Association Between Vaginal Gardnerella and Tubal Pregnancy in Women With Symptomatic Early Pregnancies in China: A Nested Case-Control Study

The early diagnosis and treatment of ectopic pregnancy (EP) remains a major challenge. Despite a known link between vaginal microbiota and female reproductive health, few studies have focused on the association between vaginal microbiota and pregnancy location. This nested case-control study aimed to characterize the vaginal microbiota in tubal pregnancy (TP) among symptomatic women in early pregnancy. Women with symptomatic early pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) were included in this study. 16S rDNA gene sequencing was performed to assess vaginal microbial diversity and relative abundance. Machine learning and multivariate logistic regression were also used to evaluate the association between Gardnerella and TP. The results indicate that the vaginal microbiome in TP was more diverse (Shannon, p < 0.05) and was different in composition to that of women with intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) (weighted Unifrac, R = 0.08, p = 0.01). The genus Gardnerella was significantly enriched in TP. The XGBoost analysis was able to classify Gardnerella-induced TP more reliably (AUC = 0.621). Moreover, after adjusting potential confounders, our results indicate a robust association between Gardnerella and TP (as a continuous variable, adjusted OR: 12.0, 95% CI: 2.1–67.4, p < 0.01; as a categorical variable (≥0.85%), and adjusted OR: 4.2, 95% CI: 2.0–8.8, p < 0.01). In conclusion, we found that higher virginal Gardnerella levels were associated with TP in women with symptomatic early pregnancy.

Adverse Effects of Plasticizers and Pesticides on Female Reproductive Health

Central neuroendocrine system regulated by hypothalamus, controls most of the body homeostasis involving processes, like metabolism, reproduction, stress responsiveness, growth, and energy balance mainly through hormonal signals. Plasticizers and pesticides interact as endocrine disruptors with endocrine hormones causing adverse effects which tend to destroy the body homeostasis. Exposures to these compounds during critical developmental stages such as puberty and pregnancy (prenatal or perinatal) influence neurodevelopment, social behavior of the growing fetus and causes sexual dimorphism. Plasticizers and pesticides systemize its effects on adulthood either by mimicking, antagonizing, or having an impact on steroidal activity also along with hormonal disruptions. The aim of this review is to address some of the effects of plasticizers and pesticides exposure on female behavior. In this review, we are discussing the remedial nutritional choice to control the plasticizers and pesticides mediated endocrine disruption.

Male factor of infertility in spinal cord injury

Currently, traumatic spinal cord injury disease is a common problem in men of sexual and reproductive active age. The result may be disturbance of erectile and ejaculatory functions, which often leads to inability of natural conception. Vibrostimulation, electrical stimulation or surgical sperm extraction, intrauterine insemination procedures and assisted reproductive technologies are the standard procedures in the treatment of fertility disorders in men with spinal cord injury and dysejaculation. The effectiveness of the techniques directly depends on the quality of sperm and the female reproductive health. Currently, the potential mechanisms of the disorders of spermatogenesis in patients with spinal cord injury are not clearly learned. The literature review of sexual dysfunction and pathogenetic aspects of pathospermia in men with spinal cord injury is provided.

High Calorie Diet with a Combination of Intermittent Restriction Affects the Reproductive Cycle and The Weight of Mice (Mus Musculus)

Highlight:High-calorie diet influence with interval restrictions combination on the reproductive cycle and weight of the uterus in mice were analyzed.Calories balance impact for female reproductive health. Abstract :Balanced calories affected for body health and daily activities. Lose of energy can disturb the health and daily activities, while over calorie for diets also causes disorders such as metabolic. When there are excess calories in the body will be involved. It can be an obesity risk, diabetes mellitus, fertility disorder, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, in women there can be an increase in menstrual disorders and fertility disorderrisk (Silvestris et al., 2018). This study aims to analyze high-calorie diet influence with interval restrictions combination on the reproductive cycle and weight of the uterus in mice. Experimental laboratory is a mouse (mus musculus) female’s balb/c as object population. Sampling techniques using probability sampling with simple random sampling type. The study results on fisher's exact test gave a result of p > 0.05 so there was no significant difference between control group, high calorie diet group, and high calorie diet with interval restrictions group on the results of vaginal swabs /post-treatment reproductive cycle. The study outcome on robust tests between control, high calorie diet, and high calorie diet with interval restrictions groups. Obtained results (p < 0.05) that mean there are some significant discrepancies in the weight of uterine organ between groups. Calories balance in the body can impact female reproductive health.

Leptin and Female Reproductive Health

Leptin is a peptide hormone, secreted primarily by the adipose tissue, placenta being the second leptin-producing tissue in humans. Apart from playing an integral role in food intake regulation and energy balance, leptin is an important signalling molecule affecting human reproduction. Accumulated evidence suggests that leptin has potential roles in the regulation of GnRH and LH secretion, puberty, pregnancy, and lactation. Deregulation of leptin levels has been associated with several reproductive disorders including infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and polycystic ovary syndrome. This chapter illustrates the importance of leptin in female reproductive health, its role in the metabolic regulation of reproductive axis and its eventual pathophysiological implications in prevalent reproductive disorders.

Female Reproductive Health and Exposure to Phthalates and Bisphenol A: A Cross Sectional Study

The xenoestrogenicity of some plasticisers (phthalates and bisphenol A) is documented in the literature and may pose a risk to female reproductive health. The aim of this study was to assess exposure to six phthalates. This was achieved by measuring their respective metabolites (mono-ethylphthalate (MEP); mono-n-butylphthalate (MnBP); mono-n-ottylphthalate (MnOP); and monobenzylphthalate (MBzP)), as well as the sum of two of the diethyl-hexyl phthalate metabolites-(∑DEHP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in a female population with infertility problems, and by conducting a correlation analysis between infertility factors, work activities, and lifestyle habits, in order to formulate a causal hypothesis. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out and women under 43 years of age were recruited from an assisted reproduction technology (ART) center; the sample of 186 women was given a specific questionnaire and a spot urine sample was collected. Phthalate metabolites and urinary BPA were analyzed by HPLC/MS/MS. The results showed significantly higher mean values for MEP in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) (820.5 ± 1929.5 µg/g of creatinine) and idiopathic infertility (230.0 ± 794.2 µg/g of creatinine) than in women with other infertility factors (76.9 ± 171.8 µg/g of creatinine). Similarly, for MnOP levels, women with idiopathic infertility (2.95 ± 3.44 µg/g of creatinine) showed significantly higher values than women with the other infertility factors taken together (1.35 ± 2.05 µg/g of creatinine). Women with tubal factors of infertility, RPL, and endocrine dysfunctions show higher values of DEHP (p = 0.032). Considering occupations, women working in commerce showed more than twice as much urinary BPA levels (1.10 ± 0.48 µg/g of creatinine) compared to women working in other industries (0.45 ± 0.35 µg/g of creatinine). The presence of significantly higher values of certain phthalates, DEHP in particular, especially in women with RPL and idiopathic infertility, suggests a possible involvement of these compounds as competing factors in reproductive issues. The study of sources of exposure suggested that the working activity in trade, as a casher in particular, represents a major one for BPA (p = 0.015).