Investigation of the effect of age smoking in the function of woman's reproductive axis

Introduction: The age of the women is a known significant factor that diminishes the ovarian reserves which are depleted completely at menopause. Although, pituitary sensitivity to GnRH is reduced with aging after menopause, data in premenopausal women are scanty. Smoking has been shown to reduce ovarian reserves in subfertile women. However, the effect smoking may have on the ovarian reserves of normal, fertile women has not been appriopriately studied as yet. Furthermore, whether smoking affects the pituitary sensitivity to GnRH in normal, fertile women has not been studied so far. Aim of the study: The aim of the present study was the investigation of the effects of age and smoking on ovarian reserves and the pituitary function in healthy, fertile, normally cycling women. Materials and methods: One hundred and fiftytwo healthy, fertile, normally cyckling women, with history of delivery of at least one neonate, were included in the present study. In all women, an indwelling catheter was introduced on day 3 of their spontaneous cycle and blood samples were obtained. In all women a sinlge injection of GnRH, at the dose of 10 μg was given. Blood samples in relation to the injection of GnRH (time 0) were taken at -15, 0 and 30 min. in all blood samples (serum), FSH and LH were measured. The LH response to GnRH was calculated as the net increase of LH levels at 30 min (ΔLH) above the basal levels (mean value of LH values at -15 and 0 min). in all blood samples taken at time 0 the levels of estradiol (E2), progesterone, inhibin B and antimullerian hormone (AMH) were measured. For the statistical analysis of the data, t-test, Pearson’s correlation and linear regression analysis were performed. Results: In all women, the age had a positive correlation with the basal levels of FSH and LH and a negative correlation with the levels of inhibin B and ΑΜΗ. The LH response to GnRH (ΔLH) (in vivo bioassay of GnSAF bioactivity) was significantly higher in smokers as compared to non-smokers. In terms of FSH, LH, estradiol, progesterone and AMH there were no differences between smokers and non-smokers, whether the comparisons were performed for women 37 years. It was found that only in women 37 ετών δεν υπήρχαν διαφορές μεταξύ των καπνιστριών και των μη-καπνιστριών στα επίπεδα των FSH, LH, οιστραδιόλης, προγεστερόνης και AMH. Στις γυναίκες ηλικίας < 37 ετών μόνο, βρέθηκε οι καπνίστριες να έχουν υψηλότερες τιμές ΔLH και χαμηλότερες τιμές ινχιμπίνης B, σε σύγκριση με τις μη-καπνίστριες. Συμπεράσματα: Η ηλικία σχετίζεται με σημαντική μείωση των ωοθηκικών εφεδρειών σε φυσιολογικές γόνιμες γυναίκες. Το κάπνισμα φαίνεται να έχει αρνητική επίδραση στην παραγωγή μη στεροειδών ωοθηκικών παραγόντων (ινχιμπίνης B και GnSAF) σε νεότερες γυναίκες (ηλικίας < 37 ετών), ενώ δεν επηρεάζει σημαντικά τη συνολική δεξαμενή πρωτογενών ωοθυλακίων (τιμή της ΑΜΗ στην κυκλοφορία) και τη στεροειδογένεση

The Effect of Glyphosate on Human Sperm Motility and Sperm DNA Fragmentation

Glyphosate is the active ingredient of Roundup&reg;, which is one of the most popular herbicides worldwide. Although many studies have focused on the reproductive toxicity of glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides, the majority of them have concluded that the effect of the specific herbicide is negligible, while only a few studies indicate the male reproductive toxicity of glyphosate alone. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 0.36 mg/L glyphosate on sperm motility and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF). Thirty healthy men volunteered to undergo semen analysis for the purpose of the study. Sperm motility was calculated according to WHO 2010 guidelines at collection time (zero time) and 1 h post-treatment with glyphosate. Sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated with Halosperm&reg; G2 kit for both the control and glyphosate-treated sperm samples. Sperm progressive motility of glyphosate-treated samples was significantly reduced after 1 h post-treatment in comparison to the respective controls, in contrast to the SDF of glyphosate-treated samples, which was comparable to the respective controls. Conclusively, under these in vitro conditions, at high concentrations that greatly exceed environmental exposures, glyphosate exerts toxic effects on sperm progressive motility but not on sperm DNA integrity, meaning that the toxic effect is limited only to motility, at least in the first hour

