Molecular control of the implantation window. (1/2415)

Human endometrium is the end organ of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Therefore, endometrium is susceptible to changes in the cases of infertility that originate from disturbances in the normal functioning of this axis. In addition, some cases of unexplained infertility may be due to altered endometrial function. This disturbed endometrial function may originate from lesions in the molecular repertoire that are crucial to implantation. Human endometrium becomes receptive to implantation by the blastocyst within a defined period during the menstrual cycle. The duration of this so-called 'endometrial receptivity' or 'implantation' period seems to span from few days after ovulation to several days prior to menstruation. Successful implantation results from a co-ordinated series of events that would allow establishment of a timely dialogue between a receptive endometrium and an intrusive blastocyst. The members of the molecular repertoire that make endometrium receptive to implantation are gradually being recognized. Among these are the cytokines, integrins, heat shock proteins, tastin and trophinin. In addition, the expression of a second set of genes including tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and ebaf, may be the appropriate signal for the closure of the 'implantation window', for making the endometrium refractory to implantation and for preparing it for the menstrual shedding.  (+info)

The ultrastructure of fibromyomatous myometrium and its relationship to infertility. (2/2415)

The aim of this study was to determine whether the ultrastructure of the non-neoplastic myometrial portion (host myometrium) of fibromyomatous uteri is normal or abnormal when compared to that of fibromyomata and normal myometria. Myometrial samples from 23 normal and 54 fibromyomatous uteri were examined at the ultrastructural level using standard electron microscopy techniques. Ultrastructural abnormalities of certain cellular organelles were noted in myocytes of fibromyomata but not in those of normal or host myometria. The sarcolemmal dense bands of host myometrial myocytes were of significantly greater length than those of normal myometria, but not significantly different to those of fibromyomata. Consequently, the numbers of caveolae in host myometria and fibromyomata are conceivably decreased in comparison to normal myometria. Host myometria can be, therefore, considered to be structurally abnormal. The specific structural abnormality noted may affect calcium metabolism in these tissues by causing a decrease in the cellular calcium extrusion mechanism and thus raising intracellular calcium concentrations. Such an abnormality may provide an answer, in terms of contraction abnormalities, for the unexplained infertility that occurs in a small percentage of symptomatic myomatous patients.  (+info)

Paracrine changes in the peritoneal environment of women with endometriosis. (3/2415)

During the past decade, macrophage-derived substances such as prostanoids, cytokines, growth factors and angiogenic factors have been detected in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. In particular, growth-promoting and angiogenic factors are considered to be substantially involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. In this study, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), substances recently detected in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis, were assessed with regard to their concentrations in different stages of endometriosis and changes of the peritoneal paracrine activity after medical treatment with a gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). Peritoneal fluid was obtained from patients with endometriosis during laparoscopy before and after a 4-month treatment with a GnRHa. VEGF, TGF-beta and ICAM-1 could be detected in all women presenting with various stages of active endometriosis. After GnRHa therapy, all patients showed significant decreases in mean concentrations of VEGF (194+/-77 pg/ml), TGF-beta (902+/-273 pg/ml) and ICAM-1 (157+/-52 ng/ml). Patients with stage III and IV endometriosis (according to the rAFS score) had much higher concentrations of VEGF and TGF-beta before treatment compared with those patients with mild endometriosis (rAFS stages I and II). The most striking decrease in concentration was for TGF-beta, from 902 pg/ml before to 273 pg/ml after therapy. These results indicate an important role for paracrine activity in the establishment and maintenance of endometriosis. Indeed, treatment with a GnRHa may reduce paracrine activity in the peritoneal cavity via hypo-oestrogenism and provide proof of successful therapy.  (+info)

Endometriosis: a dysfunction and disease of the archimetra. (4/2415)

Endometriosis is considered primarily a disease of the endometrial-subendometrial unit or archimetra. The clinical picture of endometriosis characterises this disease as a hyperactivation of genuine archimetrial functions such as proliferation, inflammatory defence and peristalsis. While the aetiology of the disease remains to be elucidated, a key event appears to consist in the local production of extraovarian oestrogen by a pathological expression of the P450 aromatase. The starting event may consist in a hyperactivity of the endometrial inflammatory defence, a hyperactivity of the endometrial oxytocin/oxytocin receptor system or in the pathological expression of the P450 aromatase system itself. Regardless of which of these levels the starting event is localized in, they influence each other on both the level of the archimetra and the endometriotic lesions. Locally elevated oestrogen levels inevitably up-regulate the endometrial oxytocin mRNA and increased levels of oxytocin result in uterine hyperperistalsis, increased transtubal seeding of endometrial tissue fragments and finally subfertility and infertility by impairment of the uterine mechanism of rapid and sustained sperm transport. Locally increased levels of oestrogen lead, on both the level of the endometrial-subendometrial unit and the endometriotic lesion, to processes of hyperproliferation. These processes result, on the level of the uterus, in an infiltrative growth of elements of the archimetra into the neometra and, on the level of the endometriotic lesion, in infiltrative endometriosis. There is circumstantial evidence that trauma might be an important initial event that induces the specific biochemical and cellular responses of the archimetra. This model is able to explain both the pleiomorphic appearance of endometriosis and the, up until now, enigmatic infertility associated with mild and moderate endometriosis.  (+info)

Correlates of sexually transmitted bacterial infections among U.S. women in 1995. (5/2415)

CONTEXT: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) of bacterial origin such as gonorrhea and chlamydial infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility. Identifying behaviors and characteristics associated with infection may assist in preventing these often asymptomatic diseases and their sequelae. METHODS: Data from 9,882 sexually active women who participated in the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth describe the characteristics of women who report a history of infection with a bacterial STD or of treatment for PID. Multivariate analysis is used to determine which demographic characteristics and sexual and health-related behaviors affect the likelihood of infection or the occurrence of complications. RESULTS: Overall, 6% of sexually active women reported a history of a bacterial STD, and 8% reported a history of PID. Women who first had sexual intercourse before age 15 were nearly four times as likely to report a bacterial STD, and more than twice as likely to report PID, as were women who first had sex after age 18. Having more than five lifetime sexual partners also was associated with both having an STD and having PID. PID was more common among women reporting a history of a bacterial STD (23%) than among women who reported no such history (7%). In multivariate analyses, age, race, age at first intercourse and lifetime number of sexual partners had a significant effect on the risk of a bacterial STD. Education, age, a history of IUD use, douching and a history of a bacterial STD had a significant impact on the risk of PID, but early onset of intercourse did not, and lifetime number of partners had only a marginal effect. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of characteristics and behaviors that place women at risk of infection with bacterial STDs is not uniform among groups of women. Further, the level of self-reported PID would suggest higher rates of gonorrhea and chlamydial infection than reported.  (+info)

Mouse MutS-like protein Msh5 is required for proper chromosome synapsis in male and female meiosis. (6/2415)

Members of the mammalian mismatch repair protein family of MutS and MutL homologs have been implicated in postreplicative mismatch correction and chromosome interactions during meiotic recombination. Here we demonstrate that mice carrying a disruption in MutS homolog Msh5 show a meiotic defect, leading to male and female sterility. Histological and cytological examination of prophase I stages in both sexes revealed an extended zygotene stage, characterized by impaired and aberrant chromosome synapsis, that was followed by apoptotic cell death. Thus, murine Msh5 promotes synapsis of homologous chromosomes in meiotic prophase I.  (+info)

Requirement of RBP9, a Drosophila Hu homolog, for regulation of cystocyte differentiation and oocyte determination during oogenesis. (7/2415)

The Drosophila RNA binding protein RBP9 and its Drosophila and human homologs, ELAV and the Hu family of proteins, respectively, are highly expressed in the nuclei of neuronal cells. However, biochemical studies suggest that the Hu proteins function in the regulation of mRNA stability, which occurs in the cytoplasm. In this paper, we show that RBP9 is expressed not only in the nuclei of neuronal cells but also in the cytoplasm of cystocytes during oogenesis. Despite the predominant expression of RBP9 in nerve cells, mutational analysis revealed a female sterility phenotype rather than neuronal defects for Rbp9 mutants. The female sterility phenotype of the Rbp9 mutants resulted from defects in oogenesis; the lack of Rbp9 activity caused the germarium region of the mutants to be filled with undifferentiated cystocytes. RBP9 appears to stimulate cystocyte differentiation by regulating the expression of bag-of-marbles (bam) mRNA, which encodes a developmental regulator of germ cells. RBP9 protein bound specifically to bam mRNA in vitro, which is required for cystocyte proliferation, and the number of cells that expressed BAM protein was increased 5- to 10-fold in the germarium regions of Rbp9 mutants. These results suggest that RBP9 protein binds to bam mRNA to down regulate BAM protein expression, which is essential for the initiation of cystocyte differentiation into functional egg chambers. In hypomorphic Rbp9 mutants, cystocytes differentiated into egg chambers; however, oocyte determination and positioning were perturbed. Therefore, the concentrated localization of RBP9 protein in the oocyte of the early egg chambers may be required for proper oocyte determination or positioning.  (+info)

The negative effect of repeated equine chorionic gonadotropin treatment on subsequent fertility in Alpine goats is due to a humoral immune response involving the major histocompatibility complex. (8/2415)

In dairy goats, the use of eCG as a convenient hormone for the induction of ovulation is necessary for out-of-season breeding and artificial insemination. However, repeated eCG treatments are followed by decreased fertility in goats inseminated at a fixed time after treatment. In this report, we show the presence of anti-eCG antibodies in plasma of treated goats. A 500 IU eCG injection induces a humoral response, with variable concentrations of anti-eCG antibody being produced in individual goats. The analysis of successive anti-eCG immune responses over several years has demonstrated the existence of different populations of goats, defined as low, medium, and high responders. By the use of two caprine microsatellites located inside (OLADRB) and outside (BM1258) the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a significant association (p < 0.05) between the anti-eCG antibody response and some MHC-DRB alleles was found. Goats with high antibody concentrations at the time of eCG injection (> 2.5 microg/ml) exhibited a much lower kidding rate than did other females (41.3% vs. 66.7%). Lower fertility of these goats, inseminated at a fixed time after eCG treatment, might be due to the observed delay in estrus occurrence and the preovulatory LH surge.  (+info)