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Ovarian Cycle (ovarian + cycle)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	76%
Medical Sciences	23%

Selected Abstracts

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Comparative Analysis of Peripheral Natural Killer Cells in the Two Phases of the Ovarian Cycle

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Ageliki Pantazi
Problem Changes in endometrial Natural Killer (NK) cells during the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle are important in initiating/maintaining a subsequent pregnancy. In the present study it was investigated whether during the menstrual cycle changes occur also in peripheral blood (PB) NKs. Method of study Blood samples during the follicular and the luteal phase were collected from 30 women without fertility problems. Samples were analyzed by flow-cytometry for: (1) NK cells (CD3,CD16+CD56+) and (2) intracellular production of interferon-, (IFN-,) by NK cells. For the comparison and correlation of the two populations between the two phases, Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman's Coefficient were used. Results The differences in percentages of CD3,CD16+CD56+ cells and that of CD3,CD16+CD56+/IFN-,+ cells between the follicular and the luteal phase were not statistically significant (10.61 ± 5.11 versus 9.76 ± 4.57 and 6.48 ± 7.90 versus 7.30 ± 6.77, respectively, P > 0.05). The correlation between the two variables (NK% and NK/IFN-,%) was weakly positive (P = 0.07) only in the follicular phase. Conclusion The study did not reveal menstrual cycle-depended changes in PB NK cells. Thus, a suggestion to measure these cells in a specific phase of the cycle in order to predict the outcome of a subsequent pregnancy in women with fertility problems is objected. [source]

Quantitative aspects of the regulation of ovarian development in selected anautogenous Diptera: integration of endocrinology and nutrition

ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 2 2001
L. Barton Browne
Abstract Aspects of the influence of nutrition on the degree of ovarian development in selected anautogenous Diptera are reviewed. The Diptera considered are several mosquito species, with emphasis on Aedes aegypti, the house fly, Musca domestica, the Australian bush fly, M. vetustissima and the blowflies, Lucilia cuprina and Phormia regina. All the selected species display discrete ovarian cycles in which all oocytes destined to reach maturity in a particular ovarian cycle develop synchronously. In these species, the proportion of females maturing oocytes and, where such data exist, the number of oocytes they mature are positively correlated with the amount of any particular nitrogen-containing material ingested or given by enema or by infusion. In addition, the degree of ovarian development may be affected by the chemical composition of nitrogen-containing food. Possible physiological bases for the observed relationships are discussed. Available evidence suggests that whether or not a female matures any oocytes is hormonally regulated and that the number of oocytes matured is probably regulated by the availability of nutrients. Some approaches that might further elucidate the physiological regulatory mechanisms involved in ovarian development are outlined. [source]

Urinary steroids, FSH and CG measurements for monitoring the ovarian cycle and pregnancy in the chimpanzee

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
Keiko Shimizu
Abstract: Non-invasive methods for monitoring reproductive status of chimpanzee based on the measurement of urinary steroids and gonadotropins were examined. A typical pre-ovulatory urinary estrone conjugate (E1C) surge and post-ovulatory increase in pregnandiol glucuronide (PdG) were seen during the menstrual cycle. Urinary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) showed two peaks over the infertile menstrual cycle. The earliest changes indicating pregnancy were a coincident rise in E1C and chorionic gonadotropin (CG) levels and a concomitant fall in FSH levels. Urinary PdG levels showed a prolonged rise. Urinary E1C in the pregnant chimpanzee was higher than during the menstrual cycle and increased with advancing gestation, with maximum levels occurring near term. In the case of stillbirth, E1C and CG levels from mid- through late-pregnancy were low and the prepartum progressive increase in E1C was not shown. The data presented here are of great practical value in captive breeding management of chimpanzees. [source]

