Reproductive Fertility Research Articles

The efficacy of early office hysteroscopy in preventing intrauterine adhesions after abortion: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIntrauterine adhesions (IUA) are a challenging clinical problem in reproductive infertility. The most common causes are intrauterine surgery and abortions. We aimed to investigate whether early second-look office hysteroscopy can prevent IUA.MethodsA single-center, prospective, two-armed, randomized controlled trial was designed to explore the efficacy of early office hysteroscopy after first-trimester induced abortion (suction dilatation and curettage [D&C]) and to further analyze fertility outcomes. Women aged 20–45 years undergoing suction D&C and desiring to conceive were recruited. Between October 2019 and September 2022, 66 women were enrolled, of whom 33 were allocated to group A (early hysteroscopy intervention). The women in intervention group A were planned to receive 2 times of hysteroscopies (early and late). In group B, women only underwent late (6 months post suction D&C) hysteroscopy.ResultsThe primary outcome was the IUA rate assessed using office hysteroscopy 6 months after artificial abortion. Secondary outcomes included menstrual amount/durations and fertility outcomes. In intervention group A, 31 women underwent the first hysteroscopy examination, and 15 completed the second. In group B (late hysteroscopy intervention, 33 patients), 16 completed the hysteroscopic exam 6 months after an artificial abortion. Twenty-one women did not receive late hysteroscopy due to pregnancy. The IUA rate was 16.1% (5/31) at the first hysteroscopy in group A, and no IUA was detected during late hysteroscopy. Neither group showed statistically significant differences in the follow-up pregnancy and live birth rates.ConclusionsEarly hysteroscopy following suction D&C can detect intrauterine lesions. IUA detected early by hysteroscopy can disappear on late examination and become insignificant for future pregnancies. Notably, the pregnancy outcomes showed a favorable trend in the early hysteroscopy group, but there were no statistically significant differences.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT04166500. Registered on 2019-11-10. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04166500.

Epigenetics in reproductive infertility: A review

Epigenetics in reproductive infertility: A review

Biomass yields, reproductive fertility, compositional analysis, and genetic diversity of newly developed triploid giant miscanthus hybrids

AbstractMiscanthus ×giganteus (giant miscanthus), first found as a naturally occurring hybrid, has shown promise as a bioenergy/biomass crop throughout much of the temperate world. This allotriploid (2n = 3x = 57) hybrid resulted from a cross between tetraploid Miscanthus sacchariflorus (2n = 4x = 76) and diploid Miscanthus sinensis (2n = 2x = 38) and is particularly desirable due to its low fertility that minimizes reseeding and potential invasiveness. However, there is limited genetic diversity in commonly grown cultivars of triploid M. ×giganteus and breeding and development efforts to improve and domesticate this crop have been minimal. Here, we report on newly developed M. ×giganteus hybrids compared with the industry standard M. ×giganteus '1993‐1780'. Dry biomass yields of new hybrids ranged from 19.5 to 32.4 Mg/ha/year for the fourth growing season, compared with 21.0 Mg/ha/year for M. ×giganteus '1993‐1780'. Plant reproductive fertility remained low for all accessions with overall fertility [(seed set × seed germination)/100] ranging from 0.3% to 4.5% for new hybrids compared to 0.4% for M. ×giganteus '1993‐1780'. Culm density and height varied among accessions and were positively correlated with increased biomass. Based on compositional analyses, theoretical ethanol yields ranged from 9, 740 to 16,278 L/ha/year for new hybrids compared to 10,406 L/ha/year for M. ×giganteus '1993‐1780'. Relative feed value indices were low overall and ranged between 66.0 and 72.8 for new hybrids compared to M. ×giganteus '1993‐1780' with 71.3. The genetic diversity of new hybrids, compared with existing cultivars, was characterized using whole genome sequences. Based on pair‐wise distances, cluster analysis clearly showed increased diversity of new hybrids compared with earlier selections. These results document new triploid hybrids of M. ×giganteus with enhanced biomass and theoretical ethanol yields in combination with broader genetic diversity and lowreproductive fertility.

Melatonin as a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant therapy in the testis: a focus on infertility and aging†.

Melatonin is a pineal hormone that regulates testicular activity (i.e., steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis) through two complementary mechanisms, indirect effects exerted via the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal axis and direct actions that take place on the different cell populations of the male gonad. The effects of increased age on the testis and the general mechanisms involved in testicular pathology leading to infertility are still only poorly understood. However, there is growing evidence that link testicular aging and idiopathic male infertility to local inflammatory and oxidative stress events. Because literature data strongly indicate that melatonin exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, this review focuses on the potential benefits exerted by this indoleamine at testicular level in male reproductive fertility and aging. Taking into account that the effects of melatonin supplementation on testicular function are currently being investigated, the overview covers not only promising prospects but also many questions concerning the future therapeutic value of this indoleamine as an anti-aging drug as well as in the management of cases of male infertility for which there are no medical treatments currently available.

Mechanisms of Male Reproductive Sterility Triggered by Dysbiosis of Intestinal Microorganisms.

The intestinal microbiota, comprised of bacteria, archaea, and phages, inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of the organism. Male reproductive sterility is currently a prominent topic in medical research. Increasing research suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis can result in various reproductive health problems. This article specifically investigates the impact of gut microbiota dysbiosis on male reproductive infertility development. Gut microbiota imbalances can disrupt the immune system and immune cell metabolism, affecting testicular growth and sperm production. This dysfunction can compromise the levels of hormones produced and secreted by the endocrine glands, affecting male reproductive health. Furthermore, imbalance of the gut microbiota can disrupt the gut-brain-reproductive axis, resulting in male reproductive infertility. This article explores how the imbalance of the gut microbiota impacts male reproductive infertility through immune regulation, endocrine regulation, and interactions of the gut-brain-reproductive axis, concluding with recommendations for prevention and treatment.

Efek Terapi Kombucha Bunga Telang (Clitoria terantea) Sebagai Produk Bioteknologi Pada Konsentrasi dan Kematian Spermatozoa Mencit (Mus musculus) Pasca Paparan Asap Rokok

The cause of health problems or disorders including the lungs, heart, gastrointestinal inflammation and reproductive fertility comes from the bad habit of smoking. A decrease in spermatozoa as an indicator of fertility, both in quality and quantity, is one of the bad effects of cigarette smoke. Consuming or treating food or drinks containing antioxidants in this study has been found to be able to reduce the level of spermatozoa decline in active smokers both in quality and quantity. This study aims to determine the effect of butterfly pea flower kombucha therapy as a source of antioxidants on male mice (Mus musculus) in determining the effect of giving butterfly pea flower kombucha therapy on sperm concentration and death rate after exposure to cigarette smoke. This research has proven that telang flower kombucha given at 4 mL/100 grams BW of male mice has the potential to increase the concentration of spermatozoa and reduce the percentage of abnormal spermatozoa death in mice after being exposed to cigarette smoke for 15 minutes.

Reproductive fertility, infant mortality and haematological response of female Wistar rats intoxicated with lead acetate

