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Topic Review
Valproic Acid in Pregnancy Revisited
Valproic acid (VPA) is a very effective anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer with relatively few side effects. Being an epigenetic modulator, it undergoes clinical trials for the treatment of advanced prostatic and breast cancer. However, in pregnancy, it seems to be the most teratogenic antiepileptic drug. Among the proven effects are congenital malformations in about 10%. The more common congenital malformations are neural tube defects, cardiac anomalies, urogenital malformations including hypospadias, skeletal malformations and orofacial clefts. These effects are dose related; daily doses below 600 mg have a limited teratogenic potential. VPA, when added to other anti-seizure medications, increases the malformations rate. It induces malformations even when taken for indications other than epilepsy, adding to the data that epilepsy is not responsible for the teratogenic effects.
  • 87
  • 15 Apr 2024
Topic Review
In Vitro Growth of Human Follicles
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is gaining importance as a successful method to restore fertility to girls and young women at high risk of sterility. However, there are concerns regarding the safety of transplantation after ovarian tissue cryopreservation due to the high risk of reintroducing cancer cells and causing disease recurrence. In these cases, the development of culture systems that support oocyte development from the primordial follicle stage is required.
  • 131
  • 19 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Phospholipase C Zeta in Human Spermatozoa
During fertilization, the fusion of the spermatozoa with the oocytes causes the release of calcium from the oocyte endoplasmatic reticulum. This, in turn, triggers a series of calcium ion (Ca2+) oscillations, a process known as oocyte activation. The sperm-specific factor responsible for oocyte activation is phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ). Men undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with their spermatozoa lacking PLCζ are incapable of generating Ca2+ oscillation, leading to fertilization failure. The immunofluorescence assay is the most used technique to assess the expression and localization of PLCζ and to diagnose patients with reduced/absent ability to activate the oocytes.
  • 56
  • 11 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Pharmaceuticals with Obesogen Action Impact Male Fertility
Obesogens have been identified as a significant factor associated with increasing obesity rates, particularly in developed countries. Substances with obesogenic traits are prevalent in consumer products, including certain pharmaceuticals. Specific classes of pharmaceuticals have been recognized for their ability to induce weight gain, often accompanied by hormonal alterations that can adversely impact male fertility. 
  • 60
  • 27 Feb 2024
Topic Review
The Establishment of Pregnancy and Placental Formation
The continuing progress in our understanding of the complexity of interactions between the maternal organism and the early embryo is changing the overall outlook on the initial steps in establishing a pregnancy through placental formation. The first two weeks after fertilization must today be viewed as the critical period during which a major embryo selection process takes place in which a proportion that may surpass 50% of them is physiologically eliminated because they are unfit to progress toward birth.
  • 141
  • 29 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Immune Responses Potentially Involved in Brucella-Induced Pregnancy Complications
Infection by Brucella species in pregnant animals and humans is associated with an increased risk of abortion, preterm birth, and transmission of the infection to the offspring. The pathogen has a marked tropism for the placenta and the pregnant uterus and has the ability to invade and replicate within cells of the maternal–fetal unit, including trophoblasts and decidual cells. Placentitis is a common finding in infected pregnant animals. Several proinflammatory factors have been found to be increased in both the placenta of Brucella-infected animals and in trophoblasts or decidual cells infected in vitro. As normal pregnancies require an anti-inflammatory placental environment during most of the gestational period, Brucella-induced placentitis is thought to be associated with the obstetric complications of brucellosis.
  • 88
  • 22 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Molecular Dynamics of Early Pregnancy in Farm Animals
Infertility is a major problem in farm animals, which has a negative economic effect on farm industries. Infertility can be defined as the inability of animals to achieve a successful pregnancy. Early pregnancy is crucial to establish a successful pregnancy, and it is reported that 70–80% and 20–30% of total embryonic loss occur in cattle and pigs, respectively, during the first month of pregnancy.
  • 85
  • 05 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Animal Models in Biotechnologies for Male Fertility Preservation
To explore advanced reproductive technologies for male fertility preservation, underscoring the essential role that animal models have played in shaping these techniques through historical contexts and into modern applications. Rising infertility concerns have become more prevalent in human populations recently. The surge in male fertility issues has prompted advanced reproductive technologies, with animal models playing a pivotal role in their evolution.
  • 155
  • 28 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Protect Mammalian Sperm from the Spontaneous Acrosome Reaction
To acquire the capacity to fertilize the oocyte, mammalian spermatozoa must undergo a series of biochemical reactions in the female reproductive tract, which are collectively called capacitation. The capacitated spermatozoa subsequently interact with the oocyte zona-pellucida and undergo the acrosome reaction, which enables the penetration of the oocyte and subsequent fertilization. However, the spontaneous acrosome reaction (sAR) can occur prematurely in the sperm before reaching the oocyte cumulus oophorus, thereby jeopardizing fertilization. One of the main processes in capacitation involves actin polymerization, and the resulting F-actin is subsequently dispersed prior to the acrosome reaction. Several biochemical reactions that occur during sperm capacitation, including actin polymerization, protect sperm from sAR.
  • 213
  • 06 Dec 2023
Topic Review
The Pathogenic Mechanisms of Endometriosis
Endometriosis (EMS), characterized by the presence of endometrial stromal and glandular tissue outside the uterine cavity, is a relatively common gynecologic disease affecting about 10% of women of reproductive age. While the symptoms of EMS can vary, clinical manifestations such as pelvic pain, heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding, and gastrointestinal symptoms are frequently observed. Apart from the physical discomfort, EMS has been well noticed in infertility.
  • 165
  • 24 Nov 2023
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