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Introduction: the management of infertility in primary health care services can be the first opportunity to address the inability to conceive. The objective of this investigation is to explore practices, obstacles, and recommendations of general physicians (GPs) towards infertility management in Moroccan primary health care services (PHCSs). Methods: a cross-sectional study with a total population sample was conducted (325 GPs accepted to participate in our study) between December 2022 and October 2023. They were working in PHCSs of Marrakesh-Safi region. The questions were about the characteristics of GPs, infertility management, and suggestions to improve their management approaches for infertility. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. Results: the results showed that infertility management in PHCSs was influenced by gender (p= 0.016), age (p=0.003), post-graduated period (p < 0.001), and years of experience (p < 0,001). 44.3% of physicians believed that infertility management is not an activity for PHCSs. Seventy point two (70.2%) of them didn´t investigate among infertile couples. However, just 13.8% of them never gave advice about improving fertility. 95.4% reported that they never participated in infertility treatment. Communication with specialists after referral (OR= 8,044; p= 0.050) and lack of knowledge about infertility (OR= 16,173; p<0.001) influenced infertility management by GPs. Conclusion: general physicians in our study had positive attitudes about infertility management in PHCSs. Results showed that there is a need to improve infertility management and to develop standard guidelines and continuing education programs about infertility is a pivotal way to promote infertility management in PHCSs.

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El síndrome de Kartagener es una variante de la discinesia ciliar primaria, que consiste en una enfermedad hereditaria autosómica recesiva, poco frecuente, caracterizada por la tríada de bronquiectasias, sinusitis y dextrocardia. En este existen mutaciones en los genes responsables de la síntesis de proteínas ciliares, siendo el deterioro de la motilidad ciliar el principal problema fisiopatológico. Se presenta el caso de una paciente de 14 años de edad quien consulta por tos de tres semanas de evolución sin antecedentes de importancia, a quien como hallazgo incidental se le diagnostica dextrocardia. Por alta sospecha de síndrome de Kartagener, se solicitan estudios complementarios y se realiza broncoscopia que obtiene todos los componentes para un síndrome de Kartagener completo.

Kartagener syndrome is a variant of primary ciliary dyskinesia, which consists of a ra-re, autosomal recessive inherited disease, characterized by the triad of bronchiectasis, sinusitis and dextrocardia. In this case, there are mutations in the genes responsible for ciliary protein, with the deterioration of ciliary motility being the main pathophysiological problem. The case of a 14-year-old patient with a three-week history of cough with no significant history is presented. Dextrocardia was diagnosed as an incidental finding. Due to high suspicion of Kartagener syndrome, complementary studies were requested and bronchoscopy was performed, obtaining all the components for a complete Kartagener syndrome.

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Background@#Current medical management of endometriosis leads to suppression of ovulation and will not be helpful for women with endometriosis who are desirous of pregnancy. Thus, drugs that can both treat endometriosis and its associated infertility are highly warranted.@*Objective@#Anti-angiogenic agents are potential drugs for patients with endometriosis and infertility. Among these drugs, dopamine agonist (DA) is promising since it does not interfere with ovulation, is safe, and not teratogenic. The aim of the study is to determine the efficacy and safety of DA for improving reproductive outcomes in women with endometriosis and infertility.@*Methods@#A qualitative narrative review was done from inception to July 31, 2022 using the appropriate MeSH terms in PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrial.gov, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Date analysis was through qualitative analysis and synthesis of researches and their outcome measures.@*Results@#No studies used the core outcomes for trials evaluating treatments for infertility associated with endometriosis. All the included articles in the review supported the possible anti-angiogenic effects of DA on the vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] /VEGF receptor system. The use of DA does not have an effect on ovulation and menstrual cyclicity. Studies on safety profile of DA were consistent with existing data.@*Conclusion@#Most of studies reviewed demonstrated that DA were effective in reducing endometriotic lesions. However, further research is required to establish whether this anti-angiogenic effect can improve reproductive outcomes in women with endometriosis-associated infertility.

