scholarly journals The Biological Clock: Age, Risk, and the Biopolitics of Reproductive Time

Sex Roles ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Yopo Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Biological Clock ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Time Reproduction ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Women’S Views

Abstract The present article explores the social and subjective dimensions of the biological clock and its implications for reproductive time through a qualitative study based on 40 life story interviews of women from Santiago de Chile. Although the narrative of the biological clock has become a prevalent frame for addressing reproductive time in the context of late childbearing, age-related infertility, and the use of assisted reproductive technologies, few studies engage in an in-depth analysis of the biological clock—its boundaries, dynamics, and the particular ways in which it shapes women’s views and experiences of reproductive time. The present article aims to advance current knowledge on the intersection of time, reproduction, and biopolitics by arguing that the biological clock regulates reproductive time by shaping the boundaries and dynamics of female fertility through the clock. By determining reproductive time as quantitative, standardised, linear, and irreversible and by outlining the passing of time through pressure, risk, and burden, the biological clock determines when it is possible and desirable to have children and regulates reproduction, gender, and the female life course. These findings highlight the importance of critically addressing the narrative of the biological clock and its implications for women’s views and experiences of reproductive time.

scholarly journals TERRA: A Novel Biomarker of Embryo Quality and Art Outcome

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 475
Author(s):  
Maria Santa Rocca ◽  
Ludovica Dusi ◽  
Andrea Di Nisio ◽  
Erminia Alviggi ◽  
Benedetta Iussig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Male Fertility ◽  
Embryo Quality ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Biological Clock ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
First Time

Telomeres are considered to be an internal biological clock, and their progressive shortening has been associated with the risk of age-related diseases and reproductive alterations. Over recent years, an increasing number of studies have focused on the association between telomere length and fertility, identifying sperm telomere length (STL) as a novel biomarker of male fertility. Although typically considered to be repeated DNA sequences, telomeres have recently been shown to also include a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) known as TERRA (telomeric repeat-containing RNAs). Interestingly, males with idiopathic infertility show reduced testicular TERRA expression, suggesting a link between TERRA and male fertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of seminal TERRA expression in embryo quality. To this end, STL and TERRA expression were quantified by Real Time qPCR in the semen of 35 men who underwent assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and 30 fertile men. We found that TERRA expression in semen and STL was reduced in patients that underwent ART (both p < 0.001). Interestingly, TERRA and STL expressions were positively correlated (p = 0.010), and TERRA expression was positively associated with embryo quality (p < 0.001). These preliminary findings suggest a role for TERRA in the maintenance of sperm telomere integrity during gametogenesis, and for the first time, TERRA expression was found as a predictive factor for embryo quality in the setting of assisted reproduction.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms Responsible for Increased Vulnerability of the Ageing Oocyte to Oxidative Damage

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina P. Mihalas ◽  
Kate A. Redgrove ◽  
Eileen A. McLaughlin ◽  
Brett Nixon
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Damage ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Oocyte Quality ◽  
Protein Repair ◽  
Protective Mechanisms ◽  
Pronounced Increase ◽  
Age Related

In their midthirties, women experience a decline in fertility, coupled to a pronounced increase in the risk of aneuploidy, miscarriage, and birth defects. Although the aetiology of such pathologies are complex, a causative relationship between the age-related decline in oocyte quality and oxidative stress (OS) is now well established. What remains less certain are the molecular mechanisms governing the increased vulnerability of the aged oocyte to oxidative damage. In this review, we explore the reduced capacity of the ageing oocyte to mitigate macromolecular damage arising from oxidative insults and highlight the dramatic consequences for oocyte quality and female fertility. Indeed, while oocytes are typically endowed with a comprehensive suite of molecular mechanisms to moderate oxidative damage and thus ensure the fidelity of the germline, there is increasing recognition that the efficacy of such protective mechanisms undergoes an age-related decline. For instance, impaired reactive oxygen species metabolism, decreased DNA repair, reduced sensitivity of the spindle assembly checkpoint, and decreased capacity for protein repair and degradation collectively render the aged oocyte acutely vulnerable to OS and limits their capacity to recover from exposure to such insults. We also highlight the inadequacies of our current armoury of assisted reproductive technologies to combat age-related female infertility, emphasising the need for further research into mechanisms underpinning the functional deterioration of the ageing oocyte.

