor development in retained testis are low. Testis helps in development of female secondary sexual characters and avoids estrogen replacement therapy early in life. Gonadectomy is done in early adulthood.

Pregnancy in A Male: A Surprising Late Consequence of Mistaken Sex/Gender Assignment

Objective: Gender/sex assignment is a crucial process in patients with genital ambiguity. This is a case report of a patient who had an anatomic anomaly and was misassigned with indeterminate sex and wrongfully assigned male sex for rearing. Methods: A 22-year-old unmarried male presented via the surgery department with progressively enlarging mass in the abdomen and vague abdominal discomfort. Examination revealed female secondary sexual characteristics and lack of facial/body hair. Radiologic investigations revealed a pregnancy of 26-weeks gestation. Karyotyping confirmed 46,XX. Results: Gender re-assignment was undertaken with multidisciplinary support. Baby was delivered at term, while maintaining strict confidentiality. This case reflects how flawed assessment and management of sexual ambiguity can be, even in cases handled in large tertiary care hospitals, despite the absence of clear sexual ambiguity. Careful handling of the social issues with regards to changes in gender expression and the fate of...

Zebrafish androgen receptor is required for spermatogenesis and maintenance of ovarian function.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a nuclear receptor protein family member and inducible transcription factor that modulates androgen target gene expression. Studies using a mouse model confirmed the need for ar in reproductive development, particularly spermatogenesis. Here, we investigated the role of ar in zebrafish using CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting technology. Targeted disruption of ar in zebrafish increases the number of female offspring and increases offspring weight. In addition, ar-null male zebrafish have female secondary sex characteristics. More importantly, targeted disruption of ar in zebrafish causes male infertility via defective spermatogenesis and female premature ovarian failure during growth. Mechanistic assays suggest that these effects are caused by fewer proliferated cells and more apoptotic cells in ar-null testes. Moreover, genes involved in reproductive development, estradiol induction and hormone synthesis were dys-regulated in testes and ovaries and the reproductive-endocrine axis was disordered. Our data thus suggest that the zebrafish ar is required for spermatogenesis and maintenance of ovarian function, which confirms evolutionarily conserved functions of ar in vertebrates, as well as indicates that ar-null zebrafish are a suitable model for studying pathologic mechanisms related to androgen disorders.

Male-to-Female Gender-Confirming Surgery

Advances in male-to-female gender-confirming surgery enable acquisition of female secondary sexual characteristics for gender dysphoric patients desiring surgical transition. It is imperative for medical professionals caring for transgender patients to be informed of the current standards of care and the available surgical options. This review discusses male-to-female chest and genital reconstructive surgical approaches. This review contains 27 figures, 5 tables and 52 references Key words: augmentation mammoplasty, gender-confirming surgery, genital reconstruction, male to female, transgender, vaginoplasty

A collection of XY female cell lines.

Discordance between sexual phenotype and the 46,XY sex chromosome complement may be found in certain disorders of sexual development (DSD). Many of these DSD patients with female external genitalia and secondary sex characteristics have undescended testes and male internal genitalia. Causative mutations involving genes of the sex determining pathway, including the androgen receptor, SRY and the 5-alpha-reductase genes, are well-known, but the origin of other cases remain unresolved. In this report, we introduce our collection of lymphoblastoid lines derived from female patients with a 46,XY karyotype. These cell lines have been deposited and registered with the JCRB Cell Bank. They are available for comparison with other DSD cases and for further characterization of genetic loci involved in the mammalian sex determining pathway.

Characterization of distinct ovarian isoform of crustacean female sex hormone in the kuruma prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus

The eyestalk hormone, crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH), regulates the development of female secondary sexual characteristics in the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. After its discovery, several CFSH gene orthologs have been identified in some species of the suborder Pleocyemata as well. Similarly, in species of another suborder (Dendrobranchiata), an ortholog (Maj-CFSH) has been characterized as an eyestalk factor expressed in both females and males of the kuruma prawn, Marsupenaeus japonicus. In this study, another novel CFSH isoform was identified in the same species using cDNA cloning, expression analysis, and recombinant protein production. The isoform has “CFSH-family” structural characteristics but is dominantly expressed in the ovary, and was therefore designated as Maj-CFSH-ov. Its mRNA and protein levels in vitellogenic ovaries are higher than those in non-vitellogenic ovaries. In the vitellogenic ovary, both mRNA and protein expression of Maj-CFSH-ov are localized to oogonia and previtellogenic oocytes that occupy a small portion of vitellogenic ovaries, but not to the major developing oocytes. A vitellogenesis-inhibiting peptide of M. japonicus (Pej-SGP-I) reduced the expression of vitellogenin in incubated ovarian fragments, but not that of Maj-CFSH-ov. These results indicate that M. japonicus possesses two CFSH isoforms that are derived from distinct tissues, the central X-organ/sinus gland complex and peripheral ovaries. The expression profile of Maj-CFSH-ov suggests its involvement in some reproductive process other than vitellogenesis.

