International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine最新文献

{"title":"The impact of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> loads on semen quality in asymptomatic men: A cross-sectional study.","authors":"Amin Dehghan, Mohammad Reza Pourmand","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21666","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21666","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. Aureus</i>) and <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. Coli</i>) are the most commonly considered causes of infection in genitourinary system. Asymptomatic bacteriospermia could contribute to infertility due to late detection. Pathogen quantity may impact semen quality.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examined how <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i> loads may affect semen quality of asymptomatic men.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, 130 asymptomatic men who were referred to Yas hospital complex in vitro fertilization center, Tehran, Iran, for infertility evaluation were enrolled after eligibility screening via a structured interview. Their semen samples were collected and analyzed. Microscopic and macroscopic examinations were performed using a computer-aided sperm analysis system and World Health Organization guidelines. The presence and number of leukocytes in semen were determined using the peroxidase staining method. For quantitative analysis, 2 semen samples were cultured simultaneously on blood and MacConkey agar.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results of semen analysis in 2 groups of men with and without positive culture showed significant differences in most parameters. The frequency of <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i> in semen samples was 20 (15.4%) and 10 (7.7%), respectively. Higher colony counts of <i>S. aureus</i> (p < 0.001) and <i>E. coli</i> (p = 0.022) were observed in semen samples with abnormal parameters, whereas samples with normal parameters generally showed lower bacterial loads.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Higher bacterial loads of <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i> were associated with poorer semen quality in this sample of asymptomatic men referred for infertility evaluation. Bacterial load assessment may be useful as an adjunct in semen evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"697-706"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655625/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181972","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":"Comparison of indomethacin and nifedipine regarding ductus arteriosus Doppler findings after laser therapy for monochorionic diamniotic twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Sareh Mokhtari, Laleh Eslamian, Vajiheh Marsoosi, Alireza Golbabaei, Nafiseh Saedi, Paria Boustani","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21665","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21665","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Indomethacin is administered to reduce preterm labor after fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) of placental anastomoses.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To compare ductus arteriosus (DA) Doppler findings in monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome following FLP between cases treated with indomethacin and those treated with nifedipine.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>In this retrospective cohort study, data of 86 pregnant women aged 17-41 yr who underwent FLP in Shariati hospital, Tehran, Iran from October 2024-November 2025 were extracted from medical records and then followed up. In the study, based on pulse rate, the cases were placed in one of 2 groups: nifedipine (pulse rate <math><mo><</mo></math> 100) and indomethacin (pulse rate <math><mo>></mo></math> 100) for 48 hr. In cases receiving indomethacin, 6 cases developed DA constriction. A comprehensive fetal echocardiography was performed to assess the status of the DA before and after FLP.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Peak systolic velocity was higher in both donor (145.7 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 32.2, p = 0.012) and recipient twins (147.2 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 23.6, p = 0.010) in the constricted group compared with the non-constricted groups. In recipient twins, end-diastolic velocity mean was also significantly increased (32.0 in the constricted, 19.9 in the indomethacin, and 18.7 in the nifedipine group, p = 0.012), while pulsatility index mean was significantly lower in the constricted group (1.8, 2.6, 2.5, respectively, p = 0.010).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>DA constriction is associated with significant changes in blood flow indices, a higher incidence of right ventricular dysfunction, and a greater prevalence of valvular regurgitation. In this study, fetal DA constriction resolved during the short-term follow-up period.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"687-696"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655624/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149182007","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":"Rare missense variants identified by whole-genome sequencing in men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia: An experimental study.","authors":"Sara Sadeghzadeh, Agnieszka Malcher, Razieh Ebrahimi Askari, Fatemeh Sefid, Rim Ibrahim, Krzysztof Pastuszak, Aashish Srivastava, Mohammadreza Dehghani, Serajoddin Vahidi, Marzieh Lotfi, Nasrin Ghasemi, Maciej Kurpisz","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21663","DOIUrl":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21663","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) is a major cause of male infertility, characterized by low sperm count, poor motility, and abnormal morphology. While genetic factors contribute to a substantial proportion of cases, the specific variants underlying OAT remain largely unknown, especially in populations with high rates of consanguinity.