Luteal phase after conventional stimulation in the same ovarian cycle might improve the management of poor responder patients fulfilling the Bologna criteria: a case series

Elevated uterine blood flow is associated with increases in local estrogen-to-progesterone ratios during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle and late pregnancy. Because protein kinase C (PKC) activation increases arterial tone, decreased PKC activity may mediate vasodilation. Therefore, we determined uterine (UA) and systemic artery (SA, omental) PKC activity (pmol.mg protein-1.min-1) during the follicular (n = 6), early luteal (n = 4), and late luteal (n = 3) phases of the sheep ovarian cycle, and at 110 +/- 3 (n = 4) and 130 +/- 1 (n = 8) (+/- SE) days of ovine gestation. The stage of the ovarian cycle was verified by the presence of follicles (high estrogen) or corpora lutea (high progesterone) on the ovary and by plasma estrogen and progesterone concentrations. UA-PKC activity (pmol.mg protein-1.min-1) during the follicular phase was 100 +/- 18 and increased progressively to 155 +/- 28 during the early luteal phase and to 219 +/- 37 (P less than 0.05) during the late luteal phase; SA-PKC activity was unchanged. A local utero-ovarian relationship was observed, i.e., UA-PKC activity was lower (P less than 0.001) in UA ipsilateral to ovaries with only follicles (105 +/- 14) when compared with UA adjacent to ovaries with corpora lutea (224 +/- 26), which was similar to SA-PKC activity (184 +/- 35). UA-PKC activity fell from 344 +/- 70 at 110 days to 109 +/- 12 at 130 days gestation (P less than 0.05); SA-PKC activity was unchanged. During the ovarian cycle and latter one-third of ovine pregnancy, increased estrogen production is associated with decreased UA-PKC activity; thus local ovarian and placental steroids may alter PKC activity, thereby regulating UA tone and blood flow.

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Ovarian Cycle-Specific Regulation of Adipose Tissue Lipid Storage by Testosterone in Female Nonhuman Primates

Endocrinology ◽

10.1210/en.2013-1428 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 154 (11) ◽

pp. 4126-4135 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Oleg Varlamov ◽

Michael P. Chu ◽

Whitney K. McGee ◽

Judy L. Cameron ◽

Robert W. O'Rourke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adipose Tissue ◽

Fatty Acid ◽

Sex Hormones ◽

Luteal Phase ◽

Fatty Acid Uptake ◽

Ovarian Cycle ◽

Lipid Storage ◽

Hormone Sensitive Lipase ◽

Acid Uptake ◽

Hormone Sensitive

Previous studies in rodents and humans suggest that hyperandrogenemia causes white adipose tissue (WAT) dysfunction in females, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In light of the differences in the length of the ovarian cycle between humans and rodents, we used a nonhuman primate model to elucidate the effects of chronic hyperandrogenemia on WAT function in vivo. Female rhesus macaques implanted with testosterone capsules developed insulin resistance and altered leptin secretion on a high-fat, Western-style diet. In control visceral WAT, lipolysis and hormone-sensitive lipase expression were upregulated during the luteal phase compared with the early follicular (menses) phase of the ovarian cycle. Hyperandrogenemia attenuated elevated lipolysis and hormone-sensitive lipase activity in visceral WAT during the luteal phase but not during menses. Under control conditions, insulin-stimulated Akt and Erk activation and fatty acid uptake in WAT were not significantly affected by the ovarian cycle. In contrast, testosterone treatment preferentially increased fatty acid uptake and insulin signaling at menses. The fatty acid synthase and glucose transporter-4 genes were upregulated by testosterone during the luteal phase. In summary, this study reveals ovarian stage-specific fluctuations in adipocyte lipolysis and suggests that male sex hormones increase and female sex hormones decrease lipid storage in female WAT.

