Reproduction & fertility最新文献

{"title":"Expression of tripartite motif family-like protein 1 and 2 in early conceptus development and placentation in the pig.","authors":"Emily K Eitel, Mariana Sponchiado, Riley M Sullivan, Caroline G Lucas, Bethany K Redel, Paula R Chen, Kevin D Wells, Randall S Prather, Wesley C Warren, Rodney D Geisert","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0107","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>The eutherian placenta is highly complex, evolving to regulate the inflammatory phase of pregnancy during conceptus attachment and placental tissue development. Tripartite motif family-like (TRIMLs) proteins are implicated in downregulating inflammation. In mammals, TRIML1 and TRIML2 show preferential expression in gonads, preimplantation embryos and placenta. TRIML1 domains differ between eutherians and marsupials, while TRIML2 is absent in marsupials, suggesting it may play a unique role in regulating the inflammatory phase during conceptus attachment, critical for establishing and maintaining pregnancy to term. This study aimed to investigate the expression pattern of TRIML1 and TRIML2 in various tissues, as well as during embryo development, conceptus attachment, and placental formation in pigs. Transcripts for TRIML2 were detected in embryos, conceptuses, extraembryonic membranes, ovary and testis but not in any of the other tissues examined. In contrast, TRIML1 expression was only observed in testis. In situ hybridization of TRIML1 and TRIML2 confirmed these results. The specific expression of TRIML2 in immune privileged sites is consistent with it serving as an anti-inflammatory factor to provide immunological protection of the eutherian placenta. To further investigate the role of TRIML2, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing was employed to knock out either TRIML1 (control) or TRIML2. TRIML1 -/- and TRIML2 -/- porcine fetal fibroblasts were used for somatic cell nuclear transfer, and the resulting embryos were transferred into surrogate gilts. Early conceptus and placental development were not affected by the loss of conceptus TRIML2. Although a tissue-specific expression pattern was found, TRIML1 or TRIML2 are not required for pregnancy establishment in the pig.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>This study investigates the expression and possible roles of two specific proteins in pigs. These proteins are implicated in regulating inflammation and are thought to be important for the proper development of the placenta, which is essential for a successful pregnancy. TRIML2 was found in embryos and certain tissues, including ovary, testis and placenta, while TRIML1 appears only in the testis. We further used gene-editing techniques to generate pig embryos lacking these proteins to test whether their absence would affect early pregnancy and placental development. Lack of either TRIML1 or TRIML2 did not disrupt the early stages of pregnancy or placental formation, indicating that these proteins may not be critical for these processes in pigs.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143733853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High multiple pregnancy rates after double embryo transfers in human: a retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Jens Erik Dietrich, Ingrid Cáceres Valcárcel, Edison Capp, Thomas Strowitzki, Ariane Germeyer","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0078","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>To improve clinical outcomes of human medically assisted reproduction, the transfer of multiple embryos is frequently performed. This leads to high rates of multiple pregnancies. In this study we explored if a cohort of patients can be defined, that benefits from the transfer of two embryos while mitigating the odds of multiple pregnancies by considering female patients' age, embryo quality and embryo cohort quality. In this retrospective cohort study, clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR) and multiple pregnancy rate (MPR) after fresh single embryo transfers (SETs, n = 245) were compared to those after double embryo transfer (DET, n = 278). Female patient's age, embryo quality and embryo cohort quality were used to explore clinical outcomes in subgroups. Overall, this study found that compared to SET, DET significantly increased the CPR (33.5 vs 49.6%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.233, 95% CI: 1.529-3.261, P < 0.001), LBR (24.1 vs 39.2%, aOR: 2.416, 1.605-3.636, P < 0.001) and MPR (0.0 vs 25.4%, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis based on female age, embryo quality and further stratification based on embryo cohort score revealed that the MPR in all subgroups was high after DET and a subgroup with significantly reduced MPR after DET could not be defined. In conclusion, DETs are associated with high MPRs that cannot be avoided by considering female patients' age, embryo quality and embryo cohort quality. SET is the most effective way to avoid a multiple pregnancy.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>This study examined whether it is possible to avoid multiple pregnancies in treatments of assisted reproduction when two embryos are transferred to certain patients. Transferring more than one embryo can increase the chances of pregnancy and live birth but also raises the risk of multiple pregnancies. Multiple pregnancies are linked to health risks for both the mother and the children. Using data from a single clinic, this study explored whether there are specific patients who could benefit from the transfer of two embryos while still having a lower risk of multiple pregnancy. However, the researchers found that DETs consistently lead to high rates of multiple pregnancies, even when factors like the mother's age, embryo quality and overall embryo cohort quality are considered. The researchers concluded that transferring a single embryo remains the safest approach to prevent multiple pregnancies.