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Naturally occurring mutations in morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) are associated with decreased ovulation rate (OR), litter size (LS), and sterility. It is of a great interest to elucidate BMP15 gene in Cholistani sheep breed to uplift socio-economic status and the knowledge of Cholistani sheep breeding in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. In our study, a total of 50 infertile Cholistani sheep aged between 2-6 years and having no blood relation were screened for BMP15 mutations. For this purpose, a high-quality DNA was extracted from the blood of sheep followed by primer designing, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification, DNA sequencing, and in silico analyses. Out of total 50 samples, 9 samples including case 1 (T3), case 2 (T8), case 3 (T17), case 4 (T22), case 5 (T25), case 6 (T33), case 7 (T40), case 8 (T44), and case 9 (T47) were found positive for a variety of already reported and novel BMP15 mutations. Further in silico analyses of the observed mutations have shown the functional impact of these mutations on different characteristics (molecular weight, theoretical PI, estimated half-life, instability index, sub-cellular localization, and 3D confirmation) of the encoded proteins, possibly altering the normal functionality. In a nutshell, findings of this study have confirmed the possible essential role of the BMP15 mutations in the infertility of the Cholistani sheep.

Mutações de ocorrência natural na proteína morfogenética 15 (BMP15) estão associadas à diminuição da taxa de ovulação (TO), tamanho da ninhada (TN) e esterilidade. Estudar a BMP15 na raça Cholistani para elevar o status socioeconômico e o conhecimento da criação de ovinos Cholistani no sul de Punjab, Paquistão. Em nosso estudo, 50 ovelhas Cholistani inférteis sem parentesco sanguíneo foram rastreadas para mutações BMP15. Para tanto, um DNA de alta qualidade foi extraído do sangue dessas ovelhas, seguido de concepção do primer, amplificação da reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR), sequenciamento de DNA e análises in silico. Do total de 50 amostras, 9, incluindo caso 1 (T3), caso 2 (T8), caso 3 (T17), caso 4 (T22), caso 5 (T25), caso 6 (T33), caso 7 (T40), caso 8 (T44) e caso 9 (T47), foram consideradas positivas para uma variedade de mutações BMP15 novas e já relatadas. Mais análises in silico das mutações observadas mostraram o impacto funcional dessas mutações em diferentes características (peso molecular, PI teórico, meia-vida estimada, índice de instabilidade, localização subcelular e confirmação 3D) das proteínas codificadas, possivelmente alterando a funcionalidade normal. Nossos achados confirmaram o possível papel essencial das mutações BMP15 na infertilidade de ovelhas Cholistani.

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BACKGROUND: Infertility affects fifteen percent of couples who wish to conceive. The mainstay of artificial re-productive technologies is in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), in which aspirated oocytes are fertilized, followed by the trans cervical replacement of an embryo(s) into the uterine cavity. However, the practice of assisted reproductive technology is loaded with short- and long-term complications. Complications may occur during the course of stimulation, ovum pickup, or embryo transfer. Ample studies are done on in vitro fertilization, but the frequency and im-portance of complications of IVF in low-resource settings where the treatment itself is not widely available are not well known. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the rate of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS) and asso-ciated factors among women who underwent controlled ovarian stimulation and IVF in a public IVF center in Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to review the medical records of women who have undergone ovarian stimulation and IVF treatment at the Saint Paul's Hospital Center for Repro-ductive Medicine and IVF. RESULTS: A total of 428 clients had controlled ovarian stimulation and IVF. The mean age of the partici-pants was 33 years. Among 428 couples who had IVF, majority 245 (57%) had IVF for female fac-tor infertility, followed by male factor infertility 89 (20%), and unexplained causes 53 (12%). The incidence of OHSS in our IVF population was 19 (4.4%) out of 428 women. Out of the 19 patients with OHSS, 17 (89%) developed mild and moderate symptons,and 2 out of 19 (10 %) had severe OHSS. The odds of developing OHSS was 6 times higher among those with PCOS, OR 5.78 CI (1.19, 28.22), p value of 0.03. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The overall rate of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome is higher in our IVF population. Emphasis should be given on thorough counseling and risk minimizing measures when women with PCOS undergo controlled ovarian stimulation.

