Plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels in the different phenotypes of the polycystic ovary syndrome

Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome-A potential mechanistic therapeutic for treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome?

This review article explores the relationship between the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and the risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The NLRP3 inflammasome, a fundamental element of the innate immune system, plays a crucial role in the production of proinflammatory mediators and pyroptosis, a type inflammatory cell death. We conducted a thorough search on scientific databases to gather relevant information on this topic, utilizing relevant keywords. The reviewed studies indicated a correlation between PCOS and a higher incidence of granulosa cell (GC) death and the presence of ovarian tissue fibrosis. NLRP3 inflammasome stimulation and subsequent pyroptosis in GCs play a significant role in the pathophysiology of PCOS. Active NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the production of inflammatory mediators like interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18, contributing to the development of PCOS, particularly in overweight patients. Therefore, inhibiting NLRP3 activation and pyroptosis could potentially offer novel therapeutic strategies for PCOS. Some limited studies have explored the use of agents with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as gene therapy approaches, to target the NLRP3 and pyroptosis signaling pathways. This study overview the understanding of the relationship between NLRP3 inflammasome activation, pyroptosis, and PCOS. It highlights the potential of targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome as an approach for treating PCOS. Nonetheless, further research and clinical trials are imperative to validate these results and explore the effectiveness of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition in the management of PCOS.

Biomechanical forces and signals operating in the ovary during folliculogenesis and their dysregulation: implications for fertility

BACKGROUND

Folliculogenesis occurs in the highly dynamic environment of the ovary. Follicle cyclic recruitment, neo-angiogenesis, spatial displacement, follicle atresia and ovulation stand out as major events resulting from the interplay between mechanical forces and molecular signals. Morphological and functional changes to the growing follicle and to the surrounding tissue are required to produce oocytes capable of supporting preimplantation development to the blastocyst stage.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE

This review will summarize the ovarian morphological and functional context that contributes to follicle recruitment, growth and ovulation, as well as to the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence. We will describe the changes occurring during folliculogenesis to the ovarian extracellular matrix (ECM) and to the vasculature, their influence on the mechanical properties of the ovarian tissue, and, in turn, their influence on the regulation of signal transduction. Also, we will outline how their dysregulation might be associated with pathologies such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Finally, for each of these three pathologies, we will highlight therapeutic strategies attempting to correct the altered biomechanical context in order to restore fertility.

SEARCH METHODS

For each area discussed, a systematic bibliographical search was performed, without temporal limits, using PubMed Central, Web of Science and Scopus search engines employing the keywords extracellular matrix, mechanobiology, biomechanics, vasculature, angiogenesis or signalling pathway in combination with: ovary, oogenesis, oocyte, folliculogenesis, ovarian follicle, theca, granulosa, cumulus, follicular fluid, corpus luteum, meiosis, oocyte developmental competence, preimplantation, polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian insufficiency or endometriosis.

OUTCOMES

Through search engines queries, we yielded a total of 37 368 papers that were further selected based on our focus on mammals and, specifically, on rodents, bovine, equine, ovine, primates and human, and also were trimmed around each specific topic of the review. After the elimination of duplicates, this selection process resulted in 628 papers, of which 287 were cited in the manuscript. Among these, 89.2% were published in the past 22 years, while the remaining 8.0%, 2.4% or 0.3% were published during the 1990s, 1980s or before, respectively. During folliculogenesis, changes occur to the ovarian ECM composition and organization that, together with vasculature modelling around the growing follicle, are aimed to sustain its recruitment and growth, and the maturation of the enclosed oocyte. These events define the scenario in which mechanical forces are key to the regulation of cascades of molecular signals. Alterations to this context determine impaired folliculogenesis and decreased oocyte developmental potential, as observed in pathological conditions which are causes of infertility, such as PCOS, endometriosis or POI.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS

The knowledge of these mechanisms and the rules that govern them lay a sound basis to explain how follicles recruitment and growth are modulated, and stimulate insights to develop, in clinical practice, strategies to improve follicular recruitment and oocyte competence, particularly for pathologies like PCOS, endometriosis and POI.

