Ovarian Follicular Growth through Intermittent Vaginal Gonadotropin Administration in Diminished Ovarian Reserve Women

Ovarian sensitivity index affects clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and antagonist in vitro fertilization cycles

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of ovarian sensitivity index (OSI) and clinical parameters in IVF treatments.

Methods

IVF data files between January 2011 and December 2020 in a single unit were included. The primary outcome measure was the correlation between the OSI and clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. A generalized linear model was employed to assess group differences while controlling for age. Correlations between the OSI and clinical parameters were analyzed using Pearson's correlation test.

Results

In total, 1,627 patient data were reviewed, comprising 1,160 patients who received GnRH antagonists and 467 who received GnRH agonists. There was no difference in the incidence of premature ovulation and LH surge in women receiving either GnRH antagonists or agonists. A higher number of mature oocytes and good embryos were obtained in the GnRH agonist cycles. No differences were observed in pregnancy and live birth rates between both groups. Regarding the correlation of the OSI with clinical parameters, serum anti-Müllerian hormone, cycle day 2 follicle-stimulating hormone, LH, and estradiol concentrations, numbers of larger follicles, fertilization rate, and the incidence of premature LH surge were positively correlated with the OSI. Whereas the body mass index, mature oocytes obtained, embryo transfer number, and dose of GnRH antagonists were negatively correlated with the OSI. In the GnRH antagonists group, an OSI of 225.75 significantly distinguished pregnancy from non-pregnancy (p < 0.001), with an AUC of 0.615, and an OSI of 208.62 significantly distinguished live births from non-live births (p < 0.001), with an AUC of 0.637. As for the GnRH agonist group, an OSI of 228 significantly distinguished live births from non-live births, (p =0.020) with an AUC of 0.569.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the capability of employing OSI to distinguish the clinical pregnancy and live birth outcomes in IVF cycles.

Carboplatin-loaded ultradeformable vesicles for the management of endometrial cancer: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Aim: Present research work aimed to explore intravaginal route for the drug delivery for treatment of endometrial cancer (EC). Material & methods: Carboplatin (CBP)-loaded ultradeformable vesicle (CBP-UDV) was prepared and characterized for in vitro quality attributes and evaluated for its efficacy in rabbits using ultrasound imaging after intravaginal administration. Results & conclusion: The results showed that the formulation capable of carrying and localizing drug in uterus for prolonged period assisted by first uterine pass effect. Ultrasound imaging of the EC-induced rabbit model before and after treatment with CBP-UDV showed considerable regression in the EC tumor mass. The findings serve as the basis of successful utilization of the intravaginal route for management of EC by designing the formulation which can improve patient compliance.

Intraovarian Injection of Recombinant Human Follicle-Stimulating Hormone for Luteal-Phase Ovarian Stimulation during Oocyte Retrieval Is Effective in Women with Impending Ovarian Failure and Diminished Ovarian Reserve

It is a challenge to obtain sufficient eggs during in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women with impending ovarian failure (IOF)/diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Although studies have suggested that more than one wave of follicle growth exists, the efficacy of controlled ovulation stimulation (COS) in both follicular and luteal phases of the same ovarian cycle (DuoStim) is not established in women with IOF/DOR. We investigated the efficacy of DuoStim using the intraovarian injection of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rhFSH) during oocyte retrieval in women with DOR. For luteal-phase stimulation, intraovarian (Group A, N = 28) or superficial subcutaneous (Group B, N = 18) injection of 300 IU rhFSH immediately after oocyte retrieval was administered as the first dose, and intermittent superficial subcutaneous addition of gonadotropins was employed accordingly for further COS in both groups. In Group A, significantly lower Gn doses, a shorter duration of COS, a greater number of antral follicle counts, and an increased number of retrieved mature and total oocytes were noted. Compared with the clinical outcomes of luteal-phase COS, the average daily doses of rhFSH used in Group A were significantly lower. In summary, the novel approach using intraovarian rhFSH injection provides an efficient treatment regimen in women with IOF/DOR.