Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jose Casasnovas, Christopher Luke Damron, James Jarrell, Kara S. Orr, Robert N. Bone, Stephanie Archer-Hartmann, Parastoo Azadi, Kok Lim Kua
Summary: The study reveals that offspring of obese mothers have altered islet insulin secretion, leading to gender-specific differences in glucose intolerance, with males being more severely affected. This impact is observed early in life and persists as the offspring age.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Marcelle Cedars
Summary: This article discusses the integration of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) into the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. AMH can be used to estimate ovarian reserve, determine the dosage of ovarian stimulation, and predict stimulation response. However, it does not reflect oocyte health or chances for pregnancy. Low AMH levels may suggest a shortened reproductive window. AMH levels need to be interpreted in the context of the endogenous endocrine environment, and there is an inverse correlation between body mass index and AMH.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gengfu Wang, Geng Xu, Chao Zhang, Azhu Han, Guobao Zhang, Liru Chen, Guodie Xie, Fangbiao Tao, Tong Shen, Puyu Su
Summary: Increasing evidence suggests that maternal prenatal exposure to BPA during pregnancy may contribute to the early onset of puberty in female offspring. In this study, the critical time window of gestational BPA exposure was identified as the early and middle gestational stages. Maternal BPA exposure during these stages resulted in earlier vaginal opening and increased levels of kisspeptin-10 and GnRH in female offspring at PND 34. Mechanistically, this effect may be attributed, in part, to epigenetic programming of the Eed gene in the hypothalamus.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Liubin Yang, Samantha Neal, Tiffany Lee, Andrew Chou, Amy K. Schutt, William Gibbons
Summary: This cohort study investigates the link between COVID-19 vaccination and levels of anti-Mullerian hormone and antral follicle count in women seeking fertility treatment.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Akira Iwase, Yuko Hasegawa, Yumiko Tsukui, Mio Kobayashi, Hikaru Hiraishi, Tomoko Nakazato, Yoshikazu Kitahara
Summary: Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is an indirect indicator of ovarian reserve and fertility. It is used to test the number of remaining follicles. A decline in AMH suggests a decrease in follicles, while polycystic ovary syndrome patients often have elevated AMH levels. AMH varies with folliculogenesis and changes in the follicle cohort, which play a crucial role in ovarian activity throughout a woman's lifetime.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yong Song, Hong-Lin Guo, Min-Zhe Zhang, Ze-Lin Zhang, Ke Jin, Qi-Qiang He, Hui Li
Summary: Maternal obesity is associated with lipid metabolism disturbance and obesity in offspring. This study investigates the role of potential lipid metabolism-associated lncRNA and identifies the pathways involved in mice born to obese dams. The results suggest that the lncRNA Lockd/miR-582-5p/Elovl5 pathway plays a key role in lipid metabolism and obesity in the liver of offspring from obese dams.
EXPERIMENTAL AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Yanyun Zhu, Jing Ye, Ping Qin, Xu Yan, Xinbao Gong, Xiaoqian Li, Ya Liu, Yunsheng Li, Tong Yu, Yunhai Zhang, Yinghui Ling, Juhua Wang, Hongguo Cao, Fugui Fang
Summary: In this study, the changes in serum hormone levels and ovarian gene expression between prepubertal and pubertal goats were analyzed. It was found that hormone levels, including estradiol and cortisol, increased during puberty, while progesterone levels decreased. Analysis of gene expression profiles identified several genes that were significantly differentially expressed during puberty, involving processes such as metabolism, signaling, reproduction, and growth. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying goat puberty.
JOURNAL OF OVARIAN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaohan Gong, Shiyun Dai, Tingting Wang, Jinzhi Zhang, Guanlan Fan, Mingcui Luo, Yiwen Yi, Hui Wang, Dianxiang Lu, Dan Xu
Summary: Prenatal dexamethasone exposure can induce transgenerational inheritance effects on diminished ovarian reserve in female offspring, potentially mediated by the cascade effect of miR-17-5p/FOXL2/CDKN1B.
