PCOS: A Chronic Disease That Fails to Produce Adequately Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators (SPMs)

Biomechanical changes in females with poly cystic ovarian syndrome: a case-control study

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder that causes an inversion of the normal luteinizing hormone (LH) to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio. Females with PCOS also experience chronic inflammation. This hormonal imbalance and persistent inflammation can reduce muscle strength and mass. Consequently, this may affect the lumbopelvic muscles, potentially leading to postural abnormalities and spinal misalignment. The study's goals were to find out how the biomechanics of women with PCOS differ from those who did not have the condition and to confirm the link between lumbopelvic parameters and the LH/FSH ratio in women with PCOS. The researcher conducted a case-control study on 95 nulliparous females, with 52 having PCOS and classified as a study group and 43 as a control group. The participants ranged in age from 25 to 35 years, and their body mass index ranged from 25 to 29.9 kg/m2. All participants were selected from the gynecological outpatient clinic of Om El-Masryeen Hospital. The researcher used a pelvic inclinometer to evaluate the pelvic inclination angle and an inclinometer to examine the lumbar angle. Additionally, the researcher simultaneously collected blood samples on the third day of the menstrual cycle. Females with PCOS had significantly higher pelvic inclination and lumbar curve angles than controls (p < 0.05). LH/FSH ratio strongly correlated with lumbar angle and pelvic inclination. Females with PCOS had greater pelvic tilting and exaggerated lumbar lordosis than controls. The LH/FSH ratio showed a strong correlation with both the lumbar curve angle and pelvic inclination in PCOS.Clinical trial: The clinical trial number [NCT03740932] with initial release date at 09/17/2024.

Hepatocyte apoptosis is triggered by hepatic inflammation in common carp acutely exposed to microcystin-LR or chronically exposed to Microcystis

Cyanobacterial blooms pose a serious threat to the survival of fish because of the hepatotoxicity of microcystins produced by toxic cyanobacteria such as Microcystis. Many studies have investigated the hepatotoxicity of microcystins in common carp, a freshwater fish distributed worldwide, but the hepatotoxicity mechanism has not been fully clarified. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the hepatic inflammatory response and hepatocyte apoptosis induced by acute microcystin-LR exposure via intraperitoneal injection (71 μg/kg and 119 μg/kg) or gavage (357.08 μg/kg) and chronic exposure to toxic Microcystis blooms. The results of acute exposure revealed that microcystin-LR caused an increase in serum transaminase activity and increased the levels of inflammatory factors and inflammatory mediators, inducing a significant inflammatory response in the liver of common carp. Moreover, biochemical detection revealed that hepatocyte apoptosis occurred in the fish. Moreover, chronic toxic Microcystis exposure also caused hepatic inflammation and subsequent apoptosis mediated by the tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) pathway and the mitochondrial pathway similar to acute exposure. Therefore, our study suggests that the inflammatory response induced by microcystin-LR exacerbates apoptosis, likely mediated by TNF-α. In summary, both acute microcystin-LR exposure and chronic toxic Microcystis exposure can cause inflammation in the liver of common carp, which subsequently triggers hepatocyte apoptosis mediated by the TNF-α pathway and the mitochondrial pathway. This study helps elucidate the mechanism of liver damage induced by cyanobacterial blooms in natural water.

The Role of Oxidative Stress in the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Identification of Risk Factors Using AIP and Castelli Atherogenicity Indicators in Patients with PCOS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies in females of reproductive age and may affect 5-14% of women. In women with PCO syndrome, metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and other elements of metabolic syndrome may occur. Patients with PCOS often have overweight and obesity, especially abdominal obesity, which is one of the risk factors for developing atherosclerosis. The atherogenicity indicators of AIP (atherogenic index of plasma) and Castelli's index are used to assess the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Studies have shown an increase in the concentration and activity of oxidative stress markers in patients with PCOS compared to women without the disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate oxidative stress parameters in patients with PCOS in relation to insulin resistance, BMI, and hyperandrogenemia and to correlate them with cardiovascular risk parameters. Conclusions: The severity of oxidative stress in women with PCOS correlates with exposure to cardiovascular diseases. The assessment of additional cardiovascular disease (CVD) parameters is useful in identifying the risk groups for cardiometabolic disease among PCOS patients. When additional risk factors such as hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance (IR) are present in patients with PCOS, it is reasonable to include preventive examinations early. It is also important to evaluate lipidograms, which will make it possible to determine indicators of atherogenicity. Patients with PCOS and IR are at particular risk for cardiovascular complications. PCOS should be considered an important risk factor for CVD, which occurs independently of the occurrence of obesity. This factor is related to the important role of insulin resistance, which occurs independently of obesity. Atherogenic factors (AIP and Castelli index) are useful additional parameters to assess the risk of cardiometabolic disease in PCOS patients, especially among groups with insulin resistance. The early detection of risk factors should be an integral part of the care of PCOS patients. In laboratory studies of women with PCOS, TG, TChol, HDL-c and LDL-c levels, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were most clearly correlated with exposure to cardiovascular disease.

Oxidation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as a Promising Area of Research in Infertility

In this review, the role of fatty acids (FA) in human pathological conditions, infertility in particular, was considered. FA and FA-derived metabolites modulate cell membrane composition, membrane lipid microdomains and cell signaling. Moreover, such molecules are involved in cell death, immunological responses and inflammatory processes. Human health and several pathological conditions are specifically associated with both dietary and cell membrane lipid profiles. The role of FA metabolism in human sperm and spermatogenesis has recently been investigated. Cumulative findings indicate F₂ isoprostanes (oxygenated products from arachidonic acid metabolism) and resolvins (lipid mediators of resolution of inflammation) as promising biomarkers for the evaluation of semen and follicular fluid quality. Advanced knowledge in this field could lead to new scenarios in the treatment of infertility.