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International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2020Due to improvements in chemotherapeutic agents, cancer treatment efficacy and cancer patient survival rates have greatly improved, but unfortunately gonadal damage... (Review)
Review
Due to improvements in chemotherapeutic agents, cancer treatment efficacy and cancer patient survival rates have greatly improved, but unfortunately gonadal damage remains a major complication. Gonadotoxic chemotherapy, including alkylating agents during reproductive age, can lead to iatrogenic premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), and loss of fertility. In recent years, the demand for fertility preservation has increased dramatically among female cancer patients. Currently, embryo and oocyte cryopreservation are the only established options for fertility preservation in women. However, there is growing evidence for other experimental techniques including ovarian tissue cryopreservation, oocyte in vitro maturation, artificial ovaries, stem cell technologies, and ovarian suppression. To prevent fertility loss in women with cancer, individualized fertility preservation options including established and experimental techniques that take into consideration the patient's age, marital status, chemotherapy regimen, and the possibility of treatment delay should be provided. In addition, effective multidisciplinary oncofertility strategies that involve a highly skilled and experienced oncofertility team consisting of medical oncologists, gynecologists, reproductive biologists, surgical oncologists, patient care coordinators, and research scientists are necessary to provide cancer patients with high-quality care.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Artificial Organs; Cryopreservation; Embryo, Mammalian; Female; Fertility Preservation; Humans; In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques; Oocytes; Ovary; Pregnancy; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
PubMed: 33096794
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207792 -
Science Advances Apr 2024The reproductive and endocrine functions of the ovary involve spatially defined interactions among specialized cell populations. Despite the ovary's importance in...
The reproductive and endocrine functions of the ovary involve spatially defined interactions among specialized cell populations. Despite the ovary's importance in fertility and endocrine health, functional attributes of ovarian cells are largely uncharacterized. Here, we profiled >18,000 genes in 257 regions from the ovaries of two premenopausal donors to examine the functional units in the ovary. We also generated single-cell RNA sequencing data for 21,198 cells from three additional donors and identified four major cell types and four immune cell subtypes. Custom selection of sampling areas revealed distinct gene activities for oocytes, theca, and granulosa cells. These data contributed panels of oocyte-, theca-, and granulosa-specific genes, thus expanding the knowledge of molecular programs driving follicle development. Serial samples around oocytes and across the cortex and medulla uncovered previously unappreciated variation of hormone and extracellular matrix remodeling activities. This combined spatial and single-cell atlas serves as a resource for future studies of rare cells and pathological states in the ovary.
Topics: Female; Humans; Ovary; Ovarian Follicle; Oocytes; Granulosa Cells; Gene Expression Profiling
PubMed: 38578993
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm7506 -
ELife Sep 2022Morphogenetic events during the development of the fetal ovary are crucial to the establishment of female fertility. However, the effects of structural rearrangements of...
Morphogenetic events during the development of the fetal ovary are crucial to the establishment of female fertility. However, the effects of structural rearrangements of the ovary and surrounding reproductive tissues on ovary morphogenesis remain largely uncharacterized. Using tissue clearing and lightsheet microscopy, we found that ovary folding correlated with regionalization into cortex and medulla. Relocation of the oviduct to the ventral aspect of the ovary led to ovary encapsulation, and mutual attachment of the ovary and oviduct to the cranial suspensory ligament likely triggered ovary folding. During this process, the rete ovarii (RO) elaborated into a convoluted tubular structure extending from the ovary into the ovarian capsule. Using genetic mouse models in which the oviduct and RO are perturbed, we found the oviduct is required for ovary encapsulation. This study reveals novel relationships among the ovary and surrounding tissues and paves the way for functional investigation of the relationship between architecture and differentiation of the mammalian ovary.
