Exploring the efficacy and mechanism of Bailing capsule to improve polycystic ovary syndrome in mice based on intestinal-derived LPS-TLR4 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder associated with reproductive dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities, particularly characterized by insulin resistance and chronic low-grade inflammation. Multiple clinical studies have clearly demonstrated the significant efficacy and safety of the combination of Bailing capsules (BL) in the treatment of PCOS, but its pharmacological effects and mechanisms still require further study. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effect of BL on improving PCOS in mice and explore the mechanism. METHODS: In this study, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) injection was administered alone and in combination with a high-fat and high-sugar diet to induce PCOS-like mouse. They were randomly divided into five groups: normal group (N), PCOS group (P), Bailing capsule low-dose group (BL-L), Bailing capsule high-dose group (BL-H) and Metformin + Daine-35 group (M + D). Firstly, the effects of BL on ovarian lesions, serum hormone levels, HOMA-IR, intestinal barrier function, inflammation levels, along with the expression of IRS1, PI3K, AKT, TLR4, Myd88, NF-κB p65, TNF-α, IL-6, and Occludin of the ovary, liver and colon were investigated. Finally, the composition of the gut microbiome of fecal was tested. RESULTS: The administration of BL significantly reduced body weight, improved hormone levels, improved IR, and attenuated pathological damage to ovarian tissues, up-regulated the expression of IRS1, PI3K, and AKT in liver. It also decreased serum LPS, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels, while downregulating the expression of Myd88, TLR4, and NF-κB p65. Additionally, BL improved intestinal barrier damage and upregulated the expression of Occludin. Interestingly, the abundance of norank_f__Muribaculacea and Lactobacillus was down-regulated, while the abundance of Akkermansia was significantly up-regulated. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that BL exerts a treatment PCOS effect, which may be related to the modulation of the gut microbiota, the improvement of insulin resistance and the intestinal-derived LPS-TLR4 inflammatory pathway. Our research will provide a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of PCOS.

The effects of Atractylodes macrocephala extract BZEP self-microemulsion based on gut-liver axis HDL/LPS signaling pathway to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in rats.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Atractylodes macrocephala extract crystallize (BZEP) and BZEP self-microemulsion (BZEPWR) on metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) induced by "high sugar, high fat, and excessive alcohol consumption" based on the gut-liver axis HDL/LPS signaling pathway. METHODS: In this study, BZEP and BZEPWR were obtained via isolation, purification, and microemulsification. Furthermore, an anthropomorphic MAFLD rat model of "high sugar, high fat, and excessive alcohol consumption" was established. The therapeutic effects of BZEPWR and BZEP on the model rats were evaluated in terms of liver function, lipid metabolism (especially HDL-C), serum antioxidant indexes, and liver and intestinal pathophysiology. To determine the lipoproteins in the serum sample, the amplitudes of a plurality of NMR spectra were derived via deconvolution of the composite methyl signal envelope to yield HDL-C subclass concentrations. The changes in intestinal flora were detected via 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. In addition, the gut-liver axis HDL/LPS signaling pathway was validated using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and western blot. RESULTS: The findings established that BZEPWR and BZEP improved animal signs, serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT and AST), lipid metabolism (TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C), and antioxidant indexes (GSH, SOD, and ROS). In addition, pathological damage to the liver, colon, and ileum was ameliorated, and the intestinal barrier function of the model rats was restored. At the genus level, BZEPWR and BZEP exerted positive effects on beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and norank_f__Muribaculaceae, and inhibitory effects on harmful bacteria, such as unclassified_f__Lachnospiraceae and Blautia. Twenty HDL-C subspecies were detected, and their levels were differentially increased in both BZEPWR and BZEP groups, with BZEPWR exhibiting a stronger elevating effect on specific HDL-C subspecies. Also, the gut-liver axis HDL/LPS signaling pathway was studied, which indicated that BZEPWR and BZEP significantly increased the expressions of ABCA1, LXR, occludin, and claudin-1 proteins in the gut and serum levels of HDL-C. Concomitantly, the levels of LPS in the serum and TLR4, Myd88, and NF-κB proteins in the liver were decreased. CONCLUSION: BZEPWR and BZEP exert restorative and reversal effects on the pathophysiological damage to the gut-liver axis in MAFLD rats, and the therapeutic mechanism may be related to the regulation of the intestinal flora and the HDL/LPS signaling pathway.

