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Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2023Three carbon-chain extension genes associated with fatty acid synthesis in upland cotton (), namely , , and , play important roles in oil accumulation in cotton seeds....
Three carbon-chain extension genes associated with fatty acid synthesis in upland cotton (), namely , , and , play important roles in oil accumulation in cotton seeds. In the present study, these three genes were cloned and characterized. The expression patterns of , , and in the high seed oil content cultivars 10H1014 and 10H1041 differed somewhat compared with those of 10H1007 and 2074B with low seed oil content at different stages of seed development. showed all three cultivars showed higher transcript levels than that of 2074B at 10-, 40-, and 45-days post anthesis (DPA). The expression pattern of showed a lower transcript level than that of 2074B at both 10 and 30 DPA but a higher transcript level than that of 2074B at 40 DPA. showed a lower transcript level than that of 2074B at both 15 and 30 DPA. The highest transcript levels of and were detected at 15 DPA in 10H1007, 10H1014, and 10H1041 compared with 2074B. From 5 to 45 DPA cotton seed, the oil content accumulated continuously in the developing seed. Oil accumulation reached a peak between 40 DPA and 45 DPA and slightly decreased in mature seed. In addition, and showed different expression patterns in fiber and ovule development processes, in which they showed high expression levels at 20 DPA during the fiber elongation stage, but their expression level peaked at 15 DPA during ovule development processes. These two genes showed the lowest expression levels at the late seed maturation stage, while showed a peak of 10 DPA in fiber development. Compared to 2074B, the oil contents of and overexpression lines increased 1.05~1.08 folds. These results indicated that , , and were involved in both seed oil synthesis and fiber elongation with dual biological functions in cotton.
PubMed: 37836177
DOI: 10.3390/plants12193437 -
Cureus Aug 2023Introduction Infertility affects a significant portion of couples seeking pregnancy, leading to stress and emotional strain. Ovulation calculators, widely used as a tool...
Introduction Infertility affects a significant portion of couples seeking pregnancy, leading to stress and emotional strain. Ovulation calculators, widely used as a tool to predict fertile days, may play a role in the stress experienced by couples undergoing fertility treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of ovulation calculators on the stress levels of couples seeking fertility. Methods Participants were recruited from the University of Miami Health System Clinics. Fifty couples consulting for infertility were asked to participate in the study and complete anonymous self-reported surveys. The surveys consisted of validated questions related to stress levels and the use of ovulation calculators. The completed surveys were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The data collected included age, number of years trying to conceive, and answers to questions related to stress levels and the use of ovulation calculators. Responses from 50 couples who met the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Results A total of 50 couples who were attempting conception and who completed all the questionnaires were included in the study. Whether or not they were using ovulation calculators, females scored similarly in the four variables of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), including arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, and lubrication. When evaluating International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) scores for male erectile function, the average score of males tracking ovulation was 12.0 ± 4.8, compared to 11.5 ± 5.4 in male patients who were not (P = 0.81). The results showed no statistically significant difference in stress levels between couples who used ovulation calculators and those who did not. However, in couples experiencing higher stress levels due to infertility, both male and female participants reported higher levels of sexual dysfunction. Fertility-related stress was also found to be significantly associated with mental health implications, with increased anxiety and depression reported by couples undergoing fertility treatments. Conclusion The findings suggest that the use of ovulation calculators did not significantly influence the stress experienced by couples seeking fertility treatment. However, the study highlights the significant impact of infertility-related stress on sexual function and mental health in both male and female partners. These results emphasize the importance of addressing the psychological aspects of infertility and providing comprehensive support to couples undergoing fertility treatments. Further research is warranted to explore the complex interplay between ovulation calculator usage, infertility-related stress, sexual dysfunction, and mental health implications in couples seeking to conceive. Healthcare providers should consider incorporating mental health support into fertility treatment programs to optimize patient outcomes and overall well-being.
PubMed: 37746350
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43972 -
ESMO Open Aug 2023Oocytes/embryo cryopreservation and ovarian function suppression with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists (GnRHas) are two established strategies for...
BACKGROUND
Oocytes/embryo cryopreservation and ovarian function suppression with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists (GnRHas) are two established strategies for preserving fertility in patients with cancer, frequently both being offered to the same woman. As the first injection of GnRHa should be administered before chemotherapy, it is usually performed in the luteal phase of the urgent controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycle. The GnRHa flare-up effect on recently stimulated ovaries may cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and this risk may discourage some oncologists to offer an ovarian function preservation method with proven efficacy. We suggest the long-acting GnRHa as an option to trigger ovulation for egg retrieval in oncological patients, whenever ovarian suppression during chemotherapy is planned.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from all consecutive ovarian stimulation cases in oncological patients for oocyte cryopreservation from 2016 to 2021 in a single academic referral center. The COS was performed according to good clinical practice standards. Since 2020 long-acting GnRHa trigger was offered to all patients for whom ovarian suppression after cryopreservation was planned. All other patients served as controls, stratified for the triggering method used: highly purified chorionic gonadotrophin 10 000 UI or short-acting GnRHa 0.2 mg.