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Dual stimulation using corifollitropin alfa in 54 Bologna criteria poor ovarian responders – a case series

Reproductive BioMedicine Online ◽

10.1016/j.rbmo.2019.01.007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (5) ◽

pp. 677-682 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Birgit Alsbjerg ◽

Thor Haahr ◽

Helle O Elbaek ◽

Rita Laursen ◽

Betina B Povlsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Series ◽

Bologna Criteria ◽

Corifollitropin Alfa ◽

Poor Ovarian Responders

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Reply: ‘Second stimulation in the same ovarian cycle’, probably a terminology more appropriate than ‘luteal phase stimulation’ in the DuoStim protocol

Human Reproduction ◽

10.1093/humrep/deab018 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alberto Vaiarelli ◽

Danilo Cimadomo ◽

Laura Rienzi ◽

Filippo Maria Ubaldi

Keyword(s):

Luteal Phase ◽

Ovarian Cycle

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A Case Series on Platelet-Rich Plasma Revolutionary Management of Poor Responder Patients

Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation ◽

10.1159/000491697 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 84 (1) ◽

pp. 99-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Konstantinos Sfakianoudis ◽

Mara Simopoulou ◽

Nikolaos Nitsos ◽

Anna Rapani ◽

Agni Pantou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Rich Plasma ◽

Case Series ◽

Poor Responder

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Serum concentrations of deoxycorticosterone in women during the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle are not suppressed by dexamethasone treatment

Journal of Steroid Biochemistry ◽

10.1016/0022-4731(83)90156-5 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 1313-1317 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

C.Richard Parker ◽

A.John Rush ◽

Paul C. MacDonald

Keyword(s):

Luteal Phase ◽

Ovarian Cycle ◽

Serum Concentrations ◽

Dexamethasone Treatment

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Similar miRNomic signatures characterize the follicular fluids collected after follicular and luteal phase stimulations in the same ovarian cycle

Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics ◽

10.1007/s10815-019-01607-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 149-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Danilo Cimadomo ◽

Ramona Carmelo ◽

Elvira Immacolata Parrotta ◽

Stefania Scalise ◽

Gianluca Santamaria ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Luteal Phase ◽

Ovarian Cycle ◽

Follicular Fluids

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Demonstration of 2-unsaturated C19-steroids in the urine of female Asian elephants, Elephas maximus, and their dependence on ovarian activity

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/rep.0.1210475 ◽

2001 ◽

pp. 475-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

M Dehnhard ◽

M Heistermann ◽

F Goritz ◽

R Hermes ◽

T Hildebrandt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Relationships ◽

Luteal Phase ◽

Additional Data ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Ovarian Cycle ◽

Elephas Maximus ◽

Ovarian Activity ◽

Cycle Duration ◽

Asian Elephants ◽

Volatile Substances

Air-borne volatile substances have been demonstrated to signal oestrus, induce ovulation and synchronize ovarian activity in different mammals. An oestrous-related pheromone of the female Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is known to induce behavioural responses in elephant bulls. Additional data revealed that timing of oestrus in females with close social relationships tends to be synchronized. Therefore, urine from female Asian elephants might be expected to contain luteal phase-dependent volatile substances, which may function as additional chemical signals in this species. The aim of the present study was to identify such compounds and to investigate their pattern of excretion throughout the ovarian cycle. Urine samples were collected three times a week during the follicular phase and one to three times a week during the luteal phase from five adult female Asian elephants from a total of 13 non-conception cycles and one conception cycle, including the first 72 weeks of pregnancy. A simple headspace solid-phase microextraction method has been developed for quantification of urinary volatile substances and analysis was performed by gas chromatography. The comparison of urine collected during the follicular and the luteal phase indicated the presence of two luteal phase-dependent substances. Mass spectrometry was used to identify one substance as 5alpha-androst-2-en-17-one and a second substance as the corresponding alcoholic compound 5alpha-androst-2-en-17beta-ol. The 5alpha-androst-2-en-17beta-ol and -17-one profiles reflected cyclic ovarian activity with clear (10-20-fold) luteal phase increases. Furthermore, measurements of both compounds were correlated positively with the concentration of urinary pregnanetriol and indicated cycle duration (15.1 +/- 1.2 weeks) similar to that obtained from pregnanetriol measurements (15.2 +/- 1.6 weeks). The results demonstrate the presence of two luteal phase-specific steroidal volatile compounds in elephant urine. One of the substances, 5alpha-androst-2-en-17-one, has been demonstrated in human axillary bacterial isolates. The measurement of both volatile substances in elephant urine can be used for rapid detection of the stage of the ovarian cycle, as the analysis can be completed within 2 h.

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