Follicle-stimulating hormone orchestrates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of pancreatic islets.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is involved in mammalian reproduction via binding to FSH receptor (FSHR). However, several studies have found that FSH and FSHR play important roles in extragonadal tissue. Here, we identified the expression of FSHR in human and mouse pancreatic islet ß-cells. Blocking FSH signaling by Fshr knock-out led to impaired glucose tolerance owing to decreased insulin secretion, while high FSH levels caused insufficient insulin secretion as well. In vitro, we found that FSH orchestrated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in a bell curve manner. Mechanistically, FSH primarily activates Gαs via FSHR, promoting the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) and calcium pathways to stimulate GSIS, whereas high FSH levels could activate Gαi to inhibit the cAMP/PKA pathway and the amplified effect on GSIS. Our results reveal the role of FSH in regulating pancreatic islet insulin secretion and provide avenues for future clinical investigation and therapeutic strategies for postmenopausal diabetes.

Exploring the Action Mechanism and Validation of the Key Pathways of Dendrobium officinale Throat-clearing Formula for the Treatment of Chronic Pharyngitis Based on Network Pharmacology.

This study investigated the molecular action mechanism of a compound herb, also known as the Dendrobium officinale throat-clearing formula (QYF), by using network pharmacology and animal experimental validation methods to treat chronic pharyngitis (CP). The active ingredients and disease targets of QYF were determined by searching the Batman-TCM and GeneCards databases. Subsequently, the drug-active ingredient-target and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed, and the core targets were obtained through network topology. The Metascape database was screened, and the core targets were enriched with Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. In total, 1403 and 241 potential targets for drugs and diseases, respectively, and 81 intersecting targets were yielded. The core targets included TNF, IL-6, and IL-1ß, and the core pathways included PI3K-Akt. The QYF treatment group exhibited effectively improved general signs, enhanced anti-inflammatory ability in vitro, reduced serum and tissue expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß inflammatory factors, and decreased blood LPS levels and Myd88, TLR4, PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB p65 protein expression in the tissues. QYF could inhibit LPS production, which regulated the expression of the TLR4/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway to suppress the expression of the related inflammatory factors (i.e., TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß), thereby alleviating the CP process.

Insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate (IRTKS) promotes the tumorigenesis of pancreatic cancer via PI3K/AKT signaling.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a common type of tumor, which ranks for the seventh leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate (IRTKS) plays an important regulatory role in cell proliferation, motility and survival. In this study, we explore the effect of IRTKS on the occurrence and development of PC. The expression and clinical features of IRTKS were predicted in database, PC cell lines and samples. IRTKS overexpressed and knocked down PC cell lines were established by lentivirus. CCK-8 assay, scratch migration assay and Transwell assay were used to analyze IRTKS oncogenic functions in cell lines. Bioinformatic enrichment analysis were conducted to explore the biological functions IRTKS involved in PC and Western Bolt assay was performed to reveal the downstream signaling molecules. It is detected that IRTKS is highly expressed in PC (P < 0.05), and overexpression of IRTKS predicted worse overall survival (OS, P = 0.018). The proliferation, migration and invasion ability were significantly enhanced in IRTKS overexpressed cells and inhibited in IRTKS knocked down cells (P < 0.05). Bioinformatic enrichment analysis based on GSE46583 dataset showed that IRTKS was significantly involved in PI3K/AKT pathway. Further investigation revealed that overexpression of IRTKS upregulated the ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT in vitro, while silencing of IRTKS presented opposite results, and PI3K inhibitor LY294002 treatment induced the phenotypic alteration of cell lines (P < 0.05). In conclusion, IRTKS plays an important role in PC tumorigenesis via PI3K/AKT pathway phosphorylated activation, and has a potential clinical application value in prognosis for PC.

