Roles of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like factor in the ovulation process
AbstractLuteinizing hormone (LH) surge stimulates preovulatory follicles to induce the ovulation process, including oocyte maturation, cumulus expansion, and granulosa cell luteinization. The matured oocytes surrounded by an expanded cumulus cell layer are released from follicles to the oviduct. However, LH receptors are dominantly expressed in granulosa cells, but less in cumulus cells and are not expressed in oocytes, indicating that the secondary factors expressed and secreted from LH-stimulated granulosa cells are required for the induction of the ovulation process. Prostaglandin and progesterone are well-known factors...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Clinical management of endometriosis-associated infertility
AbstractEndometriosis is a common chronic benign disease that affects reproductive age women and causes chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Despite its prevalence, the exact mechanisms of the pathogenesis of endometriosis-associated infertility are unknown, and precise standards of management have not yet been established. Medical and surgical treatments for endometriosis have different effects on the chance of conception, either spontaneously or via assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In this manuscript, we review the literature from years 1979 to 2015 to report on the proposed mechanism of endometriosis-associated...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Fertility preservation through gonadal cryopreservation
AbstractFertility preservation is an area of immense interest in today's society. The most effective and established means of fertility preservation is cryopreservation of gametes (sperm and oocytes) and embryos. Gonadal cryopreservation is yet another means for fertility preservation, especially if the gonadal function is threatened by premature menopause, gonadotoxic cancer treatment, surgical castration, or diseases. It can also aid in the preservation of germplasm of animals that die before attaining sexual maturity. This is especially of significance for valuable, rare, and endangered animals whose population is affec...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Predicting suitable timing for artificial reproductive technology treatment in aged infertile women
AbstractIt has been widely accepted that the age of women plays a fundamental role in fecundity, and age-related fertility decline has one of the most significant and detrimental effects on the success rate of infertility treatment. Therefore, treatment cycles of non-in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment for infertile women of advanced aged have been limited due to their lack of efficacy, and they are often optimized, compared to IVF/ICSI treatment. Recent trends in infertility treatment apparently indicate that IVF/ICSI treatment, including egg donation, is frequently offered t...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Vitrification of embryos and oocytes for fertility preservation in cancer patients
AbstractAs survival rates and the life expectancy of those with malignancy have increased, more women in their reproductive years are referred for fertility preservation. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can severely affect ovarian function, and the effect is irreversible. Therefore, it is optimal to attempt fertility preservation before chemotherapy and radiotherapy are initiated. Oocyte and embryo cryopreservation is the most common option for fertility preservation in women. Several reports have proven that embryo and oocyte cryopreservation can achieve a successful pregnancy. This review discusses the impact of chemothera...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
A case of gradually manifesting McCune –Albright syndrome with a 10-year follow-up
AbstractMcCune –Albright syndrome (MAS) is characterized by fibrous dysplasia (FD) of bone, café-au-lait skin pigmentation, and precocious puberty. Here we report a case of a 12-year-old girl with MAS presenting sexual precocity as initial signs, followed by FD of bone with her growth. She was referred to our h ospital because of breast budding and abnormal genital bleeding at the age of 2.8 years. On physical examination, her height and weight were greater than two standard deviations of the mean ranges. Hormonal analysis revealed an elevated serum estradiol and suppressed luteinizing hormone and follicl e-stimulating...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Uterine anatomy and function on cine magnetic resonance imaging
AbstractThe female reproductive organ undergoes dynamic morphological changes under the influence of hormonal stimuli, and particularly those mediated by estrogen and progesterone. The uterus changes both its morphological appearance and its functional movements in function of these influences. Functionally, the uterus is known to exert two kinds of inherent contractility: sustained uterine contractions and uterine peristalsis. The former is focal and consists of the sporadic bulging of the myometrium, while the latter is rhythmic and manifests itself as the subtle stripping movement in the subendometrial myometrium. The m...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Acknowledgments
(Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology)
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - October 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Anti-M üllerian hormone as a marker of ovarian reserve: What have we learned, and what should we know?
AbstractOvarian reserve reflects the quality and quantity of available oocytes. This reserve has become indispensable for the better understanding of reproductive potential. Measurement of the serum anti-M üllerian hormone (AMH) level allows quantitative evaluation of ovarian reserve. It has been applied to a wide range of clinical conditions, and it is well established that the measurement of serum AMH levels is more useful than qualitative evaluation based on the menstrual cycle. AMH levels are mon itored during infertility treatments; in patients undergoing medically assisted reproductive technology; and in the diagnos...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - July 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Observation of human embryonic behavior in vitro by high-resolution time-lapse cinematography
AbstractAssisted reproductive technology (ART) has yielded vast amounts of information and knowledge on human embryonic development in vitro; however, still images provide limited data on dynamic changes in the developing embryos. Using our high-resolution time-lapse cinematography (hR-TLC) system, we were able to describe normal human embryonic development continuously from the fertilization process to the hatched blastocyst stage in detail. Our hR-TLC observation also showed the embryonic abnormality of a third polar body (PB)-like substance likely containing a small pronucleus being extruded and resulting in single-pron...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - July 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Management of non-obstructive azoospermia
AbstractNon-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is defined as no sperm in the ejaculate due to failure of spermatogenesis and is the most severe form of male infertility. The etiology of NOA is either intrinsic testicular impairment or inadequate gonadotropin production. Chromosomal or genetic abnormalities should be evaluated because there is a relatively high incidence compared with the normal population. Although rare, NOA due to inadequate gonadotropin production is a condition in which fertility can be improved by medical treatment. In contrast, there is no treatment that can restore spermatogenesis in the majority of NOA p...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - July 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Age-associated events in bovine oocytes and possible countermeasures
AbstractMaternal aging profoundly affects oocyte quality. This has become common knowledge in industrialized countries and extensive studies addressing the causes and possible countermeasures against age-associated deterioration of oocytes suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is a causal factor in infertility. However, almost all studies addressing age-associated events in oocytes have used mice as an animal model, and the reproductive life of mice is very short, making it difficult to study the gradual decline in fertility observed in humans. In the present review, age-associated changes in the quality and quantity of b...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - July 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection into oocytes matured in vitro and early embryonic development in the owl monkey ( Aotus lemurinus )
ConclusionsAlthough we successfully produced owl monkey embryos after ICSI, the embryos did not develop to the blastocyst stage. Many parameters need to be studied further, including superovulation, selection of culture media, and selection of good quality sperm in order to achieve successful ICSI in the owl monkey. (Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology)
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - July 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
Twin pregnancy in a 51-year-old woman who underwent autologous cryopreservation at the age of 36 years: case report
We report a case of a successful dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy achieved using autologous fertilized cryopreserved oocytes in a climacteric woman. A 51-year-old woman became pregnant using autologous fertilized oocytes that had been frozen for 15 years. On her first visit, multiple leiomyoma of the uterus and gestational diabetes mellitus were diagnosed, and proteinuria began to appear at 30 weeks. In spite of our concerns these complications did not exacerbate and the clinical course for both mother and neonates was favorable. This is th e first report of a live twin birth achieved using autologous cryopreserved...
Source: Reproductive Medicine and Biology - July 1, 2016 Category: OBGYN Source Type: research