Relationship between sexual interactions and the timing of the fertile phase in captive female Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009
Cécile Garcia
Abstract Japanese macaques live in multi-male/multi-female social groups in which competition between males, female mate choice, and alternative male mating strategies are important determinants of mating and reproductive success. However, the extent to which adult males rely on female behavior to make their mating decisions as well as the effect of social rank on mating success are not clear as results are inconclusive, varying from study to study. In this study, we combined behavioral and endocrine data of 14 female Japanese macaques to examine the relationship between ovarian cycle phase and frequency of sexual behaviors, and to investigate how social rank influences sexual behavior in this species. We found that there was no increase in female proceptive behaviors during the fertile phase of the ovarian cycle, suggesting that female behaviors did not clearly signal the probability of conception. In spite of that, the frequencies of ejaculatory copulations were highest during this phase, indicating that the attractivity of females increased significantly during the period with higher probability of conception. Males, and especially the highest ranking male, were able to discriminate females nearing ovulation and to concentrate their mating effort, implying that the timing of ovulation was not concealed from them. The , male seemed able to monopolize most female matings, which is probably due in part to the low number of females simultaneously ovulating and to the limited number of inconspicuous places that the lower ranking males have to mate with females and avoid , male aggression. All together, these results suggest that different males may have access to different signals of ovulation and/or are differentially restrained as to how they can act on that information. The exact nature of the estrogen-related cues males use to recognize female reproductive status, and to what extent males use them warrants further investigation. Am. J. Primatol. 71:868,879, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Measurement of urinary and fecal steroid metabolites during the ovarian cycle in captive and wild Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2001
Shiho Fujita
Abstract We measured the concentration of steroid hormones from urine, feces, and blood samples of two captive Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata, during nonconceptive ovarian cycles to compare the patterns of the excreted steroids with those of circulating steroids. Urine and feces were analyzed for estrone conjugates (E1C) and pregnanediol-3-glucronide (PdG) using enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), while plasma was analyzed for estradiol-17,(E2), progesterone (P), and luteinizing hormone (LH) using radioimmunoassays (RIAs). Urinary and fecal E1C and PdG levels were approximately parallel to plasma E2 and P levels, respectively. The E1C profiles of daily urinary and fecal samples revealed a midcycle peak, followed by a sustained PdG increase lasting up to two weeks from the E1C peak. A fecal E1C peak was one day later than the urinary E1C peak. One of the captive females exhibited a discrete plasma LH peak, one indicator that ovulation has occurred, on the day following the urinary E1C peak, i.e., the same day of fecal E1C peak. We measured excreted steroids in nine wild females and determined the timing of ovulation by comparing fecal steroid profiles to those obtained in captive monkeys. Data from wild females indicated that eight of nine females conceived during their first ovulatory cycle of the sampling period, whereas the remaining female failed to conceive during the sampling period even though she ovulated. In the eight females that conceived, E1C increased again following the detected or estimated E1C peak, with levels comparable to the preovulatory peak levels, and sustained elevations of PdG for over 40 days. These data illustrate that the urinary and fecal profiles of ovarian steroid excretion obtained through the application of these noninvasive techniques provide an accurate approach for monitoring conceptive and nonconceptive ovarian cycle in captive and free-living Japanese macaques. Am. J. Primatol. 53:167,176, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Rapid actions of oestrogen on gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons; from fantasy to physiology?

THE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 21 2009
Allan E. Herbison
Oestradiol (E2) exerts critical homeostatic feedback effects upon gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons to maintain fertility. In the female, E2 has both negative and positive feedback actions to suppress and stimulate GnRH neuron activity at different times of the ovarian cycle. This review summarizes reported rapid E2 effects on native embryonic and adult GnRH neurons and attempts to put them into a physiological perspective. Oestrogen has been shown to rapidly modulate multiple processes in embryonic and adult GnRH neurons including intracellular calcium levels, electrical activity and specific second messenger pathways, as well as GnRH secretion itself. Evaluation of in vivo data suggests that there is no essential role for rapid E2 actions in the positive feedback mechanism but that they may comprise part of the negative feedback pathway. Adult GnRH neurons are only likely to be exposed to E2 from the gonads via the circulation with appropriate physiological E2 concentrations in the rodent being 10,50 pm for negative feedback ranging up to 400 pm for positive feedback. Although most studies to date have examined the effects of supraphysiological E2 levels on GnRH neurons, there is accumulating evidence that rapid E2 actions may have a physiological role in suppressing GnRH neuron activity. [source]