RESULTS
Mature oocytes were collected, with the expected maturation rate, in all the 22 cycles triggered with GnRHa. The mean number of cryopreserved oocytes was 11.1 ± 4, with a maturation rate of 80% (57%-100%), versus 8.8 ± 5.8, 74% (33%-100%) with highly purified chorionic gonadotrophin and 14 ± 8.4, 80% (44%-100%) with short-acting GnRHa. No case of OHSS was observed after long-acting GnRHa triggering and by 5 days after egg retrieval most patients had reached luteinizing hormone levels showing suppression.
CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary data show that long-acting GnRHa is efficacious in inducing the final oocytes' maturation, reducing OHSS risk and suppressing ovarian function by the start of chemotherapy.
Topics: Female; Humans; Fertility Preservation; Retrospective Studies; Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome; Ovulation Induction; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
PubMed: 37421801
DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.101597 -
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science Aug 2023To successfully inseminate mares, precise detection of ovulation time is crucial, especially when using frozen-thawed semen. Monitoring body temperature, as has been...
To successfully inseminate mares, precise detection of ovulation time is crucial, especially when using frozen-thawed semen. Monitoring body temperature, as has been described in women, could be a noninvasive way to detect ovulation. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the time of ovulation and the variation of body temperature in mares based on automatic continuous measurements during estrus. The experimental group included 21 mares for 70 analyzed estrous cycles. When the mares showed estrous behavior, they were administered intramuscular deslorelin acetate (2.25 mg) in the evening. At the same time, monitoring of body temperature using a sensor device fixed at the left lateral thorax was started and continued for over 60 hours. In 2-hour intervals, transrectal ultrasonography was performed to detect ovulation. Estimated body temperature in the 6 hours following ovulation detection was on average 0.06°C +/- 0.05°C (mean +/- SD) significantly higher when compared with body temperature at the same time on the preceding day (P = .01). In addition, a significant effect of PGF administration for estrus induction on the body temperature was found, being significantly higher until 6 hours before ovulation compared to that of uninduced cycles (P = .005). In conclusion, changes in body temperature during estrus in mares were related to ovulation. The increase in body temperature immediately after ovulation might be used in the future to establish automatized and noninvasive systems to detect ovulation. However, the identified temperature rise is relatively small on average and hardly identifiable in the individual mares.
Topics: Female; Horses; Animals; Body Temperature; Ovulation; Estrus; Estrous Cycle; Semen Preservation
PubMed: 37209788
DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104565 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2024Infertility is a modern health problem. Obesity is another expanding health issue associated with chronic diseases among which infertility is also included. This review... (Review)
Review
Infertility is a modern health problem. Obesity is another expanding health issue associated with chronic diseases among which infertility is also included. This review will focus on the effects of weight loss by medical therapy on fertility regarding reproductive hormonal profile, ovulation rates, time to pregnancy, implantation rates, pregnancy rates, normal embryo development, and live birth rates. We comprised medicine already used for weight loss, such as orlistat and metformin, and emerging medical treatments, such as Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA). Their use is not recommended during a planned pregnancy, and they should be discontinued in such cases. The main outcomes of this literature review are the following: modest weight loss after medication and the duration of the treatment are important factors for fertility improvement. The fecundity outcomes upon which medical-induced weight loss provides significant results are the female reproductive hormonal profile, menstrual cyclicity, ovulation and conception rates, and pregnancy rates. Regarding the male reproductive system, the fertility outcomes that feature significant alterations after medically induced weight loss are as follows: the male reproductive hormonal profile, sperm motility, movement and morphology, weight of reproductive organs, and sexual function. The newer promising GLP-1 RAs show expectations regarding fertility improvement, as they have evidenced encouraging effects on improving ovulation rates and regulating the menstrual cycle. However, more human studies are needed to confirm this. Future research should aim to provide answers about whether medical weight loss therapies affect fertility indirectly through weight loss or by a possible direct action on the reproductive system.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Male; Female; Infertility, Female; Sperm Motility; Reproduction; Weight Loss; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1
PubMed: 38339186
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031909 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024In vertebrates, folliculogenesis and ovulation are regulated by two distinct pituitary gonadotropins: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)....
In vertebrates, folliculogenesis and ovulation are regulated by two distinct pituitary gonadotropins: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Currently, there is an intriguing consensus that a single hypothalamic neurohormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), regulates the secretion of both FSH and LH, although the required timing and functions of FSH and LH are different. However, recent studies in many non-mammalian vertebrates indicated that GnRH is dispensable for FSH function. Here, by using medaka as a model teleost, we successfully identify cholecystokinin as the other gonadotropin regulator, FSH-releasing hormone (FSH-RH). Our histological and in vitro analyses demonstrate that hypothalamic cholecystokinin-expressing neurons directly affect FSH cells through the cholecystokinin receptor, Cck2rb, thereby increasing the expression and release of FSH. Remarkably, the knockout of this pathway minimizes FSH expression and results in a failure of folliculogenesis. Here, we propose the existence of the "dual GnRH model" in vertebrates that utilize both FSH-RH and LH-RH.
