Submit to Life Review for Life Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Human Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Reproductive and Developmental Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 8414

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Giuseppe Grande

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Interests: reproductive endocrinology; male infertility; andrology; hypogonadism; proteomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infertility is a common clinical problem. It affects 13% to 15% of couples worldwide. In addition, infertility is also considered a public problem. It does not only affect couples’ life, but also healthcare services and the social environment. A male factor is solely responsible in about 20% of infertile couples and contributory in another 30–40%. A female factor is responsible, alone or associated with a male factor, in about 50%.

This Special Issue will focus on human fertility and infertility, both at a molecular and clinical level, including hormonal regulation of male and female fertility, diagnosis and treatment of diseases causing infertility, and the clinical management of infertile couples.

Dr. Giuseppe Grande
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

infertility
reproduction
reproductive endocrinology
male infertility
female infertility

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 1567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of the Follicular Fluid Extracellular Vesicle Molecular Profile in Women in Different Age Groups in ART Programs

by Anastasia Sysoeva, Zumriyat Akhmedova, Oksana Nepsha, Natalya Makarova, Denis Silachev, Yulia Shevtsova, Kirill Goryunov, Victoria Karyagina, Anna Bugrova, Natalya Starodubtseva, Anastasia Novoselova, Vitaliy Chagovets and Elena Kalinina

Life 2024, 14(5), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14050541 - 24 Apr 2024

Viewed by 325

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular composition of follicular fluid (FF) extracellular vesicles (EVs) in women of different reproductive ages and its possible relationship to sperm fertilizing ability. FF EVs were obtained by differential centrifugation. The concentration and size distribution of FF EVs were analyzed by nanoparticle tracking analysis. The lipidome and proteome were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The isolated FF EVs had a variety of shapes and sizes; their concentration and size distribution did not differ significantly between the age groups. In women younger than 35 years, the concentration of vesicular progesterone was 6.6 times higher than in women older than 35 years, and the total levels of the main lipid classes were increased in younger women. A proteomic analysis revealed that not only FF EV-specific proteins, but also proteins involved in sperm activation were present. New data were obtained on the composition of FF EVs, confirming their importance as molecular indicators of age-related changes in the female reproductive system. In addition, these results shed light on the possible interaction between the FF EVs of women in different age groups and male germ cells. Therefore, studying the transcriptomic and metabolomic profile of FF EVs may be a crucial approach to evaluate the efficacy of ART. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Semaphorin 3A Increases in the Plasma of Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve Who Respond Better to Controlled Ovarian Stimulation

by Michela Palese, Gabriella Ferretti, Giuseppe Perruolo, Sara Serafini, Rossana Sirabella, Vincenzo Marrone, Martina De Rosa, Laura Sarno, Ida Strina, Carmela Matrone and Maurizio Guida

Life 2024, 14(3), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030358 - 08 Mar 2024

Viewed by 695

Abstract

Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A) plays a crucial role in the development, differentiation, and plasticity of specific types of neurons that secrete Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) and regulates the acquisition and maintenance of reproductive competence in humans and mice. Its insufficient expression has been linked to reproductive disorders in humans, which are characterized by reduced or failed sexual competence. Various mutations, polymorphisms, and alternatively spliced variants of SEMA3A have been associated with infertility. One of the common causes of infertility in women of reproductive age is diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), characterized by a reduced ovarian follicular pool. Despite its clinical significance, there are no universally accepted diagnostic criteria or therapeutic interventions for DOR. In this study, we analyzed the SEMA3A plasma levels in 77 women and investigated their potential role in influencing fertility in patients with DOR. The results revealed that the SEMA3A levels were significantly higher in patients with DOR than in healthy volunteers. Furthermore, the SEMA3A levels were increased in patients who underwent fertility treatment and had positive Beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (βHCG) values (β+) after controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) compared to those who had negative βHCG values (β−). These findings may serve as the basis for future investigations into the diagnosis of infertility and emphasize new possibilities for the SEMA3A-related treatment of sexual hormonal dysfunction that leads to infertility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When to Transfer Embryos if There Is Only 1 or 2?

by Martin Stimpfel, Nina Jancar, Helena Ban-Frangez and Eda Vrtacnik-Bokal

Life 2023, 13(2), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020417 - 02 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1056