Coagulation Biomarkers in Women with Recurrent Miscarriage and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction Pregnant women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have high risk of pregnancy loss. Pathophysiological mechanisms appear to be associated with obesity, hormonal factors, or blood clotting disorders. Our aim is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relationship between coagulation disorders and risk of recurrent miscarriage (RM) in patients with PCOS and to identify coagulation biomarkers for this condition. Material and Methods PubMed and MEDLINE databases were searched for publications in English language. The search terms used included "RM", "polycystic ovary syndrome", "coagulation disorders", and "thrombophilia". Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for miscarriage in different RM groups (with and without PCOS). Results A total of 575 publications including the search terms were identified. Six studies were included for qualitative analysis, and five were included for quantitative analysis (meta-analysis). We found no association between RM and inherited thrombophilias in patients with PCOS: (1) Factor V Leiden (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.38 - 1.45; p = 0.38); (2) C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism (MTHFR) (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.64 - 1.59; p = 0.97); and (3) A1297C MTHFR polymorphism (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.62 - 1.89; p = 0.77). Other potential biomarkers were identified, with emphasis on plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1. Conclusion Data available in the current literature revealed that there was no association between RM and inherited thrombophilias in patients with PCOS. RM patients with PCOS have a high risk of thromboembolic events.

Role of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 1 in Pathologies of Female Reproductive Diseases

Normal pregnancy is a state of hypercoagulability with diminishing fibrinolytic activity, which is mainly caused by an increase of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). PAI-1 is the main inhibitor of plasminogen activators, including tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). In human placentas, PAI-1 is expressed in extravillous interstitial trophoblasts and vascular trophoblasts. During implantation and placentation, PAI-1 is responsible for inhibiting extra cellular matrix (ECM) degradation, thereby causing an inhibition of trophoblasts invasion. In the present study, we have reviewed the literature of various reproductive diseases where PAI-1 plays a role. PAI-1 levels are increased in patients with recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL), preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the previous pregnancy, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In general, an increased expression of PAI-1 in the blood is associated with an increased risk for infertility and a worse pregnancy outcome. GDM and PCOS are related to the genetic role of the 4G/5G polymorphism of PAI-1. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the role of PAI-1 in reproductive diseases. PAI-1 represents a promising monitoring biomarker for reproductive diseases and may be a treatment target in the near future.

MStern Blotting-High Throughput Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Membrane-Based Proteomic Sample Preparation for 96-Well Plates

We describe a 96-well plate compatible membrane-based proteomic sample processing method, which enables the complete processing of 96 samples (or multiples thereof) within a single workday. This method uses a large-pore hydrophobic PVDF membrane that efficiently adsorbs proteins, resulting in fast liquid transfer through the membrane and significantly reduced sample processing times. Low liquid transfer speeds have prevented the useful 96-well plate implementation of FASP as a widely used membrane-based proteomic sample processing method. We validated our approach on whole-cell lysate and urine and cerebrospinal fluid as clinically relevant body fluids. Without compromising peptide and protein identification, our method uses a vacuum manifold and circumvents the need for digest desalting, making our processing method compatible with standard liquid handling robots. In summary, our new method maintains the strengths of FASP and simultaneously overcomes one of the major limitations of FASP without compromising protein identification and quantification.

Biomarkers and insulin sensitivity in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Characteristics and predictive capacity

OBJECTIVE

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder associated with metabolic complications. Metabolic biomarkers with roles in obesity, glycaemic control and lipid metabolism are potentially relevant in PCOS. The aim was to investigate metabolic biomarkers in lean and overweight women with and without PCOS and to determine whether any biomarker was able to predict insulin resistance in PCOS.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PATIENTS

Eighty-four women (22 overweight and 22 lean women with PCOS, 18 overweight and 22 lean women without PCOS) were recruited from the community and categorized based on PCOS and BMI status.

MEASUREMENTS

Primary outcomes were metabolic biomarkers [ghrelin, resistin, visfatin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), leptin, plasminogen activator inhibitor -1 (PAI-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and C-Peptide] measured using the Bio-Plex Pro Diabetes assay and insulin sensitivity as assessed by glucose infusion rate on euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp.

RESULTS

The biomarkers C-peptide, leptin, ghrelin and visfatin were different between overweight and lean women, irrespective of PCOS status. The concentration of circulating biomarkers did not differ between women with PCOS diagnosed by the Rotterdam criteria or National Institute of Health criteria. PAI-1 was the only biomarker that significantly predicted insulin resistance in both control women (P = 0.04) and women with PCOS (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Biomarkers associated with metabolic diseases appear more strongly associated with obesity rather than PCOS status. PAI-1 may also be a novel independent biomarker and predictor of insulin resistance in women with and without PCOS.

Aspects of Cardiometabolic Risk in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age, exhibit an adverse cardiovascular risk profile characteristic of the cardiometabolic syndrome. These women, compared with age- and body mass index-matched women without PCOS, appear to present a higher risk of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and dyslipidemia, and possibly a higher rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. However, despite the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and increased surrogate markers of cardiovascular disease, it is unclear whether they have accelerated atherosclerosis and greater mortality, the latter mainly because of a lack of endpoint studies. This article addresses, summarizes, and discusses salient data from the existing literature, including gaps and uncertainties, aspects, and mechanisms related to the spectrum of adverse cardiometabolic profile factors in women with PCOS.

