Articles

The potential regulatory mechanisms of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone in gonadotropin transcriptions identified with bioinformatics analyses

The regulation of gonadotropin synthesis and release by gonadotropin­releasing hormone (GnRH) plays an essential role in the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. However, the mechanisms underlying gonadotro...

Authors: Wei Xiang, Baoyun Zhang, Fenglin Lv, Guangde Feng, Long Chen, Fang Yang, Ke Zhang, Chunyu Cao, Pingqing Wang and Mingxing Chu

Differences in utilization of Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) within human services (HHS) regions and metropolitan megaregions in the U.S.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that US practice patterns for ART differ by geographical region. The purpose of this study was to determine whether use of ICSI differs by region and to evaluate whether these rates...

Authors: Pavel Zagadailov, Albert Hsu, David B. Seifer and Judy E. Stern

Effect of race and ethnicity on utilization and outcomes of assisted reproductive technology in the USA

The purpose of this study was to determine the utilization and live birth rates of assisted reproductive technology (ART) modalities among various racial and ethnic groups in recent years.

Authors: Alice J. Shapiro, Sarah K. Darmon, David H. Barad, David F. Albertini, Norbert Gleicher and Vitaly A. Kushnir

Expression of genes associated with BMP signaling pathway in porcine oocytes before and after IVM – a microarray approach

The full maturational capability of mammalian oocytes is accompanied by nuclear and cytoplasmic modifications, which are associated with proliferation and differentiation of surrounding cumulus cells. These ev...

Authors: Joanna Budna, Marta Rybska, Sylwia Ciesiółka, Artur Bryja, Sylwia Borys, Wiesława Kranc, Katarzyna Wojtanowicz-Markiewicz, Michal Jeseta, Ewa Sumelka, Dorota Bukowska, Paweł Antosik, Klaus P. Brüssow, Małgorzata Bruska, Michał Nowicki, Maciej Zabel and Bartosz Kempisty

Activating transcription factor 3 promotes embryo attachment via up-regulation of leukemia inhibitory factor in vitro

A receptive endometrium is essential for maternal-embryonic molecular communication during implantation. However, the specific molecular regulatory mechanisms of the endometrial capacity remain poorly understo...

Authors: Xi Cheng, Jingyu Liu, Huizhi Shan, Lihua Sun, Chenyang Huang, Qiang Yan, Ruiwei Jiang, Lijun Ding, Yue Jiang, Jianjun Zhou, Guijun Yan and Haixiang Sun

Natriuretic peptides improve the developmental competence of in vitro cultured porcine oocytes

Natriuretic peptides (NPs), brain and C type NPs (BNP and CNP), were involved in the maintenance of porcine oocyte meiotic arrest. The present study investigated the effects of NPs on developmental competence ...

Authors: Yanhao Zhang, Huarong Wang, Wei Liu, Ye Yang, Xiao Wang, Zhiyuan Zhang, Qirui Guo, Chao Wang and Guoliang Xia

p,p’-DDT induces testicular oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in adult rats

The 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p’-DDT) is a known persistent organic pollutant and male reproductive toxicant. The present study is designed to test the hypothesis that oxidative stress m...

Authors: Neila Marouani, Dorsaf Hallegue, Mohsen Sakly, Moncef Benkhalifa, Khémais Ben Rhouma and Olfa Tebourbi

Outcome of in vitro fertilization in women with subclinical hypothyroidism

Previous studies examining associations between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) with in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome indicate some benefits of levothyroxine (LT4) treatment. But IVF outcomes in treated S...

Authors: YunYing Cai, LanPing Zhong, Jie Guan, RuiJin Guo, Ben Niu, YanPing Ma and Heng Su

Role of microRNAs in premature ovarian insufficiency

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a typical disorder of amenorrhea lasting for a minimum of 4 months. The typical characteristics comprised of declined estrogen and raised serum concentrations of follic...

Authors: Ying Guo, Junyan Sun and Dongmei Lai

Pregnancy rates of day 4 and day 5 embryos after culture in an integrated time-lapse incubator

The aim of this study was to compare pregnancy rates in patients undergoing IVF/ICSI with embryo transfer after 4 and 5 days of culture in a closed incubation system with integrated time-lapse imaging.

