BACKGROUND Exposure to persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides, is widespread among the general population. There is evidence of adverse effects on reproduction and early pregnancy in relation to organochlorine exposure but human studies remain limited. The increased use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) presents unique o...

Changes in plasma concentrations of ACTH, beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and cortisol have been found to be associated during the human menstrual cycle. Changes in hypothalamic levels of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH), beta-EP and substance P (SP) have also been associated with the oestrous cycle in the rat. Therefore, an attempt was made to measure the activity of the corticotrophic axis and...

BACKGROUND There is broad human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemical widely used for the production of plastic products. BPA is reported to affect preimplantation embryos or fetuses and alter their postnatal development at doses typically found in the environment. We measured contamination of BPA in various kinds of human biological fluids by a novel enzyme...

BACKGROUND: Ovulation has several similarities with inflammation and is closely connected to the activity of leukocytes and inflammatory cytokines. Since granulocytes are one of the major leukocytes, we focused our attention on the presence and local production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the human ovary. METHODS: The presence of G-CSF protein in the follicular fluid and...

Follipsin, an enzyme that accumulates in the follicular fluid of porcine ovaries during follicular maturation, was purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified enzyme consists of two different polypeptide chains having M(r) = 45,000 and 32,000 each, associated covalently. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, benzamidine, leupeptin, and antipain, indicatin...

Regardless of whether fertilization occurs in vivo or in vitro, a large proportion of human embryos do not develop progressively through the pre-implantation stages or arrest development after implantation. This study examined the association between the chromosomal/spindle normality of the mature human oocyte and the dissolved oxygen content, vascular endothelial growth factor concentration (V...

Metabolomics focused on reproduction have been the subject of special interest in the past decade. Metabolite profiling provides detailed information on the status of follicular fluid and follicular cells which accompany the growing oocyte. Although nutrients present in the diet reach oocytes via the follicular fluid, it is not evident whether oocyte/embryo quality can be predicted based on the...

Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone which plays a central role in the regulation of body weight and energy homeostasis and in signalling to the brain that adequate energy stores are available for reproduction. Although leptin may affect reproduction by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, recent in-vitro observations indicate that leptin may also have direct intra-ovarian acti...

We examined acute exposure of Holstein cows to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its carryover effects on ovarian function and oocyte developmental competence. Synchronized cows were tube-fed with water or 100 mg/kg DEHP per day for 3 days. Blood, urine and milk samples were collected before, during and after DEHP exposure to examine its clearance pattern. Ovarian follicular dynamics was mo...