Nuclear Androgen Receptor Regulates Testes Organization and Oocyte Maturation in Zebrafish

Androgens act through the nuclear androgen receptor (AR) to regulate gonad differentiation and development. In mice, AR is necessary for spermatogenesis, testis development, and formation of external genitalia in males and oocyte maturation in females. However, the extent to which these phenotypes are conserved in nonmammalian vertebrates is not well understood. Here, we generate zebrafish with a mutation in the ar gene (aruab105/105) and examine the role of AR in sexual determination and gonad development. We found that zebrafish AR regulates male sexual determination, because the majority of aruab105/105 mutant embryos developed ovaries and displayed female secondary sexual characteristics. The small percentage of mutants that developed testes displayed female secondary sexual characteristics, exhibited structurally disorganized testes, and were unable to release or produce normal levels of sperm, demonstrating that AR is necessary for zebrafish testis development and fertility. In females, we found that AR regulates oocyte maturation and fecundity. The aruab105/105 mutant females developed ovaries filled primarily with immature stage I oocytes and few mature stage III oocytes. Two genes whose expression is enriched in wild-type ovaries compared with testes (cyp19a1a, foxl2a) were upregulated in ar mutant testes, and two genes enriched in testes (amh, dmrt1) were upregulated in ar mutant ovaries. These findings demonstrate that AR regulates sexual determination, testis development, and oocyte maturation and suggest that AR regulates sexually dimorphic gene expression. The ar mutant we developed will be useful for modeling human endocrine function in zebrafish.

CDNA cloning and in situ localization of a crustacean female sex hormone-like molecule in the kuruma prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus

Recently, a crustacean female sex hormone (CFSH) was purified from the female eyestalk of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. This report suggested that CFSH plays an essential role in the development of female secondary sexual characteristics. In order to broaden current knowledge of CFSH, here we report the cloning of the cDNA encoding a putative crustacean female sex hormone in Marsupenaeus japonicus (Maj-CFSH). The deduced Maj-CFSH precursor showed identical composition with other CFSHs, including a signal peptide, a CFSH-precursor-related peptide (CPRP), a dibasic processing signal and a mature Maj-CFSH. Although the amino acid sequence identities between Maj-CFSH and C. sapidus CFSH was low (38.9%), positions of eight cysteine residues and the N-glycosylation motif were found to be conserved between the two sequences. Tissue distribution showed that Maj-CFSH was expressed in both female and male eyestalks with roughly the same level. Analysis of in situ hybridization showed that Maj-CFSH was expressed in neurosecretory cells in the medulla terminalis ganglionic X-organ (MTGX), medulla interna ganglionic X-organ (MIGX), as well as neural cells around the medulla externa in both female and male eyestalks. Our results suggest that Maj-CFSH is not a female-specific molecule and, therefore, is a CFSH homolog, which may have various, as yet undetermined functions in males, as well as females of M. japonicus.

Abstract P2-11-09: A p53-based strategy for protecting normal breast tissue from chemotherapy-induced damage in breast conserving therapy