Authors: Verena Holschbach, Julia Weigert, Jens Erik Dietrich, Sabine Roesner, Markus Montag, Thomas Strowitzki and Bettina Toth

Comparative neonatal outcomes in singleton births from blastocyst transfers or cleavage-stage embryo transfers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Comparative neonatal outcomes with respect to singleton births from blastocyst transfers or cleavage-state embryo transfers are controversial with respect to which method is superior. Many studies have yielded...

Authors: Xingling Wang, Mingze Du, Yichun Guan, Bijun Wang, Junwei Zhang and Zihua Liu

Intracerebroventricular injection of RFRP-3 delays puberty onset and stimulates growth hormone secretion in female rats

Puberty onset is a complex, organized biological process with multilevel regulation, and its physiopathological mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. RFRP-3, the mammalian ortholog to gonadotropin-inhibitory ho...

Authors: Xinghui Han, Yuanyuan He, Gulan Zeng, Yonghong Wang, Wen Sun, Junchao Liu, Yanyan Sun and Jian Yu

Association of skewed X-chromosome inactivation with FMR1 CGG repeat length and anti-Mullerian hormone levels: a cohort study

Premutation range CGGn repeats of the FMR1 gene denote risk toward primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), also called premature ovarian failure (POF). This prospective cohort study was undertaken to determine if...

Authors: David H. Barad, Sarah Darmon, Andrea Weghofer, Gary J. Latham, Filipovic-Sadic, Qi Wang, Vitaly A. Kushnir, David F. Albertini and Norbert Gleicher

A single trophectoderm biopsy at blastocyst stage is mathematically unable to determine embryo ploidy accurately enough for clinical use

It has become increasingly apparent that the trophectoderm (TE) at blastocyst stage is much more mosaic than has been appreciated. Whether preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), utilizing a single TE biopsy ...

Authors: Norbert Gleicher, Jacob Metzger, Gist Croft, Vitaly A. Kushnir, David F. Albertini and David H Barad

Effect of different artificial shrinkage methods, when applied before blastocyst vitrification, on perinatal outcomes

In recent years, single blastocyst transfer combined with vitrification has been applied widely, which can maximize the cumulative pregnancy rate in per oocyte retrieval cycles and minimize the multiple pregna...

Authors: Caizhu Wang, Guixue Feng, Bo Zhang, Hong Zhou, Jinhui Shu, Ruoyun Lin, Huanhua Chen and Zhulian Wu

Improving preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) reliability by selection of sperm donor with the most informative haplotype

The study is aimed to describe a novel strategy that increases the accuracy and reliability of PGD in patients using sperm donation by pre-selecting the donor whose haplotype does not overlap the carrier’s one.

Authors: Mira Malcov, Veronica Gold, Sagit Peleg, Tsvia Frumkin, Foad Azem, Ami Amit, Dalit Ben-Yosef, Yuval Yaron, Adi Reches, Shimi Barda, Sandra E. Kleiman, Leah Yogev and Ron Hauser

Immunolocalization of steroidogenic enzymes in the vaginal mucous of Galea spixii during the estrous cycle

The synthesis of sex steroids is controlled by several enzymes such as17α-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 (P450c17) catalyzing androgen synthesis and aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) catalyzing estrogen synthe...

Authors: Amilton Cesar dos Santos, Alan James Conley, Moacir Franco de Oliveira, Gleidson Benevides Oliveira, Diego Carvalho Viana and Antônio Chaves de Assis Neto

Efficient vitrification of mouse embryos using the Kitasato Vitrification System as a novel vitrification device

Currently, the cryopreservation of embryos and oocytes is essential for assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratories worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Kitasato Vitrification Sy...

Authors: Kenji Momozawa, Atsushi Matsuzawa, Yukio Tokunaga, Shiori Abe, Yumi Koyanagi, Miho Kurita, Marina Nakano and Takao Miyake

Anti-human platelet antigen (HPA)-1a antibodies may affect trophoblast functions crucial for placental development: a laboratory study using an in vitro model

Fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a bleeding disorder caused by maternal antibodies against paternal human platelet antigens (HPAs) on fetal platelets. Antibodies against HPA-1a are acc...

