scholarly journals Loss of ASPM Disrupts Female Folliculogenesis in Mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miyuki Mori ◽  
So Tando ◽  
Hiroshi Ogi ◽  
Akira Fujimori ◽  
Kyoko Itoh
Keyword(s):  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Vaginal Smear ◽  
Causative Gene ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Vaginal Cytology ◽  
Ovarian Size ◽  
Ovary Function ◽  
Cyclic Changes ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background: The abnormal spindle-like, microcephaly-associated (ASPM) gene is a causative gene of autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) 5 in humans, which is characterized by a reduction in brain volume. It was previously reported that truncated ASPM proteins in transgenic mice caused major defects in the germline, a severe reduction in ovary weight and the number of follicles accompanied by reduced fertility. However; it remains unknown whether a loss of ASPM induces abnormal ovarian function, resulting in female infertility. Methods: In order to assess the ovary function, we examined vaginal smear cytology from the age of 7 weeks to 100 weeks in CAG-mediated Cre-loxP conditional Aspm-/- knockout mice and control female mice. In addition, we evaluated the ovarian size, fibrosis ratio and the number of follicles (primordial, primary, secondary, antral and atretic follicles) in mice from 15 weeks to 100 weeks old by image analyses. Mann-Whitney U-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The size of the ovary was significantly reduced in Aspm knockout mice at 15-20 weeks, 40-50 weeks and 70-80 weeks old. compared with the control mice. Furthermore, at all stages, we found a severe decrease in the number of developing follicles at 10-15 weeks, 40-50 weeks and 70-80 weeks old, accompanied by disrupted cyclic changes of vaginal cytology. Conclusion: The results showing that folliculogenesis was significantly decreased and associated with abnormal vaginal cytology in Aspm knockout female ovaries suggested that ASPM might play an important role in the folliculogenesis and estrous cyclicity of the postnatal ovary.

scholarly journals Systemic metabolite profiling reveals sexual dimorphism of AIBP control of metabolism in mice

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0248964
Author(s):  
Jun-dae Kim ◽  
Lingping Zhu ◽  
Quan Sun ◽  
Longhou Fang
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Metabolite Profiling ◽  
Krebs Cycle ◽  
Leigh Syndrome ◽  
Metabolite Profile ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Metabolic Basis ◽  
And Control ◽  
Cellular Cholesterol Efflux

Emerging studies indicate that APOA-I binding protein (AIBP) is a secreted protein and functions extracellularly to promote cellular cholesterol efflux, thereby disrupting lipid rafts on the plasma membrane. AIBP is also present in the mitochondria and acts as an epimerase, facilitating the repair of dysfunctional hydrated NAD(P)H, known as NAD(P)H(X). Importantly, AIBP deficiency contributes to lethal neurometabolic disorder, reminiscent of the Leigh syndrome in humans. Whereas cyclic NADPHX production is proposed to be the underlying cause, we hypothesize that an unbiased metabolic profiling may: 1) reveal new clues for the lethality, e.g., changes of mitochondrial metabolites., and 2) identify metabolites associated with new AIBP functions. To this end, we performed unbiased and profound metabolic studies of plasma obtained from adult AIBP knockout mice and control littermates of both genders. Our systemic metabolite profiling, encompassing 9 super pathways, identified a total of 640 compounds. Our studies demonstrate a surprising sexual dimorphism of metabolites affected by AIBP deletion, with more statistically significant changes in the AIBP knockout female vs male when compared with the corresponding controls. AIBP knockout trends to reduce cholesterol but increase the bile acid precursor 7-HOCA in female but not male. Complex lipids, phospholipids, sphingomyelin and plasmalogens were reduced, while monoacylglycerol, fatty acids and the lipid soluble vitamins E and carotene diol were elevated in AIBP knockout female but not male. NAD metabolites were not significantly different in AIBP knockout vs control mice but differed for male vs female mice. Metabolites associated with glycolysis and the Krebs cycle were unchanged by AIBP knockout. Importantly, polyamine spermidine, critical for many cellular functions including cerebral cortex synapses, was reduced in male but not female AIBP knockout. This is the first report of a systemic metabolite profile of plasma samples from AIBP knockout mice, and provides a metabolic basis for future studies of AIBP regulation of cellular metabolism and the pathophysiological presentation of AIBP deficiency in patients.