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143665797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of vaginal vs oral progesterone supplementation before embryo transfer on live birth rates and levels: a randomized trial.","authors":"Gorka Barrenetxea, Olaia Prego, Ricardo Celis, Edurne Martínez, María De Las Heras, Oihane Gómez, Olaia Aguirre, Sheila Samojluk, Julen Barrenetxea","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0094","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0094","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>The increase in frozen embryo transfers (FETs) is a consequence of advances in embryo vitrification and the implementation of genetic screening of embryos. There is debate over the best progesterone administration route in substituted cycles and the relationship between progesterone levels on embryo transfer (ET) day and reproductive outcomes. This trial aimed to compare the clinical results of different progesterone supplementation schedules before ET and assess the relationship between plasmatic progesterone levels on transfer day and clinical outcomes. In a prospective, randomized, controlled study, 500 patients were randomly divided into two groups based on the progesterone administration route (oral or vaginal) before ET. Progesterone levels were measured on ET day (PP1) and B-HCG determination (PP2). The primary endpoint was the live birth rate according to different progesterone schedules and levels on transfer day. Despite higher plasmatic progesterone levels with oral administration compared to the vaginal route, there were no significant differences in clinical pregnancy (50.20 vs 47.37%), live birth (43.67 vs 40.89%) or miscarriage rates (13.01 vs 13.68%). Progesterone levels on transfer day were significantly higher among ongoing pregnancies (24.96 ± 1.00 ng/mL) compared to non-ongoing pregnancies (19.39 ± 1.47 ng/mL) and non-pregnancies (17.56 ± 0.99 ng/mL) (P = 0.0001).</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>The use of FET for the treatment of infertility is increasing. There are two key ongoing debates. First, consensus still needs to be reached regarding the most effective method for preparing the endometrial lining regarding maternal and neonatal outcomes. Second, the optimal progesterone level on the day of ET remains unclear. While how progesterone is administered affects its concentration, no significant differences in clinical outcomes have been observed. However, successful pregnancies tend to have higher progesterone levels than others. Given that the way progesterone is administered does not affect pregnancy rates, patient preferences should guide protocol choices, and further research is needed to explore the association between low progesterone levels on the day of ET and poorer reproductive outcomes.</p><p><strong>Trial registration number: </strong>EUDRACT: 2022-000382-41. The clinical trial was approved by the AEMPS (Agencia Española de Productos Sanitarios y Medicamentos; Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products) and the local Drugs Research Ethics Committee (CEIm-E). The Institutional Review Board approved the trial.</p><p><strong>Trial registration date: </strong>24 August 2022. Date of first patient's enrolment: 10 September 2022.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11949523/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143574733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Serum FSH levels can predict sperm identification in semen once diagnosed azoospermia.","authors":"Kei-Ichiro Uemura, Toshiyuki Iwahata, Akiyoshi Osaka, Ippei Hiramatsu, Kouhei Sugimoto, Hiroshi Okada, Kazutaka Saito","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0090","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Multiple semen analyses are important for identifying patients with severe oligozoospermia (SOS) or cryptozoospermia (CZO). Moreover, clinical predictive factors for CZO and SOS are warranted. Therefore, we aimed to identify predictors of sperm retrieval in patients with a prior diagnosis of nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) based on repeat semen analysis. We retrospectively included 209 patients diagnosed with NOA. Data regarding age at diagnosis, body mass index, testicular volume, serum luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone levels, smoking history and testicular microlithiasis were analyzed. Patients were classified into the falsely reported azoospermia (FAZO) and true azoospermia (TAZO) groups. Furthermore, FAZO-related factors were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test and univariate and multivariate analysis logistic regression models. Regarding FAZO-related factors, the cut-off level was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Among 209 patients with NOA, 33 (15.8%) had spermatozoa identified in subsequent semen analyses. Multivariate analysis revealed that the FAZO group had significantly lower FSH levels than the TAZO group. ROC curve analysis showed that the cut-off value for the FSH level was 15.3 mIU/mL, with 26 (78.8%) and 29 (16.5%) patients in the FAZO and TAZO groups, respectively, having FSH levels ≤15.3 mIU/mL. In conclusion, the FSH level was a predictive factor for FAZO. In patients diagnosed with azoospermia who have relatively low FSH levels, multiple semen analyses might facilitate identification of sperm in ejaculated semen.