Forty (40) adult female wistar rats were used for this study. They were procured from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria Nsukka. The wistar rats were three weeks old and had an average weight of 25g. They were divided into two groups (group A and B) replicated four times with 5 rats per replicate. The treated (group A) were dosed with 60mm/kg while the untreated (group B) were not intoxicated with lead acetate (control). The experiment lasted for four months during which the body weights and the haematological parameters of the rats were recorded on monthly basis. At the end of the experiment, the gonads of the wistar rats were decapitated for histological examination. The data collected were subjected to T-test using SPSS version 21. The probability level of P < 0.05 was used to determine the level of significant. The results showed that there were no significant change(s) on the body weights of the female wistar rats. In the haematological indices, the Hb, PCV and RBC had significant (p < 0.05) reduction almost below the normal values while the WBC tend to increase significantly above the control group. The histological examination of the ovary showed that group A (untreated group) had two corpora lutea (CL) which is an evidence of two successful ovulations. While the ovarian tissue of group B (treated group) showed one corpus luteum (CL) which is evidence of one successful ovulation and two atretic follicles which is evidence of arrested follicular development. In reproductive performance of the female wistar rats, there were significant (p<0.05) reduction in the values of Progesterone (pg/ml) where the treated group had (10.29 ± 0.92) and untreated group (17.54 ± 3.18) and in Estradiol (ng/ml), the treated group had (357.74 ± 5.30) and untreated group (382.63 ± 11.87). This study therefore, revealed that lead acetate has some detrimental effects on haematology and reproductive physiology of female wistar rats. It calls for the need to intensify actions or proffer solutions on measures to avoid constant exposure to lead acetate in Africa and the world at large in order to avert its negative consequences.

A comparative study of preimplantation embryos development of young and aged mice treated with L-carnitine

Female aging is one of the main factors influencing reproductive fertility. The existing experimental study was planned to investigate the L-carnitine (LC) treatment effect on the body weight of adult young 8–10 weeks old and aged 26–28 weeks old female mice and the preimplantation embryonic development of their embryos. This study involved 40 mature young (n=20) and aged (n=20) old female mice. The animals were weighed and divided into 4 groups according to their age (n = 10). The control groups of young and aged mice groups were orally administered distilled water, while the young and aged mice that were treated orally with 10 mg/kg LC daily for 2-3 estrous cycles were considered as treated groups. Then, all female mice were mated with adult males. The weight of pregnant mice on 1-day post coitum was recorded and then euthanized to harvest early cleavage embryos. The embryo development was examined and evaluated their grading according to A, B, C and D. The results showed that the body weight of mice in both young LC and aged LC groups reduced significantly (P≤0.01). The grade A embryo in 1-day post coitum in young and aged LC groups improved significantly (P≤0.01). However, the development of embryos grade A in the young LC group was higher than that of the aged LC group. It was concluded from these findings that the oral supplementation of LC can reduce body weight and improve the preimplantation embryonic development proportions.

Neuregulin 4 in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Phenotypes: A Key Role or Standby.

Neuregulin_4 (NRG4) is one of the adipokines members that synthesize adipose tissues. It has an activating effect on epidermal growth factor receptors (ErbB receptors). NRG4 has indirect effects on the hormonal environment through its interaction to ErbB receptors. Increased insulin resistance and chronic low-grade inflammation may be present when NRG4 levels are high in PCOS. Obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome have recently gained a lot of attention. However, the literature on the connection between NRG4 and the PCOS phenotype is limited. Thus, this research aimed to identify neuregulin_4's function as a biomarker for insulin resistance in PCOS phenotypes. A case-control study and included 140 female cases effect by different phenotypes of PCOS. Patients samples were collected at the reproductive fertility consultant of the Teaching Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kerbala health directorate, Iraq. The outpatient clinic serum hormonal levels and insulin concentration were determined by the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay "ECLIA" system. Elisa system was used for the detection of Neuregulin-4 protein level. At the early age of participant NRG4 was increased significantly in all phenotypes of PCOS compared to control with a P< 0.05. interestingly, phenotype A was shown high level of NRG4 following phenotype C than phenotype D and phenotype B. Receiver Operator Characteristic Curves (ROC) analysis for NRG4 was performed and showed good diagnostic performers to word phenotype A. Females with phenotype A have a higher level of NRG4 than other phenotypes, which could be attributable to the more pronounced metabolic abnormalities in this phenotype.