Abstract Introduction: Currently, the global rate of breast conserving therapy (BCT) increased steadily. Most patients with BCT are treated with chemotherapy. However, most chemotherapeutical drugs that kill cancer cells also cause undesirable injuries to normal breast tissues. Normal breast tissue damage will further cause destruction of female secondary sex characteristics, and ultimately affect the quality of patients' lives. Therefore, it is urgent to protect the normal breast tissues for BCT patients during chemotherapy. More and more evidence shows that chemotherapy-induced normal tissue damage is mainly caused by the activation of p53 pathway, which is separate from the tumor suppressor pathway of p53. Previous studies found that use of low-dose arsenic (LDA) could temporarily and reversibly suppresses p53 activation. There are recent studies showing LDA selectively protect bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract during cancer treatment. Therefore, we hypothesize that use of LDA to temporary inhibit p53 activity will be a new strategy to protect the breast normal tissues for breast conserving patients. Methods: Human breast epithelial cell line, MCF-10A, and three breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (estrogen receptor and E6 expressed), MDA-MB-231 (triple negative and p53 mutated) and BT-474 (HER2 overexpressed and p53 mutated), were tested in this study. All cells were pretreated with either PBS or 100nM sodium arsenite for 12 hours, followed by 375 μM 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or DMSO for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Cellular viability was determined by MTT assay and cell morphology was recorded under a light microscope. Results: Morphology changes after 5-FU treatment include: the cell density decreased, the cells became rounded in shape, the cell membrane atrophied, the cell nuclei underwent pyknosis, and the cells formed a globule with nuclear and cytoplasmic fragments surrounded by the cell membrane. LDA pretreated-MCF10A cells showed significant reduced growth inhibition by 5-FU at all detected time pointes as demonstrated by MTT assay and morphology observation. Interestingly, LDA treatment had negligible effect on survival in breast cancer cells. Table 1. Cell growth evaluated by MTT assay.Time after 5-FU treatment(h)Cell lineControl (%)LDA (%)5-FU (%)LDA+5-FU (%)24MCF-10A10099.3051.3878.28 MCF-710097.3268.5165.64 MDA-MB-23110094.9669.5669.13 BT-47410098.7971.5071.5948MCF-10A10097.3729.1347.74 MCF-710091.7649.9148.95 MDA-MB-23110093.769.048.81 BT-47410092.0460.4361.0072MCF-10A10096.3418.3443.64 MCF-710091.0142.0039.40 MDA-MB-23110093.596.445.39 BT-47410091.4635.7636.95 Conclusion: Temporary LDA pretreatment selectively protected normal tissue cells, but not tumor cells from toxicity of 5-FU chemotherapy. Our findings indicated that LDA pretreatment is a potential strategy to protect normal breast tissue during chemotherapy for BCT patients. RL and HS contributed equally to this work. Citation Format: Long M, Huang Y, Liu R, Liu R, Su H. A p53-based strategy for protecting normal breast tissue from chemotherapy-induced damage in breast conserving therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-11-09.

Dynamics of the Upogebia pusilla–Gyge branchialis marine host–parasite system

The influence of burrowing invertebrates on the functioning of soft-bottom ecosystems is tightly dependent on their physiological state, which may itself be strongly affected by parasite infestation. However, the dynamics, prevalence and physiological consequences of parasitism remain poorly known in many species, such as sediment-dwelling crustaceans. During the present study, we investigated the effects of the ectoparasite (bopyrid) isopod Gyge branchialis on the fitness of the gebiidean mud shrimp Upogebia pusilla. A spatial survey conducted in June 2013 at 10 stations scattered across intertidal seagrass meadows of Arcachon Bay (44°40′N, 1°10′W) showed that on average 16 % of mud shrimp were infested by G. branchialis. Moreover, a temporal survey carried out at one of these stations over the year 2014 revealed that prevalence remained relatively high throughout the year, ranging from 10 to 33 %. This interaction has various physiological consequences for U. pusilla. In particular, infested mud shrimp consistently exhibited a significant deficit in total length and individual dry weight as compared with non-infested specimens. Moreover, 89 % of infested males were feminized (i.e., developed female secondary sexual characters), whereas infested females were never ovigerous. Our results demonstrate that G. branchialis strongly impair U. pusilla fitness including its ability to reproduce. Accordingly, through their (1) potential impact on mud shrimp abundances and (2) alteration of their physiological state, high bopyrid infestation could profoundly alter the bioturbation activity of mud shrimp populations and overall their influence on the functioning of soft-bottom ecosystems in Arcachon Bay.