scholarly journals Epigenetics and Neurological Disorders in ART

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 4169
Author(s):  
Marina La Rovere ◽  
Marica Franzago ◽  
Liborio Stuppia
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Epigenetic Modifications ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Increased Risk

About 1–4% of children are currently generated by Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) in developed countries. These babies show only a slightly increased risk of neonatal malformations. However, follow-up studies have suggested a higher susceptibility to multifactorial, adult onset disorders like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in ART offspring. It has been suggested that these conditions could be the consequence of epigenetic, alterations, due to artificial manipulations of gametes and embryos potentially able to alter epigenetic stability during zygote reprogramming. In the last years, epigenetic alterations have been invoked as a possible cause of increased risk of neurological disorders, but at present the link between epigenetic modifications and long-term effects in terms of neurological diseases in ART children remains unclear, due to the short follow up limiting retrospective studies. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about neurological disorders promoted by epigenetics alterations in ART. Based on data currently available, it is possible to conclude that little, if any, evidence of an increased risk of neurological disorders in ART conceived children is provided. Most important, the large majority of reports appears to be limited to epidemiological studies, not providing any experimental evidence about epigenetic modifications responsible for an increased risk.

scholarly journals Infertility and reproductive disorders: impact of hormonal and inflammatory mechanisms on pregnancy outcome

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Vannuccini ◽  
Vicki L. Clifton ◽  
Ian S. Fraser ◽  
Hugh S. Taylor ◽  
Hilary Critchley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnancy Outcome ◽  
Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Polycystic Ovary ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Obstetric Complications ◽  
Reproductive Disorders ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract BACKGROUND Reproductive disorders and infertility are associated with the risk of obstetric complications and have a negative impact on pregnancy outcome. Affected patients often require assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to conceive, and advanced maternal age is a further confounding factor. The challenge is to dissect causation, correlation and confounders in determining how infertility and reproductive disorders individually or together predispose women to poor pregnancy outcomes. METHODS The published literature, to June 2015, was searched using PubMed, summarizing all evidences concerning the perinatal outcome of women with infertility and reproductive disorders and the potential mechanisms that may influence poor pregnancy outcome. RESULTS Reproductive disorders (endometriosis, adenomyosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and uterine fibroids) and unexplained infertility share inflammatory pathways, hormonal aberrations, decidual senescence and vascular abnormalities that may impair pregnancy success through common mechanisms. Either in combination or alone, these disorders results in an increased risk of preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, placental pathologies and hypertensive disorders. Systemic hormonal aberrations, and inflammatory and metabolic factors acting on endometrium, myometrium, cervix and placenta are all associated with an aberrant milieu during implantation and pregnancy, thus contributing to the genesis of obstetric complications. Some of these features have been also described in placentas from ART. CONCLUSIONS Reproductive disorders are common in women of childbearing age and rarely occur in isolation. Inflammatory, endocrine and metabolic mechanisms associated with these disorders are responsible for an increased incidence of obstetric complications. These patients should be recognized as ‘high risk’ for poor pregnancy outcomes and monitored with specialized follow-up. There is a real need for development of evidence-based recommendations about clinical management and specific obstetric care pathways for the introduction of prompt preventative care measures.

scholarly journals Assessment of the health status of infants born from women of the late reproductive period

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 128-133
Author(s):  
Kh. M. Omarova ◽  
E. S.-А. Ibragimova ◽  
T. Kh.-M. Khashaeva ◽  
I. Kh. Magomedova ◽  
R. G. Omarova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Group I