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To identify rare candidate variants potentially associated with OAT using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in 7 men from consanguineous families.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>7 men with OAT from consanguineous families, with normal karyotypes and no Y-chromosome microdeletions, were selected. WGS was performed, and variants were called using DeepVariant. These variants were then annotated using the Ensembl variant effect predictor. Rare variants were prioritized based on their predicted pathogenicity and relevance to reproduction, and candidate variants were validated. Protein structure modeling and analysis of mutation-induced effects on molecular interactions were carried out using Swiss model and AlphaFold.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified 2 rare homozygous missense variants in <i>DNAH9</i> (p.Pro355Leu) and <i>CFAP45</i> (p.Arg493Trp) in the index case with OAT. Both genes have been implicated in sperm flagellar structure and motility. Additional variants in genes associated with spermiogenesis, acrosomal integrity, and testicular function were also identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings demonstrate the potential utility of WGS in identifying rare candidate variants potentially associated with OAT. The identified <i>DNAH9</i> and <i>CFAP45</i> variants, together with additional candidate variants, may contribute to the impaired sperm function observed in this man. This study also highlights the value of genome-wide analyses in improving our understanding of male infertility, particularly in consanguineous populations, and provides a foundation for future functional studies and personalized diagnostic approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"663-674"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655627/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164866","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":"Comparative study of niosomal nanoparticles encapsulating <i>Artemisia aucheri</i> and <i>Artemisia sieberi</i> extracts on Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 breast cancer cell proliferation: An in vitro study.","authors":"Elaheh Zamani, Kazem Kamali, Ali Akbar Seifi Ashkezari, Hamid Sodaizadeh, Marzieh Yaeghoobi, Bibi Fatemeh Haghiralsadat","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21668","DOIUrl":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21668","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, accounting for approximately 30% of all new cancer diagnoses in women annually.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Given the prevalence of breast cancer among women, the primary objective of this study was to develop an effective drug delivery system for treating this disease using niosome containing <i>Artemisia</i> plants.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This in vitro study involved the hydroalcoholic extraction of Artemisia using both the Maceration and Soxhlet methods, followed by the evaluation of its antioxidant properties. Niosomal nanoparticles were synthesized via the thin-film hydration technique. Characterization of the nanoparticles, including particle size and zeta potential, was conducted using dynamic light scattering (Zeta Sizer) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Cytotoxicity assessment was performed employing the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, with statistical analysis carried out using one-way ANOVA and determination of significance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study demonstrated that <i>Artemisia aucheri</i> extract, particularly when obtained via the Soxhlet method using 60% ethanol, exhibited superior antioxidant activity and higher total phenolic/flavonoid content compared to <i>Artemisia sieberi</i>. The optimized niosomal nanoparticles exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of 87% for <i>A. sieberi</i> (F3) and 93% for <i>A. aucheri</i> (F6). Cumulative release rates over 7 hr were 71% for <i>A. sieberi</i> (F3) and 73% for <i>A. aucheri</i> (F4) extracts. The optimized nanoparticles displayed sizes of 115 nm for <i>A. aucheri</i> (F6) and 79 nm for <i>A. sieberi</i> (F3), along with zeta potentials of -20.6 mV and -25.2 mV, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed successful loading and favorable intermolecular interactions. The cytotoxicity of the encapsulated nanoparticles against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 cells showed a significant increase compared to their free form (p <math><mo><</mo></math> 0.05), with blank niosomes showing no notable toxicity. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration values were 254.4 µg/mL for encapsulated <i>A. aucheri</i> and 405.8 µg/mL for encapsulated <i>A. sieberi</i>.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Based on the results, the use of plant extracts and niosomal nanoparticles can be considered a positive step for the treatment of breast cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"721-738"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655628/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164746","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":"Assessing fertility-related quality of life and psychological distress among infertile women: A cross-sectional study.","authors":"Sedigheh Esmaeilzadeh, Mouloud Agajani Delavar, Parvaneh Mirabi","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21664","DOIUrl":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21664","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Infertility negatively impacts quality of life and psychological well-being, yet their inter-relationship in untreated women remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the association between fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) and psychological distress in untreated infertile women.