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy in severe male factor infertility: protocol for a multicenter randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Conventional intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a widely used treatment for couples with severe male infertility. However, there are controversies regarding the selection and the damage to gametes during the ICSI procedure. Although preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) can give genetic information about embryos for transfer and improve fertility rate, and it is widely used in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion or advanced age, PGT-A is not only more expensive but also has unclear effectiveness with respect to the improvement of fertility rate among couples with severe male infertility. High-quality, well-powered randomised clinical trials (RCTs) comparing ICSI+PGT-A and ICSI are lacking. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a protocol for a multicenter, open-label RCT in four reproductive medical centers qualified for PGT technique in China. We will study couples with severe male infertility scheduled for their fertility treatment. After the blastocyst culture, eligible participants are randomised to the ICSI+PGT-A group or the conventional ICSI group in a 1:1 ratio. Other assisted reproductive procedures are similar and parallel between the two groups. The primary outcome will be live birth rate and cumulative live-birth rate . Secondary outcomes will be embryo implantation rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, spontaneous abortion rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, preterm birth rate, fetal chromosomal abnormality rate, birth defect rate and treatment complications. To demonstrate or refute a difference between the two groups, we plan to include 188 participants in each group; taking consideration of 20% of dropout, the total target sample size is 450. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Medical Science Research Ethics Committee (GKLW2016-16). Informed consent will be obtained from each participant. The findings will be disseminated to the public through conference presentations and publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02941965.

Anxiety and depression-like behaviours are more frequent in aged male mice conceived by ART compared with natural conception.

The number of children born after assisted reproductive technology (ART) is accumulating rapidly, and the health problems of the children are extensively concerned. This study aims to evaluate whether ART procedures alter behaviours in male offspring. Mouse models were utilized to establish three groups of offspring conceived by natural conception (NC), in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (IVF-FET), respectively. A battery of behaviour experiments for evaluating anxiety and depression levels, including the open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM) test, light/dark transition test (L/DTT), tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST), and sucrose preference test (SPT) was carried out. Aged (18 months old), but not young (3 months old), male offspring in the IVF-ET and IVF-FET groups, compared with those in the NC group, exhibited increased anxiety and depression-like behaviours. The protein expression levels of three neurotrophins in PFC or hippocampus in aged male offspring from the IVF-ET and IVF-FET groups reduced at different extent, in comparison to NC group. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed in the hippocampus of 18 months old offspring to further explore the gene expression profile changes in the three groups. KEGG analyses revealed the coexisted pathways, such as PI3K-Akt signalling pathway, which potentially reflected the similarity and divergence in anxiety and depression between the offspring conceived by IVF-ET and IVF-FET. Our research suggested the adverse effects of advanced age on the psychological health of children born after ART should be highlighted in the future.

Maternal high-fat-diet exposure is associated with elevated blood pressure and sustained increased leptin levels through epigenetic memory in offspring.

Maternal metabolism dysregulation during pregnancy predisposes offspring to major diseases, including hypertension, in later life, but the mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. A high-fat-diet (HFD) pregnant rat model was used to investigate whether excessive intrauterine lipid exposure was associated with elevated blood pressure in offspring and increased levels of leptin, an important biomarker and mediator of vascular dysfunction and hypertension. We found that gestational hyperlipidemia predisposed offspring to blood pressure elevation and sustained increases in leptin levels with no difference in body weight in the rat model. Increased leptin expression and leptin promoter hypomethylation were found in adipose tissues of HFD-exposed offspring. The treatment of mesenchymal stem cells with free fatty acids during adipogenic differentiation resulted in increased leptin expression, accompanied by leptin promoter hypomethylation. In addition, we also followed up 121 children to evaluate the association between maternal triglyceride levels and offspring blood pressure. Consistent with the animal study results, we observed elevated serum leptin levels and blood pressure in the offspring born to women with gestational hypertriglyceridemia. Our findings provide new insights that maternal hyperlipidemia is associated with elevated blood pressure in offspring and is associated with increases in leptin levels through epigenetic memory.

