Articles

Fundulus heteroclitus gonadotropins.5: Small scale chromatographic fractionation of pituitary extracts into components with different steroidogenic activities using homologous bioassays

Fractionation and characterization of gonadotropins (GtH) from Fundulus heteroclitus pituitary extracts were carried out using a biocompatible liquid chromatographic procedure (Pharmacia FPLC system). Chromatogra...

Authors: Yu-Wai Peter Lin, Teresa R Petrino and Robin A Wallace

Reactive oxygen species and sperm cells

There is a dynamic interplay between pro- and anti-oxidant substances in human ejaculate. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation can overwhelm protective mechanism and initiate changes in lipid and...

Authors: Dorota Sanocka and Maciej Kurpisz

Identification of sperm immunoreactive antigens for immunocontraceptive purposes: a review

Antisperm antibodies (ASA) may be a reason of infertility in some individuals. They may affect pre- as well as post-fertilization stages of the reproductive process. There is ongoing progress in the identifica...

Authors: Alina Domagala and Maciej Kurpisz

Sperm specific proteins-potential candidate molecules for fertility control

The increase in population growth rate warrants the development of additional contraceptive methods that are widely acceptable, free from side effects and less expensive. Immunocontraception, and in particular...

Authors: Anil Suri

The role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 in the mammalian testis and their involvement in testicular torsion and autoimmune orchitis

This review will focus the roles of TNF-alpha, IL-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta in the mammalian testis and in two testicular pathologies, testicular torsion and orchitis. TNF alpha in the testis is produced by round...

Authors: Jeffrey J Lysiak

New approaches to male infertility: Forum introduction

Authors: Maciej K Kurpisz

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and transcobalamin genetic polymorphisms in human spontaneous abortion: biological and clinical implications

The pathogenesis of human spontaneous abortion involves a complex interaction of several genetic and environmental factors. The firm association between increased homocysteine concentration and neural tube def...

Authors: Henrik Zetterberg

Induced ovulation and egg deposition in the direct developing anuran Eleutherodactylus coqui

This study investigates ovulation and egg deposition behaviors in the anuran Eleutherodactylus coqui from Puerto Rico in response to stimulation with gonadotropin and gonadotropin releasing hormones. Five hormone...

Authors: Scott F Michael, Christine Buckley, Esteban Toro, Alberto R Estrada and Shawn Vincent

Androgen receptor expression in the rat prostate is down-regulated by dietary phytoestrogens

It is well established that the growth of the prostate gland is a hormone-dependent phenomenon involving both androgenic and estrogenic control. Proliferation of prostate cells is, at least in part, under cont...

Authors: Trent D Lund, Daniel J Munson, Herman Adlercreutz, Robert J Handa and Edwin D Lephart

MUC1: A multifunctional cell surface component of reproductive tissue epithelia

MUC1 is a large, transmembrane mucin glycoprotein expressed at the apical surface of a variety of reproductive tract epithelia. Functions attributed to MUC1 include those generally associated with mucins such ...

Authors: Melissa Brayman, Amantha Thathiah and Daniel D Carson

Syndecans in tumor cell adhesion and signaling

Anchorage of cells to "heparin" – binding domains that are prevalent in extracellular matrix (ECM) components is thought to occur primarily through the syndecans, a four-member family of transmembrane heparan ...

Authors: DeannaLee M Beauvais and Alan C Rapraeger

Changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) and ECM-associated proteins in the metastatic progression of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is no exception to the multi-step process of metastasis. As PCa progresses, changes occur within the microenvironments of both the malignant cells and their targeted site of metastasis, e...

Authors: Delisha A Stewart, Carlton R Cooper and Robert A Sikes

Extracellular matrix: Forum introduction

Authors: Daniel D Carson

Retracted Article : Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) alters the expression and activation of Smad in human endometrial epithelial and stromal cells

Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) are often used to regress endometriosis implants and prevent premature luteinizing hormone surges in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation. In additio...

Authors: Xiaoping Luo, Jingxia Xu and Nasser Chegini

The extracellular matrix of porcine mature oocytes: Origin, composition and presumptive roles

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of porcine mature oocytes was revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after treatment with tannic acid and ruthenium red. Present in the perivitelline space (PVS) and ...

Authors: Jacques E Fléchon, Jeril Degrouard, Václav Kopečný, Juraj Pivko, Antonin Pavlok and Jan Motlik

Potential involvement of the immune system in the development of endometriosis

This article presents an overview of immunological factors and their role in the development of endometriosis, with emphasis on inflammatory cytokines, growth and adhesion factors. Although retrograde menstrua...