In Vivo and In Vitro Chromosome Doubling of ‘I3’ Hemp

Cannabis sativa L. is a diploid (2x) herbaceous plant that provides a wide variety of products such as essential oils, fiber, and medicine. Hemp was defined in the 2018 Farm Bill as a Cannabis plant with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry-weight basis. Polyploidy is frequently used in plant breeding to manipulate vigor, reproductive fertility, and biochemistry. By inducing polyploidy/chromosome doubling, we may increase the compounds of interest, principally CBD (cannabidiol), produced by hemp. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the efficacy of different treatments of colchicine and oryzalin applied in vivo and in vitro to induce polyploidy in ‘I3’ hemp. After treating vegetative cuttings with colchicine or oryzalin, we had a 31% survival rate. Of the 85 survivors, we recovered two tetraploids: one from the 12-h 0.05% colchicine treatment group and the other from the 12-h 0.2% colchicine treatment group. For the in vitro portion of the experiment, the 12-h 50-µM oryzalin treatment yielded one tetraploid and the 36 h 50 µM oryzalin treatment yielded one cytochimera (mixoploid). The relative efficiency of some treatments showed potential for a simple method to induce tetraploids in clonal hemp for breeding.

Role of Sestrin 1 in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrine disorder that affects at least 10% of women of reproductive age. Cystic ovaries, low or absent ovulation, and high circulating testosterone levels are the the group of symptoms that define polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).The aim of study: To investigate whether sestrin 1 can serve a prognostic indicator in polycystic ovary syndrome. The study included 100 women with age ranged between (18 – 44) years involving 70 PCOS patients and 30 apparently healthy women as a control in reproductive age, at the reproductive fertility consultant of gynecological and obstetric teaching hospital, Kerbala health directorate Iraq and College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Kerbala Iraq during the duration from October ., 2022 to April, 2023. The Rotterdam criteriOn-2003 was presumed to PCOS females. The result showed there were highly significant decreasing in woman with PCOS in contrast to woman without PCOS. According to BMI showed highly significant in the overweight at( P =0.001) whereas in the obesity at( P= 0.004) and normal weight at (P= 0.004). According to age showed highly significant in age group (18_23) while in the age group( 24_29)at (P =0.000) and age group (30_35) at (P=0.006) whereas age group (36_41) at( P=0.274) The conclusion indicated that reduced serum sestrin 1 levels may be has potential as a new PCOS diagnostic biomarker .

P-466 The effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination on controlled ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilization: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

Abstract Study question Are the ovarian response to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and embryo development after in vitro fertilization (IVF) affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunization? Summary answer Both SARS-CoV-2 infection and SARS-CoV-2 mRNA or inactivated vaccinations do not affect ovarian responsiveness to COS or embryo development following IVF. What is known already SARS-CoV-2 infects the target cell by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) via its surface spike protein. ACE2 receptors are present in the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries of the female reproductive system. They regulate ovarian steroidogenesis, follicular development, oocyte maturation, and follicle atresia. The virus downregulates ACE2 levels, resulting in decreased conversion of Angiotensin II (ANGII) to Ang (1-7) and increased accumulation of (ANGII). This may impair reproductive fertility. However, initial studies conclude that both SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination would not affect reproductive outcomes, but it is necessary to develop new studies that confirm their applicability. Study design, size, duration A retrospective multicentric cohort study of 428 patients who underwent COS for oocyte donation between January 1st, 2018 and July 31th, 2022 were screened for eligibility and followed up to September 18th, 2022. Oocyte donation cycles were utilized because this model is an excellent choice for controlling known female characteristics Participants/materials, setting, methods Eligibility criteria were donors between 18 to 32 years. Patients were categorized into the vaccinated group if they had received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (BNT162b2 mRNA Pfizer-Biontech, mRNA-1273 Moderna or inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine Sinovac). The control group was chosen from medical records before March 2020 ensure they were neither infected or vaccinated. Demographic, cycle characteristics, and laboratory outcomes were compared. Normally, distributed data were compared across groups by univariate ANOVA. All P-values were considered significant at &amp;lt; 0.05. Main results and the role of chance In total, 428 patients were included in the study, with 12 recovering from SARS–CoV-2 infection (Group 1), 92 reporting vaccination (Group 2), and 324 patients who underwent COS before March 2020 assigned to the non-exposed group (Group 3). The mean time from recovery to oocyte aspiration was 122 days (range 39-315 days) and 213 days from the first vaccine dose to oocyte aspiration (range 17–249 days). The study's participants had an average age of 24.8 years. Age was found to be normally distributed and did not differ significantly between the three groups (P-value 0,953). Similarly, ovarian reserve markers, as measured by AFC and AMH, did not differ between groups (P-values of 0,787 and 0,423 respectively). No significant differences were observed regarding stimulation duration and total gonadotropin dose. The number of retrieved oocytes, MII oocytes, fertilized oocytes, and good-quality day 5 embryos were also similar between the three groups. Comparing oocyte retrieval rate, mature oocyte rate, normal fertilization rate, and blastocyst formation rate consistently revealed no statistically significant differences. Limitations, reasons for caution The main limitation is its retrospective design. Other limitations include the small sample size of recovered patients, the absence of sperm analyses, and data of live birth rates and neonatal outcomes. Wider implications of the findings SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination seem unrelated to detrimental effects on ovarian response or embryo development. These findings contribute to the growing body evidence that supports vaccination in women trying to conceive. Further prospective studies with larger cohort sizes and longer follow-ups are warranted to validate our conclusion. Trial registration number NCT05562479