Association of high maternal triglyceride levels early and late in pregnancy with adverse outcomes: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Excess maternal triglyceride (mTG) exposure during early or late pregnancy increases risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, it is inconclusive whether persistently high maternal triglyceride during whole pregnancy has more negative associations. OBJECTIVE: To explore whether persistently high maternal triglyceride (mTG) levels from early to late pregnancy further increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: We included 12,715 women who had a singleton birth and who underwent routine serum lipid screenings in both early (9-13 weeks) and late (28-42 weeks) pregnancy during May 2018 to July 2019 in a university-based maternity center. Risks for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, preterm delivery, small/large for gestational age (LGA) were estimated. RESULTS: Elevated mTG levels during early pregnancy were associated with increased risks of preterm delivery (AOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.90), preeclampsia (1.75; 1.29 to 2.36), gestational diabetes mellitus (1.95; 1.69 to 2.25), and LGA (1.28; 1.12 to 1.46). Compared with those with low mTG levels both in the 1st and 3rd trimesters, persistently high mTG levels increased the risks of preeclampsia (2.53; 1.66 to 3.84), GDM (1.97; 1.57 to 2.47), and LGA (1.68; 1.37 to 2.07). However, persistently high mTG levels only slightly increased risk of LGA when compared with high mTG levels during the 1st trimester alone (1.34, 1.01 to 1.77). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated mTG levels during early pregnancy not in late pregnancy could be the crucial risk factor associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. These results suggest the importance of lipid screenings and preventions during early pregnancy, which may help to improve pregnancy outcomes.

Diminished verbal ability among children conceived through ART with exposure to high serum estradiol in utero.

PURPOSE: Higher serum estradiol levels occur in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) owing to ovarian stimulation. Here, we investigated the association between maternal serum estradiol levels and the intellectual development of offspring conceived with ART. METHODS: A total of 204 singletons born after fresh embryo transfer were recruited for this cohort study. Among them, 102 children were born from mothers with high serum estradiol levels (> 12,000 pmol/L) on the day that human chorionic gonadotropin was administered. Another 102 children, matched by gestational age and age of the children, were recruited as controls from mothers with low serum estradiol (≤ 12,000 pmol/L). The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence was used to evaluate the intellectual development of the children. RESULTS: Children from mothers with higher serum estradiol levels scored lower in the verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) tests and verbal comprehension than children whose mothers had lower estradiol levels. The main difference between the two groups was in verbal subtests including information, vocabulary, and sorting. Partial correlation analysis revealed that the logarithm of maternal serum estradiol level negatively correlated with verbal IQ, performance IQ, and full scale IQ. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that a high maternal serum estradiol level may negatively associate the verbal ability of children conceived via ART.

Long interpregnancy interval and adverse perinatal outcomes: A retrospective cohort study.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 9,552 women experiencing their second delivery between 2014 and 2016 at the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital to investigate the association between the interpregnancy interval (IPI) and adverse perinatal outcomes. With the 12-23-mon IPI as the reference category, logistic regression analyzes were used to examine associations between different IPIs (<12, 12-23, 24-59, 60-119, and ≥120 mon) and perinatal outcomes (gestational diabetes mellitus, premature membrane rupture, gestational hypertension, preterm birth, low birth weight, and macrosomia). Compared with the 12-23-mon IPI category, women with longer IPIs had a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, and those with an IPI ≥120 mon had the highest risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and premature membrane rupture (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-2.35 and adjusted OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.53-2.67, respectively). These results indicate that a longer IPI is associated with a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and an IPI of ≥120 mon appears to be independently associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and premature membrane rupture.