The prevalence of metabolic disorders in various phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome: a community based study in Southwest of Iran

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy, associated with metabolic abnormalities. Metabolic features of various phenotypes of this syndrome are still debatable. The aim of present study hence was to evaluate the metabolic and hormonal features of PCOS phenotypes in comparison to a group of healthy control.

METHODS

A total of 646 reproductive-aged women were randomly selected using the stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling method. The subjects were divided into five phenotypes: A (oligo/anovulation + hyperandrogenism + polycystic ovaries), B (oligo/anovulation + hyperandrogenism), C (hyperandrogenism + polycystic ovaries) and D (oligo/anovulation + polycystic ovaries). Hormonal and metabolic profiles and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among these groups were compared using ANCOVA adjusted for age and body mass index.

RESULTS

Among women with PCOS (n = 85), those of groups A and C had higher serum levels of insulin and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), compared to PCOS women of group D. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, triglycerides and glucose in group A were higher than in other phenotypes, whereas the metabolic syndrome was more prevalent among group B.

CONCLUSIONS

Women who had all three components of the syndrome showed the highest level of metabolic disturbances indicating that metabolic screening of the severest phenotype of PCOS may be necessary.

Mouse models to study polycystic ovary syndrome: a possible link between metabolism and ovarian function?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of female infertility affecting 6-8% of women worldwide. PCOS is characterized by two of the following three criteria: clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism, oligo- or amenorrhea, and polycystic ovaries (PCO). In addition, women with PCOS are often obese and insulin resistant, and are at risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The etiology of PCOS remains unknown. Therefore, several animal models for PCOS have been generated to gain insight into the etiology and development of the PCOS-associated phenotypes. Androgens are considered the main culprit of PCOS, and therefore, androgenization of animals is the most frequently used approach to induce symptoms that resemble PCOS. Prenatal or prepubertal androgen treatment results in many characteristics of human PCOS, including anovulation, cyst-like follicles, elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, increased adiposity, and insulin insensitivity. However, PCOS has a heterogeneous presentation, and therefore it is difficult to generate a model that exactly reproduces the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes observed in women with PCOS. In this review, we discuss several mouse models for PCOS, and compare the reproductive and/or metabolic phenotypes observed in several androgen-induced models as well as in several genetic models.

Coagulation and fibrinolytic indices during the first trimester of pregnancy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the levels of coagulation and fibrinolytic markers during the first trimester of pregnancy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and determine the effects of PCOS and obesity on the levels of these hemostatic markers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Beijing, China, on women with PCOS (n = 50), healthy women (n = 50), pregnant women with PCOS (n = 50), and healthy pregnant women (n = 50) at 12 weeks of pregnancy. Coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters were measured.

RESULTS

The interaction between PCOS and pregnancy appears to exert effects on the activities of coagulation factors VIII and X. The interaction between PCOS and obesity also seems to affect the level of von Willebrand factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with PCOS, especially women who are obese, are observed to be in a more prohemostatic state during the first trimester.

Mediators of chronic inflammation in polycystic ovarian syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting 5-10% of reproductive-age women. Hyperandrogenemia, which characterizes the syndrome, stimulates the maturation of adipocytes and favors central obesity. The linking hub between obesity and other metabolic manifestations of the syndrome seems to be chronic low-grade inflammation. We discuss the most reliable current data regarding the role of inflammatory mediators in PCOS, with particular focus on the genetic mechanisms implicated. C-reactive protein levels are 96% higher in PCOS patients than in healthy controls. Patients with the -308A polymorphism of the tumor necrosis factor-α gene have elevated androgens in comparison with carriers of the -308G. Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is elevated in lean patients, with a further rise in the presence of obesity and insulin resistance. Polymorphisms of the IL-1a, IL-1b and IL-6 genes have also been associated with PCOS. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels are positively associated with the syndrome, and carriers of the 4G allele of the 4G/5G polymorphism are at risk of developing PCOS. Other mediators discussed include adhesion molecules, osteoprotegerin, asymmetric dimethylarginine, homocysteine and advanced glycation end-products. The elucidation of the pathogenetic mechanisms implicated in PCOS and their connection with low-grade inflammation may in the future offer the opportunity for the formulation of novel therapeutic strategies and individualized therapy for these patients.