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study enrolled 350 infertile women at Fateme Zahra Center, Babol, Iran (October 2023-June 2024). Participants completed FertiQoL and general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) before treatment initiation. The primary outcome was FertiQoL, measured using the total FertiQoL score. Associations between FertiQoL and psychological, demographic, and infertility-related characteristics were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of participants was 35.7 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 7.2 yr. The mean total FertiQoL score was 53.4 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 3.9, with the highest score in the emotional domain (63.8 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 11.4) and the lowest in the relational domain (41.6 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 12.4). The mean total GHQ-28 score was 53.4 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 9.2, and 22.0% of women exceeded the clinical threshold for psychological distress. Total GHQ-28 score was positively correlated with total FertiQoL score (r = 0.290, p <math><mo><</mo></math> 0.001). In multivariable analysis, GHQ-28 score was the only significant predictor of FertiQoL (β = 0.287, p <math><mo><</mo></math> 0.001), explaining 10.1% of the variance in FertiQoL scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Psychological distress was significantly associated with FertiQoL among infertile women. Unexpectedly, higher GHQ-28 scores were associated with higher FertiQoL scores. Given the cross-sectional design, the underlying reasons for this finding remain unclear and warrant further investigation in longitudinal and culturally diverse populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"675-686"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655630/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149165387","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":"Maternal characteristics, clinical indications, and neonatal outcomes in cesarean hysterectomy: A cross-sectional study.","authors":"Farahnazsadat Ahmadi, Behnaz Behzadi, Mahboubeh Tajaldini","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21667","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cesarean hysterectomy (CH) is a life-saving surgical procedure performed in obstetric emergencies, particularly in cases of uncontrollable hemorrhage, placenta previa, and abnormal placental adherence.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the maternal characteristics, associated clinical factors, complications, and neonatal outcomes observed in CH.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, data of 89 women who underwent CH at Sayad Shirazi hospital, Gorgan, Iran, between 2013 and 2022 were extracted from participants' medical records using a structured checklist covering maternal demographics, comorbidities, placental conditions, surgical outcomes, and neonatal results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean maternal age was 34.65 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 5.2 yr, body mass index 28.78 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 3.4 kg/m², and gestational age 34.54 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 3.2 wk. Placenta previa was present in 88.6% of cases, with placenta increta (46.1%), accreta (29.2%), and percreta (21.3%) being the most common placenta accreta spectrum subtypes. Preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels were 11.2 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 1.8 and 8.15 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 1.56 g/dL, respectively. Blood transfusion was required in 94.4% of cases. Intensive care unit admission was required in 93.3%, with a mean stay of 2.01 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 0.11 days. Intraoperative organ injury occurred in 20.2% of cases. Mean neonatal birth weight was 2414.61 <math><mo>±</mo></math> 682 gr, with 68.1% requiring neonatal intensive care unit admission primarily due to prematurity. No maternal or neonatal deaths occurred.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum disorders are the primary risk factors for CH. Adequate preparation, including blood product reserves and intensive care unit/neonatal intensive care unit availability, is essential for managing these high-risk cases. As a descriptive study without a comparison group, these findings reflect observed patterns rather than causal associations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"707-720"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655626/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181950","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":"Prediction of chemical miscarriage in assisted reproductive technology pregnancies using machine learning: A developmental study.","authors":"Mohadese Zare Ebrahimabad, Mahdi Hashemzadeh, Nasim Tabibnejad","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21662","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21662","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Early miscarriage is a common complication following assisted reproductive technology (ART), affecting 20-30% of conceptions and creating challenges for patient counseling and treatment planning. Accurate prediction remains difficult because of the multifactorial nature of miscarriage and variability in ART outcomes. Machine learning (ML) offers promising opportunities for individualized risk assessment.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to develop an ML-based framework for early prediction of chemical miscarriage in infertile women undergoing ART using only pre-treatment baseline clinical data.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>In this developmental study, clinical data from 3000 infertile couples who attended the Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Yazd, Iran, between March 2020 and September 2022 were extracted from medical records. After preprocessing, including missing data handling, outlier correction, normalization, and class balancing, a benchmark dataset of 1234 samples with 32 features were constructed and made publicly available. Multiple ML algorithms and feature selection methods were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Across both imbalanced and balanced datasets using synthetic minority oversampling technique and adaptive synthetic sampling, the random forest model achieved the best performance, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 70.9%, 70.3%, and 70.8%, and corresponding accuracies of 82.2%, 81.1%, and 80.0%, respectively. 