Incidence and genetic reproductive characteristics of AZFc microdeletion among patients with azoospermia or severe oligospermia / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the incidence of azoospermia factor c (AZFc) microdeletion among patients with azoospermia or severe oligospermia, its association with sex hormone/chromosomal karyotype, and its effect on the outcome of pregnancy following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment.@*METHODS@#A total of 1 364 males with azoospermia or severe oligospermia who presented at the Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Jiaxing College between 2013 and 2020 were subjected to AZF microdeletion and chromosome karyotyping analysis. The level of reproductive hormones in patients with AZFc deletions was compared with those of control groups A (with normal sperm indices) and B (azoospermia or severe oligospermia without AZFc microdeletion). The outcome of pregnancies for the AZFc-ICSI couples was compared with that of the control groups in regard to fertilization rate, superior embryo rate and clinical pregnancy rate.@*RESULTS@#A total of 51 patients were found to harbor AZFc microdeletion, which yielded a detection rate of 3.74%. Seven patients also had chromosomal aberrations. Compared with control group A, patients with AZFc deletion had higher levels of PRL, FSH and LH (P < 0.05), whilst compared with control group B, only the PRL and FSH were increased (P < 0.05). Twenty two AZFc couples underwent ICSI treatment, and no significant difference was found in the rate of superior embryos and clinical pregnancy between the AZFc-ICSI couples and the control group (P > 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The incidence of AZFc microdeletion was 3.74% among patients with azoospermia or severe oligospermia. AZFc microdeletion was associated with chromosomal aberrations and increased levels of PRL, FSH and LH, but did not affect the clinical pregnancy rate after ICSI treatment.

Morphology and Biochemistry of Ovulation Morfologia e bioquímica da ovulação

Abstract The process of ovulation involves multiple and iterrelated genetic, biochemical, and morphological events: cessation of the proliferation of granulosa cells, resumption of oocyte meiosis, expansion of cumulus cell-oocyte complexes, digestion of the follicle wall, and extrusion of the metaphase-II oocyte. The present narrative review examines these interrelated steps in detail. The combined or isolated roles of the folliclestimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are highlighted. Genes indiced by the FSH genes are relevant in the cumulus expansion, and LH-induced genes are critical for the resumption ofmeiosis and digestion of the follicle wall. A nonhuman model for follicle-wall digestion and oocyte release was provided.

Resumo O processo de ovulação envolve modificações genéticas, bioquímicas e morfológicas múltiplas e interrelacionadas: suspensão da proliferação das células da granulosa, reinício da meiose do oócito, expansão das células do complexo cumulus-oócito, digestão da parede folicular, e extrusão do oócito. Esta revisão narrativa examina em detalhes cada um desses eventos e os principais genes e proteínas envolvidos. Mais importante, a ação combinada ou isolada do hormônio folículo-estimulante (HFE) e do hormônio luteinizante (HL) é destacada. Detalha-se o papel do HFE na expansão do cumulus e do HL na digestão da parede folicular, permitindo a extrusão do oócito na superfície ovariana. Proveu-se um modelo não humano para explicar a digestão da parede folicular.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in a spontaneous singleton pregnancy / Síndrome da hiperestimulação ovariana em gestação única e espontânea

ABSTRACT The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is the combination of increased ovarian volume, due to the presence of multiple cysts and vascular hyperpermeability, with subsequent hypovolemia and hemoconcentration. We report a case of spontaneous syndrome in a singleton pregnancy. This was a spontaneous pregnancy with 12 weeks of gestational age. The pregnancy was uneventful until 11 weeks of gestational age. After that, the pregnant woman complained of progressive abdominal distention associated with abdominal discomfort. She did not report other symptoms. In the first trimester, a routine ultrasonography showed enlarged ovaries, multiples cysts and ascites. Upon admission, the patient was hemodynamically stable, her serum β-hCG was 24,487mIU/mL, thyroid-stimulating hormone was 2.2µUI/mL and free T4 was 1.8ng/dL. All results were within normal parameters. However, levels of estradiol were high (10,562pg/mL). During hospitalization, she received albumin, furosemide and prophylactic dose of enoxaparin. The patient was discharged on the sixth hospital day.