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>We evaluated 209 patients diagnosed with spermless semen at prior medical institutions. After thorough semen analyses at our hospital, sperm were identified in the ejaculates of 33 (15.8%) patients. We performed comparisons between patients with and without identified sperm. The serum FSH level was identified as a significant predictive factor for sperm presence. FSH stimulates testicular growth and function and promotes sperm development. Patients who had relatively low and high FSH levels for patients with spermless semen had an increased and decreased chance, respectively, of having sperm identified in ejaculated semen through repeat thorough semen analyses. Sperm might be identified in ejaculates of patients diagnosed with spermless semen who have relatively low FSH levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11896679/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143442808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do women accurately predict their odds of having a child following planned oocyte cryopreservation?","authors":"Matan Friedman, Nadine Jaffe, Daniel Tairy, Maya Torem, Arieh Raziel, Maya Finkelstein, Eran Horowitz, Ariel Weissman, Yossi Mizrachi","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0118","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Planned oocyte cryopreservation (POC) has become widely available, allowing women to circumvent age-related fertility decline. The aim of our study was to examine whether women who have undergone POC were able to correctly predict the chance of having a child with their cryopreserved oocytes. We conducted a telephone survey with 260 women who underwent POC at our center between January 2017 and December 2023. Participants were asked to estimate their chance of having at least one live birth in case they would use their cryopreserved oocytes. For each participant, we also calculated the chance of achieving at least one live birth based on her age at the last oocyte retrieval and the number of cryopreserved oocytes, according to a model published by Goldman and colleagues in 2017. The median estimated probability of achieving a live birth was 50%, while the median calculated probability was 75% (P < 0.001). Only 28.1% of the participants accurately estimated their chances. In conclusion, a large percentage of women undergoing POC underestimate the probability of achieving a live birth if they use their cryopreserved oocytes. Improved counseling is essential to provide comprehensive information about the probability of live birth and prevent women from undergoing unnecessary treatments.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>More and more women choose to freeze eggs in order to circumvent age-related fertility decline. In this study, we asked women to estimate their chance of having a child if they used their frozen eggs in the future. For each patient, the chance was also calculated based on a model taking into account the number of eggs she had frozen and her age during egg freezing. Surprisingly, women estimated their chance of having a child as being lower than it actually is. Our results highlight the importance of providing patients with clear information about treatment success to prevent them from undergoing unnecessary additional treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11896684/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143416566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A cost analysis of hCG trigger alone versus dual trigger for achieving live birth following in vitro fertilization.","authors":"Esther H Chung, Arian Khorshid, Brindha Bavan, Ruth B Lathi","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0095","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>In this study, we wanted to explore if adding gonadotropin agonist (GnRHa) to the standard use of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for triggering egg maturation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) could be a more cost-effective option. What that means: Using hCG alone: Traditionally, hCG is the most common hormone used to trigger eggs to mature fully so that they can be collected for fertilization. Adding GnRHa: GnRHa is another medication that mimics a natural hormone produced by the brain. Adding this as a co-trigger may do better than just using hCG alone, by leading to more mature eggs and increasing live birth rates (LBRs). However, concerns about added costs and inconvenience remain. To address this, we created a cost model comparing LBRs and costs between the two strategies. Our analysis found that using this dual trigger increased LBRs by 13%, with a small cost increase of $175. For each 1% higher LBR, the added cost of using GnRHa + hCG was $13. Considering this minimal increase in cost relative to the overall high cost of IVF, using the dual trigger appears to be a cost-effective strategy to improve success rates for patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11850038/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143019329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlation among blastocoel fluid DNA level, apoptotic genes expression and preimplantation aneuploidy.","authors":"Fattaneh Khajehoseini, Zahra Noormohammadi, Poopak Eftekhari-Yazdi, Hamid Gourabi, Reza Pazhoomand, Shirzad Hosseinishenatal, Masood Bazrgar","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0097","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0097","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Graphical abstract: &lt;/strong&gt;The chromosomal status of Day 5 blastocysts was determined based on trophectoderm biopsy for all 24 chromosomes by array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH). The blastocoel fluid (BF) was extruded and amplified, and DNA concentration was read by a Qubit fluorometer. Apoptotic gene expression (TNFRSF10B, CASP2, BAX and CASP3) was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Our findings suggest BF-DNA may be released in the blastocoel cavity of aneuploidy blastocysts under the influence of the apoptosis mechanism, and it appears that quantifying BF-DNA has the potential to aid in the selection of viable embryos.