CELL BIOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Sinead M. McGlacken-Byrne, Polona Le Quesne Stabej, Ignacio Del Valle, Louise Ocaka, Andrey Gagunashvili, Berta Crespo, Nadjeda Moreno, Chela James, Chiara Bacchelli, Mehul T. Dattani, Hywel J. Williams, Dan Kelberman, John C. Achermann, Gerard S. Conway
Summary: In this study, a genetic mechanism underlying early-onset POI in two sisters was identified. The disruption of the ZSWIM7 gene was found to be associated with POI in humans and may play an important role in human homologous recombination. This study expands the range of genes associated with POI in women.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Stephanie A. Roberts, Lydie Naule, Soukayna Chouman, Tatyana Johnson, Marciana Johnson, Rona S. Carroll, Victor M. Navarro, Ursula B. Kaiser
Summary: Makorin ring finger protein 3 (MKRN3) is an important neuroendocrine factor that plays a crucial role in regulating pubertal timing and inhibiting gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion. Through studying mice, it was found that the expression of Mkrn3 in the hypothalamus decreases before the onset of puberty. A mouse model showed that sustained hypothalamic expression of Mkrn3 can lead to delayed puberty. Furthermore, it was discovered that Mkrn3 may influence neuropeptides in Kiss1 neurons through degradation pathways.
Article
Physiology
Ahreum Kwon, Ji Young Eom, Woo Jung Lee, Han Saem Choi, Kyungchul Song, Junghwan Suh, Hyun Wook Chae, Ho-Seong Kim
Summary: The hypothalamic kisspeptin/KISS1 receptor system plays a vital role in puberty onset and reproductive development. This study identifies the ovaries as the main source of serum kisspeptin and suggests that serum kisspeptin levels are associated with pubertal development and dependent on ovarian Kiss1 expression. Serum kisspeptin may serve as a downstream marker of ovarian reproductive function.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Laura Melado, Barbara Lawrenz, Raquel Loja, Carol Coughlan, Gioia Altobelli, Asina Bayram, Ana Arnanz, Ibrahim Elkhatib, Neelke De Munck, Human Fatemi
Summary: This study found that parental consanguinity in women from the Arabian Peninsula is associated with a reduced ovarian reserve. Evaluation of infertility should include a thorough family history.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOMEDICINE ONLINE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yajie Guan, Manlin Xu, Zhe Zhang, Chuanming Liu, Jidong Zhou, Fei Lin, Junshun Fang, Yang Zhang, Qiuling Yue, Xin Zhen, Guijun Yan, Haixiang Sun, Wenwen Liu
Summary: Circadian disturbance, caused by factors like shift employment and nighttime light pollution, is common in modern culture. This study investigated the effects of maternal circadian disruption before pregnancy on the reproductive health of offspring in mice. It was found that the female offspring exposed to constant light showed obesity, abnormal lipid metabolism, earlier puberty onset, impaired ovarian function, and downregulated expression of various genes involved in circadian rhythm and ovarian function. This study also identified altered immune responses as a potential mechanism for the damage to ovarian function.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Feng Lv, Guanlan Fan, Yang Wan, Yunxi Chen, Yuan Ni, Jing Huang, Dan Xu, Wei Zhang, Hui Wang
Summary: The study showed that prenatal caffeine exposure can lead to ovarian dysfunction in female adult offspring, potentially due to high glucocorticoid exposure in utero.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haojia Ma, Keishi Ishida, Chenke Xu, Kyosuke Takahashi, Yu Li, Chenhao Zhang, Qiyue Kang, Yingting Jia, Wenxin Hu, Daisuke Matsumaru, Tsuyoshi Nakanishi, Jianying Hu
Summary: The study found that TPhP delayed puberty timing in mice and affected ovarian function, possibly by inhibiting estrogen receptor signaling. After 40 days of exposure to TPhP, a significant decrease in the number of follicles was observed in mice, indicating a decline in ovarian reserve.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Editorial Material
Obstetrics & Gynecology
James H. Segars, Maya Diab
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Edwina H. Yeung, Pauline Mendola, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Xuehuo Zeng, Weihua Guan, Michael Y. Tsai, Sonia L. Robinson, Judy E. Stern, Akhgar Ghassabian, David Lawrence, Thomas G. O'Connor, James Segars, Robert E. Gore-Langton, Erin M. Bell
Summary: The study found that assisted reproductive technologies (ART) were associated with differences in DNA methylation levels at birth compared to children conceived without fertility treatment, but only one difference at an imprinting region appeared to persist in childhood.