Prenatal exposure to testosterone induces cardiac hypertrophy in adult female rats through enhanced Pkcδ expression in cardiac myocytes.

High circulating androgen in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in offspring. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether maternal androgen excess in the rat PCOS model would lead to cardiac hypertrophy in offspring. Maternal testosterone propionate (maternal-TP)-treated adult female offspring displayed cardiac hypertrophy associated with local high cardiac dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The molecular markers of cardiac hypertrophy along with androgen receptor (AR) and PKCδ, were increased in the Maternal-TP group. Treatment of primary neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) and H9c2 cells with DHT significantly increased cell size and upregulated PKCδ expression, which could be attenuated by AR antagonist. Treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a PKC activator, significantly increased cell size and upregulated myh7 level. Rottlerin, that may inhibit PKCδ, significantly reduced the hypertrophic effect of DHT and PMA on NRCMs and H9c2 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that AR could bind to Pkcδ promoter. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to testosterone may induce cardiac hypertrophy in adult female rats through enhanced Pkcδ expression in cardiac myocytes.

Diet-Induced Paternal Obesity Impairs Cognitive Function in Offspring by Mediating Epigenetic Modifications in Spermatozoa.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effects of diet-induced paternal obesity on cognitive function in mice offspring. METHODS: Male mice (F0) were randomized to receive either a control diet (10 kcal% fat) or a high-fat diet (HFD; 60 kcal% fat) for 10 weeks before being mated with normal females to generate F1 offspring. Male F1 offspring were mated with normal females to generate F2 offspring. Behavioral tests were used to assess cognitive functions in F1 and F2 offspring. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was used to the explore mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance. RESULTS: HFD-induced paternal obesity resulted in cognitive impairments in F1 offspring, potentially due, at least in part, to increased methylation of the BDNF gene promoter, which was inherited from F0 spermatozoa. BDNF/tyrosine receptor kinase B signaling was associated with cognitive impairments in HFD-fed F1 offspring. However, there were no significant changes in F2 offspring. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide evidence of intergenerational effects of paternal obesity on cognitive function in offspring occurring via epigenetic spermatozoan modifications.

Prenatal High Estradiol Exposure Induces Sex-Specific and Dietarily Reversible Insulin Resistance Through Decreased Hypothalamic INSR.

An adverse intrauterine environment may induce adult disease in offspring, but the mechanisms are not well understood. It is reported that fresh embryo transfer (ET) in assisted reproductive technology leads to high maternal estradiol (E2), and prenatal high E2 exposure increases the risk of organ disorders in later life. We found that male newborns and children of fresh ET showed elevated fasting insulin and homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) scores. Male mice with high prenatal estradiol exposure (HE) grew heavier than control mice and developed insulin resistance; they also showed increased food intake, with increased orexigenic hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression. The hypothalamic insulin receptor (INSR) was decreased in male HE mice, associated with elevated promoter methylation. Chronic food restriction (FR) in HE mice reversed insulin resistance and rescued hypothalamic INSR expression by correcting the elevated Insr promoter methylation. Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to high E2 may induce sex-specific metabolic disorders in later life through epigenetic programming of hypothalamic Insr promoter, and dietary intervention may reverse insulin resistance by remodeling its methylation pattern.