Successful use of sex-sorted frozen semen in a commercial OPU-ICSI program

There is increasing interest in the use of sex-sorted semen especially in certain breeds. After artificial insemination (AI) with fresh sex-sorted semen, pregnancy rates between 10% and 60% have been reported (Buchanan. et. al. Theriogenology. 2000; 53:1309-1321; Lindsey. et. al. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2002; 34:128-132; Lindsey. et. al. Animal Reproduction Science. 2005; 85:125-130). With sex-sorted frozen thawed semen the reported pregnancy rates are lower ranging from 0 – 27% (Linsey. et. al. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2002; 34:121:127; Clulow. et. al. Animal Reproduction Science; 2007; 108:287-297; Gibb. et. al. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2016; 49(2): 160-166). Limited studies have shown that although pregnancies can be achieved with ICSI using frozen-thawed sex sorted semen, cleavage rates are low (20% -30%) (Carnevale. et. al. Reproduction, Fertility, Development. 2008. 21(1) 228; Colleoni.et.al. Reproduction Fertility, Development. 2008, 21(1):228-229). Since those reports, further improvements in sex-sorting stallion semen by flow cytometry have been made. The semen from a polo stallion of proven fertility was collected and the raw semen parameters assessed with a phase contrast microscope, NucleoCounter SP-100 (Chemometec, Allerod, Denmark) and IVOS CASA system (Hamilton Thorn IVOS, Massachusetts, USA). The sample was then centrifuged through EquiPure (Nidacon, Mölndal, Sweden), the pellet recovered and extended in media for final sorting by flow cytometry (Cogent, Chester UK). The semen was selected for the X-chromosomeand frozen into 0.25ml straws with a concentration of 5 million sperm per straw. Post thaw results of the semen were 17.1% total motility, 10.1% progressive motility, 26.2% non-viable sperm and purity of 95%. The oocytes from four different mares were fertilized with the sex-sorted semen resulting in 3 embryos. Two embryos were thawed and transferred into suitable recipients. One transfer resulted in a pregnancy due in April 2023. The third embryo has not been transferred yet. The results of ICSI using frozen sex-sorted semen were compared to conventionally frozen semen used for ICSI in 23 commercial OPU-sessions (summary Table 1). There were no significant differences between ICSI with sex sorted semen from one stallion and the controls (χ2 test, P≤0.05). This study shows that frozen-thawed sex-sorted semen can be successfully used for ICSI. However, further improvement of the flow cytometry and cryopreservation protocols are needed to improve the post-thaw quality of semen.