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Obstetrics & Gynecology
James Segars, Michael A. Thomas
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Md Soriful Islam, Most Mauluda Akhtar, James H. Segars
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Md Soriful Islam, Most Mauluda Akhtar, James H. Segars
Summary: Activin A plays a role in inducing a fibrotic phenotype in uterine fibroid cells by increasing ECM protein expression through activation of Smad 2/3 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Bhuchitra Singh, Holly Sims, Irene Trueheart, Khara Simpson, Karen C. Wang, Kristin Patzkowsky, Thomas Wegman, Jean-Marie Soma, Rosina Dixon, Friederike Jayes, Kristin Voegltine, Gayane Yenokyan, Szu-Chi Su, Phyllis Leppert, James H. Segars
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of collagenase injection directly into uterine fibroids. The results showed no significant adverse events following collagenase injection, and a reduction in collagen content by 39% and density by 21% in treated samples. Subjects reported a decrease in fibroid-related pain post-injection, supporting further clinical investigation of collagenase as a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicholas W. Bateman, Christopher M. Tarney, Tamara Abulez, Anthony R. Soltis, Ming Zhou, Kelly Conrads, Tracy Litzi, Julie Oliver, Brian Hood, Paul Driggers, Coralie Viollet, Clifton Dalgard, Matthew Wilkerson, William Catherino, Chad A. Hamilton, Kathleen M. Darcy, Yovanni Casablanca, Ayman Al-Hendy, James Segars, Thomas P. Conrads, G. Larry Maxwell
Summary: Pathogenic mutations in fumarate hydratase (FH) drive hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) and increase the risk of developing uterine leiomyomas (ULMs). An integrated proteogenomic analysis of ULMs from HLRCC and non-syndromic patients identified a significantly higher protein:transcript correlation in HLRCC, along with co-altered proteins and transcripts related to oxidative stress response and cellular metabolism signaling. The study also confirmed and defined novel proteogenomic alterations in uterine leiomyoma tissues collected from HLRCC patients, emphasizing conserved molecular alterations correlating with inactivation of the FH tumor suppressor gene.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicholas W. Bateman, Christopher M. Tarney, Tamara S. Abulez, Brian L. Hood, Kelly A. Conrads, Ming Zhou, Anthony R. Soltis, Pang-Ning Teng, Amanda Jackson, Chunqiao Tian, Clifton L. Dalgard, Matthew D. Wilkerson, Michael D. Kessler, Zachary Goecker, Jeremy Loffredo, Craig D. Shriver, Hai Hu, Michele Cote, Glendon J. Parker, James Segars, Ayman Al-Hendy, John Risinger, Neil T. Phippen, Yovanni Casablanca, Kathleen M. Darcy, G. Larry Maxwell, Thomas P. Conrads, Timothy D. O'Connor
Summary: Characterization of ancestry-linked peptide variants in disease-relevant patient tissues is important for understanding the relationship between patient ancestry and disease pathogenesis. The study identifies peptide ancestry informative markers (pAIMs) to determine ancestry proportions and their correlation with patient race and genotype. The findings contribute to the understanding of the impact of ancestry on the human proteome and its relevance to uterine neoplasms.