Reduced Intellectual Ability in Offspring of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a complication of ovarian stimulation, has various adverse effects on both pregnant women and their offspring. However, whether OHSS will affect intellectual ability in offspring is still unknown. METHODS: We recruited 86 Chinese children born to OHSS women and 172 children conceived with non-OHSS In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in this cohort study. Their intellectual ability was assessed according to the Revised Chinese Version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (C-WISC). Verbal Intelligence Quotient (VIQ), Performance Intelligence Quotient (PIQ), and Full Intelligence Quotient (FIQ) were calculated. The investigation was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-SOC-16009555). FINDINGS: OHSS offspring scored less on C-WISC (mean (standard deviation [SD]): (VIQ=92.7 (14.7), PIQ=108.9 (13.1), FIQ=100.6 (13.4)) compared with non-OHSS IVF offspring (VIQ=100.1 (13.2), PIQ=113.7 (10.8), FIQ=107.4 (11.5)). The prevalence of low IQ (<80) children was 4.7 times higher in OHSS offspring compared with non-OHSS offspring. Maternal estradiol level on hCG administration day was negatively associated with FIQ in offspring. INTERPRETATION: OHSS offspring displayed reduced intellectual ability. Prenatal estradiol exposure might be involved in underlying mechanism.

Prevalence of Prediabetes Risk in Offspring Born to Mothers with Hyperandrogenism.

BACKGROUND: Excessive androgen exposure during pregnancy has been suggested to induce diabetic phenotypes in offspring in animal models. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pregestational maternal hyperandrogenism in human influenced the glucose metabolism in offspring via epigenetic memory from mother's oocyte to child's somatic cells. METHODS: Of 1782 reproductive-aged women detected pregestational serum androgen, 1406 were pregnant between 2005 and 2010. Of 1198 women who delivered, 1116 eligible mothers (147 with hyperandrogenism and 969 normal) were recruited. 1216 children (156 children born to mothers with hyperandrogenism and 1060 born to normal mother) were followed up their glycometabolism in mean age of 5years. Imprinting genes of oocyte from mothers and lymphocytes from children were examined. A pregestational hyperandrogenism rat model was also established. FINDINGS: Children born to women with hyperandrogenism showed increased serum fasting glucose and insulin levels, and were more prone to prediabetes (adjusted RR: 3.98 (95%CI 1.16-13.58)). Oocytes from women with hyperandrogenism showed increased insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) expression. Lymphocytes from their children also showed increased IGF2 expression and decreased IGF2 methylation. Treatment of human oocytes with dihydrotestosterone upregulated IGF2 and downregulated DNMT3a levels. In rat, pregestational hyperandrogenism induced diabetic phenotypes and impaired insulin secretion in offspring. In consistent with the findings in human, hyperandrogenism also increased Igf2 expression and decreased DNMT3a in rat oocytes. Importantly, the same altered methylation signatures of Igf2 were identified in the offspring pancreatic islets. INTERPRETATION: Pregestational hyperandrogenism may predispose offspring to glucose metabolism disorder via epigenetic oocyte inheritance. Clinical trial registry no.: ChiCTR-OCC-14004537; www.chictr.org.

Calcitriol attenuates cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in a murine model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex reproductive and metabolic disorder affecting 10 % of reproductive-aged women, and is well associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. However, there are few data concerning the direct association of PCOS with cardiac pathologies. The present study aims to investigate the changes in cardiac structure, function, and cardiomyocyte survival in a PCOS model, and explore the possible effect of calcitriol administration on these changes. PCOS was induced in C57BL/6J female mice by chronic dihydrotestosterone administration, as evidenced by irregular estrous cycles, obesity and dyslipidemia. PCOS mice progressively developed cardiac abnormalities including cardiac hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, myocardial apoptosis, and cardiac dysfunction. Conversely, concomitant administration of calcitriol significantly attenuated cardiac remodeling and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and improved cardiac function. Molecular analysis revealed that the beneficial effect of calcitriol was associated with normalized autophagy function by increasing phosphorylation levels of AMP-activated protein kinase and inhibiting phosphorylation levels of mammalian target of rapamycin complex. Our findings provide the first evidence for the presence of cardiac remodeling in a PCOS model, and vitamin D supplementation may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of PCOS-related cardiac remodeling.

