Involvement of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and its receptors in the regulation of mouse sperm physiology
In conclusion, this study shows that FGF2 is expressed in tissues of the female reproductive tract. Also, the fact that functional FGFRs are present in mouse sperm and that rFGF2 affects sperm motility and acrosomal exocytosis, suggests the involvement of this system in the in vivo regulation of sperm function. (Source: Reproduction)
Source: Reproduction - July 27, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Saucedo, L., Sobarzo, C., Brukman, N. G., Guidobaldi, H. A., Lustig, L., Giojalas, L. C., Buffone, M. G., Vazquez-Levin, M. H., Marin-Briggiler, C. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Peri-ovarian adipose tissue contributes to intraovarian control during folliculogenesis in mice
Peri-ovarian adipose tissue (POAT) is a kind of intra-abdominal white adipose tissue that is present surrounding the ovaries in rodents. Recent studies demonstrated that POAT-deficient mice displayed a phenotype of delayed antral follicular development, for which decreases in serum estrogen, serum FSH and FSHR levels were responsible. However, folliculogenesis is regulated by endocrine signals and also modulated by a number of locally produced intraovarian factors whose acts are both autocrine and paracrine. Here, we used a model of surgical removal of POAT unilaterally and contralateral ovaries as controls, as both were u...
Source: Reproduction - July 27, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Yang, L., Chen, L., Lu, X., Tan, A., Chen, Y., Li, Y., Peng, X., Yuan, S., Cai, D., Yu, Y. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Reproductive performance of male mice after hypothalamic ghrelin administration
It has been demonstrated that food intake and reproductive physiology are both simultaneously modulated to optimize reproductive success under fluctuating metabolic conditions. Ghrelin (GHRL) is an orexigenic peptide identified as the endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor that is being investigated for its potential role on reproduction. Considering that data available so far are still limited and characterization of GHRL action mechanism on the reproductive system has not been fully elucidated, we studied the participation of hypothalamus in GHRL effects on sperm functional activity, plasma levels ...
Source: Reproduction - July 27, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Poretti, M. B., Frautschi, C., Luque, E., Bianconi, S., Martini, A. C., Stutz, G., Vincenti, L., Santillan, M. E., Ponzio, M., Schioth, H. B., Fiol de Cuneo, M., Carlini, V. P. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Ovine prenatal growth restriction impacts glucose metabolism and body composition throughout life in both sexes
Low birthweight is a risk factor for later adverse health. Here the impact of placentally mediated prenatal growth restriction followed by postnatal nutrient abundance on growth, glucose metabolism and body composition was assessed in both sexes at key stages from birth to mid-adult life. Singleton-bearing adolescent dams were fed control or high nutrient intakes to induce normal or growth-restricted pregnancies respectively. Restricted lambs had ~40% reduced birthweight. Fractional growth rates were higher in restricted lambs of both sexes predominantly during suckling/juvenile phases. Thereafter, rates and patterns of gr...
Source: Reproduction - July 27, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Wallace, J. M., Milne, J. S., Aitken, R. P., Horgan, G. W., Adam, C. L. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Metformin counteracts the effects of FSH on rat Sertoli cell proliferation
Metformin (MET) is one of the most widely used anti-hyperglycemic agents for treating patients with type 2 diabetes and it has started to be used in pediatric population at ages when Sertoli cells are still proliferating. It is well known that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is the major Sertoli cell mitogen. The aim of the study is to investigate a possible effect of MET, which has been shown to have anti-proliferative properties, on FSH regulation of postnatal Sertoli cell proliferation and on the molecular mechanisms involved in this regulation. The present study was performed in eight-day-old rat Sertoli cell cultur...
Source: Reproduction - July 27, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Rindone, G. M., Gorga, A., Regueira, M., Pellizzari, E. H., Cigorraga, S. B., Galardo, M. N., Meroni, S. B., Riera, M. F. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Lactational programming of glucose homeostasis: a window of opportunity
The window of lactation is a critical period during which nutritional and environmental exposures impact lifelong metabolic disease risk. Significant organ and tissue development, organ expansion and maturation of cellular functions occur during the lactation period, making this a vulnerable time during which transient insults can have lasting effects. This review will cover current literature on factors influencing lactational programming such as milk composition, maternal health status and environmental endocrine disruptors. The underlying mechanisms that have the potential to contribute to lactational programming of glu...
Source: Reproduction - July 27, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Ellsworth, L., Harman, E., Padmanabhan, V., Gregg, B. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
Epigenetic reprogramming during spermatogenesis and male factor infertility
Infertility is an often devastating diagnosis encountered by around one in six couples who are trying to conceive. Moving away from the long-held belief that infertility is primarily a female issue, it is now recognised that half, if not more, of these cases may be due to male factors. Recent evidence has suggested that epigenetic abnormalities in chromatin dynamics, DNA methylation or sperm-borne RNAs may contribute to male infertility. In light of advances in deep sequencing technologies, researchers have been able to increase the coverage and depth of sequencing results, which in turn has allowed more comprehensive anal...
