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Scientific Reports Apr 2021Female primates signal impending ovulation with a suite of sexual signals. Studies of these signals have focussed on visual, and to a lesser extent, acoustic signals,...
Female primates signal impending ovulation with a suite of sexual signals. Studies of these signals have focussed on visual, and to a lesser extent, acoustic signals, neglecting olfactory signals. We aimed to investigate the information content of female olfactory signals in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis) and relate these to the female fertile period. We studied eight adult females living in four groups at the CNRS Station de Primatologie, Rousset-sur-Arc, France. We used vaginal cytology to detect ovulation. We investigated the volatile component of odour signals using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found a total of 74 volatile compounds, of which we tentatively identified 25, including several ketones, alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes, volatile fatty acids and hydrocarbons that have been identified in odour profiles of other primates. Our results show that vaginal odour intensity differs with sexual cycle stage suggesting that odour might play a role in signalling female baboon fertility. We found differences in vaginal odour between females living in all-female and in mixed sex groups but we could not distinguish the effects of group composition, female age and identity. This study of olfactory signalling improves our understanding of how female primates advertise their sexual receptivity.
Topics: Animals; Female; Fertility; Odorants; Olfactory Perception; Ovulation; Papio anubis; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Vagina; Volatile Organic Compounds
PubMed: 33875713
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87893-6 -
Nutrients Jan 2023Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common disease in women of childbearing age and is caused by the growth of abnormal microbiota in the vagina. Probiotic consumption... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common disease in women of childbearing age and is caused by the growth of abnormal microbiota in the vagina. Probiotic consumption can be an effective alternative treatment to preserve or improve vaginal health. In the present study, MED-01, a complex of five strains of probiotic candidates isolated from the vagina of Korean women, was used. This study was designed as a 12-week, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MED-01 on vaginal health. A total of 101 reproductive-aged women with a Nugent score of 4-6 took MED-01 (5.0 × 10 CFU) or a placebo once a day, and 76 participants completed the procedure. MED-01 significantly reduced the Nugent score compared with the placebo. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed that was significantly increased in the vagina, whereas harmful bacteria such as spp., and were suppressed after 12 weeks of MED-01 ingestion. No adverse events to the test food supplements were observed in the participants. These results confirmed that MED-01 can be used as a probiotic for treating BV, as it improves the vaginal microbiota.
Topics: Female; Humans; Adult; Vagina; Vaginosis, Bacterial; Probiotics; Gardnerella vaginalis; Dietary Supplements
PubMed: 36678202
DOI: 10.3390/nu15020331 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic and progressive dermatologic condition that can cause physical dysfunction, disfigurement, and impaired quality of life....
Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic and progressive dermatologic condition that can cause physical dysfunction, disfigurement, and impaired quality of life. However, the etiology of VLS remains unknown. The vulvar skin, intestinal and vaginal microbiomes have been postulated to play important roles in the pathogenesis of this disease. The aim of this study was to compare the compositional characteristics of the vulvar skin, vagina, and gut microbiota between perimenopausal or postmenopausal VLS patients and healthy controls. The study involved six perimenopausal or postmenopausal VLS patients which were based on characteristic clinical manifestations and histologic confirmation and five healthy controls. The pruritus severity of each patient was evaluated using the NRS scale, and the dermatology-specific health-related quality of life was assessed using the Skindex-16. Metagenomic sequencing was performed, and the results were analyzed for alpha and beta diversity. LEfSe analysis were used to investigate the microbial alterations in vulvar skin, gut and vagina. KEGG databases were used to analyze differences in functional abundance. The study found significant differences in alpha diversity between the two groups in stool and vaginal samples (P < 0.05). Patients with VLS had a higher abundance of Enterobacter cloacae, Flavobacterium_branchiophilum, Mediterranea_sp._An20, Parabacteroides_johnsoniiand Streptococcus_bovimastitidis on the vulvar skin, while Corynebacterium_sp._zg-913 was less abundant compared to the control group. The relative abundance of Sphingomonas_sp._SCN_67_18, Sphingobium_sp._Ant17, and Pontibacter_sp_BT213 was significantly higher in the gut samples of patients with VLS.Paenibacillus_popilliae,Gemella_asaccharolytica, and Coriobacteriales_bacterium_DNF00809 compared to the control group. Additionally, the vaginal samples of patients with VLS exhibited a significantly lower relative abundance of Bacteroidales_bacterium_43_8, Bacteroides_sp._CAG:20, Blautia_sp._AM28-10, Fibrobacter_sp._UWB16, Lachnospiraceae_bacterium_AM25-39, Holdemania_filiformis, Lachnospiraceae_bacterium_GAM79, and Tolumonas_sp. Additionally, the butyrate-producing bacterium SS3/4 showed a significant difference compared to the controls. The study found a negative relationship between Sphingobium_sp._Ant17 in stool and Skindex-16 (P < 0.05), while Mediterranea_sp._An20 had a positive correlation with Skindex-16 (P < 0.05) in the skin. Additionally, our functional analysis revealed alterations in Aminoacyl_tRNA_biosynthesis, Glutathione_metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and Alanine__aspartate_and_glutamate_metabolism in the VLS patient group. The study suggests that perimenopausal or postmenopausal patients with VLS have a modified microbiome in the vulvar skin, gut, and vagina. This modification is linked to abnormal energy metabolism, increased oxidative stress, and abnormal amino acid metabolism.