Abstract

The latest reports suggest that it is better to transfer embryos to the uterus on day five of preimplantation development compared to other days of development, but it is not clear if this stands when there are only one-two embryos obtained in the cycle. Therefore, to address this issue, we performed a retrospective study of such cycles. Our study included all of the stimulated IVF/ICSI cycles performed at our institution in the period between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2018 in which one-two embryos were obtained in the IVF/ICSI cycle and met our inclusion criteria, and we compared the data between day three and day five embryo transfer (ET). The analysis revealed that the day three ET group of patients was significantly older (p < 0.001), were administered a significantly higher dose of gonadotrophins (p = 0.015), and retrieved a lower mean number of aspirated oocytes per cycle (p < 0.001) and lower mean number of embryos (p < 0.001). The birth rate per ET was significantly higher in the day five ET group (p = 0.045) and further analysis indicated that this could be due the trend observed in a group of patients under 36 years old, while in older patients there was no such difference. To conclude, our retrospective study indicates that it might be better to perform ET on day five instead of day three when there are only one-two embryos obtained in the cycle, but probably only when patients are under 36 years old. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology)

15 pages, 1793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Light Microscopy and Proteomic Patterns of Ovulation in Cervical Mucus

by Yolanda Fernandez-Hermida, Federica Vincenzoni, Domenico Milardi, Anna Laura Astorri, Andrea Urbani, Giuseppe Grande and Rafael Azagra

Life 2022, 12(11), 1815; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12111815 - 07 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2207

Abstract

There is an increasing number of couples interested in identifying the fertile window for the purpose of conceiving. From what has been published so far, it can be concluded that there are no reliable methods to predict ovulation, and, therefore, to predict the fertile window. Proteins of the cervical mucus (CM) could behave as biomarkers to allow the early and precise identification of ovulation. CM samples were collected from the lumen of the cervical canal from women of reproductive age, on three different days of the same menstrual cycle. Samples were first analyzed and classified by light microscopy. High-resolution mass spectrometry and bioinformatic analysis were performed afterwards to determine the in vivo changes of CM protein composition. CM underwent cyclical changes in its biophysical composition, which were evidenced by changes in the crystallographic patterns observed under the light microscope. The proteomic analysis revealed changes in the protein composition of CM along the cycle. Twenty-five out of the forty-eight total proteins identified could become potential biomarkers of ovulation. The coordinated changes in the composition of the CM around the time of ovulation could be happening to specifically grant access to a foreign body, such as the sperm might be. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 1189 KiB

Open AccessReview

Exploring the Impact of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation and Non-Invasive Oocyte Assessment in ART Treatments

by Romualdo Sciorio, Federica Cariati, Steven Fleming and Carlo Alviggi

Life 2023, 13(10), 1989; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13101989 - 29 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1429

Abstract

Invasive and noninvasive features are normally applied to select developmentally competent oocytes and embryos that can increase the take-home baby rates in assisted reproductive technology. The noninvasive approach mainly applied to determine oocyte and embryo competence has been, since the early days of IVF, the morphological evaluation of the mature cumulus-oocyte complex at the time of pickup, first polar body, zona pellucida thickness, perivitelline space and cytoplasm appearance. Morphological evaluation of oocyte quality is one of the options used to predict successful fertilization, early embryo development, uterine implantation and the capacity of an embryo to generate a healthy pregnancy to term. Thus, this paper aims to provide an analytical revision of the current literature relating to the correlation between ovarian stimulation procedures and oocyte/embryo quality. In detail, several aspects of oocyte quality such as morphological features, oocyte competence and its surrounding environment will be discussed. In addition, the main noninvasive features as well as novel approaches to biomechanical parameters of oocytes that might be correlated with the competence of embryos to produce a healthy pregnancy and live birth will be illustrated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 643 KiB

Open AccessReview

“Lights and Shades” of Fertility Preservation in Transgender Men Patients: A Clinical and Pathological Review

by Antonio D’Amato, Eliano Cascardi, Andrea Etrusco, Antonio Simone Laganà, Luca Maria Schonauer, Gerardo Cazzato, Antonella Vimercati, Antonio Malvasi, Gianluca Raffaello Damiani, Edoardo Di Naro, Giuseppe Trojano, Ettore Cicinelli, Amerigo Vitagliano and Miriam Dellino

Life 2023, 13(6), 1312; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061312 - 01 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1477

Abstract

Fertility preservation (FP) is becoming a critical issue in transgender men who desire biological offspring in the future. The prevalence of transgender individuals in the United States is increasing, and as a result, the demand for gender-affirming surgeries (GAS) and associated FP techniques is rising. Despite the growing demand, there is currently no personalized approach to FP for transgender men, and the available techniques have limitations that require further investigation. In the present review we carefully examine the existing literature on this topic to highlight the shortcomings of current methods and areas where additional research is needed to advance the field. Hormonal therapy (HT), which is an integral part of gender transition in transgender men, can have a significant impact on fertility and may increase the risk of various diseases. Moreover, GAS usually leads to permanent sterility in these patients. Therefore, it is essential to provide patients with accurate information about the benefits and potential risks of different FP techniques, taking into account the patient’s reproductive goals. This review underscores the complex and multifaceted nature of FP in transgender men and emphasizes the need for further research to develop more effective and personalized approaches to FP for this population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology)

► Show Figures