Authors: Mariana Eksteen, Gøril Heide, Heidi Tiller, Yan Zhou, Nora Hersoug Nedberg, Inigo Martinez-Zubiaurre, Anne Husebekk, Bjørn R. Skogen, Tor B. Stuge and Mette Kjær

Erratum to: Comment on: Gleicher N et al.,2016. Reprod biol endocrinol Sep 5;14(1):54

Authors: Ashley W. Tiegs, James A. Grifo, Santiago Munné, David H. McCulloh and Brooke Hodes-Wertz

Comment on: Gleicher N et al., 2016. Reprod biol endocrinol Sep 5;14(1)

Authors: Ashley W. Tiegs, James A. Grifo, Santiago Munné, David H. McCulloh and Brooke Hodes-Wertz

Response to comment on: Gleicher N et al., 2016. Reprod biol endocrinol Sep 5;14(1):54

Authors: Norbert Gleicher, Andrea Vidali, Jeffrey Braverman, Vitaly A. Kushnir, David H. Barad, Cynthia Hudson, Yang-Guan Wu, Qi Wang and Lin Zhang

Mitochondrial content, oxidative, and nitrosative stress in human full-term placentas with gestational diabetes mellitus

The purpose of this study was to determine the mitochondrial content, and the oxidative and nitrosative stress of the placenta in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Authors: Joel Ramírez-Emiliano, Martha E. Fajardo-Araujo, Ismael Zúñiga-Trujillo, Victoriano Pérez-Vázquez, Cuauhtémoc Sandoval-Salazar and Jessica K. Órnelas-Vázquez

Increased Krüppel-like factor 12 in recurrent implantation failure impairs endometrial decidualization by repressing Nur77 expression

Decidualization is a prerequisite for successful implantation and the establishment of pregnancy. A critical role of impaired decidualization in subfertility has been established. In human endometrial stromal ...

Authors: Chenyang Huang, Yue Jiang, Jianjun Zhou, Qiang Yan, Ruiwei Jiang, Xi Cheng, Jun Xing, Lijun Ding, Jianxin Sun, Guijun Yan and Haixiang Sun

Erratum to: Local intra-uterine Ang-(1–7) infusion attenuates PGE2 and 6-keto PGF1α in decidualized uterus of pseudopregnant rats

Authors: K. Bridget Brosnihan, Victor M. Pulgar, Manish S. Bharadwaj, Liomar A. A. Neves and Liliya M. Yamaleyeva

5α-reductase activity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

5α-reductase activity might be important during the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the changes of 5α-reductase activity in PCOS subjects and the relationship between 5α-reductase act...

Authors: Chuyan Wu, Ke Wei and Zhongli Jiang

Differential gene expression profiling of endometrium during the mid-luteal phase of the estrous cycle between a repeat breeder (RB) and non-RB cows

Repeat breeding directly affects reproductive efficiency in cattle due to an increase in services per conception and calving interval. This study aimed to investigate whether changes in endometrial gene expres...

Authors: Ken-Go Hayashi, Misa Hosoe, Keiichiro Kizaki, Shiori Fujii, Hiroko Kanahara, Toru Takahashi and Ryosuke Sakumoto

Feedback inhibition of CREB signaling by p38 MAPK contributes to the negative regulation of steroidogenesis

Steroidogenesis is a complex, multi-steps biological process in which, cholesterol precursor is converted to steroids in a tissue specific and tropic hormone dependent manner. Given that steroidogenesis is ach...

Authors: Jiaxin Li, Qian Zhou, Zhuang Ma, Meina Wang, Wen-Jun Shen, Salman Azhar, Zhigang Guo and Zhigang Hu

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived angiogenin promotes primodial follicle survival and angiogenesis in transplanted human ovarian tissue

We have recently reported that human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) facilitate angiogenesis and prevent follicle loss in xenografted human ovarian tissues. However, the mechanism underlying ...

Authors: Yaoyao Zhang, Xi Xia, Jie Yan, Liying Yan, Cuilin Lu, Xiaohui Zhu, Tianren Wang, Tailang Yin, Rong Li, Hsun-Ming Chang and Jie Qiao

An open-label clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of corifollitropin alfa combined with hCG in adult men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) in men results in insufficient testicular function and deficiencies in testosterone and spermatogenesis. Combinations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and recombinant fo...