Authors: Cleophas M Kyama, Sophie Debrock, Jason M Mwenda and Thomas M D'Hooghe

Immunology of term and preterm labor

During pregnancy there is an alteration in maternal immunity within the uterus where innate, proinflammatory immune responses are tightly regulated to prevent immunological rejection of the fetal allograft. Di...

Authors: Morgan R Peltier

Tolerance of the fetus by the maternal immune system: role of inflammatory mediators at the feto-maternal interface

The adaptive immune system of placental mammals has evolved to tolerate the fetus. Rejection of the fetus by adaptive immune responses is therefore a rare event, with abortion being caused more frequently by i...

Authors: Colette Kanellopoulos-Langevin, Stéphane M Caucheteux, Philippe Verbeke and David M Ojcius

Pregnancy and gamma/delta T cells: Taking on the hard questions

Authors: Lucia Mincheva-Nilsson

Potential role of macrophages as immunoregulators of pregnancy

The role of the maternal immune system during pregnancy has focused mainly on the aspect of immune tolerance to the invading trophoblast and, therefore, fetus. While this is a critical aspect of reproductive i...

Authors: Gil Mor and Vikki M Abrahams

Vaccines against sexually transmitted diseases

Authors: Lynette B Corbeil, Carlos M Campero, Jack C Rhyan and Robert H BonDurant

Steroidal regulation of uterine resistance to bacterial infection in livestock

Postpartum uterine infections reduce reproductive efficiency and have significant animal welfare and economic consequences. Postpartum uterine infections are classified as nonspecific, but Arcanobacterium pyogene...

Authors: Gregory S Lewis

Innate immune defences in the human endometrium

The human endometrium is an important site of innate immune defence, giving protection against uterine infection. Such protection is critical to successful implantation and pregnancy. Infection is a major caus...

Authors: Anne E King, Hilary OD Critchley and Rodney W Kelly

Frontiers in reproductive immunology – Forum introduction

Authors: Peter J Hansen

Immunoexpression of the relaxin receptor LGR7 in breast and uterine tissues of humans and primates

The receptor for the peptide hormone relaxin has recently been identified as the heptahelical G-protein coupled receptor, LGR7. In order to generate molecular tools with which to characterize both in vivo and in ...

Authors: Richard Ivell, Marga Balvers, Yvonne Pohnke, Ralph Telgmann, Olaf Bartsch, Karin Milde-Langosch, Ana-maria Bamberger and Almuth Einspanier

Guinea-pig interpubic joint (symphysis pubica) relaxation at parturition: Underlying cellular processes that resemble an inflammatory response

At term, cervical ripening in coordination with uterine contractions becomes a prerequisite for a normal vaginal delivery. Currently, cervical ripening is considered to occur independently from uterine contrac...

Authors: Horacio A Rodríguez, Hugo H Ortega, Jorge G Ramos, Mónica Muñoz-de-Toro and Enrique H Luque

LCN6, a novel human epididymal lipocalin

The lipocalin (LCN) family of structurally conserved hydrophobic ligand binding proteins is represented in all major taxonomic groups from prokaryotes to primates. The importance of lipocalins in reproduction ...

Authors: Katherine G Hamil, Qiang Liu, P Sivashanmugam, M Anbalagan, Suresh Yenugu, Rama Soundararajan, Gail Grossman, AJ Rao, Charles E Birse, Stephen M Ruben, Richard T Richardson, Yong-Lian Zhang, Michael G O'Rand, Peter Petrusz, Frank S French and Susan H Hall

Thrombophilia and pregnancy

Pregnancy is hypercoagulable state. The field of thrombophilia; the tendency to thrombosis, has been developed rapidly and has been linked to many aspects of pregnancy. It is recently that severe pregnancy com...

Authors: Michael J Kupferminc

Assessment of fetal intracranial pathologies first demonstrated late in pregnancy: cell proliferation disorders

A considerable number of central nervous system pathologies remain undiagnosed during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. This group of disorders includes anomalies of brain proliferation, migration and cor...

Authors: Gustavo Malinger, Dorit Lev and Tally Lerman-Sagie

The management of infertility associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS] is the commonest cause of anovulatory infertility. Treatment modes available are numerous mainly relying on ovarian stimulation with FSH, a reduction in insulin concentrations ...

Authors: Roy Homburg

Sperm preparation for ART

The onset of clinical assisted reproduction, a quarter of a century ago, required the isolation of motile spermatozoa. As the indication of assisted reproduction shifted from mere gynaecological indications to...

Authors: Ralf R Henkel and Wolf-Bernhard Schill

Understanding spermatogenesis is a prerequisite for treatment

Throughout spermatogenesis multiplication, maturation and differentiation of germ cells results in the formation of the male gamete. The understanding of spermatogenesis needs detailed informations about the o...