Topics: Female; Humans; Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus; Postmenopause; Perimenopause; Quality of Life; Microbiota; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Vagina
PubMed: 38600101
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58983-y -
BMJ Case Reports Jun 2022
Topics: Female; Humans; Neoplasms, Fibroepithelial; Polyps; Vagina
PubMed: 35710231
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2022-250076 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in women of reproductive age and has been associated with serious health complications, mainly in pregnant...
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in women of reproductive age and has been associated with serious health complications, mainly in pregnant women. It is characterized by a decrease in the number of species in the healthy vaginal microbiota and an overgrowth of strict and facultative anaerobic bacteria that develop a polymicrobial biofilm. Despite over 60 years of research investigating BV, its etiology is not fully understood. spp. is a crucial microorganism that contributes to the formation of the biofilm and the development of BV, but the role of other BV-associated bacteria is not clear. Nevertheless, (previously known as ) is a highly specific species for BV, and co-colonization with is thought to be a very specific diagnostic marker. The diagnosis of BV still presents some limitations, since currently used methods often fail to accurately detect BV. This work aims to develop a novel peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe targeting . This probe was further validated in a multiplex assay, which included a specific PNA probe, as a possible method for diagnosis of BV, and was compared with quantification by qPCR. The new PNA probe showed excellent sensitivity and specificity and could discriminate - biofilms, confirming the potential to be used for the detection of BV-associated pathogens.
Topics: Actinobacteria; Female; Gardnerella vaginalis; Humans; Pregnancy; Vagina; Vaginosis, Bacterial
PubMed: 34869078
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.779376 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2023It is generally accepted that microorganisms can colonize a non-pathological endometrium. However, in a clinical setting, endometrial samples are always collected by...
It is generally accepted that microorganisms can colonize a non-pathological endometrium. However, in a clinical setting, endometrial samples are always collected by passing through the vaginal-cervical route. As such, the vaginal and cervical microbiomes can easily cross-contaminate endometrial samples, resulting in a biased representation of the endometrial microbiome. This makes it difficult to demonstrate that the endometrial microbiome is not merely a reflection of contamination originating from sampling. Therefore, we investigated to what extent the endometrial microbiome corresponds to that of the vagina, applying culturomics on paired vaginal and endometrial samples. Culturomics could give novel insights into the microbiome of the female genital tract, as it overcomes sequencing-related bias. Ten subfertile women undergoing diagnostic hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy were included. An additional vaginal swab was taken from each participant right before hysteroscopy. Both endometrial biopsies and vaginal swabs were analyzed using our previously described WASPLab-assisted culturomics protocol. In total, 101 bacterial and two fungal species were identified among these 10 patients. Fifty-six species were found in endometrial biopsies and 90 were found in vaginal swabs. On average, 28 % of species were found in both the endometrial biopsy and vaginal swab of a given patient. Of the 56 species found in the endometrial biopsies, 13 were not found in the vaginal swabs. Of the 90 species found in vaginal swabs, 47 were not found in the endometrium. Our culturomics-based approach sheds a different light on the current understanding of the endometrial microbiome. The data suggest the potential existence of a unique endometrial microbiome that is not merely a presentation of cross-contamination derived from sampling. However, we cannot exclude cross-contamination completely. In addition, we observe that the microbiome of the vagina is richer in species than that of the endometrium, which contradicts the current sequence-based literature.
Topics: Female; Humans; Vagina; Endometrium; Cervix Uteri; Infertility; Microbiota; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 36983020
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065947 -
Acta Biomaterialia Aug 2022Polypropylene meshes used in pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair are hampered by complications. Most POP meshes are highly unstable after tensioning ex vivo, as evidenced...