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Introducción: La infertilidad es una enfermedad del sistema reproductivo que altera el equilibrio biológico, psicológico y social de las parejas. En Cuba existe un programa para el tratamiento de la pareja infértil y el Ministerio de Salud Pública incluye en sus directrices implementar las bases organizativas, sistema de trabajo, indicadores, funciones y control que garanticen el perfeccionamiento del Programa para la óptima atención de parejas infértiles, y dentro de esto se incluye confeccionar bases de datos donde se registren las parejas tratadas por este motivo. Objetivos: Implementar un Sistema de Gestión Hospitalaria para la atención de la pareja infértil, en el Centro Territorial de Holguín. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de desarrollo tecnológico, se confeccionó sobre el sistema de base de datos relacional postgreSQL, se empleó la herramienta Odoo con el objetivo de englobar en un único software todas las prestaciones que necesita la consulta. Se utilizó el lenguaje de programación Python. Resultados: SCAPI, permite gestionar la información de los pacientes y sus historias clínicas, está compuesto por módulos relacionados: configuración general, permite crear los perfiles de usuarios y los permisos para interactuar con el sistema; SCAPI muestra y gestiona toda la información relacionada con la historia clínica digital, la agenda de turnos, medios diagnósticos (estudios de reserva ovárica, espermogramas, ecografías ováricas, estudios hormonales, técnicas de baja y alta tecnología entre otros). Conclusiones: El Sistema de Gestión Hospitalaria para la atención de la pareja infértil, contribuye al objetivo de una mayor calidad de la atención al paciente pues gestiona la información de estos y sus historias clínicas de manera rápida, oportuna y fiable(AU)

Introduction: Biological infertility is a disease of the reproductive system that alters the psychological and social balance of couples. In Cuba there is a program for the treatment of infertile women and the Ministry of Public Health includes in its guidelines to implement the organizational bases, work system, indicators, functions and control that guarantee the improvement of the Program, including databases where couples treated for this reason are registered. Objective: To implement a Hospital Management System for the infertile couple care in the Holguín Territorial Center. Methods: A study of technological development was carried out using postgre SQL relational database system, Odoo tool, and Python programming language. Results: SCAPI allows to manage the information of patients and their medical records; it is made up of modules that are related to each other: the general configuration module which allows you to create user profiles and permissions to interact with the system; the SCAPI module which shows and manages all the information related to the digital medical history, appointment schedules, and diagnostic means (ovarian reserve studies, spermograms, ovarian ultrasound, hormonal studies, low and high technology techniques, among others). Conclusions: Hospital Management System for the care of infertile couples allows managing fast, timely and reliable information on patients and their medical records during care consultations for infertile couples with the aim of achieving a higher quality of patient care(AU)

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A hiperplasia adrenal congênita (HAC) pode cursar com redução da fertilidade na mulher. Entretanto, nos casos em que ocorre gestação, os recém-nascidos das por- tadoras de hiperplasia adrenal congênita exibem risco de hiperandrogenismo, com todas as suas consequências. A presente revisão atualiza o tema, considerando também as necessidades da assistência a essas pacientes. A busca identificou 294 artigos na base de dados MEDLINE/PubMed de 1961 a março/2023, e os resultados mostraram que as portadoras de hiperplasia adrenal congênita exibem significativa redução da fertilidade. Nos casos de interesse de gestação, as portadoras de hiper- plasia adrenal congênita devem fazer um planejamento reprodutivo, envolvendo a fase antenatal, o acompanhamento pré-natal especializado, o parto e o aleitamento.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia may lead to reduced male and female fertility. Mo- reover, when the pregnancy occurs, the newborns of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia are at risk of hyperandrogenism with all its consequences. This review updates the theme and emphasizes assistance needs. The search identified 294 ar- ticles in the MEDLINE/PubMed database from 1961 to March/2023, and the results showed that patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia truly exhibit a significant reduction in fertility. In cases of interest in pregnancy, patients with congenital adre- nal hyperplasia should carry out reproductive planning, involving the antenatal pha- se, specialized prenatal care, till delivery and breastfeeding.