RESUMO A síndrome de hiperestimulação ovariana é a combinação do aumento dos ovários, devido à presença de múltiplos cistos e de hiperpermeabilidade vascular, com subsequente hipovolemia e hemoconcentração. Relata-se um caso de síndrome espontânea em uma gestação única. Trata-se de gravidez espontânea com 12 semanas de idade gestacional. A gravidez ocorreu sem intercorrências até 11 semanas de idade gestacional. Após, a gestante passou a se queixar de distensão abdominal progressiva, associada com desconforto abdominal. A paciente não relatava outros sintomas. A ultrassonografia de rotina no primeiro trimestre mostrou ovários aumentados com múltiplos cistos e ascite. No momento da internação, a paciente apresentava-se hemodinamicamente estável, com β-hCG sérico de 24.487mUI/mL, hormônio estimulante da tireoide de 2,2µUI/m e T4 livre de 1,8ng/dL, ou seja, valores dentro dos parâmetros normais. Porém, os níveis de estradiol estavam elevados (10.562pg/mL). Durante a internação, a paciente recebeu albumina, furosemida e enoxaparina profilática. A alta hospitalar ocorreu no sexto dia de internação.

Phytohemagglutinin improves the development and ultrastructure of in vitro-cultured goat (Capra hircus) preantral follicles

The objective this study was to determine the effect of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) on survival, growth and gene expression in caprine secondary follicles cultured in vitro. Secondary follicles (∼0.2 mm) were isolated from the cortex of caprine ovaries and cultured individually for 6 days in α-MEM+ supplemented with PHA (0, 1, 10, 50, 100, or 200 µg/mL). After 6 days of culture, follicle diameter and survival, antrum formation, ultrastructure and expression of mRNA for FSH receptors (FSH-R), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase were determined. All treatments maintained follicular survival [α-MEM+ (94.59%); 1 µg/mL PHA (96.43%); 10 µg/mL PHA (84.85%); 50 µg/mL PHA (85.29%); 100 µg/mL PHA (88.57%), and 200 µg/mL PHA (87.50)], but the presence of 10 µg/mL PHA in the culture medium increased the antrum formation rate (21.21%) when compared with control (5.41%, P < 0.05) and ensured the maintenance of oocyte and granulosa cell ultrastructures after 6 days of culture. The expression of mRNA for FSH-R (2.7 ± 0.1) and PCNA (4.4 ± 0.2) was also significantly increased in follicles cultured with 10 µg/mL PHA in relation to those cultured in α-MEM+ (1.0 ± 0.1). In conclusion, supplementation of culture medium with 10 µg/mL PHA maintains the follicular viability and ultrastructure, and promotes the formation of antral cavity after 6 days of culture in vitro.

Respuesta superovulatoria en ganado Bos indicus y Bos taurus bajo condiciones tropicales, y efecto del desarrollo y calidad del embrión sobre el porcentaje de gestación / Superovulatory response in Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle under tropical conditions, and effect of embryo development and quality on pregnancy rate

El presente estudio se realizó en condiciones de campo en 4 ranchos de la zona centro del estado de Yucatán. Los objetivos fueron, en primer lugar; evaluar la respuesta superovulatoria entre ganado Bos indicus y Bos taurus, y entre vacas y novillas; en segundo lugar, investigar el efecto del desarrollo y la calidad de los embriones transferidos sobre el porcentaje de gestación de las receptoras. Para esto, se superovularon 30 animales con hormona foliculoestimulante (FSH-P) y se transfirieron 88 embriones a un número igual de receptoras. El 83.3 por ciento de las donadoras (n=25), respondió satisfactoriamente al tratamiento superovulatorio, de éstas, se obtuvo en promedio 8.2 ñ 5.3 embriones recuperados por donadora, de los cuales 6.9 ñ 4.1 fueron embriones transferibles. Los animales Bos indicus presentaron un mayor promedio de embriones recuperados (p<0.10) y embriones transferibles por donadora (p>0.05) (11.6 ñ 7.9 y 7.8 ñ 4.2, respectivamente), que los animales Bos taurus (7.1 ñ3.6 y 6.6 ñ4.1, respectivamente). Al evaluar estos indicadores entre vacas y novillas, no se encontró diferencia en el promedio de los embriones recuperados por donadora (8.0 ñ 6.7 vs 8.3 ñ3.2, respectivamente: P>0.05); sin embargo, se observó cierta superioridad de las novillas en el promedio de embriones transferibles (7.9 ñ 3.8 vs 6.6 ñ 4.2, respectivamente), sin que esta diferencia sea significativa (P>0.05). El porcentaje global de gestación para las 88 receptoras fue de 51.1 por ciento (n=45), el porcentaje de gestación fue mayor cuando se transfirieron embriones en estadio de blastocisto (53.3 por ciento) que cuando se transfirieron en estadio de mórula (38.4 por ciento) (P>0.05), y también cuando se transfirieron embriones de calidad excelente (63.4 por ciento), comparados con los embriones de calidad buena, regular (44.8 por ciento y 44.4 por ciento, respectivamente: P>0.05) y mala (22.2 por ciento: P>0.05)