Successive and cyclic oral contraceptive pill pretreatment improves IVF/ICSI outcomes of PCOS patients and ameliorates hyperandrogenism and antral follicle excess.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate different oral contraceptive pill (OCP) pretreatment associated differential in-vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and explore enhanced hormonal balance induced by the pretreatment. METHODS: This retrospective study included 500 PCOS women and 565 normal ovulating counterparts undergoing IVF/ICSI. The PCOS patients were divided into three groups based on the OCP pretreatment regimens: non-OCP (without OCP pretreatment), unsuccessive OCP (the period of successive pretreatment ≤2 months) and successive OCP (the period of successive pretreatment ≥3 months) groups. Comprehensive hormonal and ultra-sonographic assessments were performed before/after IVF pretreatment. Confounding factors affecting pregnancy outcomes were analyzed with logistic regression. RESULTS: PCOS patients with significant endocrine disorders had reduced implantation and pregnancy rates and increased miscarriage rate. Successive, not unsuccessive OCP pretreatment, significantly improved the implantation and pregnancy rates, and reduced the incidence of monotocous small-for-gestational age infants, which was accompanied by remarkably decreased hyperandrogenism and antral follicles. CONCLUSION: PCOS is an independent risk factor for poor IVF outcome. Successive, not unsuccessive, OCP cyclical pretreatment could improve pregnancy outcome of PCOS patients, associated with reduction of hyperandrogenism and antral follicle excess.

Cardiovascular dysfunction in offspring of ovarian-hyperstimulated women and effects of estradiol and progesterone: a retrospective cohort study and proteomics analysis.

CONTEXT: The cardiovascular dysfunction in children born with assisted reproductive technologies has been of great concern. However, the association of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a complication of assisted reproductive technologies, with worse cardiovascular functions and underlying mechanism remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to assess the cardiovascular functions of children born to mothers with OHSS and investigate the underlying regulator(s). DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective cohort recruited in a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: We assessed the cardiovascular functions by Doppler echography in 42 children born to OHSS women, 34 children of mothers with non-OHSS in vitro fertilization, and 48 spontaneously conceived (SC) children (mean age ∼ 4.5 y). Groups were matched for gestational age at delivery and birth weight. An isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation-labeled proteomics analysis was performed with another set of umbilical arteries from OHSS and SC pregnancies (n = 3 for both groups). RESULTS: Children of OHSS mothers showed a significantly decreased mitral ratio of early to late mitral peak velocities, reduced systolic and diastolic diameters of common carotid arteries, and impaired flow-mediated dilation compared with non-OHSS in vitro fertilization and SC children. Intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness indices were similar in the three groups. In the proteomics study, 1640 proteins were identified from OHSS and SC umbilical arteries, and 40 differentially expressed proteins were selected for further analysis. Estradiol and progesterone were identified as activated upstream regulators. CONCLUSIONS: Children born to ovarian-hyperstimulated women displayed cardiovascular dysfunctions. The underlying mechanisms may involve the effects of supraphysiological estradiol and progesterone levels.

Pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety evaluation of docetaxel/hydroxypropyl-sulfobutyl-ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complex.

Hydroxypropyl-sulfobutyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-SBE-ß-CD) inclusion complex was developed and used as a drug delivery system for DTX (DTX/HP-SBE-ß-CD). The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the biological properties of DTX/HP-SBE-Β-CD with Taxotere®. The pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, antitumor efficacy in vivo and in vitro, and safety evaluation of DTX/HP-SBE-ß-CD were studied. The most significant finding was that it was possible to prepare a Polysorbate-80-free inclusion complex for DTX. Studies based on pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and antitumor efficacy indicated that DTX/HP-SBE-ß-CD had similar pharmacokinetic properties and antitumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo as Taxotere®. Fortunately, this new drug delivery system attenuated the side effects when used in vivo. As a consequence, DTX/HP-SBE-ß-CD may be a promising alternative to Taxotere® for cancer chemotherapy treatment with reduced side effects. The therapeutic potential against a variety of human tumors and low toxicity demonstrated in a stringent study clearly warrant clinical investigation of DTX/HP-SBE-ß-CD for possible use against human tumors.