Authors: Eberhard Nieschlag, Pierre-Marc G. Bouloux, Barbara J. Stegmann, R. Ravi Shankar, Yanfen Guan, Anjela Tzontcheva, Christine McCrary Sisk and Hermann M. Behre

Chronic endometritis modifies decidualization in human endometrial stromal cells

Chronic endometritis (CE) is a continuous inflammation of uterine endometrium, and it is usually symptomless. As CE has been thought not to affect the reproductive status and general health of affected women, ...

Authors: Di Wu, Fuminori Kimura, Luyi Zheng, Mitsuaki Ishida, Yoko Niwa, Kimiko Hirata, Akie Takebayashi, Akiko Takashima, Kentaro Takahashi, Ryoji Kushima, Guangmei Zhang and Takashi Murakami

The effect of fertility stress on endometrial and subendometrial blood flow among infertile women

To investigate the effect of fertility stress on endometrial and subendometrial blood flow among infertile women.

Authors: Yuezhi Dong, Yanna Cai, Yu Zhang, Yurong Xing and Yingpu Sun

Expression of SOX2, NANOG and OCT4 in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute uterine injury and intrauterine adhesions

Activation of inflammation-mediated endometrial injury is suggested to play a decisive role in pathogenesis of intrauterine adhesion (IUA). The stem cell theory of endometrial diseases has been given a hotspot...

Authors: Li Xiao, Yong Song, Wei Huang, Shiyuan Yang, Jing Fu, Xue Feng and Min Zhou

The effect of estradiol on granulosa cell responses to FSH in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

The influence of estradiol (E₂) on granulosa cell (GC) function has not been tested clinically in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The objective of this study is to determine if E₂ influences GC respo...

Authors: Michael V. Homer, Marcus A. Rosencrantz, Rana F. Shayya and R. Jeffrey Chang

Animal models of hyperandrogenism and ovarian morphology changes as features of polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder, affecting 9–18% of women in reproductive age that causes hyperandrogenism and infertility due to dysfunctional follicular maturation and anovula...

Authors: Larissa Paixão, Ramon B. Ramos, Anita Lavarda, Debora M. Morsh and Poli Mara Spritzer

REAC technology as optimizer of stallion spermatozoa liquid storage

REAC technology (acronym for Radio Electric Asymmetric Conveyor) is a technology platform for neuro and bio modulation. It has already proven to optimize the ions fluxes at the molecular level and the molecula...

Authors: Fiammetta Berlinguer, Valeria Pasciu, Sara Succu, Ignazio Cossu, Sabrina Caggiu, Daniela Addis, Alessandro Castagna, Vania Fontani, Salvatore Rinaldi and Eraldo Sanna Passino

The Human Oocyte Preservation Experience (HOPE) Registry: evaluation of cryopreservation techniques and oocyte source on outcomes

This prospective, Phase IV, multicenter, observational registry of assisted reproductive technology clinics in the USA studied outcomes of first cycles using thawed/warmed cryopreserved (by slow-freezing/vitri...

Authors: Zsolt Peter Nagy, Robert E. Anderson, Eve C. Feinberg, Brooke Hayward and Mary C. Mahony

An inverse association between serum soluble receptor of advanced glycation end products and hyperandrogenism and potential implication in polycystic ovary syndrome patients

Studies found that AGE-RAGE system is closely related to insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia, which are two core pathophysiological processes in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study is to investig...

Authors: Yu Liao, Rong Huang, Yun Sun, Jiang Yue, Jun Zheng, Lihua Wang, Tao Tao, Jing Ma, Shengxian Li and Wei Liu

The impact of endometriosis on the outcome of Assisted Reproductive Technology

Endometriosis has been described to impair fertility through various mechanisms. However, studies evaluating the reproductive outcomes of women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies show controversial ...

Authors: Mireia González-Comadran, Juan Enrique Schwarze, Fernando Zegers-Hochschild, Maria do Carmo B. Souza, Ramon Carreras and Miguel Ángel Checa

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) promotes spermatogenic regeneration from surviving spermatogonia after high-dose alkylating chemotherapy

The lifesaving chemotherapy and radiation treatments that allow patients to survive cancer can also result in a lifetime of side-effects, including male infertility. Infertility in male cancer survivors is tho...