Topics: Animals; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Female; Oryzias; Hypothalamus; Neurons; Luteinizing Hormone; Ovarian Follicle; Ovulation
PubMed: 38937445
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49564-8 -
Genes Aug 2023Cotton crop is considered valuable for its fiber and seed oil. Cotton fiber is a single-celled outgrowth from the ovule epidermis, and it is a very dynamic cell for... (Review)
Review
Cotton crop is considered valuable for its fiber and seed oil. Cotton fiber is a single-celled outgrowth from the ovule epidermis, and it is a very dynamic cell for study. It has four distinct but overlapping developmental stages: initiation, elongation, secondary cell wall synthesis, and maturation. Among the various qualitative characteristics of cotton fiber, the important ones are the cotton fiber staple length, tensile strength, micronaire values, and fiber maturity. Actin dynamics are known to play an important role in fiber elongation and maturation. The current review gives an insight into the cotton fiber developmental stages, the qualitative traits associated with cotton fiber, and the set of genes involved in regulating these developmental stages and fiber traits. This review also highlights some prospects for how biotechnological approaches can improve cotton fiber quality.
Topics: Cotton Fiber; Actins; Gossypium; Biotechnology; Cell Differentiation
PubMed: 37628693
DOI: 10.3390/genes14081642 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2023shows a set of floral traits that suggest elaborate mechanisms of animal-mediated pollen transfer. These include flower coloration, septal nectaries and a long and...
shows a set of floral traits that suggest elaborate mechanisms of animal-mediated pollen transfer. These include flower coloration, septal nectaries and a long and narrow floral chamber. The stamens are synorganized with the common style restricting the entrance to the floral chamber, sometimes forming a gynostegium. Contrary to this apparent zoophilous floral syndrome, several species of were reported to perform self-pollination via cleistogamy. Understanding of reproductive systems in is complicated by scarcity of available results of direct observations on pollination process. Here we present data on pollination biology of obtained during field investigations in Vietnam followed by laboratory analyses of ecologically important floral traits and the captured flower visitors. We found that the anthetic perianth is open, i.e. the flower is chasmogamous. The flowers are visited by various Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera. Of them, the bumblebees (), a bee ( sp.) and some lepidopterans were revealed to carry pollen of . Based on the amount of carried pollen, insect behavior during the visits and general knowledge on biology of these insect taxa, we concluded that the bumblebees act as the principal pollinators of , whereas the lepidopterans are considered as its possible pollinators. We compared the lengths of proboscises of the captured insects to the depth of the floral chamber, and found that only the bumblebees and lepidopterans should be able to reach the nectar. Finally, we estimated the pollen-ovule ratio of as 6.84, which is comparable to the ratio known in autogamous angiosperms. Based on its flower organization and pollination mechanism, we consider an entomophilous and predominantly xenogamous species. Its gynostegium is likely an adaptation for pollen transfer by insects with long proboscises. At the same time, earlier investigations together with pollen-ovule ratio indicate that possesses a labile pollination strategy, and autogamy sometimes occurs. Since is one of the few angiosperm genera that comprise both mycoheterotrophic (achlorophyllous) and autotrophic (green) species, our study provides important evidence for reconstructions of ecological and morphological evolutionary pathways in relation to the mode of organic nutrition.
PubMed: 37680363
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1237665 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023The most common cause of infertility and metabolic problems among women of reproductive age is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a multifaceted disorder. It is an... (Review)
Review
The most common cause of infertility and metabolic problems among women of reproductive age is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a multifaceted disorder. It is an endocrine disorder that occurs in approximately one in seven women. Among these PCOS patients, two thirds will not ovulate on a regular basis and seek treatment for ovulation induction. The symptoms vary in their severity, namely ovulation disorders, excessive androgen levels, or polycystic ovarian morphology. All these symptoms require a therapeutic approach. Many drugs are used to eradicate PCOS symptoms, like metformin, clomiphene citrate, spironolactone, and pioglitazone. Long-term treatment is required to achieve the desired outcome, which is often accompanied by significant adverse reactions. Some herbs and phytochemicals are equally effective for treating PCOS and produce minimal side effects. Recently, herbal products are gaining popularity due to their wide biological activities, safety, availability, and efficacy. The present review covers aetiology, current treatment, pathophysiology, and detailed pre-clinical and clinical studies on plants and phytochemicals that are proven to be useful for the treatment of symptoms associated with PCOS.
Topics: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Humans; Female; Phytotherapy; Phytochemicals; Animals; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 38725974
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1294406 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023
Topics: Humans; Kisspeptins; Reproduction; Luteinizing Hormone; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37522118
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1239694