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Objetivo: Verificar que los recolectores de orina no son tóxicos para los espermatozoides. Métodos: Se evaluó la toxicidad de recipientes de material de vidrio (control) y plástico (recolector de orina) con muestras de semen de buena concentración y movilidad de espermatozoides, mediante el estudio de la movilidad espermática a intervalos de 1 hora, a temperatura ambiente, durante 4 horas, siguiendo lineamientos de la quinta edición del Manual de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para el procesamiento de muestras de semen. Se comparó la movilidad progresiva entre ambos tipos de recipientes (vidrio y plástico) y se evaluaron las características morfotintoriales de los espermatozoides con la tinción diferencial de fluorescencia modificada. Resultados: No se hallaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p = 0,334) entre los grupos. Los espermatozoides que emitieron una fluorescencia verde, se categorizaron como normales y presentaron una fuerte correlación (r = 1,000; p = 0,000); mientras que, las tinciones amarilla (r = -0,838, p = 0,009) y anaranjada (r = 0,940, p = 0,000), estuvieron altamente correlacionadas con anormalidades de los espermatozoides, destacándose que la fluorescencia anaranjada, tuvo una alta correlación (r = 0,940, p = 0,000) con anormalidades de la cabeza. Conclusión: El recolector de plástico no tiene efectos tóxicos sobre los espermatozoides, satisface las necesidades de recogida de la muestra de semen. Con la tinción diferencial de fluorescencia modificada, la tinción verde se asocia a espermatozoides morfológicamente normales y las amarilla y anaranjada se asocian a anormalidades de la cabeza, pieza intermedia y pieza principal de los espermatozoides(AU)

Objective: To verify that urine collectors are not toxic to sperm. Methods: The toxicity of glass (control) and plastic (urine collector) containers with semen samples of good concentration and sperm motility was evaluated by studying sperm motility at intervals of 1 hour, at room temperature, for 4 hours, following guidelines of the fifth edition of the World Health Organization Manual for the processing of semen samples. The progressive motility between both types of containers (glass and plastic) was compared and the morphotintorial characteristics of the spermatozoa were evaluated with the modified fluorescence differential stain. Results: No statistically significant differences (p = 0.334) were found between the groups. Spermatozoa that emitted a green fluorescence were categorized as normal and presented a strong correlation (r = 1,000; p = 0.000); Whereas, yellow (r = -0.838, p = 0.009) and orange (r = 0.940, p = 0.000) stains were highly correlated with sperm abnormalities, highlighting that orange fluorescence had a high correlation (r = 0.940, p = 0.000) with head abnormalities. Conclusion: The plastic collector has no toxic effects on sperm, it satisfies the needs of collection of the semen sample. With modified fluorescence differential staining, green staining is associated with morphologically normal spermatozoa and yellow and orange stains are associated with abnormalities of the head, middle piece, and main piece of sperm(AU)

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Infertile couples seeking treatment experience a social stigma that can lead to the need for privacy and, in turn, compromise their access to social support. This multiple case study, that involved the collection of sociodemographic and health data and interviews with four heterosexual couples accessed by convenience, aimed to examine the perception of the couples about the social support received after the disclosure of the condition of infertility and/or of the assisted reproductive technology treatment. The cases were analysed individually and comparatively. From the couples' statements, it is highlighted that all of them revealed something about infertility and/or treatment at some point in the process, although some considered not revealing it. Both support and lack of support were perceived from the revelations. The non-disclosure was motivated by self-preservation and by avoidance of social pressure. The findings indicate the importance of psychological intervention to expand the couples' social support.