Impact of Alpinia galanga and zinc on semen quality and some reproductive hormone constituents in California rabbit bucks.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the influence of synergism of the dry powder of Alpinia galanga rhizomes (AGR) and/or zinc sulfate in the diet on semen quality and reproductive traits of California rabbit bucks. The study was conducted in two stages. First stage: appreciation of semen characteristics, 36 California rabbit bucks (aged 5 months) with average body weights of 2980 g were divided randomly into six treatments (six individuals each). The treatment groups were: first group, control fed basal diet (C); second group, fed basal diet plus 1 g AGR/kg dry matter (DM) (AGR1); third group, fed basal diet plus 2 g AGR/kg DM (AGR2); fourth group, fed basal diet plus 200 mg Zn/litre drinking water (Zn); fifth group, fed basal diet plus 1 g AGR/kg DM and 200 mg Zn/litre drinking water (AGR1 + Zn); sixth group, fed basal diet plus 2 g AGR/kg DM and 200 mg Zn/litre drinking water (AGR2 + Zn). Second stage: the previous bucks were used to determine the efficiency of semen on reproductive fertility traits, 48 mature does (aged 6 months, nulliparous) with an average body weight of 3050 ± 20.7 g were divided randomly into six treatments and inseminated with previous groups of treated bucks. The results of the first stage, recorded high activity on gonadotropins hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), free testosterone (FT), progesterone (P4) and oestrogen (E217β) concentrations for AGR1 + Zn and AGR2 + Zn compared with the control group. Groups AGR1, AGR2, AGR1 + Zn and AGR2 + Zn had significantly lowered concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and malondialdehyde (MDA), whereas high-density lipoprotein and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were increased significantly compared with the control group. The group supplemented with AGR with or without Zn had significantly improved ejaculate volume, advanced motility, sperm concentration, and cell integrity. Fertility rate and litter size were improved in all groups compared with the control. It was concluded that supplementing diets with Alpinia galanga and Zn significantly increased sperm percentage, motility and reproductive hormones (testosterone, FSH, LH, E217β, P4). This suggested that this plant when used may be favourable for improved sperm quality and fertility parameters.

Menopausal hormone-replacement therapy and breast cancer risk: An updated and simplified view

Menopause, the menstrual cessation due to accelerated decline in ovarian function along with changes in the hormonal milieu, marks the end of reproductive fertility in women. This phenomenon is accompanied by various physiological and psychological symptoms, generally managed, and/or alleviated by menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). An association between MHT and the risk of developing breast cancer (BC), although controversial, is known for quite some time, particularly among combined MHT users. The risk varies with the time and type of MHT usage and persists after decades of treatment. The purpose of this review is to present an updated version of MHT and its association with postmenopausal BC risk.

Physiological and Molecular Approaches for Developing Thermotolerance in Vegetable Crops: A Growth, Yield and Sustenance Perspective