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Comparative Analysis of Peripheral Natural Killer Cells in the Two Phases of the Ovarian Cycle

Developing Ovarian Follicles Inhibit the Endotoxin-Induced Glomerular Inflammatory Reaction in Pseudopregnant Rats

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
Marijke M. Faas
Problem:, We tested the hypothesis that developing ovarian follicles produce factors inhibiting the endotoxin induced inflammatory response. Method of study:, Pseudopregnant rats were treated with FSH to induced follicular development (FSH-rats). For control we used untreated pseudopregnant rats (PSP-rats) and rats in the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle (C-rats). All rats were infused with either saline or endotoxin. Three days after the infusion rats were sacrificed and kidney specimens were snapfrozen. Cryostat kidney sections were stained for the presence of monocytes, granulocytes, CD11a- and CD11b-positive cells and for ICAM-1 expression. Results:, The results show that induction of follicular development in pseudopregnant rats inhibited glomerular infiltration of monocytes and CD11b+ cells, while it did not affect the other parameters, i.e. glomerular granulocyte number, CD11a+ cells and glomerular ICAM-1 expression. Conclusion:, Developing ovarian follicles produce factors inhibiting monocyte responses to endotoxin. [source]

Population of Follicles and Luteal Structures during the Oestrous Cycle of Mares Detected by Three-Dimensional Internal Structure Microscopy

ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 3 2009
Y. Hirano
Summary The structure of the equine ovary is different from that of other mammals in its extremely large size, the presence of ovarian fossa and the inverted location of its cortex and medulla. A three-dimensional internal structure microscopy (3D-ISM), which consists of a computer-controlled slicer, a CCD camera, a laser disc recorder and a PC, is very useful for the observation of the internal structures in equine ovaries. In addition, the three-dimensional images of follicles and corpus luteum (CL) reconstructed by the segmentation technique can clarify the spatial arrangement in the equine ovary. In this study, to understand the changes in the ovarian internal structures of the mare during the oestrous cycle, the size and numbers of follicles and luteal structures were analysed by 3D-ISM in addition to the concentrations of progesterone (P4) and oestradiol-17,. As a result, many small follicles (<10 mm in diameter) were detected. It was recognized that the luteal structures were distinguished into three types, such as the corpus haemorragicum (CH), which is formed by blood elements at the cavity after ovulation, CL and corpus albican (CA). There were some CHs and CL in the group, which had the concentration of P4 > 1 ng/ml. CHs were also observed in the group, which had low level of P4 (P4 < 1 ng/ml). CAs were found regardless of the P4 level. In conclusion, 3D-ISM enabled the internal observation of the ovarian structures in detail, and estimation of the stage of the ovarian cycle with complementary physiological information. The findings by 3D-ISM provide basic information for clinical applications. [source]

Quantitative aspects of the regulation of ovarian development in selected anautogenous Diptera: integration of endocrinology and nutrition

Menstrual cycle variability and the perimenopause

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001
Kathleen A. O'Connor
Menopause, the final cessation of menstrual cycling, occurs when the pool of ovarian follicles is depleted. The one to five years just prior to the menopause are usually marked by increasing variability in menstrual cycle length, frequency of ovulation, and levels of reproductive hormones. Little is known about the mechanisms that account for these characteristics of ovarian cycles as the menopause approaches. Some evidence suggests that the dwindling pool of follicles itself is responsible for cycle characteristics during the perimenopausal transition. Another hypothesis is that the increased variability reflects "slippage" of the hypothalamus, which loses the ability to regulate menstrual cycles at older reproductive ages. This paper examines the underlying cause of the increasing variability in menstrual cycle length prior to the menopause. A model of ovarian cycles is developed, based on the process of follicular growth and depletion. Under this model, the follicular phase of each menstrual cycle is preceded by an inactive phase, a period of time when no ovarian follicles have left the resting state and begun secreting steroids in response to gonadotropin stimulation. The model makes predictions about the variability in menstrual cycles across the reproductive life span based on the size of the surviving pool of ovarian follicles. We show that the model can explain several characteristics of the perimenopause in humans and macaques and illustrate how the model can be applied to research on the biological and cultural correlates of the timing of menopause. J. Hum. Biol. 13:465,478, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Evaluation of antral follicle growth in the macaque ovary during the menstrual cycle and controlled ovarian stimulation by high-resolution ultrasonography