Parejas infértiles que buscan tratamiento experimentan un estigma social que puede acarrear la necesidad de privacidad y, a su vez, comprometer el acceso al apoyo social. Ese estudio de múltiples casos, que involucró la recogida de datos sociodemográficos, de salud y entrevistas con cuatro parejas heterosexuales accedidas por conveniencia, buscó examinar la percepción de las parejas sobre el apoyo social después de la revelación de la condición de infertilidad y/o del tratamiento con técnicas de reproducción asistida. Los casos fueron analizados individual y comparativamente. De las declaraciones de las parejas, se destaca que todas revelaron algo sobre la infertilidad y/o el tratamiento en algún momento del proceso, aunque algunos consideraron no revelarlo. Se percibió tanto el apoyo como la falta de apoyo a partir de las revelaciones. La no revelación fue motivada por la autopreservación y por la evitación de presión social. Los hallazgos indican la importancia de la intervención psicológica para ampliar el apoyo social de las parejas.

Casais inférteis que buscam tratamento experimentam um estigma social que pode acarretar a necessidade de privacidade e, por sua vez, comprometer o acesso ao apoio social. Este estudo de casos múltiplos, que envolveu a coleta de dados sociodemográficos, de saúde e entrevistas com quatro casais heterossexuais acessados por conveniência, objetivou examinar a sua percepção sobre o apoio social recebido após a revelação da condição de infertilidade e/ou de tratamento com técnicas de reprodução assistida. Os casos foram analisados individualmente e comparativamente. A partir das falas, destaca-se que todos revelaram algo sobre a infertilidade e/ou o tratamento em algum momento do processo, ainda que alguns tenham considerado não revelar. Percebeu-se tanto apoio como falta de apoio diante das revelações. A não revelação foi motivada pela autopreservação e pela evitação de pressão social. Os achados indicam a importância da intervenção psicológica para ampliar o apoio social dos casais.

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Introducción: La infertilidad afecta hasta un 15 por ciento de las parejas en edad reproductiva en el mundo y es uno de los factores que inciden en la baja natalidad de Cuba. Antes del 2016 no existían consultas de infertilidad en todos los municipios y era bajo el número de embarazos logrados, lo que motivó la decisión de extenderlas a todos los municipios del país. Objetivo: Describir los resultados de las consultas municipales de infertilidad en los primeros cuatro años de su implementación (2017-2020). Métodos: Estudio observacional transversal de casos, atendidos en las 82 consultas municipales de infertilidad existentes antes del 2016 y después de su generalización a todos los municipios del país. Resultados: En las consultas municipales han sido atendidas 81,3 por ciento de las parejas infértiles que lo demandan, se incrementó el número de consultas ofrecidas de 24 215 en el año 2016 a 140 183 en el 2020. En ese período se elevó en 10 por ciento los embarazos obtenidos, 63,5 por ciento de los logrados en todos los niveles de atención. Conclusiones: Las consultas municipales incrementaron sus resultados entre el año 2017 al 2020 y los nacimientos obtenidos pueden ser considerados como una contribución del sector salud a reducir la baja natalidad que experimenta el país(AU)

Introduction: Infertility affects up to 15percent of couples of reproductive age in the world and is one of the factors affecting the low birth rate in Cuba. Before 2016, infertility consultations did not exist in all municipalities and the number of pregnancies achieved was low, which motivated the decision to extend them to all municipalities in the country. Aim: To describe the results of municipal infertility consultations in the first four years of their implementation (2017-2020). Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of cases, attended in the 82 municipal infertility consultations existing before 2016 and after their generalization to all municipalities in the country. Results: 81.3percent of the infertile couples requesting treatment were attended in the municipal consultations. The number of consultations offered increased from 24 215 in 2016 to 140 183 in 2020. In that period, pregnancies obtained increased by 10 percent, 63.5 percent of those achieved at all levels of care. Conclusions: Municipal consultations increased their results from 2017 to 2020 and the births obtained can be considered as a contribution of the health sector to reduce the low birth rate experienced by the country(AU)

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@#Leydig cell tumor is a rare testicular neoplasm that can present as a non-palpable small testicular nodule. Here we present a case of a 36-year-old Filipino male who initially came in for fertility work-up. Semen analysis showed azoospermia. However, an incidental finding on ultrasound showed a well-circumscribed round tumor. The patient underwent radical orchiectomy. On histopathologic examination, a Leydig cell tumor was identified and supported by immunohistochemical staining. We discuss the clinical features pathogenesis, treatment, diagnosis and prognosis of this uncommon entity.