Authors: Travis Kotzur, Roberto Benavides-Garcia, Jennifer Mecklenburg, Jamila R. Sanchez, Matthew Reilly and Brian P. Hermann

Systematic review of worldwide trends in assisted reproductive technology 2004–2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has undergone considerable changes over the last decade, with consequences on ART outcomes in different regions of the world being unknown.

Authors: Vitaly A. Kushnir, David H. Barad, David F. Albertini, Sarah K. Darmon and Norbert Gleicher

Influence of endometrial thickness on treatment outcomes following in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection

The study was designed to investigate the roles of endometrial thickness (EMT) at the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration on pregnancy outcomes in a large patient population.

Authors: Ning-Zhao Ma, Lei Chen, Wei Dai, Zhi-Qin Bu, Lin-Li Hu and Ying-Pu Sun

Hexokinase 2 drives glycogen accumulation in equine endometrium at day 12 of diestrus and pregnancy

Secretion of histotroph during the prolonged pre-implantation phase in mares is crucial to pregnancy maintenance, manifested as increased embryonic loss in mares with age-related endometrial degeneration. Glyc...

Authors: Sarah A. Bramer, Alysson Macedo and Claudia Klein

Induction of altered gene expression profiles in cultured bovine granulosa cells at high cell density

In previous studies it has been shown that bovine granulosa cells (GC) cultured at a high plating density dramatically change their physiological and molecular characteristics, thus resembling an early stage o...

Authors: Anja Baufeld, Dirk Koczan and Jens Vanselow

Human LH and hCG stimulate differently the early signalling pathways but result in equal testosterone synthesis in mouse Leydig cells in vitro

Human luteinizing hormone (LH) and chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are glycoprotein hormones regulating development and reproductive functions by acting on the same receptor (LHCGR). We compared the LH and hCG ac...

Authors: Laura Riccetti, Francesco De Pascali, Lisa Gilioli, Francesco Potì, Lavinia Beatrice Giva, Marco Marino, Simonetta Tagliavini, Tommaso Trenti, Flaminia Fanelli, Marco Mezzullo, Uberto Pagotto, Manuela Simoni and Livio Casarini

The abnormal expression of oxytocin receptors in the uterine junctional zone in women with endometriosis

The junctional zone (JZ), also called as the endometrial-myometrial junction, is related to peristaltic-like movements in the non-pregnant uterus. Hyperperistalsis and dysperistalsis of uterus constructions mi...

Authors: Miaomaio Huang, Xuqing Li, Peipei Guo, Zhaojuan Yu, Yuting Xu and Zhaolian Wei

Comparison of the effect of a combination of eight micronutrients versus a standard mono preparation on sperm parameters

There are reports showing that l-carnitine alone or in combination with other micronutrients improve sperm parameters. However, comparative studies are still lacking. This study was carried out to compare the ...

Authors: Markus Lipovac, Florian Bodner, Martin Imhof and Peter Chedraui

Variation in male spermiation response to exogenous hormones among divergent populations of Red-eyed Treefrogs

The non-lethal collection of sperm from live males is an important component for multiple captive-breeding techniques, including assisted reproductive technology (ART) protocols, sperm cryopreservation and in ...

Authors: Leah E. Jacobs, Jeanne M. Robertson and Kristine Kaiser

Arrest at the diplotene stage of meiotic prophase I is delayed by progesterone but is not required for primordial follicle formation in mice

In mammalian females, reproductive capacity is determined by the size of the primordial follicle pool. During embryogenesis, oogonia divide mitotically but cytokinesis is incomplete so oogonia remain connected...

Authors: Sudipta Dutta, Deion M. Burks and Melissa E. Pepling

Enhanced expression of the stemness-related factors OCT4, SOX15 and TWIST1 in ectopic endometrium of endometriosis patients

Current evidence suggests that endometrial-derived stem cells, spilled in the peritoneal cavity via retrograde menstruation, are key players in the establishment of endometriotic lesions. The aim of this study...

Authors: Katharina Proestling, Peter Birner, Sukirthini Balendran, Nadine Nirtl, Erika Marton, Gülen Yerlikaya, Lorenz Kuessel, Theresa Reischer, Rene Wenzl, Berthold Streubel and Heinrich Husslein