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In contemporary times, the employment of vitrification freezing technology has led to the widespread adoption of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) worldwide. Meanwhile, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a crucial protocol for priming the endometrium during FET cycles. Estrogen is required in HRT cycles for the induction of progesterone receptors and to promote endometrial thickness. However, there is no universal consensus on the treatment duration, dosage regimen, administration route, and target serum estrogen levels. Therefore, this study aimed to offer a comprehensive review of these topics. A shorter duration of estrogen exposure may elevate the risk of early miscarriage, while prolonged exposure to estrogen does not seem to confer advantages to general population and may be attempted in individuals with thin endometrium. Moreover, excessive estrogen levels on the day of progesterone administration may be associated with higher miscarriage rates and lower live birth rates (LBR). To offer more comprehensive guidance for clinical practice, extensive and prospective studies involving a large sample size are warranted to determine the optimal concentration and duration of estrogen exposure.

Caesarean section rate is increasing and postoperative wound infection is a major health-threatening complication after caesarean section (CS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Cefazolin at different time for post-caesarean delivery. The aim of this study was to compare the use of Cefazolin at different times on infections after CS. The time of antibiotic use in CS can be divided into two groups: before skin incision (SI) and after cord clamping (CC). In this study, 268 relevant articles were found in the database, and finally, 10 articles were analysed. This study included a total of 5256 cases of caesarean section. The data on wound infections, endometritis, urinary tract infections and fever were analysed. Perform an analysis of the data using RevMan 5.3. The results showed that cefazolin before SI reduced wound infection compared to after CC (odds ratio [OR], 0.51; 95% CI: 0.37-0.69; p < 0.0001). Cefazolin prophylactically used before SI reduce endometritis after CS compared to after CC (OR, 0.52; 95% CI: 0.35-0.77; p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in urinary tract infections after CS between cefazolin prophylactically used before SI and after CC (OR, 0.80; 95% CI: 0.50-11.28; p = 0.35). There was no significant difference in fever after CS between the prophylactic use of cefazolin before SI and after CC (OR, 0.60; 95% CI: 0.26-11.43; p = 0.225). Cefazolin before SI reduces wound infection and endometritis after CS., (© 2024 The Authors. International Wound Journal published by Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: In our previous investigation, we revealed a significant increase in the expression of microRNA-6881-3p (miR-6881-3p) in follicular fluid granulosa cells (GCs) from women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) compared to those with normal ovarian reserve (NOR). However, the role of miR-6881-3p in the development of DOR remains poorly understood., Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the involvement of miR-6881-3p in the regulation of granulosa cells (GCs) function and the pathogenesis of DOR., Materials and Methods: Initially, we assessed the expression levels of miR-6881-3p in GCs obtained from human follicular fluid in both NOR and DOR cases and explored the correlation between miR-6881-3p expression and clinical outcomes in assisted reproduction technology (ART). Bioinformatic predictions and dual-luciferase reporter assays were employed to identify the target gene of miR-6881-3p. Manipulation of miR-6881-3p expression was achieved through the transfection of KGN cells with miR-6881-3p mimics, inhibitor, and miRNA negative control (NC). Following transfection, we assessed granulosa cell apoptosis and cell cycle progression via flow cytometry and quantified target gene expression through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB) analysis. Finally, we examined the correlation between target gene expression levels in GCs from NOR and DOR patients and their association with ART outcomes., Results: Our findings revealed elevated miR-6881-3p levels in GCs from DOR patients, which negatively correlated with ovarian reserve function and ART outcomes. We identified a direct binding interaction between miR-6881-3p and the 3'-untranslated region of the SMAD4. Transfection with miR-6881-3p mimics induced apoptosis in KGN cell. Furthermore, miR-6881-3p expression negatively correlated with both mRNA and protein levels of the SMAD4. The mRNA and protein levels of SMAD4 were notably reduced in GCs from DOR patients, and SMAD4 mRNA expression positively correlated with ART outcomes. In addition, the mRNA levels of FSHR, CYP11A1 were notably reduced after transfection with miR-6881-3p mimics in KGN cell, while LHCGR notably increased. The mRNA and protein levels of FSHR, CYP11A1 were notably reduced in GCs from DOR patients, while LHCGR notably increased., Conclusion: This study underscores the role of miR-6881-3p in directly targeting SMAD4 mRNA, subsequently diminishing granulosa cell viability and promoting apoptosis, and may affect steroid hormone regulation and gonadotropin signal reception in GCs. These findings contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of DOR., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To evaluate whether PTX3 is differentially expressed in the granulosa lutein cells derived from women with PCOS and whether BMP6 can regulate the expression of PTX3 in hGL cells., Methods: The expression levels of BMP6 and PTX3 in granulosa lutein cells were evaluated by RT-qPCR. The correlation between the expression levels of BMP6 /PTX3 and oocyte quality indexes were analyzed using clinical samples. The cells were incubated with BMP6 at different concentrations and times to check the expression of PTX3 in KGN cells. TGF-β type I inhibitors and small interfering RNA targeting ALK2/3/6,SMAD1/5/8 and SMAD4 were used to study the involvement of SMAD dependent pathways in KGN cells., Results: The levels of BMP6 in hGL cells were negatively correlated with the corresponding oocyte maturation rate and high-quality embryo rate, whereas the levels of PTX3 were positively correlated with the corresponding oocyte maturation rate in PCOS. Additionally, the in vitro cell cultured results showed BMP6 significantly inhibited the expression of PTX3 in KGN cells. Furthermore, using a dual inhibition approach (kinase inhibitors and small interfering RNAs), we identified the ALK2/ALK3 type I receptors and BMPR2/ACVR2A type II receptors and the downstream SMAD1/SMAD5-SMAD4 signaling pathway were responsible for the BMP6-induced cellular activities in KGN cells., Conclusions: The suppressive effect of BMP6 on PTX3 was mediated by ALK2/ALK3 type I receptors and BMPR2/ACVR2A type II receptors in granulosa cells through the SMAD1/5-SMAD4 dependent signaling pathway in PCOS.Our findings provides new insights into the understanding of the pathogenesis of PCOS-related ovulatory disorders., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background/aim: Cangfu Daotan Wan (CFDTW) has been widely used for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients in the type of stagnation of phlegm and dampness. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of CFDTW on PCOS with phlegm-dampness syndrome (PDS)., Methods: In silico analysis was adopted to identify CFDTW potential targets and the downstream pathways in the treatment of PCOS. Expression of PKP3 was examined in the ovarian granulosa cells from PCOS patients with PDS and rat PCOS models induced by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). PKP3/ERCC1 was overexpressed or underexpressed or combined with CFDTW treatment in ovarian granulosa cells to assay the effect of CFDTW on ovarian granulosa cell functions via the PKP3/MAPK/ERCC1 axis., Results: Clinical samples and ovarian granulosa cells of rat models were characterized by hypomethylated PKP3 promoter and upregulated PKP3 expression. CFDTW reduced PKP3 expression by enhancing the methylation of PKP3 promoter, leading to proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells, increasing S and G2/M phase-arrested cells, and arresting their apoptosis. PKP3 augmented ERCC1 expression by activating the MAPK pathway. In addition, CFDTW facilitated the proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells and repressed their apoptosis by regulating PKP3/MAPK/ERCC1 axis., Conclusion: Taken together, this study illuminates how CFDTW confers therapeutic effects on PCOS patients with PDS, which may offer a novel theranostic marker in PCOS., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Hydrogels are one type of materials that are widely exploited for bioactive agent delivery, partly owing to their high biocompatibility and low toxicity. When hydrogels are used as carriers, their performance in agent loading and sustained agent release are predominately determined by the gel structure, which can be largely affected by variations during gel preparation. Till now, effective and easy methods to enable monitoring of such variations in real time have been lacking, making quality control of the generated gel-based carrier technically challenging. To address this technical gap, in this study we take advantage of the clusteroluminogenic properties of gelatine and chitosan to generate a crosslinked blended hydrogel which not only shows intrinsic antibacterial properties and high tunability in delivery performance but also shows a self-indicating capacity to enable quality control during hydrogel preparation. Upon fitting the curves of agent release into different kinetic models, the release profiles of the agent-loaded gels have been found to follow the Higuchi model well, with the non-Fickian mechanism being the major mechanism of the release process. Along with their high efficiency in agent loading, our gels warrant further exploitation for use in bioactive agent delivery and related biomedical applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. The funder had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Gels with high drug release sustainability and intrinsic antibacterial properties are of high practical potential for cutaneous drug administration, particularly for wound care and skin disease treatment. This study reports the generation and characterization of gels formed by 1,5-pentanedial-mediated crosslinking between chitosan and lysozyme for cutaneous drug delivery. Structures of the gels are characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. An increase in the mass percentage of lysozyme leads to an increase in the swelling ratio and erosion susceptibility of the resulting gels. The drug delivery performance of the gels can be changed simply by manipulating the chitosan/lysozyme mass-to-mass ratio, with an increase in the mass percentage of lysozyme leading to a decline in the encapsulation efficiency and drug release sustainability of the gels. Not only do all gels tested in this study show negligible toxicity in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts, they also demonstrate intrinsic antibacterial effects against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, with the magnitude of the effect being positively related to the mass percentage of lysozyme. All these warrant the gels to be further developed as intrinsically antibacterial carriers for cutaneous drug administration., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by National Institute for Materials Science in partnership with Taylor & Francis Group.)

Introduction: Laser-assisted hatching (LAH) is a commonly used adjunct technique; however, its effectiveness has not been fully established., Objective: We evaluated the effects of LAH on pregnancy outcomes in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles of cleavage-stage embryos., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved 5779 FET cycles performed at the Reproductive and Genetic Center in the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2016 and December 2020. After propensity score matching, 3535 FET cycles were included, out of which 1238 were subjected to LAH while the remaining 2297 cycles were non-LAH (NLAH). The primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) while secondary outcomes included implantation rate (IR), biochemical pregnancy rate (BPR), ectopic pregnancy rate (EPR), pregnancy loss rate (PLR), multiple pregnancy rate (MPL), and monozygotic twinning rate (MTR). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to adjust for possible confounders. Subgroup analysis was also performed based on the endometrial preparation regimen., Results: The LAH group exhibited a higher LBR, compared to the NLAH group (34.9% vs. 31.4%, OR = 1.185, 95% CI = 1.023, 1.374, P = 0.024). Additionally, the LAH group showed a decreasing trend in PLR and EPR; however, differences were insignificant (P = 0.078, P = 0.063 respectively). Differences in IR (24.6% vs. 24.3%), BPR (41.8% vs. 40.4%), CPR (40.7% vs. 38.3%), MPR (14.1% vs. 17.3%), and MTR (1.4% vs. 1.1%) were insignificant. Subgroup analysis revealed that LAH may be more conducive for pregnancy outcomes in hormone replacement cycles., Conclusions: In summary, LAH has an increased chance of achieving live births. However, further prospective studies should be performed to confirm our findings., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to explore whether puncturing and aspirating asynchronized large follicles during long GnRH-a protocol COH impacted IVF-ET outcomes., Methods: A total of 180 patients with asynchronized follicles during long GnRH-a protocol COH were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into a puncture group, Group 1 (n = 81), and a non-puncture group, Group 2 (n = 99), according to whether puncture and aspiration were performed on the prematurely developing large follicles. The data of the selected patients were statistically analyzed to assess the effect of large follicle puncture and aspiration during ovulation induction on the final pregnancy results. In addition, we tentatively divided these 180 patients into either Group A (DF ≤ 14 mm) or Group B (DF > 14 mm) according to whether the diameter of the dominant large follicles (DF) exceeded 14 mm at the time of appearance. These two groups were then further divided into four subgroups: Subgroup A1 (DF ≤ 14 mm, patients underwent large follicle puncture), Subgroup A2 (DF ≤ 14 mm, patients did not undergo large follicle puncture), Subgroup B1 (DF > 14 mm, patients underwent large follicle puncture), and Subgroup B2 (DF > 14 mm, patients did not undergo large follicle puncture) based on whether large follicle puncture and aspiration were performed or not, aiming to compare the effects of large follicle puncture and aspiration on the clinical outcomes of patients with dominant large follicles at different time points., Results: Group 1 exhibited significantly higher oocyte maturation rate (92.3% vs. 88.9%, P = 0.009) and high-quality embryo rate (75.2% vs. 65.7%, P = 0.007) compared with Group 2. No differences were observed in the number of oocytes retrieved, 2PN fertilization rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, and live birth rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). When the dominant large follicles' diameter was ≤ 14 mm, the final oocyte maturation rate (92.7% vs. 88.1%, P = 0.023), high-quality embryo rate (72.9% vs. 61.8%, P = 0.047) and live birth rate (54.5% vs. 31.9%, P = 0.043) of Subgroup A1 were significantly higher than those of Subgroup A2. In contrast, when the dominant large follicles' diameter was > 14 mm, no statistical difference was observed in all data., Conclusions: Large follicle puncture and aspiration in long GnRH-a protocol COH could improve the oocyte maturation rate and high-quality embryo rate in patients with asynchronized follicles. However, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were not significantly improved. In addition, when the dominant follicles' diameter did not exceed 14 mm, large follicles puncture and aspiration significantly improved the patient's oocyte maturation rate, high-quality embryo rate and live birth rate., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Neuropsychiatric disorders have been one of the worldwide health problems contributing to profound social and economic consequences. It is reported that consumption of an excessive high-fat diet (HFD) in middle age could induce cognitive and emotional dysfunctions, whereas the mechanisms of the effects of long-term HFD intake on brain disorders have not been fully investigated. We propose a hypothesis that prolonged HFD intake throughout adulthood could lead to neurobehavioral deterioration via gut-brain axis. In this study, the adult C57BL/6J mice consuming long-term HFD (24 weeks) exhibited more anxiety-like, depression-like, and disruptive social behaviors and poorer performance in learning and memory than control mice fed with a normal diet (ND). In addition, the homeostasis of gut microbiota was impaired by long-term HFD consumption. Changes in some flora, such as Prevotellaceae&#95;NK3B31&#95;group and Ruminococcus , within the gut communities, were correlated to neurobehavioral alterations. Furthermore, the gut permeability was increased after prolonged HFD intake due to the decreased thickness of the mucus layer and reduced expression of tight junction proteins in the colon. The mRNA levels of genes related to synaptic-plasticity, neuronal development, microglia maturation, and activation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of HFD-fed mice were lower than those in mice fed with ND. Interestingly, the transcripts of genes related to tight junction proteins, ZO-1 and Occludin involved in blood-brain-barrier (BBB), were decreased in both hippocampus and prefrontal cortex after long-term HFD consumption. Those results indicated that chronic consumption of HFD in mice resulted in gut microbiota dysbiosis, which induced decreased expression of mucus and tight junction proteins in the colon, in turn leading to local and systemic inflammation. Those changes could further contribute to the impairment of brain functions and neurobehavioral alterations, including mood, sociability, learning and memory. In short, long-term HFD intake throughout adulthood could induce behavioral phenotypes related to neuropsychiatric disorders via gut-brain axis. The observations of this study provide potential intervention strategies to reduce the risk of HFD via targeting the gut or manipulating gut microbiota.

Background: Infertility is a global reproductive-health problem, and diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is one of the common causes of female infertility. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial regulators of numerous physiological and pathological processes in humans. However, whether lncRNAs are involved in the development of DOR remains to be elucidated., Methods: Ovarian granulosa cells (OGCs) extracted from infertile women with DOR and from women with normal ovarian reserve (NOR) were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify the differential expression of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and lncRNAs. Sequencing results were validated by the selection of lncRNAs and mRNAs using real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)., Results: Compared with the NOR group, a total of 244 lncRNAs were upregulated (53 known and 191 novel), and 222 lncRNAs were downregulated (36 known and 186 novel) in the DOR group. Similarly, 457 mRNAs had differential expression between the two groups. Of these, 169 were upregulated and 288 were downregulated. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes of mRNA and lncRNAs were considerably enriched in "cell adhesion and apoptosis", "steroid biosynthesis", and "immune system". A co-expression network comprising lncRNAs and their predicted target genes revealed the possible involvement of the "thyroid hormone signaling pathway" and "protein binding, digestion and absorption" in DOR pathogenesis. The expression of SLC16A10 was positively regulated by multiple lncRNAs. After RT-qPCR validation of seven differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs, respectively, the expression of lncRNA NEAT1, GNG12, ZEB2-AS1, and mRNA FN1, HAS3, RGS4, SUOX were in accordance with RNA-sequencing., Conclusions: We presented the first data showing that the expression profiles of lncRNA and mRNA in OGCs between NOR and DOR patients using RNA sequencing. The lncRNAs and mRNAs that we identified may serve as novel diagnostic biomarkers for patients with DOR., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Gut microbiota is the key controller of healthy aging. Hypertension and osteoarthritis (OA) are two frequently co-existing age-related pathologies in older adults. Both are associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis. Hereby, we explore gut microbiome alteration in the Deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-induced hypertensive rat model. Captopril, an anti-hypertensive medicine, was chosen to attenuate joint damage. Knee joints were harvested for radiological and histological examination; meanwhile, fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing. The 16S rRNA data was annotated using Qiime 2 v2019.10, while metagenomic data was functionally profiled with HUMAnN 2.0 database. Differential abundance analyses were adopted to identify the significant bacterial genera and pathways from the gut microbiota. DOCA-induced hypertension induced p16INK4a+ senescent cells (SnCs) accumulation not only in the aorta and kidney ( p < 0.05) but also knee joint, which contributed to articular cartilage degradation and subchondral bone disturbance. Captopril removed the p16INK4a + SnCs from different organs, partially lowered blood pressure, and mitigated cartilage damage. Meanwhile, these alterations were found to associate with the reduction of Escherichia-Shigella levels in the gut microbiome. As such, gut microbiota dysbiosis might emerge as a metabolic link in chondrocyte senescence induced by DOCA-triggered hypertension. The underlying molecular mechanism warrants further investigation.

Dietary intake of fermented soymilk is associated with hypotensive effects, but the mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the anti-hypertensive effects of soymilk fermented by L. rhamnosus AC1 on DOCA-salt hypertension from the point of view of oxidative stress, inflammatory response and alteration of the gut microbiome. The antioxidant assays in vitro indicated the ethanol extract (EE) of L. rhamnosus AC1 fermented soymilk showed better antioxidative effects than the water extract (WE). Those extracts displayed a hypotensive effect using a tail-cuff approach to measuring blood pressure and improved nitric oxide (NO), angiotensin II (Ang II), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin factor-6 (IL-6) on DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Furthermore, cardiac and renal fibrosis were attenuated by those extracts. The gut microbiota analysis revealed that they significantly reduced the abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, its family Enterobacteriaceae and genus Escherichia-Shigella . Moreover, metabolomic profiling revealed several potential gut microbiota-related metabolites which appeared to involve in the development and recovery of hypertension. In conclusion, fermented soymilk is a promising nutritional intervention strategy to improve hypertension via reducing inflammation and reverting dysbiotic microbiota.

Background: Despite a large number of studies on the selection of trigger drugs, it remains unclear whether the dual trigger with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, compared to the trigger with hCG alone, can improve the reproductive outcome of patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the laboratory and clinical outcomes of dual trigger versus single trigger., Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated 520 in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles between July 2014 and September 2020 at the Reproductive and Genetic Center of Integrative Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. All patients underwent IVF/ICSI treatment with fresh embryo transfer using the GnRH antagonist protocol. We used propensity score matching to control for confounding variables and binary logistic regression analysis to determine the correlations between trigger methods and pregnancy outcomes. After propensity score matching, 57 cycles from each group were evaluated and compared for laboratory or clinical outcomes in this retrospective cohort study., Results: There was no significant difference in the number of oocytes retrieved, embryos available, top-quality embryos, or the rate of normal fertilization between the dual-trigger and single-trigger protocols, respectively. The incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, implantation rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, early miscarriage rate, and live birth rate were also similar between the two groups, while the miscarriage rate (37.0% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.045) was higher in the dual-trigger than the single-trigger group. Subsequent binary logistic regression analysis showed that age was a remarkably significant independent predictor of both clinical pregnancy rate (odds ratio = 0.90, 95% confidence interval: 0.84-0.97, p = 0.006) and live birth rate (odds ratio = 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.82-0.97, p = 0.005)., Conclusions: Therefore, dual-trigger for final oocyte maturation might increase miscarriage rate, but in terms of the laboratory and other pregnancy outcomes such as clinical pregnancy rate, early miscarriage rate or live birth rate, there was no evidence to show that dual trigger was superior to an hCG-trigger alone for patients undergoing GnRH-antagonist cycles with fresh embryo transfer., Trial Registration: Retrospectively registered., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Previous studies have shown that frozen embryo transfer (FET) resulted in increased live birth rates (LBR) and reduced the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) than did fresh embryo transfer in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In addition, overweight/obese women with PCOS are at increased risk of subfertility and complications of pregnancy, compared with normal-weight women. The ovarian stimulation and artificial hormone regimes are the two more commonly used endometrial preparation protocols in PCOS patients.This retrospective study aims to compare the pregnancy outcomes of mildly stimulated cycles (mSTC) and artificial cycles (AC) prior to FET in overweight/obese women with PCOS., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in overweight/obese women with PCOS who underwent their first FET cycles from January 2018 to December 2020. Two endometrial preparation protocols were used: the mildly stimulated cycles (N = 173) and the artificial cycles (N = 507). All pregnancy outcomes were analyzed by Student's t-test, Chi-square (χ 2 ) statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses., Results: This study enrolled 680 cases of FET cycles. The mSTC group exhibited significantly higher LBR compared with the AC group (49.7% vs. 41.0%; P = 0.046), while the rate of miscarriage was significantly lower (6.4% vs. 23.0%; P < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed in positive pregnancy rate (57.8% vs. 60.0%, P = 0.618), clinical pregnancy rate (54.3% vs. 55.6%, P = 0.769), and ectopic pregnancy rate (2.1% vs. 3.2%, P = 0.860) between two groups. After adjusting for possible confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis also yielded similar results., Conclusions: For overweight/obese women with PCOS, mSTC-FET demonstrated a higher LBR and a lower pregnancy loss rate than that in the AC-FET. When considering the most cost-effective treatment with the least adverse effects on patients, the mSTC for FET endometrial preparation may be considered. To corroborate our findings, additional prospective randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes are required., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The role of the gut microbiota in various metabolic diseases has been widely studied. This study aims to test the hypothesis that gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with DOCA-salt-induced hypertension, while captopril, an antihypertensive drug, is able to rebalance the gut microbiota alterations caused by hypertension. Treatment with captopril resulted in an approximate 32 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (162.57 vs. 194.61 mmHg) in DOCA-salt-induced hypertensive rats, although it was significantly higher than that in SHAM rats (136.10 mmHg). Moreover, the nitric oxide (NO) level was significantly increased (20.60 vs. 6.42 µM) while the angiotensin II (Ang II) content (42.40 vs. 59.47 pg/ml) was attenuated nonsignificantly by captopril treatment in comparison to those of DOCA-salt-induced hypertensive rats. The introduction of captopril significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-ɑ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Hypertrophy and fibrosis in kidneys and hearts were also significantly attenuated by captopril. Furthermore, gut microbiota dysbiosis was observed in DOCA-salt-induced hypertensive rats. The abundances of several phyla and genera, including Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Escherichia-Shigella, Eubacterium nodatum and Ruminococcus, were higher in DOCA-salt-induced hypertensive rats than in SHAM rats, while these changes were reversed by captopril treatment. Of particular interest, the genera Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia, reported as beneficial bacteria in the gut, were abundant in only hypertensive rats treated with captopril. These results provide evidence that captopril has the potential to rebalance the dysbiotic gut microbiota of DOCA-salt-induced hypertensive rats, suggesting that the alteration of the gut flora by captopril may contribute to the hypotensive effect of this drug., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: There are several potential healthy or nutritional benefits from the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in foods. This study aimed to characterize the LAB isolates from kimchi, yogurt, and baby feces in the Hong Kong area and evaluate their performance in fermented soymilk, which allowed us to assess their potential use in future experiments. Methods: General characteristics including tolerance to acid, NaCl, bile salts and phenol, antimicrobial activity to various pathogens, and adhesive ability to Caco-2 cells were evaluated using 18 LAB in this study. To further demonstrate the influence of such isolates in soymilk fermentation, we measured viability by plating and noting changes in pH, amino acid content, aglyconic isoflavones content and antioxidant capacities in vitro, such as scavenging ability, and iron chelating ability. Results: In this study, various LAB isolates belonging to Lactobacillus rhamnosus , Lactobacillus sakei , Lactiplantibacillus plantarum , and L euconostoc mesenteroides isolated in Hong Kong were evaluated. L . plantarum isolates R7, AC12, and AC14.1, and L. rhamnosus AC1 showed higher tolerance to acid, NaCl, bile salts, and phenol as compared to the other isolates tested. L. plantarum isolates AC12, AC13 and AC14.1, and L. rhamnosus AC1 harbored strong antimicrobial activity. L. plantarum isolates R7, AC12, AC13 and AC14.1, and L. paracasei isolates R6 and R8 showed higher adhesive ability than the other tested isolates. In soymilk, the viable numbers of L. paracasei R5, L. plantarum R7, L. rhamnosus AC1, L. sakei AC2, and Leu. mesenteroides AC5 were much higher than the other tested isolates after 48 h of fermentation. The pH value measuring the lactic acid level in soymilk fermented by L. plantarum AC14.1 was the lowest in comparison to those in soymilk fermented by other isolates. In addition, the levels of free amino acids and isoflavones in the aglycone forms of L. rhamnosus AC1-fermented soymilk were the highest. L. rhamnosus AC1-fermented soymilk also showed the highest antioxidant potential, including DPPH scavenging ability and iron chelating ability. Conclusions: In general, L. plantarum isolates R7 and AC14.1 and L. rhamnosus AC1 exhibited higher tolerance to challenging conditions as compared to the other isolates. Moreover, L. rhamnosus AC1 exhibited superior performance in soymilk fermentation and potential as a starter and probiotic culture.

Among cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, coronary heart disease and stroke are the most well-known and extensively studied. The onset and progression of CVD is associated with multiple risk factors, among which, gut microbiota has received much attention in the past two decades. Gut microbiota, the microbial community colonizing in the gut, plays a prominent role in human health. In particular, gut dysbiosis is directly related to many acute or chronic dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system (CVS) in the host. Earlier studies have demonstrated that the pathogenesis of CVD is strongly linked to intestinal microbiota imbalance and inflammatory responses. Probiotics and prebiotics conferring various health benefits on the host are emerging as promising therapeutic interventions for many diseases. These two types of food supplements have the potential to alleviate the risks of CVD through improving the levels of several cardiovascular markers, such as total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and certain cytokines involved in the inflammatory response. In this review, we focus mainly on the preventive effects of probiotics and prebiotics on CVD via rebalancing the structural and functional changes in gut microbiota and maintaining immune homeostasis.

Background: This study aimed at determining the predictive value of human chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone levels on pregnancy outcomes in patients receiving in vitro fertilization due to fallopian tube associated infertility., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 854 cycles due to fallopian tube associated infertility in vitro fertilization fresh embryo transfer. The clinical data had been collected from January 2010 to December 2018 and was divided into 7 groups depending on the progesterone level on human chorionic gonadotropin administration day. Live birth rates and observation trends were calculated. The receiver operating characteristic curve was established to determine the optimal cutoff value for progesterone, which was used to further divide the data into 3 groups; Group 1 (progesterone ≦ 1.0 ng/ml), Group 2 (1.0 ng/ml ≤ progesterone ≤ 1.25 ng/ml), and Group 3 (progesterone ≥ 1.25 ng/ml). We then compared the ovulation results and clinical outcomes among the 3 groups., Results: There were no significant differences in age, infertility years, gonadotropin dosage, gonadotropin days, Luteinizing hormone level on human chorionic gonadotropin day, 2 pronuclear fertilization rates, clinical pregnancy rates, live birth rates, full-term birth rate, and preterm birth rates among the three groups. However body mass index (p = 0.001), basal luteinizing hormone (p = 0.034), estrogen peak (p < 0.001), number of oocytes obtained (P < 0.001) were significantly different., Conclusions: Progesterone level on human chorionic gonadotropin day does not affect the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rates after in vitro fertilization. However, progesterone levels between 1.0 and 1.25 ng/ml may lead to good clinical pregnancy outcomes.

Proper leaf development is essential for plant growth and development, and leaf morphogenesis is under the control of intricate networks of genetic and environmental cues. We are interested in dissecting these regulatory circuits genetically and report here the isolation of two Arabidopsis dominant mutants, abnormal shoot5-1D (abs5-1D) and abs7-1D identified through activation tagging screens. Both abs5-1D and abs7-1D display an intriguing upwardly curly leaf phenotype. Molecular cloning showed that the elevated expression of a bHLH transcription factor ABS5/T5L1/bHLH30 or a MYB transcription factor ABS7/MYB101 is the cause for the abnormal leaf phenotypes found in abs5-1D or abs7-1D, respectively. Protoplast transient expression assays confirmed that both ABS5/T5L1 and ABS7/MYB101 are targeted to the nucleus. Interestingly, the expression domains of auxin response reporter DR5::GUS were abnormal in leaves of abs5-1D and ABS5/T5L1 over-expression lines. Moreover, cotyledon venation analysis showed that more areoles and free-ending veins are formed in abs5-1D. We found that the epidermis-specific expressions of ABS5/T5L1 or ABS7/MYB101 driven by the Arabidopsis Meristem Layer 1 promoter (PAtML1) were sufficient to recapitulate the curly leaf phenotype of abs5-1D or abs7-1D. In addition, PAtML1::ABS5 lines exhibited similar changes in DR5::GUS expression patterns as those found in 35S-driven ABS5/T5L1 over-expression lines. Our work demonstrated that enhanced expressions of two transcription factors, ABS5/T5L1 and ABS7/MYB101, are able to alter leaf lamina development and reinforce the notion that leaf epidermis plays critical roles in regulating plant organ morphogenesis.