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Mycoplasma species (spp.) are bacteria that are difficult to detect. Currently, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is considered the most effective diagnostic tool to detect these microorganisms in both human and veterinary medicine. There are 13 known species of human Mycoplasma and 15 species of canine Mycoplasma. Owing to the difficulties in identifying the individual species of Mycoplasma, there is a lack of information regarding which species are saprophytic and which are pathogenic. The prevalence of the individual species is also unknown. In addition, in both humans and dogs, the results of some studies on the impact of Mycoplasma are conflicting. The presence of Mycoplasma spp. on the epithelium of reproductive tract is often associated with infertility, although they are also detected in healthy individuals. The occurrence of Mycoplasma spp. is more common in dogs (even 89%) than in humans (1.3%-4%). This is probably because the pH of a dog's genital is more conducive to the growth of Mycoplasma spp. than that of humans. Phylogenetically, human and canine Mycoplasma are related, and majority of them belong to the same taxonomic group. Furthermore, 40% of canine Mycoplasma spp. are placed in common clusters with those of human. This suggests that species from the same cluster can play a similar role in the canine and human reproductive tracts. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about the impact of Mycoplasma on canine and human male fertility as well as the prospects of further development in this field.

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OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a Fra(16)(q22)/FRA16B fragile site in a female with secondary infertility.@*METHODS@#The 28-year-old patient was admitted to Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital on October 5, 2021 due to secondary infertility. Peripheral blood sample was collected for G-banded karyotyping analysis, single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-array), quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays.@*RESULTS@#The patient was found to harbor 5 mosaic karyotypes involving chromosome 16 in a total of 126 cells, which yielded a karyotype of mos 46,XX,Fra(16)(q22)[42]/46,XX,del(16)(q22)[4]/47,XX,del(16),+chtb(16)(q22-qter)[4]/46,XX,tr(16)(q22)[2]/46,XX[71]. No obvious abnormality was found by SNP-array, QF-PCR and FISH analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#A female patient with FRA16B was identified by genetic testing. Above finding has enabled genetic counseling of this patient.

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Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), as a hypoxia inducible factor, affects women's reproductive function by regulating the development and excretion of follicles. HIF-1α induces glycolysis and autophagy in the granule cells by promoting oocyte development, regulating the secretion of related angiogenic factors, and improving follicle maturity. In addition, HIF-1α promotes the process of luteinization of follicular vesicles, maintains luteal function, and finally completes physiological luteal atrophy through cumulative oxidative stress. Dysfunction of HIF-1α will cause a series of pathological consequences, such as angiogenesis defect, energy metabolism abnormality, excessive oxidative stress and dysregulated autophagy and apoptosis, resulting in ovulation problem and infertility. This article summarizes the previous studies on the regulation of follicle development and excretion and maintenance of luteal function and structural atrophy by HIF-1α. We also describe the effective intervention mechanism of related drugs or bioactive ingredients on follicular dysplasia and ovulation disorders through HIF-1α, in order to provide a systematic and in-depth insights for solving ovulation disorder infertility.

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Extracellular vesicles (EV),nanoscale vesicles encapsulated by phospholipid bilayers,are rich in biological molecules such as nucleic acids,metabolites,proteins,and lipids derived from parental cells.They are mainly involved in intercellular communication,signal transmission,and material transport and affect the functions of target cells.Ovulation disorders account for a higher proportion in the factors causing infertility which demonstrates increasing incidence year by year.Non-coding RNAs participate in a series of physiological and pathological processes of follicular development,playing a key role in female infertility.This review systematically introduces the types and biological roles of EV and elaborates on the regulation of follicular development from the effects of EV and non-coding RNAs on granulosa cell function,oocyte maturation,ovulation,luteal formation,and steroid hormone synthesis,providing a new idea and a breakthrough point for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.