Topics: Humans; Female; Mice; Animals; Ovary; Oviducts; Fetus; Morphogenesis; Ligaments; Mammals
PubMed: 36165446
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.81088 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2016The ovary's primary function is to produce the mature female gamete, the oocyte that, following fertilization, can develop into an embryo, implant within the uterus and... (Review)
Review
The ovary's primary function is to produce the mature female gamete, the oocyte that, following fertilization, can develop into an embryo, implant within the uterus and ultimately allow the mother's genetic material to be passed along to subsequent generations. In addition to supporting the generation of the oocyte, the ovary and specific ephemeral tissues within it, follicles and corpora lutea, produce steroids that regulate all aspects of the reproductive system, including the hypothalamic/pituitary axis, the reproductive tract (uterus, oviduct, cervix), secondary sex characteristics all of which are also essential for pregnancy and subsequent nurturing of the offspring. To accomplish these critical roles, ovarian development and function are tightly regulated by a number of exogenous (hypothalamic/pituitary) and endogenous (intraovarian) hormones. Within ovarian cells, intricate signalling cascades and transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulatory networks respond to these hormonal influences to provide the exquisite control over all of the temporal and spatial events that must be synchronized to allow this organ to successfully complete its function. This book chapter will focus specifically on the role of non-coding RNAs, their identification and described functional roles within the ovary with respect to normal function and their possible involvement in diseases, which involve the ovary.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Ovarian Diseases; Ovary; Pregnancy; RNA, Untranslated; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 26659488
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-7417-8_5 -
Journal of Ovarian Research 2014For many years, ovarian biology has been based on the dogma that oocytes reserve in female mammals included a finite number, established before or at birth and it is... (Review)
Review
For many years, ovarian biology has been based on the dogma that oocytes reserve in female mammals included a finite number, established before or at birth and it is determined by the number and quality of primordial follicles developed during the neonatal period. The restricted supply of oocytes in adult female mammals has been disputed in recent years by supporters of postnatal neo-oogenesis. Recent experimental data showed that ovarian surface epithelium and cortical tissue from both mouse and human were proved to contain very low proportion of cells able to propagate themselves, but also to generate immature oocytes in vitro or in vivo, when transplanted into immunodeficient mice ovaries. By mentioning several landmarks of ovarian stem cell reserve and addressing the exciting perspective of translation into clinical practice as treatment for infertility pathologies, the purpose of this article is to review the knowledge about adult mammalian ovarian stem cells, a topic that, since the first approach quickly attracted the attention of both the scientific media and patients.
Topics: Adult; Adult Stem Cells; Animals; Female; Germ Cells; Humans; Models, Animal; Ovary; Stem Cell Niche
PubMed: 25018783
DOI: 10.1186/1757-2215-7-71 -
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology... Mar 2010Young cancer patients may occasionally face infertility and premature gonadal failure. Apart from its direct effect on follicles and oocytes, chemotherapy may induce...
BACKGROUND
Young cancer patients may occasionally face infertility and premature gonadal failure. Apart from its direct effect on follicles and oocytes, chemotherapy may induce ovarian toxicity via an impact on the entire ovary. The role of doxorubicin in potential ovarian failure remains obscure. Our intention was to elucidate doxorubicin-related toxicity within ovaries.
METHODS
Female mice were injected intraperitoneally with 7.5 or 10 mg/kg doxorubicin and their ovaries were visualized in vivo by high resolution MRI, one day and one month following treatment. Ovaries of other treated mice were excised and weighed at the same post-treatment intervals. Ovarian histological sections were stained for TUNEL or active caspase-3 and follicles were counted and categorized. Ovulation rates were evaluated in superovulated female mice treated with doxorubicin.
RESULTS
A single injection of doxorubicin resulted in a major reduction in both ovarian size and weight that lasted even one month post treatment. A dramatic reduction in ovulation rate was observed one week after treatment, followed by a partial recovery at one month. Histological examination revealed positive staining of TUNEL and active caspase-3. We observed a significant reduction in the population of secondary and primordial follicles one month following treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results may imply a mechanism of chemotherapy-induced ovarian toxicity, manifested by reduced ovulation and accompanied by a reduction in ovarian size, caused probably by an acute insult to the ovary.
Topics: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Apoptosis; Cell Count; Cytotoxins; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Doxorubicin; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Organ Size; Ovarian Diseases; Ovarian Follicle; Ovary
PubMed: 20202194
DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-8-20 -
Turk Patoloji Dergisi 2021Immunoglobulin G4-related disease is characterized by dense fibrosis, obliterative phlebitis, and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration that contains abundant IgG4 positive...
Immunoglobulin G4-related disease is characterized by dense fibrosis, obliterative phlebitis, and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration that contains abundant IgG4 positive plasma cells. It causes tumefactive lesions in the involved organs and is most commonly seen in the salivary glands, pancreas, and retroperitoneum. Ovarian involvement has been reported in only two cases. In our case, a 58-year-old female patient presented with abdominal distention and pain. Pelvic computed tomography revealed a soft tissue lesion compatible with the omental cake, several intraabdominal implants, and bilateral adnexal fullness. A laparotomy was performed under suspicion of peritoneal carcinomatosis secondary to bilateral adnexal mass. In the histopathologic examination, abundant lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and dense fibrosis were observed in both ovaries and the peritoneum. In the areas of greatest density, the density of IgG4-positive plasma cells was found to range from 40 to 50 per high-power field. The patient was accepted as suffering from probable IgG4-related disease because of the bilateral involvement of the ovaries and the histopathological findings. In conclusion, we present this case to draw attention to the fact that IgG4-related disease can also be seen in the ovary.