Vegetables are a distinct collection of plant-based foods that vary in nutritional diversity and form an important part of the healthy diet of the human being. Besides providing basic nutrition, they have great potential for boosting human health. The balanced consumption of vegetables is highly recommended for supplementing the human body with better nutrition density, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds. However, the production and quality of fresh vegetables are influenced directly or indirectly by exposure to high temperatures or heat stress (HS). A decline in quality traits and harvestable yield are the most common effects of HS among vegetable crops. Heat-induced morphological damage, such as poor vegetative growth, leaf tip burning, and rib discoloration in leafy vegetables and sunburn, decreased fruit size, fruit/pod abortion, and unfilled fruit/pods in beans, are common, often rendering vegetable cultivation unprofitable. Further studies to trace down the possible physiological and biochemical effects associated with crop failure reveal that the key factors include membrane damage, photosynthetic inhibition, oxidative stress, and damage to reproductive tissues, which may be the key factors governing heat-induced crop failure. The reproductive stage of plants has extensively been studied for HS-induced abnormalities. Plant reproduction is more sensitive to HS than the vegetative stages, and affects various reproductive processes like pollen germination, pollen load, pollen tube growth, stigma receptivity, ovule fertility and, seed filling, resulting in poorer yields. Hence, sound and robust adaptation and mitigation strategies are needed to overcome the adverse impacts of HS at the morphological, physiological, and biochemical levels to ensure the productivity and quality of vegetable crops. Physiological traits such as the stay-green trait, canopy temperature depression, cell membrane thermostability, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content, increased reproductive fertility, fruit numbers, and fruit size are important for developing better yielding heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Moreover, various molecular approaches such as omics, molecular breeding, and transgenics, have been proved to be useful in enhancing/incorporating tolerance and can be potential tools for developing heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Further, these approaches will provide insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms that govern thermotolerance and pave the way for engineering “designer” vegetable crops for better health and nutritional security. Besides these approaches, agronomic methods are also important for adaptation, escape and mitigation of HS protect and improve yields.

Comprehensive genetic analysis in first or second trimester pregnancy loss using chromosomal microarray with single nucleotide polymorphism probes

To explore possible genetic causes associated with early pregnancy loss using chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) probes. A retrospective review was performed by the CMA of samples from 961 patients who spontaneously aborted in our hospital before the 20th week of pregnancy. (1) The total chromosome abnormality rate in miscarriage samples was 54.44% (515/946), including single chromosome abnormality (39.53%), two chromosome abnormality (2.22%), multi-chromosome abnormality (0.42%), triploidy or hypertriploidy (4.86%), copy number variants (CNVs) in 41 cases (4.33%), regions of homozygosity (ROH, 0.74%), mosaic (2.22%) and chimera (0.11%). (2) CNV analysis of 41 cases showed that 85.36% were pathogenic and likely pathogenic, 12.20% were classified as clinical significance unknown and 2.44% were interpreted as likely benign; (3) Among the cases of ROH, 2 cases shown whole-genome homozygosity and 1 case had completely homozygous at chromosome 21. The homozygous regions in 2 cases were located at the end of the short arm of chromosome 16, suggesting the mechanism of ROH in such cases could be the result of isodisomy. Chromosome abnormality is an important genetic factor causing pregnancy loss. The application of CMA with SNP probes can indeed improve the detection rate of chromosome abnormalities and evaluate the risk of reproductive fertility in patients with pregnancy loss.

Verbascoside addition during IVM improves equine blastocyst redox status after conventional and mercury-free piezo-assisted ICSI