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract: &lt;/strong&gt;It is believed that aneuploid embryos release cell-free DNA (cfDNA) into the blastocyst cavity during the self-correction process through the apoptotic mechanism. This study aimed to develop less invasive methods for predicting ploidy status by investigating how ploidy status affects blastocoel fluid DNA (BF-DNA) levels and apoptotic gene expression as indicators of embryo viability. Human blastocysts were classified into three groups; survivable embryo (SE), fatal single and double aneuploidy (FSDA) and multiple aneuploidy (MA) using array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) by trophectoderm biopsy. Following BF aspiration and whole genome amplification, BF-DNA level was quantified. Apoptotic activity was assessed by measuring the genes TNFRSF10B, CASP2, BAX and CASP3 using real-time quantitative PCR. Day-5 intracytoplasmic sperm injection blastocysts were scored according to the Gardner and Schoolcraft system. BF-DNA levels were significantly higher in the MA vs SE group (P = 0.01), while these were not statistically significant differences between the MA and FSDA groups or between the FSDA and SE groups, P = 0.17 and P = 0.38, respectively. TNFRSF10B, CASP2 and CASP3 were overexpressed in the MA and FSDA groups compared to SE, while BAX was downregulated. We found a significant correlation between the amount of BF-DNA and apoptosis marker genes. No significant correlation was found between embryo morphology score and BF-DNA level, BF volume or apoptosis marker gene expression levels. We observed that the correlation between apoptotic activity and BF-DNA levels is influenced by the embryo's ploidy status. These findings suggest that BF-DNA level evaluation can be applicable in selecting viable embryos for transfer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lay summary: &lt;/strong&gt;Preimplantation genetic testing helps doctors choose healthy human embryos for transfer during fertility treatments, but it can be expensive, invasive and time-consuming. Recently, scientists have found a less invasive way to study embryos by looking at DNA in a fluid inside the embryo's cavity. This fluid may give us clues about how embryos try to fix problems with their chromosomes through a natural process of cell death. Our study shows that the amount of DNA in this fluid and the activity of","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11825185/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143049301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Germ cell quantification in human fetal and prepubertal testis tissues: a comparison of current methodologies.","authors":"Emma Kearney, David Greenald, Gabriele Matilionyte, Sheila Lane, Melissa D Tharmalingam, Jill Davies, Jan-Bernd Stukenborg, Grace Forsyth, Rod T Mitchell","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0116","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0116","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Methods to quantify germ cell number in human immature testicular tissues are essential to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy exposures and to optimise cryopreservation protocols used in fertility preservation for prepubertal boys. Established quantification methods rely on the presence of round tubules within the tissue. However, round tubular cross sections are limited in human prepubertal testicular tissues, especially when using in vitro culture. We aimed to assess whether an alternative method of germ cell quantification would provide similar results to recently established methods, without the requirement for round tubules. Human testicular samples included fetal tissue (exposed in vitro to cisplatin, carboplatin or control) or prepubertal tissue (fresh, cryopreserved, fresh in vitro cultured or cryopreserved in vitro cultured). Immunofluorescence assessed AP2γ (gonocytes) and MAGE-A4 ((pre)spermatogonia) expression. Germ cells were quantified by tubular germ cell density (Method 1), which was compared to methods that require round tubules, including spermatogonial number per round tubular cross section (S/T) (Method 2), fertility index (Method 3) and round tubular germ cell density (Method 4). A correlation analysis between methods was performed. Method 1 is strongly and significantly correlated with Method 2 (r = 0.838, P < 0.0001; r = 0.833, P < 0.0001), Method 3 (r = 0.752, P < 0.001; r = 0.802, P < 0.0001) and Method 4 (r = 0.863, P < 0.0001; r = 0.914, P < 0.0001) for fetal and prepubertal tissues, respectively. Given that Method 1 assess tubules irrespective of shape, it may increase the total number of germ cells available for quantification, validating its use for quantification of human testicular tissue samples where the amount of tissue or presence of round tubules is limited.</p><p><strong>Lay summary: </strong>Chemotherapy can damage cells in the testicles that are required to make sperm, often leading to infertility in males. While options to preserve fertility in adult males are available, there are no established methods for young boys. To investigate how chemotherapy damages these cells and to explore approaches to preserve fertility, we require methods to count the number of cells that can develop into sperm. Existing counting methods involve only counting some of the cells in the tissue, but in young boys, it is often necessary to count all of the cells because the amount of tissue is limited. To overcome this, we counted cells in small pieces of human fetal and prepubertal testicles using an alternative method, which allows all cells to be counted. We found similar results using our method compared to three existing methods, making our method useful for counting cells in fetal and prepubertal testicle samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11825158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143019391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oral