Source: Reproduction - July 27, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: McSwiggin, H. M., ODoherty, A. M. Tags: Reviews Source Type: research
The 40th anniversary of human IVF: time to celebrate and time to reflect
(Source: Reproduction)
Source: Reproduction - July 12, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Winston, R. M. L. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
'Designer babies almost thirty years on
The first pregnancies and live births following in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), formerly known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis, were reported in 1990, almost 30 years ago, in several couples at risk of X-linked inherited conditions, which typically only affect boys inheriting the X chromosome with the affected gene from their carrier mothers. At that time, it was only possible to identify the sex of the embryo by amplifying a Y-linked repeat sequence in single cells biopsied at cleavage stages and avoid the transfer of males, half of which would be affected. The extensive public...
Source: Reproduction - July 6, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Handyside, A. H. Tags: Anniversary Review Source Type: research
In vitro follicle culture in the context of IVF
The currently available assisted reproduction techniques for fertility preservation (i.e. in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro fertilization) are insufficient as stand-alone procedures as only few reproductive cells can be conserved with these techniques. Oocytes in primordial follicles are well suited to survive the cryopreservation procedure and of use as valuable starting material for fertilization, on the condition that these could be grown up to fully matured oocytes. Our understanding of the biological mechanisms directing primordial follicle activation has increased over the last years and this knowledge has paved...
Source: Reproduction - July 6, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Herta, A. C., Lolicato, F., Smitz, J. E. J. Tags: Anniversary Review Source Type: research
Melatonin attenuates postovulatory oocyte dysfunction by regulating SIRT1 expression
In conclusion, our data strongly indicate that melatonin delays postovulatory mouse oocyte aging via a SIRT1–MnSOD-dependent pathway, which may provide a molecular mechanism support for the further application of melatonin in the assisted reproductive technology field. (Source: Reproduction)
Source: Reproduction - July 2, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Yang, Q., Dai, S., Luo, X., Zhu, J., Li, F., Liu, J., Yao, G., Sun, Y. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Characterization of the collagen microstructural organization of human cervical tissue
The cervix shortens and softens as its collagen microstructure remodels in preparation for birth. Altered cervical tissue collagen microstructure can contribute to a mechanically weak cervix and premature cervical dilation and delivery. To investigate the local microstructural changes associated with anatomic location and pregnancy, we used second-harmonic generation microscopy to quantify the orientation and spatial distribution of collagen throughout cervical tissue from 4 pregnant and 14 non-pregnant women. Across patients, the alignment and concentration of collagen within the cervix was more variable near the internal...
Source: Reproduction - July 2, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Hao, J., Yao, W., Harris, W. B. R., Vink, J. Y., Myers, K. M., Donnelly, E. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Cellular nucleic acid-binding protein is vital to testis development and spermatogenesis in mice
In conclusion, our study suggests that CNBP could maintain testicular development by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, particularly by influencing Sertoli cells. (Source: Reproduction)
Source: Reproduction - July 2, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Zheng, B., Yu, J., Guo, Y., Gao, T., Shen, C., Zhang, X., Li, H., Huang, X. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Initiation of follicular atresia: gene networks during early atresia in pig ovaries
The objective of this study was to analyze differential gene expression profiles of medium antral ovarian follicles during early atresia in pig. The transcriptome evaluation was performed on cDNA microarrays using healthy and early atretic follicle samples and was validated by quantitative PCR. Annotation analysis applying current database (Sus scrofa 11.1) revealed 450 significantly differential expressed genes between healthy and early atretic follicles. Among them, 142 were significantly upregulated in early atretic with respect to healthy group and 308 were downregulated. Similar expression trends were observed between...
Source: Reproduction - July 2, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Zhang, J., Liu, Y., Yao, W., Li, Q., Liu, H., Pan, Z. Tags: Research Source Type: research
Objective evaluation of ram and buck sperm motility by using a novel sperm tracker software
This work offers researchers the first version of an open-source sperm tracker software (Sperm Motility Tracker, V1.0) containing a novel suit of algorithms to analyze sperm motility using ram and buck sperm as models. The computer-assisted semen analysis is used in several publications with increasing trend worldwide in the last years, showing the importance of objective methodologies to evaluate semen quality. However, commercial systems are costly and versatility is constrained. In the proposed method, segmentation is applied and the tracking stage is performed by using individual Kalman filters and a simplified occlusi...
Source: Reproduction - July 2, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Buchelly Imbachi, F., Zalazar, L., Pastore, J. I., Greco, M. B., Iniesta-Cuerda, M., Garde, J. J., Soler, A. J., Ballarin, V., Cesari, A. Tags: Research Source Type: research