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Objective: To investigate the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging characteristics and clinical symptoms and therapeutic efficacy in adenomyosis patients. Methods: The clinical characteristics of the adenomyosis questionnaire was self-designed. This was a retrospective study. From September 2015 to September 2020, totally 459 patients were diagnosed with adenomyosis and underwent pelvic MRI examination at Peking University Third Hospital. Clinical characteristics and treatment were collected, MRI was used to determine the lesion location, and to measure the maximum lesion thickness, the maximum myometrium thickness, uterine cavity length, uterine volume, the minimum distance between the lesion and serosa or endometrium, and whether combined with ovarian endometrioma. The difference of MRI imaging characteristics in patients with adenomyosis and its relationship with clinical symptoms and therapeutic efficacy were analyzed. Results: (1) Among the 459 patients, the age was (39.1±6.4) years. There were 376 patients (81.9%, 376/459) with dysmenorrhea. Whether patients had dysmenorrhea were related to uterine cavity length, uterine volume, ratio of the maximum lesion thickness to the maximum myometrium thickness, and whether patients had ovarian endometrioma (all P<0.001). Multivariate analysis suggested that ovarian endometrioma was the risk factor for dysmenorrhea (OR=0.438, 95%CI: 0.226-0.850, P=0.015). There were 195 patients (42.5%, 195/459) with menorrhagia. Whether patients had menorrhagia were related to age, whether patients had ovarian endometrioma, uterine cavity length, the minimum distance between lesion and endometrium or serosa, uterine volume, ratio of the maximum lesion thickness to the maximum myometrium thickness (all P<0.001). Multivariate analysis suggested that ratio of the maximum lesion thickness to the maximum myometrium thickness was the risk factor for menorrhagia (OR=774.791, 95%CI: 3.500-1.715×105, P=0.016). There were 145 patients (31.6%, 145/459) with infertility. Whether the patients had infertility were related to age, the minimum distance between lesion and endometrium or serosa, and whether patients had ovarian endometrioma (all P<0.01). Multivariate analysis suggested that young and large uterine volume were risk factors for infertility (OR=0.845, 95%CI: 0.809-0.882, P<0.001; OR=1.001, 95%CI: 1.000-1.002, P=0.009). (2) The success rate of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) was 39.2% (20/51). Dysmenorrhea, high maximum visual analogue scale score and large uterine volume affected the success rate of IVF-ET (all P<0.05). The smaller the maximum lesion thickness, the smaller the distance between the lesion and serosa, the larger the distance between the lesion and endometrium, the smaller the uterine volume, and the smaller the ratio of the maximum lesion thickness to the maximum myometrium thickness, the better the therapeutic efficacy of progesterones (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Concomitant ovarian endometrioma increases the risk of dysmenorrhea in patients with adenomyosis. The ratio of the maximum lesion thickness to the maximum myometrium thickness is an independent risk factor for menorrhagia. Young and large uterine volume may increase the risk of infertility. Severe dysmenorrhea and large uterine volume affect the success rate of IVF-ET. The therapeutic efficacy of progesterones is relatively better when the lesion is small and far away from the endometrium.