Objective. To assess the condition of newborns from women of the late reproductive period (LRP), depending on the parity of births.Material and methods. The authors examined 130 pregnant women and their 130 newborns. Group I consisted of 60 primiparous women of late reproductive period and their 60 newborns, Group II included 40 multiparous women of the late reproductive period and their 40 newborns, Group III (control group) consisted of 30 healthy pregnant women aged from 18 to 25 years and their 30 newborns. The authors performed a retrospective analysis of the gestation course and perinatal outcomes. Ultrasound and neurosonography were used among the instrumental research methods.Results. Women of the late reproductive period gave birth to children in a state of asphyxia twice more often, who develop neurological disorders 1,5 times more often and complex postnatal adaptation and disorders of the perinatal period are twice more likely. Among women of the late reproductive period, primiparous women gave birth to children with the most severe disorders.Conclusion. The high incidence of neurological diseases in children born from women of the late reproductive period is associated with age-related changes in their germ cells, the implementation of assisted reproductive technologies, and the intake of hormonal drugs in early pregnancy. The data obtained should be taken into account by obstetricians in the course of pregnancy in women of late reproductive age; they should be included in the group of high risk of developing neurological disorders in children.

scholarly journals OVARIAN INFERTILITY FACTOR IN PATIENTS OF LATE REPRODUCTIVE AGE

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-20
Author(s):  
K. V. Uryupina ◽  
I. I. Kutsenko ◽  
E. I. Kravtsova ◽  
P. A. Gavryuchenko
Keyword(s):  
Fertility Decline ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Number Of Genes ◽  
Follicular Reserve

Objective: in women over 35 years of age, there is a progressive and age-related decline in fertility, which is due to multiple consequences, including a decrease in follicular reserve. Cytokines play a role, mediating the interaction between oocytes and other cells. In addition, there is a change in the expression of mRNA of a number of genes, leading to a decrease in the ability to bear children. The goal is to highlight the problem of reducing fertility in women of older reproductive age. Materials and methods: medLine, Pubmed, RISC, etc. Results: analysis of literature data shows that fertility decline is determined by a combination of physiological, molecular and genetic factors that play an increasing role as we age.Conclusion: the development of modern technology can solve the problem of infertility in the vast majority of cases. However, the lack of effectiveness of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for women over 35 years of age requires optimizing a care strategy for these women.

Estrous Cycle of Induced Ovulators: Lesson From The Camel — A Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-125
Author(s):  
Y Dauda
Keyword(s):  
Estrous Cycle ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Wave Pattern ◽  
Follicular Wave ◽  
Calving Intervals ◽  
Camel Husbandry ◽  
Ovulatory Process

Camel, rabbit, cat, ferrets, minks, koala and meadow moles are induced ovulators requiring copulation to trigger the ovulatory process and the estrous cycle differs from that of other domestic animals. The estrous cycle in these animals composed of follicular recruitment, follicular growth, follicular maturity and follicular regression phase. These animals are variously reared as companion, fur-bearing and meat animals. Among these, the camel is the most valuable and classical induced ovulator which is rear not only for milk and meat, but as work animal and contributes effectively to the welfare of people in harsh and difficult environments. As a classical induced ovulatory, camelid has cycling receptivity with distinctive estrus but requires mating in order to ovulate. The other classes of induced ovulators like cats and ferrets require both the presence of male to achieve behavioral estrus and actual copulation to ovulate. The camel has good prospects of survival as a suitable livestock for projects of sustainable agriculture and animal production under harsh desert or arid conditions. However the reproductive nature of camels presents a huge challenge to camel husbandry. The natural constraints include the long period of attaining puberty, limited breeding season, difficulties in induced ovulation, long gestation period and inter-calving intervals. Efforts to improve the reproductive efficiency of the female camel are closely related to a better understanding of the folliculogenesis or follicular wave pattern. Many investigators might not be aware of the peculiar reproductive information available about this animal species. A working knowledge of ovarian function or estrous cycle will be of immense importance to the application of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and enhancements of reproduction in camelids. This work presents the overview of estrous cycle in camel as a classical example of induced ovulators with the aim of providing current knowledge to the reader and to stimulate wider research interest in camel research and reproduction.