Compliance or negotiation? Diyanet’s female preachers and the diffusion of a ‘true’ religion in Turkey

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 530-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Maritato
Keyword(s):  
Religious Authority ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Religious Engagement ◽  
State Monopoly ◽  
Turkish State ◽  
And Control ◽  
Religion In Turkey

This article addresses the religious activities of the female preachers ( vaizeler) employed by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). It investigates the extent to which, and how, the activities carried out by the Diyanet’s vaizeler are in compliance with a state attempt to standardise and control female religious engagement. As religious officers, the vaizeler both spread and embody an organised religion. However, far from any dichotomous perspective, to assert their religious authority the Diyanet’s preachers navigate daily between compliance with the institution’s dogmas and negotiation with a plurality of interpretations labelled as unofficial, popular and traditional. To fully assess this issue, this article refers to ethnographic observations of everyday vaizeler’s preaching activities in Istanbul’s mosques. Conducted between 2013 and 2014, these observations are crucial for contextualising the evolution of the Turkish state monopoly over religious affairs, particularly in the aftermath of the July 2016 attempted coup.

scholarly journals PPAR Gamma: Coordinating Metabolic and Immune Contributions to Female Fertility

PPAR Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cadence E. Minge ◽  
Rebecca L. Robker ◽  
Robert J. Norman
Keyword(s):  
Cell Activation ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Ovarian Tissue ◽  
Ppar Gamma ◽  
Female Fertility ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Lipid Uptake ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor ◽  
Cyclic Changes

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) regulates cellular functions such as adipogenesis and immune cell activation. However, new information has indicated additional roles of PPARG directing the cyclic changes that occur within ovarian tissue of female mammals, including those that facilitate the release of oocytes each estrous cycle. In addition to ovarian PPARG expression and function, many PPARG actions within adipocytes and macrophages have additional direct and indirect implications for ovarian function and female fertility. This encompasses the regulation of lipid uptake and transport, insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and the regulation of inflammatory mediator synthesis and release. This review discusses the developing links between PPARG activity and female reproductive function, and highlights several mechanisms that may facilitate such a relationship.

HORMONAL-CYCLIC CHANGES IN RATS UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND UNDER STRESS AS REVEALED BY VAGINAL SMEARS AFTER SHORR STAINING

1959 ◽  
Vol XXXII (II) ◽  
pp. 261-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Grönroos ◽  
Olavi Kauppila
Keyword(s):  
Vaginal Epithelium ◽  
Oestrous Cycle ◽  
Vaginal Smear ◽  
Vaginal Smears ◽  
Stress Group ◽  
Temporary Rise ◽  
Cyclic Changes

ABSTRACT By examining vaginal smears after fixing in ether-ethanol and Shorr staining, the authors have followed the variations in the relative proportions of cells from different layers of the vaginal epithelium, cytolysis, clumping and curling of the edges of the superficial cells, and the occurrence of mucus and leucocytes in the smears during the normal oestrous cycle in 14 rats. All these factors were observed to undergo periodic variations. Vaginal smears were also examined to determine the effect of stress on the hormonal equilibrium of the rat. Disturbances were noted in the oestrous cycles of all rats in the stress group. One to three oestrous cycles occurred in each rat during the first two weeks of the stress period. Even in these, the layer index for superficial cells did not rise to the level during normal oestrus. A persistent dioestrous state was established or only a slight temporary rise in the layer index of the vaginal smear occurred during the last two weeks of the four-week stress period.

scholarly journals PSYCHOLOGICAL AND HEALTH ISSUES FACED BY WOMEN AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT PREVENTING MEASURES IN DISTRICT JAIL FAISALABAD, PUNJAB PAKISTAN: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (02) ◽  
pp. 10-14
Author(s):  
Asma Ehsan ◽  
◽  
Zaib-un- Nisa ◽  
Uzma Niaz ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Moral Education ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Legal Consciousness ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Female Prisoners ◽  
Female Crime ◽  
Lock In ◽  
And Control

Crime committed by a woman is an important factor that influences the family’s harmony and social stability. In recent years, the female crime rate has been a gradual increase, and its growth rate has exceeded that of male crime in the corresponding period. This not only relates to the weakly legal consciousness of a small number of women but also relates with the families and the society. To effectively prevent and control female crime. Efforts should be made to enhance women's legal and moral education, combat domestic violence, perfect the legal system, improve the social security system, and strengthen the assistance and education to female prisoners. This study is designed to investigate the psychological and health issues faced by women who are under lock in the district jail Faisalabad. The study was qualitative and the case study method was used for data collection from the district jail Faisalabad. The present study was conducted in the district jail of Faisalabad. 15 Women were taken as a sample size that is under lock in the district jail Faisalabad. In-depth interviews were conducted with the respondents, to explore their psychological and health issues. Moreover, thematic analysis was applied to draw the results and analysis. Keywords: Psychological, health, women, family’s harmony, preventing measures, thematic analysis

scholarly journals Simple and Rapid Method for Rat Estrous Cycle Identification Using Crystal Violet- Hormonal Consideration