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Abigail Combs, Bhuchitra Singh, Elisabeth Nylander, Md Soriful Islam, Ha Vi Nguyen, Elissa Parra, Ameerah Bello, James Segars
Summary: Vitamin D has emerged as a potential therapy for uterine fibroids based on experimental and clinical evidence. It has been found to decrease proliferation and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in fibroid cells, and studies have shown its effectiveness in prevention and treatment of fibroids.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hugh Taylor, Howard J. Li, Sandra Carson, Valerie Flores, Lubna Pal, Jared Robbins, Nanette F. Santoro, James H. Segars, David Seifer, Hao Huang, Steven Young, Heping Zhang
Summary: This is a prospective study on the efficacy of GnRH antagonist pretreatment for women with endometriosis undergoing IVF. The study aims to recruit 814 patients who will be randomly assigned to receive either GnRH antagonist or placebo treatment for 8 weeks before undergoing IVF. The primary outcome is live birth, and secondary outcomes include oocyte number, fertilisation rate, embryo morphology, implantation rates, and endometriosis-related obstetrical outcomes.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Kathleen E. O'Neill, Jacqueline Y. Maher, Monica M. Laronda, Francesca E. Duncan, Richard D. LeDuc, Marla E. Lujan, Kutluk H. Oktay, Alison M. Pouch, James H. Segars, Elizabeth L. Tsui, Mary B. Zelinski, Lisa M. Halvorson, Veronica Gomez-Lobo
Summary: This article introduces the conceptualization process and outcomes of an effort to standardize ovarian nomenclature and define the organ's features. The goal was to develop a spatially defined and semantically consistent terminology of the ovary to support collaborative, team science-based endeavors aimed at generating reference atlases of the human ovary. The new systems of nomenclature and mapping will better reflect the ovary's heterogeneous composition and function, support the standardization of tissue collection, facilitate functional analyses, and enable clinical and research collaborations.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Joshua M. Morris, Angela Liang, Katarina Fleckenstein, Bhuchitra Singh, James Segars
Summary: This systematic review analyzed the effectiveness of minimally invasive approaches to treat fibroids and compared their impact on quality of life and symptoms. The results showed that radiofrequency ablation and ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy significantly improved quality of life, while uterine artery embolization and ultrasound-guided high-intensity frequency ultrasound had similar effects as surgical interventions. Minimally invasive approaches were effective alternatives to surgery for improving quality of life and fibroid-associated symptoms.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Kamaria C. Cayton Vaught, Dana Hazimeh, Ashlie Sewdass Carter, Kate Devine, Jacqueline Y. Maher, Marcy Maguire, Elizabeth A. McGee, Paul H. Driggers, James H. Segars
Summary: This study found that AKAP13 may function as a scaffolding protein in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) signal transduction by interacting with CREB, leading to phosphorylation of CREB.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Bhuchitra Singh, Julia Berry, Michelle Volovsky, Yanqing Xu, Ahmed M. Soliman, Carol B. Thompson, James H. Segars
Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility and impact of the Painful Periods Screening Tool (PPST) to improve healthcare delivery for people with symptoms of pelvic pain. The results showed that most participants reported severe pain during menstruation, and using the PPST helped them discuss their symptoms more easily with healthcare providers.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Hiba Siblini, Ayman Al-Hendy, James Segars, Frank Gonzalez, Hugh S. Taylor, Bhuchitra Singh, Ainna Flaminia, Valerie A. Flores, Gregory M. Christman, Hao Huang, Jeremy J. Johnson, Heping Zhang
Summary: This is an abstract of preliminary results from a clinical study on the use of EGCG for treating unexplained infertility associated with uterine fibroids. The study found that a daily dose of 800 mg of EGCG alone or in combination with clomiphene citrate or letrozole (for 5 days) is well-tolerated and not associated with liver toxicity or folate deficiency in reproductive-aged women.