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Objective To investigate the effect of intestinal mucosal Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway on renal damage in pseudo-sterile IgA nephropathy (IgAN) mice. Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into experimental group (pseudosterile mouse model group), control group (IgAN mouse model group), pseudosterile mouse blank group, and normal mouse blank group. Pseudosterile mice were established by intragastric administration of quadruple antibiotics once a day for 14 days. The pseudosterile IgAN mouse model was set up by combination of oral bovine serum albumin (BSA) administration and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) injection. The pathological changes of renal tissue were observed by immunofluorescence staining and PAS staining, and the intestinal mucosa barrier damage indicators lipopolysaccharide(LPS), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1(sICAM-1) and D-lactate(D-LAC) were analyzed by ELISA. Biochemical analysis was used to test 24 hour urine protein, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. The mRNA and protein levels of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) were detected by reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analysis. Results The kidney damage of pseudosterile IgAN mice was more severe than that of IgAN mice, and the expressions of intestinal mucosal barrier damage markers (LPS, sICAM-1 and D-LAC) were significantly increased in pseudosterile IgAN mice. In addition, the expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB level were all up-regulated in the intestinal tissues of IgAN pseudosterile mice. Conclusion Intestinal flora disturbance leads to intestinal mucosal barrier damage and induces activation of TLR4 signaling pathway to mediate renal injury in IgAN.

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Abstract Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) essential oil is wide spread in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. Dill is a member of the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family. It has the following biological activities: antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic, antihypercholesterolemic, antispasmodic, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory. Aqueous extract of dill seed has reported effects on sex hormones and infertility potential. Moreover, boiled dill seed has an impact on reducing labor duration in giving birth. Implantation and placentation are necessary for a healthy pregnancy in the early stages. Angiogenesis is responsible for these essential processes. This study aimed to investigate dill seed oil's cytotoxic and antiangiogenic effects on rat adipose tissue endothelial cells (RATECs). Dill seed oil showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity on RATECs. It disrupted endothelial tube formation and depolymerized F-actin stress fibers. According to this study, depolymerization of F-actin stress fiber by dill seed oil could inhibit angiogenesis by suppressing endothelial cell proliferation, tube formation and motility. In other words, dill seed oil can be a new anti-angiogenic agent and a novel contraceptive.

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Introducción: El hipotiroidismo es la insuficiente producción de hormona tiroidea, para satisfacer las necesidades corporales. Este puede ser primario (con pérdida de la función de la glándula tiroidea) o secundario (por falta de estimulación de la glándula). Dada la alta prevalencia del hipotiroidismo, y frecuentes asociaciones con otras enfermedades, se realizó una revisión que puntualiza aspectos de interés clínico en esta patología, que pueden resultar útiles en la práctica médica. Metodología: Se efectuó una búsqueda bibliográfica en PubMed, PubMed Central, MEDLINE Complete, Epistemonikos, Europe PMC y Scielo. Se buscaron los términos "hipotiroidismo" y "tiroides", y se acortaron los artículos a los últimos 5 años. Resultados: Se incluyeron en total 36 artículos publicados en Inglés y en Español. Se seleccionaron aquellos relacionados al hipotiroidismo que exponen asociaciones con otras patologías. Entre estas patologías se encuentra la diabetes, las dislipidemias, enfermedades cardiovasculares, hepáticas, entre otras. Conclusiones: El hipotiroidismo es una patología prevalente que se asocia de forma frecuente con muchas otras comorbilidades que hay que tener en cuenta a la hora de abordar estos pacientes, y con ello tomar las mejores decisiones diagnósticas y terapéuticas.

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is the insufficient production of thyroid hormone to meet the bodily needs. This can be primary (with loss of function of the thyroid glands) or secondary (due to lack of stimulation of the glands). Given the high prevalence of hypothyroidism, and frequent associations with other diseases, a review was carried out that points out aspects of clinical interest in this pathology, which may be useful in medical practice. Methodology: A bibliographic search was carried out in PubMed, PubMed Central, MEDLINE Complete, Epistemonikos, Europe PMC and Scielo. The terms "hypothyroidism" and "thyroid" were searched, and the articles were shortened to the last 5 years. Results: A total of 36 articles published in English and Spanish were included. Those related to hypothyroidism that exhibit associations with other pathologies were selected. These pathologies include diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular and liver diseases, among others. Conclusions: Hypothyroidism is a prevalent pathology that is frequently associated with many other comorbidities that must be taken into account when dealing with these patients, and thus make the best diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.