Oxidative stress is a major problem in in vitro handling of gametes and embryos. In this study, the effects of Verbascoside (VB), a bioactive polyphenol with known antioxidant activity, added during In Vitro Maturation (IVM) of equine oocytes on blastocyst quality were analyzed after conventional or mercury-free piezo-assisted intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Cumulus-oocyte complexes recovered from the ovaries of slaughtered mares underwent overnight holding and IVM in the presence of 0 (control) or 100nM VB. Fresh sperm of fertile stallions was subjected to swim-up procedure and used to microinject matured oocytes by conventional (Dell'Aquila et al. Biology of Reproduction 2003;68:2065-72) or piezo-assisted ICSI (Martino et al. Reproduction Fertility and Development 2019;31:1862-73). Embryos were in vitro cultured in DMEM/F-12 with 10% FCS for 9 days under 5%O 2 , 5%CO 2 , 90%N 2 atmosphere. Blastocyst quality was assessed for bioenergetic/oxidative status by confocal laser scanning microscopy after labeling mitochondria (mt) with MitoTracker Orange CMTM Ros and reactive oxygen species (ROS) with 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (Marzano et al. Molecular Reproduction and Development 2019;86:1388-1404). Then, blastocysts were stained with Hoechst 33258 for total cell numberevaluation and confirmed when showing more than 64 nuclei with organization of an outer trophoblast layer. Proportions of blastocyst rates after ICSI were compared between VB-exposed group and controls by the Chi-square-test, whereas blastocyst total cell number, ROS levels and mt/ROS colocalization were compared by the Student's T-test. Values with P<0.05 were considered significantly different. VB addition during IVM did not influence oocyte maturation rate (31/55, 56% vs 38/76, 50% for VB-exposed and CTRL, respectively). After both conventional and piezo-assisted ICSI, VB had no effects on blastocyst formation rate (4/21, 19% vs 3/24, 12.5%; P>0.05 and 3/10, 30% vs 2/14, 14%; P>0.05) and total cell number (187.3±104.7 vs 143.3±63.2, P>0.05; and 247.3±109.8 vs 465±17.0, P>0.05). Instead, after both microinjection procedures, VB significantly reduced ROS levels (29.7±5.1 vs 36.1±4.2, P<0.001; and 22.8±8.9 vs 30.1±4.4, P<0.01) and increased mt/ROS colocalization (0.63±0.04 vs 0.61±0.03, P<0.001; 0.79±0.06 vs 0.74±0.12, P<0.001). These findings indicate long-term beneficial antioxidant effects of in vitro exposure to nanomolar VB concentrations during oocyte IVM on equine blastocyst quality. Acknowledgments: funded by the Italian Ministry of Health: Project GR-2011-02351396.

Re-envisioning fertility science: From J. Marion Sims’s invasive gynecology to Sophia Kleegman’s “conservative surgery” hermeneutic

ABSTRACT This essay explores the discursive means by which ingrained trajectories of medical knowledge and practice have been re-envisioned and recalibrated in U.S. history. It takes for its case study the development of the field of fertility science and medicine, which is an outgrowth of Dr. J. Marion Sims’s notorious, nineteenth-century gynecological tradition of invasive and injurious surgeries targeting the female body. More specifically, this essay offers a critical-comparative analysis of Sims’s mid-to-late-nineteenth-century medical publications and Dr. Sophia Kleegman’s mid-twentieth-century medical publications to highlight the differing pedagogies of sight at work therein. The analysis reveals that—in contrast to the objectivist, myopic, and exclusively female-focused visual pedagogy that Sims articulated—Kleegman’s pedagogy provided disciplinary readers with a distinct, “conservative surgery” hermeneutic for scientific study and treatment that illuminated new diagnostic heuristics related to the proximity of pain, the scale of efficiency, and the boundaries of corporality and expertise. In this way, Kleegman’s articles instantiated an alternative disciplinary optics that balanced past ways of seeing with emergent, ethically calibrated modes of clinical judgement. Ultimately, this technical intervention into medical vision facilitated the realization of increasingly humane and effective practices across reproductive medicine and fertility science beginning in the mid-to-late-twentieth century.

The process of ovarian aging: it is not just about oocytes and granulosa cells.

Ovarian age is classically considered the main cause of female reproductive infertility. In women, the process proceeds as an ongoing decline in the primordial follicle stockpile and it is associated with reduced fertility in the mid-thirties, irregular menstruation from the mid-forties, cessation of fertility, and, eventually, menopause in the early fifties. Reproductive aging is historically associated with changes in oocyte quantity and quality. However, besides theoocyte, other cellular as well as environmental factorshave been the focus of more recent investigations suggesting that ovarian decay is acomplex and multifacetedprocess. Among these factors, we will consider mitochondria and oxidative stress as related to nutrition, changes in extracellular matrix molecules, and the associated ovarianstromal compartment where immune cellsof both the native and adaptive systems seem to play an important role. Understanding such processes is crucial to design treatment strategies to slow down ovarian aging and consequently prolong reproductive lifespan and, more to this, alleviaingt side effects of menopause on themusculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems.