A systematic review of iranian medicinal plants effective on female infertility

Infertility is one of the common and rising problems of women. To treat female infertility, medicinal plants may be used in addition to chemical drugs and assisted reproductive technology. To conduct this review, the terms Fertility and Pregnancy in combination with Medicinal plants, Herb, and Phyto were used to search for and retrieve relevant publications indexed in international databases ISI and PubMed and domestic databases Iran Medex and ISC. The articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were analyzed. In this systematic review article, the medicinal plants that were found to be effective on female infertility indices were reported. These plants, according to this review article, are Nigella sativa, Panax ginseng, Phoenix dactylifera L., salep, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Apium graveolens L., and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. The medicinal plants used by Iranian people have been reported to exert optimal effects on female fertility in animal studies through antioxidant properties, increasing follicogenesis, hormonal compounds, and other effective compounds on hormonal system as well as enhancing sex cells viability. © 2009-2016, JGPT

Use of Iranian medicinal plants effective on male fertility indices

This systematic review article was conducted to report medicinal plants that are effective on male fertility indices. To conduct this review, search terms fertility or pregnancy combined with medicinal plants, herb, and phyto were used to retrieve relevant publications indexed in ISI, PubMed, and Iranian scientific databases. Escanbil, Fumaria parviflora L., Apium graveolens L., Achillea millefolium inflorescence, Urtica dioica L., Withania somnifera L., Phaleria macrocarpa, Satureja khuzestanica, Achillea millefolium, Malva sylvestris, Humulus lupulus L., Allium cepa, Petroselinum crispum, Carthamus tinctorius, and Zingiber officinale were reported to be medicinal plants with fertility indices-promoting properties. Medicinal plants that are used in Iran affect hormonal compounds and other effective compounds on hormonal system as well as the proliferation and viability of sex cells due to their antioxidant properties, and therefore enhance fertility in human and animals. © 2009-2016, JGPT

Comparison of pregnancy outcome in intrauterine insemination-candidate women with and without endometrial scratch injury: An RCT

Background: Endometrial scratch injury is considered controversial in increasing the success rate of assisted reproductive technology. Objective: To compare the pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing intrauterine insemination with and without an endometrial scratch. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 150 women referred to the Fatemieh Hospital, Hamadan, Iran who were candidates for IUI between December 2017 and December 2018 were randomly assigned into two groups (n = 75/each) with or without an endometrial scratch (as case and control groups, respectively). Women in both groups were in proper and identical protocol for IUI. Chemical and clinical pregnancies, abortion, and live birth rate, also pregnancy complications were compared between the groups. Results: Chemical and clinical pregnancy rates were higher in the case than the control group (p = 0.25, p = 0.54, respectively). In the case group, the abortion and multiple gestation rates were 14.3% and 4.3%, respectively, while it was 5% in the control group (p = 0.60, p = 0.54 respectively). The endometrium thickness on day 21 was higher in the case group than the control (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Endometrial scratching in intrauterine insemination women is not associated with an increase in both clinical and clinical pregnancy rates, however, studies with a larger sample size are recommended to evaluate this intervention. Key words: Pregnancy infertility, Women, Endometrial injury, Pregnancy, Intrauterine insemination

Interleukin 6, interleukin 1&#946, estradiol and testosterone concentrations in serum and follicular fluid of females with stimulated and non-stimulated ovaries

The ovarian physiology is regulated by some complex factors such as hormones and growth factors. The hormones and growth factors are synthesized by follicular and ovarian cells during follicular maturation stage and cytokines are synthesized by the immune system. Interaction between immune and endocrine systems modulates ovarian function through the secretion of regulatory soluble factors, especially cytokines. There is a close contact between corona-cumulus-oocyte complex with follicular fluid which affects the quality and degree of oocyte maturation. The objectives of this study were to determine the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 1β, estradiol and testosterone concentration in serum and follicular fluid of women with stimulated and non-stimulated ovaries. A total of 41 women, 27 in stimulated and 14 non-stimulated cycles, undergoing intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment were included in this study. Follicular fluid and serum samples from all cases were collected at the time of oocyte retrieval and concentration of testosterone, estradiol, interleukin 6 and interleukin 1β were measured. The results show that serum concentration of testosterone was significantly higher in non stimulated cases. Also, the serum and follicular fluid concentrations of interleukin 6 and interleukin 1β in stimulated cases were significantly higher than non stimulated group. There was an important negative correlation between the level of testosterone in patient's serum and IL-6 and IL-1β levels of follicular fluid. In conclusion, according to these results, it seems that the levels of testosterone and IL-6 and IL-1β in patient's serum and follicular fluid are a good factor for prediction of maturity of oocytes.Key words: Oocyte maturation, follicular fluid, interleukin 6, interleukin 1β, testosterone, estradiol

The Effects of Foeniculum vulgare Seed Extract on Fertility Results of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Women With Poor Ovarian Response

Objectives: Foeniculum vulgare due to phytoestrogens is important in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction including infertility. Accordingly, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of the F. vulgare seed extract on the fertility results of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in women with a poor ovarian response (POR). Materials and Methods: In this before-after intervention, 19 infertile women with POR were enrolled by a convenience sampling method. The amounts of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), ovarian ultrasound volume, the number of preantral follicles, and the size of the prominent ovary were measured before treatment with F. vulgare. Then, patients were treated with F. vulgare for two months, followed by initiating the in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. The number of embryos transferred in previous and current cycles was investigated after IVF. Finally, the data were analyzed in SPSS 16. Results: There was a significant difference in the serum LH level (P = 0.002), LH/FSH (P = 0.049), the number of follicles and ovules (P = 0.003), endometrial thickness (P = 0.04), and ovarian volume (P = 0.03) between before and after treatment with F. vulgare. Moreover, a significant difference regarding the decreased number of required days for induction was observed between before and after treatment with F. vulgare (P = 0.022). Conclusions: In general, the use of F. vulgare had positive effects on improving the quality of oocytes and female fertility indices in women with POR. Keywords:Foeniculum vulgare; Fertility; Ovarian failure; Phytotherapy; Assisted reproductive technique

Effects of Medicinal Plants on Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review

Urinary incontinence is one of the disorders that may develop for various reasons, affect different aspects of life, and declining quality of life. Relevant key terms were used to retrieve the articles published between 2000 and 2018 and indexed in the Institute for Scientific Information and PubMed. Then, the articles about the medicinal plants and the plant-based products whose effects were investigated on urinary incontinence (UI) were selected and analyzed by two members of the research team. Different plants such as Cannabis sativa, St. John's wort, Ephedra sinica, Salvia sclarea, Ramulus Cinnamomi, and Alpinia oxyphylla exert anti-UI effects through various mechanisms. The phytoestrogen derivatives of the plants mainly in menopausal women, isoflavonoid compounds, Gosha-jinki-gan, and Weng-li-tong, exert anti-UI effects. It should be considered that plants and their derivatives can be used as dietary supplements, independently, and mainly with chemical drugs. Plants and plant-based combinations can induce anti-UI effects through phytosterogenic properties in women, decreasing stress and affecting the neuromuscular system as well as decreasing the activities of the detrusor muscle and regulating the activity of the urethral sphincters

Evaluation of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and s-adenosyl-methionine level in male infertility: A case-control study

Background: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme (MTHFR) plays a key role in regulating folate balance, converting homocysteine to methionine, and producing s-adenosylmethionine (SAM) that plays a role in the methylation process. Objective: This study aimed to determine MTHFR activity and SAM level in men with normozoospermia and oligozoospermia. Materials and Methods: 30 oligozoospermic and 30 normozoospermic men as controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Semen analysis was conducted according to the world health organization criteria. All semen samples were collected after 3-5 days of sexual abstinence. The sperms were evaluated by sperm test video software. All subjects SAM level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and MTHFR were measured manually. Results: 2 groups had a significant difference in sperm morphology (p = 0.02), concentration (p = 0.02) and motility (p = 0.03). The MTHFR activity in normozoospermic and oligozoospermic groups had significantly differences (p = 0.01). The level of SAM in the semen of oligozoospermic men was statistically lower than normozoospermic men (p = 0.03). Also, there was a positive association between MTHFR enzyme activity and SAM level in the normozoospermia group (p = 0.02, β = 0.67) and oligozoospermia group (p = 0.03, β = 0.54). Conclusion: MTHFR activity and SAM concentration were statistically lower in oligozoospermia men. It seems they can affect sperm concentration, morphology, and motility. Key words: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, s-adenosylmethionine, Normozoospermia, Oligozoospermia, Folic acid

Comparison of Endometrial Thickness with Concomitant Administration of Sildenafil Citrate and Ethinyl Estradiol vs Ethinyl Estradiol Alone for Frozen Embryo Transfer

Introduction: Infertility is one of the common medical issues in today's world. One of the common causes of infertility is the lack of implantation of the embryo. Aim: To compare the effect of Ethinyl Estradiol (E2) alone on Endometrial Thickness (ET) with that of sildenafil citrate and E2 combination. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 70 infertile women undergoing treatment with Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ARTs) were randomly divided into two groups of 35 each. One group received E2 and vaginal sildenafil and the other E2 alone. On the seventh day of the cycle and, if necessary, until ET reached 8 mm, ET in both groups was measured by transvaginal ultrasound. After the embryo transfer, Beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (BHCG) was performed in both groups. The measured thickness of uterus and BHCG were recorded in the checklist for both groups. Data were analysed by SPSS and p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean duration (in days) to reach an 8 mm ET in infertile women in the E2+sildenafil group (13.59 +/- 3.07) was lower than that in the E2 group (14.88 +/- 4.78), yet insignificant (p=0.21). Although the mean dose (mg) of E2 and duration (day) to reach an 8 mm ET in the E2+ sildenafil group was lower than those in the E2 group, significance (p) levels were 0.02 and 0.21, respectively. Conclusion: In infertile women undergoing ARTs, co-administration of sildenafil citrate and E2 increased ET relatively and reduced the dose of E2 and the duration of its administration

Effects of Medicinal Plants on Nocturia: A Systematic Review

Nocturia is one of the common disorders that are associated with certain complications such as fracture and declined quality of life in addition to disrupting sleep. We, therefore, sought to review the evidence on the effects and action mechanisms of medicinal plants on nocturia. Methods: The search terms of interest were used to retrieve relevant articles published between 2000 and 2018 and indexed in the databases Institute for Scientific Information, PubMed, and Scopus using EndNote software. Peganum harmala and Cannabis sativa are two of the plants that have been reported to be effective on nocturia. In addition, certain plant-based derivatives such as SagaPro and certain combinations such as Gosha-jinki-gan, paladin kashaya, and PRO 160/120 from Viola odorata L. (Violaceae), C.A.Mey. From Echium amoenum Fisch. (Boraginaceae), and Physalis alkekengi L. (Solanaceae) help improve nocturia through different mechanisms. As with other types of treatments, plants and plant-based compounds cannot be used as monotherapy in treating nocturia, and therefore should be used as a complementary therapy alongside available treatments for this disorder to induce the best therapeutic effects

Erratum to: Evidence for decreased expression of APPL1 associated with reduced insulin and adiponectin receptors expression in PCOS patients (J Endocrinol Invest, 10.1007/s40618-016-0468-y)

Unfortunately, Prof. Mehdizadeh name was wrongly published in the original article. The complete correct name is Prof. M. Mehdizadeh. © 2016, Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE)