According to several studies, women with Crohn's disease (CD) had reduced fertility, which is mostly due to voluntary decisions and reduced ovarian reserve. In our study, we aimed to compare reproductive health parameters (RHP), previous pregnancy complications and outcomes, and ovarian reserve (OR) assessed by the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in CD patients with healthy controls. In CD patients, we also compared OR according to disease phenotypes. Consecutive pre-menopausal women with CD from two IBD centers were included. The control group consisted of age and BMI-matched healthy controls. We used a questionnaire that included RHP, CD phenotype, and CD activity. Serum AMH was assessed by the Elecsys AMH plus essay. We enrolled 50 patients and 56 controls with a median age of 31 years. All CD patients were in clinical remission. We observed no difference in RHP or AMH (median 2.6 vs. 2.1 ug/l, p = 0.98), or the proportion of low OR (AMH<1,77, 38 vs. 41.1 %, p=0.84). The slope of age-related decrease did not differ between the groups. The subgroup of CD patients after surgery and those older than 30 years with CD for >5years had a steeper decrease in AMH (slope -0.12 vs. -0.29, p = 0.04 and - 0.31 vs. -0.2, p = 0.029). In a multivariate analysis, age was the single independent predictor of low OR (OR=1.25). In women with Crohn’s disease, once the disease activity is under control, the reproductive health and ovarian reserve do not substantially differ from healthy controls., Tomáš Koller, Jana Kollerová, Tibor Hlavatý, Barbora Kadlečková, Juraj Payer., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This study aimed at examining the secretion activity of steroid hormones progesterone and 17β-estradiol by porcine ovarian granulosa cells after addition of green tea extract. Granulosa cells were incubated with green tea extract (at doses of 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μg.ml-1). Another set of cells were incubated with green tea extract at the above doses along with additional supplementation of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) at 10 μg.ml-1. Release of hormones by granulosa cells was assessed by EIA after 24 h exposure. Secretion of steroid hormones was not affected either by green tea extract alone or after FSH supplementation with green tea extract. Results indicate that ovarian steroidogenesis is not affected by green tea under conditions used in the experiment.
Beneficial effects of Sambucus nigra L. (black elder) as a traditional medicine have been associated with the phytoconstituents including polyphenols, terpenes and lectins. Various antioxidant rich natural products have also been implicated with improvement of reproductive health and fertility, however, the effect of Sambucus nigra on the ovarian cell functions has not been investigated yet. The objectives of the present study were to screen the polyphenols in the elderflower and elderberry extracts, and to examine the secretion activity of steroid hormones 17β-estradiol and progesterone by human ovarian granulosa cells HGL5 after supplementation of the extracts at a concentration range of 12.5 to 100 µg.ml-1 . Qualitative as well as quantitative screening of polyphenols by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis revealed rutin to be the most abundant polyphenol in both elderflower and elderberry extracts. In culture, neither elderflower nor elderberry extract caused any significant impact (p>0.05) in cell viability as studied by AlamarBlue assay in comparison to control. However, a dosedependent stimulation of 17β-estradiol release was detected by ELISA after supplementation of elderflower (at 50 µg.ml-1 ; p<0.01) and elderberry (at 100 µg.ml-1 ; p<0.05) extracts at higher doses used in the study. On the other hand, both elderflower and elderberry extracts stimulated the secretion of progesterone by HGL5 cells at a lower dose (12.5 µg.ml-1 ; p<0.05), as compared to control. Therefore, elderflower and elderberry extracts may have the potential to regulate steroidogenesis in ovarian cells., Simona Baldovska, Shubhadeep Roychoudhury, Marek Bandik, Michal Mihal, Erika Mnahoncakova, Julius Arvay, Ales Pavlik, Petr Slama, Adriana Kolesarova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Ovaries of Puto superbus and Ceroputo pilosellae are composed of numerous short telotrophic ovarioles that are arranged around the distal part of the lateral oviduct. An individual ovariole consists of a distal trophic chamber (= tropharium) and proximal vitellarium. The tropharia enclose individual trophocytes (= nurse cells) and early previtellogenic oocytes termed arrested oocytes. A single oocyte develops in each vitellarium. Analysis of serial sections has shown that ovarioles of P. superbus contain from 16 to 51 germ cells (13–43 trophocytes, 2–7 arrested oocytes, 1 developing oocyte) while those of C. pilosellae from only 8 to 10 germ cells (5–7 trophocytes, 0–2 arrested oocytes, 1 developing oocyte). The classification