Topics: Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Fibrosis; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease; Middle Aged; Ovarian Diseases; Ovarian Neoplasms; Ovary; Plasma Cells
PubMed: 32779156
DOI: 10.5146/tjpath.2020.01500 -
Folia Morphologica 2019This study determined the anatomical and histological structure of the salpinx and ovary of the Anatolian wild goat (C. aegagrus aegagrus).
BACKGROUND
This study determined the anatomical and histological structure of the salpinx and ovary of the Anatolian wild goat (C. aegagrus aegagrus).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The salpinges and ovaries from four wild goats of similar ages were used. These goats were brought to the Kafkas University Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (Kars, Turkey) for various reasons such as traffic accidents or firearm injury, but either could not be saved or were euthanased.
RESULTS
The mean length of the ovary was 13.22 ± 1.27 mm, width was 8.46 ± 0.88 mm, thickness was 5.67 ± 0.79 mm, and weight was 0.59 ± 0.17 g. The mean length of the salpinx was 58.11 ± 14.02 mm, width was 0.80 ± 0.22 mm, thickness was 0.41 ± 0.01 mm, and weight was 0.30 ± 0.08 g. The salpinx consisted of three different regions (infundibulum, ampulla, and isthmus). These regions consisted of tunica mucosa, tunica muscularis, and tunica serosa. Prismatic epithelial cells were observed in the lamina epithelialis of the tunica mucosa in every region.
CONCLUSIONS
The data resulting from this study regarding anatomical and histological structures of the salpinx and ovary in the genital system organs of Anatolian wild goat will support other studies seeking to improve reproductive efficiency and eliminate the danger of extinction of this species.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Goats; Ovary
PubMed: 30888680
DOI: 10.5603/FM.a2019.0032 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023Macrophages (MΦs) are the most abundant leukocytes in mammalian ovaries that have heterogeneity and plasticity. A body of evidence has indicated that these cells are... (Review)
Review
Macrophages (MΦs) are the most abundant leukocytes in mammalian ovaries that have heterogeneity and plasticity. A body of evidence has indicated that these cells are important in maintaining ovarian homeostasis and they play critical roles in ovarian physiological events, such as folliculogenesis, ovulation, corpus luteum formation and regression. As females age, ovarian tissue microenvironment is typified by chronic inflammation with exacerbated ovarian fibrosis. In response to specific danger signals within aged ovaries, macrophages polarize into different M1 or M2 phenotypes, and specialize in unique functions to participate in the ovarian aging process. In this review, we will focus on the physiologic roles of MΦs in normal ovarian functions. Furthermore, we will discuss the roles of MΦs in the process of ovarian senescence, as well as the novel techniques applied in this field.
Topics: Female; Animals; Ovary; Ovulation; Macrophages; Leukocytes; Mammals
PubMed: 38027176
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1282658 -
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and... Jan 2021To study the effect of aging on ovarian circadian rhythm.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of aging on ovarian circadian rhythm.
DESIGN
Human and animal study.
SETTING
University hospital and research laboratory.
PATIENTS/ANIMALS
Human granulosa cells were obtained by follicular aspiration from women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), and ovarian and liver tissues were obtained from female C57BL/6 mice.
INTERVENTION(S)
None.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Expression of circadian genes in young and older human granulosa cells and circadian rhythm in ovaries and livers of young and older mice.
RESULT(S)
All examined circadian clock genes in human granulosa cells showed a downward trend in expression with aging, and their mRNA expression levels were negatively correlated with age (P < 0.05). Older patients (≥ 40 years of age) had significantly reduced serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. Except for Rev-erbα, all other examined circadian clock genes were positively correlated with the level of AMH (P < 0.05). The circadian rhythm in the ovaries of older mice (8 months) was changed significantly relative to that in ovaries of young mice (12 weeks), although the circadian rhythm in the livers of older mice was basically consistent with that of young mice.
CONCLUSION(S)
Lower ovarian reserve in older women is partially due to ovarian circadian dysrhythmia as a result of aging.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Anti-Mullerian Hormone; Circadian Rhythm; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; Granulosa Cells; Humans; Liver; Mice; Ovarian Reserve; Ovary; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 32926298
DOI: 10.1007/s10815-020-01943-y