Endometrial cancer: molecular and therapeutic aspects

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most commonly diagnosed gynecologic malignancy. Although early-stage EC is effectively treated surgically, commonly without adjuvant therapy, the treatment of high-risk and advanced disease is more complex. Chemotherapy has evolved into an important modality in high-risk early-stage and advanced-stage disease, and in recurrent EC. Multi-institutional trials are in progress to better define optimal adjuvant treatment for subsets of patients, as well as the role of surgical staging in reducing both overuse and underuse of radiation therapy. Understanding and identifying the molecular biology and genetics of EC are central to the development of novel therapies. A number of molecular and genetic events have been observed in ECs, which have enabled us to have a better understanding of the biology and development of the disease. For example, the PTEN/AKT pathway and its downstream targets and the mTOR pathway have been shown to play an important role in EC pathogenesis. This review summarizes the background of the known molecular alterations, and the management of patients with EC. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Embryological Results of Couples Undergoing ICSI-ET Treatments with Males Carrying the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism rs175080 of the MLH3 Gene

Human MLH3 (hMLH3) gene has been suggested to play a role in the DNA mismatch repair mechanism, while it may also be associated with abnormal spermatogenesis and subsequently male infertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible relationships between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs175080 in the MLH3 gene of males and the embryological results in couples undergoing intracytoplasmatic sperm injection-embryo transfer (ICSI-ET) treatments. A total of 132 men volunteered for the study and gave written informed consent. All couples were subjected to ICSI-ET treatments in the years 2010 to 2012. The couples were divided into three groups according to the genotype of their husbands: the wild type GG (n = 28), the heterozygotic type GA (n = 72) and the mutant type AA (n = 32). Significantly lower sperm concentration and progressive motility were observed in the AA group as compared to the other two groups (Concentration: 14.57 ± 4.9 mil/mL in AA, 38.3 ± 5.4 mil/mL in GA and 41.03 ± 6.8 mil/mL in GG, p &lt; 0.05, mean ± standard error of the mean—SEM). However, significantly better embryological results (mean score of embryo quality–MSEQ) were found in the AA (8.12 ± 0.5) and the GA group (7.36 ± 0.4) as compared to the GG group (5.82 ± 0.7), (p &lt; 0.05). Clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the AA genotype group (43.8%) and the GA group (30.6%) than in the GG group (14.3%), (p &lt; 0.05). Live birth rate was not different. It is suggested for the first time that the deteriorating effect of the mutant type on sperm characteristics does not impact on embryo development after fertilization in vitro

Uterine prolapse in pregnancy: risk factors, complications and management

Presentation of uterine prolapse is a rare event in a pregnant woman, which can be pre-existent or else manifest in the course of pregnancy. Complications resulting from prolapse of the uterus in pregnancy vary from minor cervical infection to spontaneous abortion, and include preterm labor and maternal and fetal mortality as well as acute urinary retention and urinary tract infection. Moreover, affected women may be at particular risk of dystocia during labor that could necessitate emergency intervention for delivery. Recommendations regarding the management of this infrequent but potentially harmful condition are scarce and outdated. This review will examine the causative factors of uterine prolapse and the antepartum, intrapartum and puerperal complications that may arise from this condition as well as therapeutic options available to the obstetrician. While early recognition and appropriate prenatal management of uterine prolapse during pregnancy is imperative, implementation of conservative treatment modalities throughout pregnancy, these applied in accordance with the severity of the uterus prolapse and the patient’s preference, may be sufficient to achieve uneventful pregnancy and normal, spontaneous delivery

The contribution of catumaxomab in the treatment of malignant ascites in patients with ovarian cancer: a review of the literature

The approval of the first specific drug catumaxomab for the treatment of malignant ascites is the subject of this review. This trifunctional antibody is known to kill EpCAM-positive tumor cells and therefore attacks the primary cause of malignant ascites formation in the peritoneal cavity. Until today catumaxomab is the only EpCam-targeted antibody approved by the European Medicines Agency. Ovarian cancer is caused by epithelial tumors cells which overexpress epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). The existing literature concerning the use of catumaxomab for the treatment of malignant ascites associated with ovarian cancer until today is reported in this article. It is very encouraging that different prospective studies from diverse scientific teams recently presented positive results concerning the efficacy and the safety of catumaxomab in the treatment of malignant ascites in patients with ovarian cancer. A case of a patient with ovarian cancer FIGO IIIc is also referred in this article. A complete remission and stable disease was found after 4 i.p. infusions of catumaxomab