and phylogeny of scale insects are discussed taking into consideration the results of this study., Anna Michalik ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Apolipoprotein J (clusterin) is a component of high-density lipoproteins, the high level of which is reversely correlated with the risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, it exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects on endothelial cells and inhibits smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation, indicating that it may play a protective role in cardiovascular disease. However, the exact mechanisms by which this occurs remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify these underlying protective mechanisms by researching the inhibitory effects of apolipoprotein J via the NOD-like receptor protein 3 pathway on the inflammation induced by cholesterol crystals in THP‑1 macrophages. In culture, THP-1 macrophages were infected with adenoviral vectors containing apolipoprotein J genes and subsequently treated with cholesterol crystals. The inflammatory cytokines interleukin‑1β, interleukin 18 and tumour necrosis factor α were quantitatively measured with ELISA kits. NOD-like receptor protein 3, cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 1 and interleukin 1β were evaluated by Western blot and PCR analysis. As a result, apolipoprotein J expression was found to remarkably decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin 18 and interleukin 1β, secreted by THP‑1 macrophages. It was also found capable of inhibiting the levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3, cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase 1 and interleukin 1β both at the protein and mRNA levels. In the current study, we revealed that over-expression of apolipoprotein J attenuated the inflammation induced by cholesterol crystals through inhibition of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome pathway.
Cíl: Cílem pilotní studie bylo zjistit, zda dochází v průběhu klokánkování ke snížení srdeční a dechové frekvence u nedonošených novorozenců, zjistit zda klokánkování ovlivní periferní saturaci krve kyslíkem a délku hospitalizace nedonošených novorozenců na Jednotce intenzivní a resuscitační péče o novorozence. Dále zjistit, zda klokánkování ovlivňuje interakci matka - dítě. Metodika: Metodou studie byl experiment. Technikou sběru dat k posouzení efektu klokánkování bylo měření fyziologických funkcí. Interakce mezi matkami a jejich dětmi byly měřeny dotazníkem - Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS). Ke statistickému zpracování byl využit t-test pro dva výběry, neparametrický Wilcoxonův test, chí test a Fisherův exaktní test. Statistické testy byly hodnoceny na hladině významnosti 5 %. Výsledky: Z fyziologických funkcí byl signifikantně potvrzen vzestup tělesné teploty. Při porovnání intervenční a kontrolní skupiny před klokánkováním nebyl v interakcích matek k jejich dětem zaznamenán žádný signifikantní rozdíl. Před propuštěním (resp. po klokánkování) byl zájem o dítě u matek klokánkovaných dětí významně vyšší (p = 0,0354) oproti matkám, které své dítě neklokánkovaly. Ve všech položkách MPAS byla úroveň připoutání ke klokánkovanému dítěti před propuštěním vyšší než u neklokánkovaných novorozenců. Závěr: Klokánkování prokázalo pozitivní efekt na nedonošené novorozence v oblasti vzestupu tělesné teploty, zvýšeného zájmu o potřeby novorozence a silnějšího připoutání matky k novorozenci., Objective: The pilot study aimed at determining whether kangaroo mother care decreases heart and respiration rates in preterm newborns, affects saturation of peripheral oxygen and length of newborns’ hospital stay at a neonatal intensive care unit, and influences mother-child interaction. Methods: The method of study was an experiment. To assess the effect of kangaroo mother care, physiological functions were measured. Mother-child interaction was assessed using the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS). Statistical analyses were carried out with a two-sample t-test, non-parametric Wilcoxon test, chisquare test and Fischer’s exact test. The statistical tests were evaluated at a significance level of 5%. Results: Of the physiological functions studied, only body temperature was confirmed to be significantly increased. There was no significant difference in mother-child interaction prior to kangaroo care between the study and control groups. After kangaroo care (i.e. prior to hospital discharge), interest in their babies was significantly higher (p=0.0354) in mothers providing kangaroo care than in the controls. In all MPAS items, pre-discharge levels of maternal bonding were higher in the group of children provided with kangaroo care than in the controls. Conclusion: Kangaroo mother care was shown to have a positive effect on preterm newborns, as manifested by higher body temperature, increased interest in newborn’s needs and a stronger mother - child bond., Lucie Sikorová, Monika Suszková, and Literatura 19