12 clinically relevant predictors were identified, including maternal age, body mass index, previous abortions, thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, sperm parameters, ART-related protocols, history of intrauterine insemination, and menstrual regularity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>ML models, particularly random forest, can provide meaningful early prediction of miscarriage risk using baseline clinical data. The publicly available benchmark dataset supports reproducible research and future advances in predictive reproductive medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"649-662"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655629/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149182011","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":"Pemphigoid gestationis: A case report on maternal and neonatal outcomes.","authors":"Azita Raeisi, Farkhondeh Farzamnia, Leila Bozorgian","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21671","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v24i8.21671","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pemphigoid gestationis is a rare skin disease of pregnancy. It can be misdiagnosed due to its many similarities to other dermatoses of pregnancy, and failure to diagnose can be associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We describe a 19-yr-old Iranian primiparous woman who admitted to the Imam Dermatology Clinic, Ahvaz, Iran, at 35 wk of gestation with extensive blistering lesions. Definite diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy, and systemic and topical therapies were initiated. The newborn was delivered by cesarean section at 38 wk of gestation due to ruptured membranes and meconium-stained amniotic fluid. The infant appeared healthy, with no skin manifestations. The disease flared after postpartum corticosteroid tapering, requiring re-escalation of therapy. At 6 wk postpartum, hyperpigmentation was fading without scarring, and pruritus was limited to new lesions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Timely diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of pemphigoid gestationis can prevent adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. The observed meconium passage at 38 wk warrants further investigation into potential fetal effects of this condition.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 8","pages":"739-744"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655644/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181981","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":"The role of date palm pollen in women's health and fertility: A narrative review.","authors":"Soghra Fallahi, Farideh Dastsouz, Zeinab Salehpour, Fatemeh Gholami","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i7.21577","DOIUrl":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i7.21577","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infertility is a significant challenge in today's industrialized world, affecting approximately 15% of couples of reproductive age. Around 10% of infertility cases worldwide remain unexplained. As a result, extensive research has focused on exploring natural resources and innovative approaches to preventing and treating infertility. One traditional remedy used since ancient times to enhance sexual potency and fertility in both men and women is date palm pollen (DPP). This study examines the various bioactive compounds in DPP that hold nutritional and therapeutic significance, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, which may contribute to fertility. It further analyzes the mechanisms and therapeutic effects of DPP. Evidence from animal and human studies suggests that DPP positively impacts hormonal balance, including estrogen, progesterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, enhances ovarian function, improves egg quality, reduces oxidative stress, alleviates menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness and dyspareunia, and boosts women's sexual health. The mechanism of action of DPP appears to involve modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, enhancement of steroidogenesis, and activation of antioxidant defenses. Additionally, it regulates nitric oxide signaling, modulates dopaminergic pathways, suppresses inflammation, and activates key signaling cascades, including PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and Nrf2/ARE. However, challenges remain in this advanced technological era, including variability in composition, pre-purification requirements, and a lack of standardized clinical protocols. Despite these challenges, DPP shows considerable potential for improving fertility. Future studies in the field should prioritize the systematic isolation of bioactive components, detailed mechanistic investigations, rigorous clinical validation, and integration into sustainable bioeconomy strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 7","pages":"557-570"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13594366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149024686","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":"Critical appraisal on spontaneous pregnancy following intra-ovarian platelet-rich plasma administration in poor ovarian responders according to the POSEIDON criteria.","authors":"Hafsa Riaz, Hafiz Umar Sohaib, Zain Mazhar, Hafiza Hooria Zainab","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i7.21587","DOIUrl":"10.18502/ijrm.v24i7.21587","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":"24 7","pages":"637-638"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13594365/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149024714","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}