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2009
Cecily V. Bishop
Abstract To date, ultrasonography of monkey ovaries is rare and typically of low resolution. The objectives of this study were to use state-of-the-art, high-resolution, transabdominal ultrasonography with real-time Doppler capabilities to: (1) determine whether one can reliably detect in real time the large dominant follicle, the corpus luteum (CL), and small (<2,mm) antral follicles on the ovaries of rhesus monkeys during the natural menstrual cycle; and (2) predict the follicular response of rhesus ovaries to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) protocols. Rhesus monkeys were selected for transabdominal ultrasonography using a GE Voluson 730 Expert Doppler System at discrete stages of the menstrual cycle. Subsequently, serial ultrasound scanning was employed to observe growth of antral follicles and the CL. Finally, females were scanned to assess follicular growth during COS. The dominant structure and small antral follicles (<2,mm) were reliably visualized in real time. The follicle destined to ovulate could be identified by size differential by day 3 of the follicular phase. The number of small antral follicles present before onset of COS protocol correlated positively with the number of metaphase II-stage oocytes collected after treatment. The results of this study demonstrate that the population dynamics of antral follicle pools can be noninvasively evaluated in monkeys during natural and pharmacologic ovarian cycles. Am. J. Primatol. 71:384,392, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Sexual behavior across ovarian cycles in wild black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra): male mate guarding and female mate choice

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
Sarie Van Belle
Abstract We studied two multimale,multifemale groups of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) during a 14-month study (June 2006,July 2007) in Palenque National Park, Mexico to evaluate the ways in which their sexual behavior changes across ovarian cycles. We analyzed 231 fecal samples, collected every 2.2±1.4 days from five females. For four females, estradiol and progesterone profiles revealed an average (±SE) cycle length of 18.3±1.4 days. Copulations occurred significantly more frequently during the periovulatory period (POP), defined as the estimated day of ovulation ±3 days (N=18). This was largely the result of cycling females soliciting sexual interactions during their POPs. Females directed their solicitations significantly more often toward "central" males of their group, who had close spatial associations with females at other times, compared with "noncentral" males, who did not associate closely with females. Central males rarely solicited sexual interactions, but instead monitored the females' reproductive status by sniffing their genitals, and maintained significantly closer proximity to females during their POPs, suggesting male mate guarding when conceptions are most likely to occur. Our findings indicate that the reproductive strategies of black howler central males and females coincide, highly skewing mating opportunities toward central males. Black howler females, however, occasionally choose to copulate with noncentral resident males or extra-group males during their POPs, undermining the ability of central males to monopolize all reproductive opportunities. Am. J. Primatol. 71:153,164, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Fecal analysis of ovarian cycles in female black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2001
C.J. Campbell
Abstract An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was applied to characterize the reproductive endocrinology of adult female black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Analysis of paired urine and fecal samples, collected from two females housed at San Diego Zoo, confirmed that the EIAs employed provided quantitative measurements of ovarian sex steroid hormones. Fecal metabolite levels were significantly correlated with those in urine, confirming that feces are a valid source of steroid metabolites in this species. The excretion of these metabolites in feces lagged urinary excretion by 1,2 days. The ovarian cycle profiles of the two captive females and five free-ranging females are comparable, with an average length of approximately 20,23 days. Cyclical bleeding, as previously reported, was observed in one of the two captive females. Pregnancy was detected in four free-ranging females, and early fetal loss for one female was indicated by hormonal data. Am. J. Primatol. 54:79,89, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]