Concentration of Serotonin And 5 Hydroxy Indole Acetic Acid in Discrete Brain Regions of Overiectomized And Estradiol Treated Female Rats

Back Ground: Estrogen is the sex hormone that causes the development and maintenance female secondary sexual characters. Post menopausal women increasing in vulnerable to depression due to the reduced estrogen production. The activity of estrogen on serotonin has anti depressant characteristics. A higher level serotonin activity is associated with Positive mood while decreased activity is associated with depressive mood. Estrogen boosts the activity of serotonin. Objectives: To determine the brain serotonin and its major metabolite 5HIAA in ovariectomized rats at different day intervals and after estradiol treatment. Methodology: Female albino rats of wister strain where ovariectomized and treated with ethanyl estradiol, Brain serotonin and 5HIAA was estimated by Fluoremetric method. Data was analysed by student’s t test. Result: Reduction in serotonin and 5HIAA level in Hypothalamus, striatum and pons medulla after ovariectomy and increased in estradiol treated rats. Conclusion: Estrogen may be used as effective anti depressant after further studies.

Science Signaling podcast for 24 May 2016: Designer estrogens.

This Podcast features an interview with Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, Benita Katzenellenbogen, and John Katzenellenbogen, authors of a Research Article that appears in the 24 May 2016 issue of Science Signaling, about designer estrogens that have the therapeutic benefits of natural estrogens, but less cancer risk. In addition to controlling female reproduction and secondary sex characteristics, estrogen is also an important regulator of metabolism, the vasculature, and bone. Estrogen production decreases as women enter menopause, leading to changes in metabolism, a reduced ability to repair blood vessels, and decreased bone density. Although hormone replacement therapy can alleviate these symptoms, it can also promote the growth of uterine and breast cancers. Madak-Erdogan et al engineered synthetic forms of estrogen that activate the cytosolic signaling pathways that are associated with the beneficial effects of this hormone without also activating the nuclear signaling events associated with cancer growth.Listen to Podcast.

Feminization of the Isopod Cylisticus convexus after Transinfection of the wVulC Wolbachia Strain of Armadillidium vulgare.

Reproductive parasites such as Wolbachia are able to manipulate the reproduction of their hosts by inducing parthenogenesis, male-killing, cytoplasmic incompatibility or feminization of genetic males. Despite extensive studies, no underlying molecular mechanism has been described to date. The goal of this study was to establish a system with a single Wolbachia strain that feminizes two different isopod species to enable comparative analyses aimed at elucidating the genetic basis of feminization. It was previously suggested that Wolbachia wVulC, which naturally induces feminization in Armadillidium vulgare, induces the development of female secondary sexual characters in transinfected Cylisticus convexus adult males. However, this does not demonstrate that wVulC induces feminization in C. convexus since feminization is the conversion of genetic males into functional females that occurs during development. Nevertheless, it suggests that C. convexus may represent a feminization model suitable for further development. Knowledge about C. convexus sexual differentiation is also essential for comparative analyses, as feminization is thought to take place just before or during sexual differentiation. Consequently, we first described gonad morphological differentiation of C. convexus and compared it with that of A. vulgare. Then, wVulC was injected into male and female C. convexus adult individuals. The feminizing effect was demonstrated by the combined appearance of female secondary sexual characters in transinfected adult males, as well as the presence of intersexes and female biases in progenies in which wVulC was vertically transmitted from transinfected mothers. The establishment of a new model of feminization of a Wolbachia strain in a heterologous host constitutes a useful tool towards the understanding of the molecular mechanism of feminization.

Intersexuality in the porcellanid crab Pisidia longicornis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Porcellanidae)

Intersex specimens of Pisidia longicornis (Linnaeus, 1767) are recorded for the first time and their secondary sexual characters are analyzed. Of 145 specimens of P. longicornis examined in this study, six were identified as intersex individuals. Of these, three presented male secondary sexual characters, well-developed male gonopores and rudimentary female gonopores, whereas the other three had female secondary sexual characters, with female gonopores being more pronounced than the male ones. The present study provides the first record of intersex porcelain crabs.