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (04) ◽  
pp. 54-59
Author(s):  
Nazia Begum ◽  
Kandavalli Manipriya ◽  
Rahathunnisa Begum ◽  
Veeresh B
Keyword(s):  
Estrous Cycle ◽  
Rapid Method ◽  
Crystal Violet ◽  
Vaginal Smear ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Ovarian Morphology ◽  
Female Wistar Rats ◽  
Vaginal Cytology ◽  
Histomorphological Changes ◽  
Hormonal Levels

Rat estrous cycle determination or vaginal smear staining is paramount for studies related to endocrinology and reproduction; in the present study; we have reported a simple and rapid method for estrous cycle determination in rats using crystal violet. With this technique, the identification of stages can be done even on the next day. Hormonal variation in blood and histomorphological changes in ovaries at different stages of the estrous cycle were studied in female Wistar rats, which can be used to determine the hormone levels in works related to hormonal drugs, further ovarian morphology can be used to study changes in ovaries during the estrous cycle. This study aims to report a rapid and simple method for vaginal cytology using crystal violet and to report normal hormonal levels and histomorphology of ovaries in various phases of the estrous cycle.

scholarly journals ARP2/3-independent WAVE/SCAR pathway and class XI myosin control sperm nuclear migration in flowering plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (51) ◽  
pp. 32757-32763
Author(s):  
Mohammad Foteh Ali ◽  
Umma Fatema ◽  
Xiongbo Peng ◽  
Samuel W. Hacker ◽  
Daisuke Maruyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Migration ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Double Fertilization ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Dynamic Movement ◽  
Myosin Xi ◽  
And Control

After eukaryotic fertilization, gamete nuclei migrate to fuse parental genomes in order to initiate development of the next generation. In most animals, microtubules control female and male pronuclear migration in the zygote. Flowering plants, on the other hand, have evolved actin filament (F-actin)-based sperm nuclear migration systems for karyogamy. Flowering plants have also evolved a unique double-fertilization process: two female gametophytic cells, the egg and central cells, are each fertilized by a sperm cell. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of how flowering plants utilize and control F-actin for double-fertilization events are largely unknown. Using confocal microscopy live-cell imaging with a combination of pharmacological and genetic approaches, we identified factors involved in F-actin dynamics and sperm nuclear migration inArabidopsis thaliana(Arabidopsis) andNicotiana tabacum(tobacco). We demonstrate that the F-actin regulator, SCAR2, but not the ARP2/3 protein complex, controls the coordinated active F-actin movement. These results imply that an ARP2/3-independent WAVE/SCAR-signaling pathway regulates F-actin dynamics in female gametophytic cells for fertilization. We also identify that the class XI myosin XI-G controls active F-actin movement in theArabidopsiscentral cell. XI-G is not a simple transporter, moving cargos along F-actin, but can generate forces that control the dynamic movement of F-actin for fertilization. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms that control gamete nuclear migration and reveal regulatory pathways for dynamic F-actin movement in flowering plants.

Sex as a determining factor in the effect of exercise on in vivo autoimmune response adjuvant arthritis

1994 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 1172-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ferry ◽  
C. Le Page ◽  
M. Rieu
Keyword(s):  
Adjuvant Arthritis ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Autoimmune Response ◽  
Human Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Control Female ◽  
And Control ◽  
Arthritic Joints

The present study was conducted to examine the effect of physical exercise on the development of adjuvant arthritis (AA), an animal model of the human rheumatoid arthritis, which is a T-cell-dependent autoimmune response. AA was inducted on day 0 in 8-wk-old Lewis rats of both sexes. Between postinjection days 1 and 12, two groups of rats (male and female) were trained on a treadmill every day (45–120 min/day and 15–30 m/min) before the onset of arthritic disease. Trained female (n = 27) and male (n = 22) rats and control female (n = 29) and male (n = 17) rats were observed every 2 days for the following clinical signs of AA: number of arthritic joints (swelling and redness), paw thickness, and weight gain during the disease. The results show that the incidence of arthritis (% of arthritic rats) was significantly higher in trained female rats (74%; P < 0.03) and significantly lower in trained male rats (27%; P < 0.05) compared with control rats of both sexes (female, 45%; male, 59%). There was no difference in the severity and development of the disease between trained rats and control rats of both sexes (P > 0.05). The present study indicates that the effect of exercise on the incidence of AA, an in vivo autoimmune response, depends on the sex of the animal.

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