Authors: Adolf-Friedrich Holstein, Wolfgang Schulze and Michail Davidoff

Fertility and pregnancy: Forum introduction and some thoughts on the role of electronic journals in the scientific information evolution

Authors: Marek Glezerman

Will cloned animals suffer premature aging – The story at the end of clones' chromosomes

Authors: Jie Xu and Xiangzhong Yang

Bovine cumulus-granulosa cells contain biologically active retinoid receptors that can respond to retinoic acid

Retinoids, a class of compounds that include retinol and its metabolite, retinoic acid, are absolutely essential for ovarian steroid production, oocyte maturation, and early embryogenesis. Previous studies hav...

Authors: Mahesh Mohan, Nagaraja Ramavadhani Thirumalapura and Jerry Malayer

Specific genetic modifications of domestic animals by gene targeting and animal cloning

The technology of gene targeting through homologous recombination has been extremely useful for elucidating gene functions in mice. The application of this technology was thought impossible in the large livest...

Authors: Bin Wang and Jiangfeng Zhou

Tissue engineering and cell based therapies, from the bench to the clinic: The potential to replace, repair and regenerate

The field of Regenerative Biology as it applies to Regenerative Medicine is an increasingly expanding area of research with hopes of providing therapeutic treatments for diseases and/or injuries that conventio...

Authors: William L Fodor

Skeletal muscle stem cells

Satellite cells are myogenic stem cells responsible for the post-natal growth, repair and maintenance of skeletal muscle. This review focuses on the basic biology of the satellite cell with emphasis on its rol...

Authors: Jennifer CJ Chen and David J Goldhamer

Embryonic stem cell differentiation: A chromatin perspective

Embryonic stem (ES) cells hold immense promise for the treatment of human degenerative disease. Because ES cells are pluripotent, they can be directed to differentiate into a number of alternative cell-types w...

Authors: Theodore P Rasmussen

Neural stem cells and the regulation of adult neurogenesis

Presumably, the 'hard-wired' neuronal circuitry of the adult brain dissuades addition of new neurons, which could potentially disrupt existing circuits. This is borne out by the fact that, in general, new neur...

Authors: Jessica B Lennington, Zhengang Yang and Joanne C Conover

Cloning animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer – biological factors

Cloning by nuclear transfer using mammalian somatic cells has enormous potential application. However, somatic cloning has been inefficient in all species in which live clones have been produced. High abortion...

Authors: X Cindy Tian, Chikara Kubota, Brian Enright and Xiangzhong Yang

Toward therapeutic cloning and regenerative biology research forum: To clone or not to clone

Authors: Xiangzhong Yang

Decreased serotonin level during pregnancy alters morphological and functional characteristics of tonic nociceptive system in juvenile offspring of the rat

Serotonin (5-HT) contributes to the prenatal development of the central nervous system, acting as a morphogen in the young embryo and later as a neurotransmitter. This biologically active agent influences both...

Authors: Irina P Butkevich, Ludmila I Khozhai, Victor A Mikhailenko and Vladimir A Otellin

Chemokines in the corpus luteum: Implications of leukocyte chemotaxis

Chemokines are small molecular weight peptides responsible for adhesion, activation, and recruitment of leukocytes into tissues. Leukocytes are thought to influence follicular atresia, ovulation, and luteal fu...

Authors: David H Townson and Amy R Liptak

The role of major histocompatibility complex molecules in luteal function

Authors: Matthew J Cannon and Joy L Pate

Biochemical and endocrine aspects of oxytocin production by the mammalian corpus luteum

A review of the current state of knowledge of oxytocin production by the preovulatory follicle and corpus luteum is presented. Corpora lutea of a number of mammalian species have been found to synthesize oxyto...

Authors: Fredrick Stormshak

Cholesterol transport and steroidogenesis by the corpus luteum

The synthesis of progesterone by the corpus luteum is essential for the establishment and maintenance of early pregnancy. Regulation of luteal steroidogenesis can be broken down into three major events; lutein...

Authors: Lane K Christenson and Luigi Devoto

Angiogenesis in the corpus luteum

The corpus luteum (CL) is a site of intense angiogenesis. Within a short period, this is followed either by controlled regression of the microvascular tree in the non-fertile cycle, or maintenance and stabilis...

Authors: Hamish M Fraser and Christine Wulff

Mutant mouse models and their contribution to our knowledge of corpus luteum development, function and regression

The corpus luteum is a unique organ, which is transitory in nature. The development, maintenance and regression of the corpus luteum are regulated by endocrine, paracrine and autocrine signaling events. Defini...

Authors: Luiz E Henkes, John S Davis and Bo R Rueda

Recent advancements in corpus luteum development, function, maintenance and regression: Forum introduction

Authors: John S Davis and Bo R Rueda