dydrogesterone versus oral micronized progesterone in threatened miscarriage: protocol paper for a randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Alka Kriplani, Gouri Shankar Kamilya, T Ramani Devi, Ashima Taneja, Amol Pawar, Gayathri Karthik Nagesh, Tapan Pattanaik, Tanusree Gupta, Mahima Jain, Monjori Mitra","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0044","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0044","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Graphical abstract: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract: &lt;/strong&gt;Threatened miscarriage is a common complication of early pregnancy characterized by symptoms of vaginal bleeding with/without abdominal cramps/pain in the first trimester. Progestogens are often administered for the management of this condition. Presented herein is the protocol of an ongoing, multicentric clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of micronized progesterone (natural progestogen) compared to dydrogesterone (synthetic isomer of progesterone). A total of 304 eligible pregnant women aged 20-39 years, diagnosed with threatened miscarriage, will be enrolled during 5-12 weeks of gestation and randomized equally to receive either oral dydrogesterone (40 mg stat, followed by 10 mg three times a day) or oral micronized progesterone (200 mg two times a day) up to one week after stoppage of bleeding or if bleeding does not stop, then treatment will be continued till a maximum of 14 weeks of gestation (unless miscarriage is confirmed earlier or the investigator decides to prolong treatment for better outcome or if bleeding relapses). Scheduled visits after enrollment will be conducted during 6-13, 8-14, 18-20 and 24-26 weeks of gestation, in addition to a visit at the end of treatment at 14 weeks and another after parturition. The primary endpoint of the study is the miscarriage rate before 20 weeks of gestation. Secondary endpoints include the ongoing pregnancy rate at 24 weeks, treatment-induced changes in serum levels of cytokines and time to symptom resolution. Apart from the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events, safety endpoints include changes in complete blood count and the results of liver and kidney function tests from baseline to 14 and 24-26 weeks of gestation. Delivery outcomes are exploratory endpoints of the study.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lay summary: &lt;/strong&gt;Almost one out of four women face miscarriage during the first trimester of pregnancy; initial symptoms include vaginal bleeding with/without abdominal cramps/pain. This paper presents the plan of how an ongoing, multicentric study will be conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of oral medications known to reduce chances of miscarriage: micronized progesterone (which is a natural female sex hormone) versus synthetic progesterone. Women aged 20-39 years who are at risk of miscarriage during the first trimester of pregnancy will be randomly treated with either medication till one week after stoppage of bleeding during early pregnancy. If bleeding does not stop, treatment will be continued till a maximum of 14 weeks of pregnancy (unless miscarriage is confirmed earlier). The participants will be monitored until delivery. The study will evaluate the proportion of participants who experience miscarriage before 20 weeks of pregnancy and those who have an ongoing pregnancy at 24 weeks. It will also look at the time taken for relief from symptoms such as vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain, ","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11825165/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143019393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of paternal high energy diets on semen quality and embryo development in cattle.","authors":"Pedro Levy Piza Fontes, John James Bromfield, Ky Garret Pohler, Graham Cliff Lamb","doi":"10.1530/RAF-24-0082","DOIUrl":"10.1530/RAF-24-0082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Highly anabolic diets and excessive body fat accumulation have been shown to negatively impact sperm biology in humans and murine biomedical models. Current research indicates that obesity is associated with decreased semen quality and represents a major contributor to male subfertility in humans. Male overnutrition is commonly observed in the beef cattle industry and the use of high energy diets during bull development has been shown to negatively impact semen quality. Most research efforts in bovine reproductive physiology have focused on understanding and optimizing female fertility. This emphasis is even more evident in research investigating the relationship between nutritional interventions and reproductive performance, which has limited the development of nutritional strategies that optimize fertility in bulls. Increasing our understanding of the genetic and environmental factors that influence bull fertility will contribute to future increases in cattle reproductive and productive efficiency. Moreover, exploring the impact of overnutrition in bulls may offer valuable insight and help address diet-induced male subfertility in humans. Herein, we summarize the currently available literature evaluating the impact of highly anabolic diets on male fertility, with an emphasis in the bovine species. Literature summarized in the present review evaluates the impact of overnutrition on sperm biology, early embryonic development, and explores its potential to impact postnatal performance of the offspring.</p>","PeriodicalId":101312,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction & fertility","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11850050/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143082433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}