Analytical Procedure for the Determination of Zearalenone in Environmental and Biological Samples

The metabolism of zearalenone (ZEA) and analytical methods for determining the presence of ZEA and its metabolites are discussed in this study. Similar to phytoestrogens, solid metaloestrogens, pharmaceuticals, and selected pesticides, ZEA is a substance that displays endocrine activity. ZEA is accumulated in living organisms, and it is capable of contaminating all trophic levels of the food chain, from grain, maize, and other crop plants to human consumers. Zearalenone has a structure similar to that of estrogen (the presence of a macrocyclic lactone ring), it has an affinity for estrogen receptors, and it competes with 17β-estradiol for binding the estrogen receptor in natural pathways. As endocrine disruptors, zearalenone and its metabolites can also contribute to carcinogenic mutations associated with female secondary sex characteristics. The determination of zearalenone and its metabolites in various matrices, first of all biological and environmental samples, poses significant problems. A variety ways of extracting and purifying zearalenone, including liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction, are described. Furthermore, it describes the possibility of applying a plurality of sensitive and specific instrumental methods, chromatographic techniques (TLC, HPLC, GC) as well as other methods (immunoaffinity chromatography).

Teasing, Transgressing, Defining—Broadening the Spectrum of Sexy

Burlesque is the term used throughout this issue, although the word meant something very different before and after the year 1868, when Lydia Thompson and her British Blondes made their New York debut. While burlesque was originally an all-male performance form dating back to Aristophanes—low-culture parody of high culture—the Blondes added risque humour and female display to the topical references, popular songs, and outrageous puns. Robert Allen argues that it was not so much the skimpy costumes that offended critics of the Blondes as much as their inversion of a number of male prerogatives (129). Lydia Thompson dressed as a male character who wooed the other members of the cast, yet she made no attempt to disguise her own femininity, and this kind of disturbing cross-dressing became a key feature of the many female burlesque troupes to follow. As Kristen Pullen explains, “Impersonating male attitudes and behavior while highlighting female secondary sexual characteristics, the Blondes (and especially Thompson) presented a blurred image of femininity to theatre audiences, one that upset traditional expectations of burlesque performers, female-to-male crossing, and binary gender presentation” (115). Allen describes the nineteenth-century reaction to this horror—“things that should be kept separate were united in grotesque hybrids” (29)—and Claire Nally reports that by Shelley Scott and Reid Gilbert

Diagram of the pathways of human steroidogenesis

 Progestogens:  Progesterone, which regulates the cyclical changes of the endometrium of the uterus, and the maintenance of pregnancy  Mineralocorticoids:  Aldosterone, which contributes to the regulation of blood pressure  Glucocorticoids:  Cortisol, whose functions include increasing blood sugar and acting as an immunosuppressant  Androgens:  Testosterone, which contributes to the development and maintenance of male secondary sex characteristics  Estrogens:  Estrogen, which contributes to the development and maintenance of female secondary sex characteristics

EPA-0495 – Like mother, like daughter

Introduction The full etiology of transsexualism is still unknown. However many factors, like biological and environmental, are being suggested as possible explanations to the cause of this entity. We intend to revisit the major etiological theories of transsexuality, based on the description of two cases occurring in first-degree relatives. Case Reports A mother and her daughter both diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder are followed at Multidisciplinary Clinical Sexology Group in our facilities since 2011. This case is related to a young girl who in her childhood felt and behaved himself as a boy by adopting male gender stereotypes. She has lived with distress during the development of female secondary sexual characteristics, and the age of 17, after identifying his problem decided to tell his mother. However our patient founded that her mother, with 38 years old, was already resigned by living with a sex gender that didn't recognize as her own. In the end they decided to confront the social and family environment, joining both in the process of sexual reassignment. Conclusions The transsexualism is a complex phenomenon. The occurrence of two cases of transsexualism in a mother and daughter highlights the importance of consider and extend the knowledge about the biological aspects of gender identity disorder. It is relevant to communicate the cases occurring within the same family to contribute to the etiology investigation in this area. In the literature the rare cases described of family transsexuals are among brothers, which makes this case between mother and daughter special.

A Rare Case of Adrenocortical Carcinoma

A 15 year old girl was admitted with absence of menstruation and increase growth of facial and body hair for two years along with change of voice for six months. With these complaint, tablet progesterone was advised but there was no withdrawal bleeding. On examination she had hirsuitism. She had normal female secondary sex characteristics with mild clitoromegaly. Her investigations revealed hyperandrogenemia with normal level of other adrenal hormones. Imaging revealed left adrenal mass. Left adrenalectomy done and histopathology revealed malignant tumor of Zona reticularis. Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare tumor and only limited information is available about its natural history and the effects of therapy. The case is a rare androgen producing malignant tumor of adrenal having an earlier age of presentation. Birdem Med J 2013; 3(2): 110-112 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/birdem.v3i2.17216