Polypropylene meshes used in pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair are hampered by complications. Most POP meshes are highly unstable after tensioning ex vivo, as evidenced by marked deformations (pore collapse and wrinkling) that result in altered structural properties and material burden. By intentionally introducing collapsed pores and wrinkles into a mesh that normally has open pores and remains relatively flat after implantation, we reproduce mesh complications in vivo. To do this, meshes were implanted onto the vagina of rhesus macaques in nondeformed (flat) vs deformed (pore collapse +/- wrinkles) configurations and placed on tension. Twelve weeks later, animals with deformed meshes had two complications, (1) mesh exposure through the vaginal epithelium, and (2) myofibroblast proliferation with fibrosis - a mechanism of pain. The overarching response to deformed mesh was vaginal thinning associated with accelerated apoptosis, reduced collagen content, increased proteolysis, deterioration of mechanical integrity, and loss of contractile function consistent with stress shielding - a precursor to mesh exposure. Regional differences were observed, however, with some areas demonstrating myofibroblast proliferation and matrix deposition. Variable mechanical cues imposed by deformed meshes likely induce these two disparate responses. Utilizing meshes associated with uniform stresses on the vagina by remaining flat with open pores after tensioning is critical to improving outcomes. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Pain and exposure are the two most reported complications associated with the use of polypropylene mesh in urogynecologic procedures. Most meshes have unstable geometries as evidenced by pore collapse and wrinkling after tensioning ex vivo, recapitulating what is observed in meshes excised from women with complications in vivo. We demonstrate that collapsed pores and wrinkling result in two distinct responses (1) mesh exposure associated with tissue degradation and atrophy and (2) myofibroblast proliferation and matrix deposition consistent with fibrosis, a tissue response associated with pain. In conclusion, mesh deformation leads to areas of tissue degradation and myofibroblast proliferation, the likely mechanisms of mesh exposure and pain, respectively. These data corroborate that mesh implantation in a flat configuration with open pores is a critical factor for reducing complications in mesh-augmented surgeries.
Topics: Animals; Female; Fibrosis; Humans; Macaca mulatta; Pain; Pelvic Organ Prolapse; Polypropylenes; Surgical Mesh; Vagina
PubMed: 35671876
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.05.051 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022Bacterial colonization and associations with bacterial vaginosis (BV) signs and symptoms (Amsel criteria) may vary between populations. We assessed relationships between...
BACKGROUND
Bacterial colonization and associations with bacterial vaginosis (BV) signs and symptoms (Amsel criteria) may vary between populations. We assessed relationships between vaginal bacteria and Amsel criteria among two populations.
METHODS
Kenyan participants from the placebo arm of the Preventing Vaginal Infections (PVI) trial and participants from a Seattle-based cross-sectional BV study were included. Amsel criteria were recorded at study visits, and the vaginal microbiota was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Logistic regression models, accounting for repeat visits as appropriate, were fit to evaluate associations between bacterial relative abundance and each Amsel criterion.
RESULTS
Among 84 PVI participants (496 observations) and 220 Seattle participants, the prevalence of amine odor was 25% and 40%, clue cells 16% and 37%, vaginal discharge 10% and 52%, elevated vaginal pH 69% and 67%, and BV 13% and 44%, respectively. BV-associated bacterium 1 (BVAB1) was positively associated with all Amsel criteria in both populations. type 1, (, spp., , and were positively associated with all Amsel criteria in the Seattle study, and all but discharge in the PVI trial.
CONCLUSIONS
Core vaginal bacteria are consistently associated with BV signs and symptoms across two distinct populations of women.
Topics: Bacteria; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Kenya; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; United States; Vagina; Vaginosis, Bacterial
PubMed: 35310847
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.801770 -
Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica... Jun 2022Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a novel technique for minimally invasive gynecological surgery. Adequate training and standardization... (Review)
Review
Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a novel technique for minimally invasive gynecological surgery. Adequate training and standardization are key elements to patient safety and quality of care. Based on consensus statements and expert opinion; we report a step-by-step guidance for hysterectomy via natural orifice transluminal endoscopy. A detailed description is presented of pre- and postoperative care, and the instruments and equipment used, and surgical steps are illustrated by photographic images. This report can guide surgeons in their training to perform a hysterectomy via NOTES.
Topics: Female; Humans; Hysterectomy; Hysterectomy, Vaginal; Laparoscopy; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery; Surgeons; Vagina
PubMed: 35451501
DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14367 -
Urology Jul 2022
Topics: Female; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; Humans; Sex Reassignment Surgery; Transsexualism; Vagina
PubMed: 35461915
DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2022.03.032