Myomectomy: rational management of the perioperative period and long-term treatment outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
N.M. Podzolkova ◽  
◽  
V.V. Korennaya ◽  
R.E. Kuznetsov ◽  
О.Yu. Ignatchenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Uterine Fibroids ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Endometrial Receptivity ◽  
Surgical Approaches ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Arterial Perfusion ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Long Term Treatment

Objective – to study the influence of various surgical approaches on the outcomes of myomectomy and to determine the optimal strategy of postoperative management of patients of childbearing age with uterine fibroids. Patients and methods. A retrospective study included 145 patients who had uterine fibroids with a total increase of 480–560 cm3, with the intramural component not less than 55% of the total volume. Patients of group 1 (n = 62) underwent classical laparoscopic myomectomy. Patients of group 2 (n = 48) had surgery supplemented by temporary reduction of arterial perfusion by temporary clipping of the uterine or internal iliac arteries. Robot-assisted myomectomy was performed in 34 patients of group 3. The comparison group comprised 54 women with uterine fibroids of the same sizes who did not undergo operative treatment, and the control group consisted of 36 healthy women. Results. After myomectomy, the progesterone/oestradiol receptor ratio in the endometrium increased from 1.8 to 4.6 and from 1.6 to 2.7 in patients who suffered from primary or secondary infertility before surgery. After surgery, the expression of НОХА-10 became higher in the epithelium and pinopodes of patients of both groups. But the positive response of the stromal cells was obtained only in women who had pregnancies before surgery. The expression of the proto-oncogene bcl-2 after myomectomy decreased in patients of all groups in both the stroma and epithelium, but it was more pronounced in women with primary infertility. Changes in the endometrium occur irrespective of the type of operative intervention. Taking into account the fact that temporary cessation of arterial perfusion in the uterus does not worsen endometrial receptivity but allows a 5-fold reduction of intraoperative blood loss, this technique might be regarded as one of the most effective for prevention of intra- and postoperative complications. The incidence of pregnancy following myomectomy was 84.7% among women who planned conception, whereas among women with myoma it was only 18.9%. The number of pregnancies after assisted reproductive technologies amounted to 19.4% of the total number of patients. Conclusion. Surgical treatment of uterine fibroids makes it possible to improve a reproductive prognosis and achieve a pregnancy in 85% of cases, which, among other factors, is due to improvement of endometrial receptivity. Key words: pregnancy, contraception, uterine fibroid, myomectomy, reproductive outcomes, endometrial receptivity

scholarly journals Extracellular Vesicles in the Oviduct: Progress, Challenges and Implications for the Reproductive Success

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almiñana ◽  
Bauersachs
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Reproductive Events

The oviduct is the anatomical part of the female reproductive tract where the early reproductive events take place, from gamete transport, fertilization and early embryo development to the delivery of a competent embryo to the uterus, which can implant and develop to term. The success of all these events rely upon a two-way dialogue between the oviduct (lining epithelium and secretions) and the gametes/embryo(s). Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as major components of oviductal secretions and pointed to as mediators of the gamete/embryo-maternal interactions. EVs, comprising exosomes and microvesicles, have emerged as important agents of cell-to-cell communication by the transfer of biomolecules (i.e., mRNAs, miRNAs, proteins) that can modulate the activities of recipient cells. Here, we provide the current knowledge of EVs in the oviductal environment, from isolation to characterization, and a description of the EVs molecular content and associated functional aspects in different species. The potential role of oviductal EVs (oEVs) as modulators of gamete/embryo-oviduct interactions and their implications in the success of early reproductive events is addressed. Lastly, we discuss current challenges and future directions towards the potential application of oEVs as therapeutic vectors to improve pregnancy disorders, infertility problems and increase the success of assisted reproductive technologies.

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