International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine
Volume:14 Issue: 10, Oct 2016

Seroepidemiologic studies indicate a high prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. This infection leads to ophthalmic, dermatologic, oral, neurologic, vaginal and cervical problems. Different studies have been carried out to estimate the HSV seroprevalence in Iran. Combining the results of these studies would be useful for health policy-making.

This study aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of HSV infection using meta-analysis.

Using relevant keywords, national and international data banks were searched. Restricting the search strategy, excluding duplicates and investigating the titles and abstracts, relevant articles were identified. To increase the search sensitivity, the lists of references were investigated. To find un-published studies, specialized experts as well as research centers were interviewed. The heterogeneity between the results was assessed using Cochrane test and I-squared indicator. The pooled prevalence of HSV infection was estimated using random effects model.

We recruited 33 eligible papers investigated 7762 individuals. The total prevalences (95% confidence intervals) of HSV1, HSV2 and HSV infections were estimated as of 42.04% (20.9-63.1), 6.5% (4.7-8.2) and 25.7% (8.8-42.5) respectively.

This meta-analysis showed that the HSV2 seroprevalence among Iranian people is considerably lower than HSV1 infection.

Repeated implantation failure (RIF) is a major challenge in reproductive medicine and despite several methods that have been described for management, there is little consensus on the most effective one.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma in improvement of pregnancy rate in RIF patients.

Twenty women with a history of RIF who were candidates for frozen-thawed embryo transfer were recruited in this study. Intrauterine infusion of 0.5 ml of platelet-rich plasma that contained platelet 4-5 times more than peripheral blood sample was performed 48 hrs before blastocyst transfer.

Eighteen participants were pregnant with one early miscarriage and one molar pregnancy. Sixteen clinical pregnancies were recorded and their pregnancies are ongoing.

According to this study, it seems that platelet-rich plasma is effective in improvement of pregnancy outcome in RIF patients.

Physical exercise is known to be a stressor stimulus that leads to reproductive disruption.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of forced swimming on the uterus and ovaries in mice.

Adult mice (N=24) were divided into the following three groups: A, control; B, swimming in water (10oC); and C, swimming in water (23oC). Swimmers swam for 5 min daily for 5 consecutive days/ wk during 2 wks. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine serum estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone levels. Immunohistochemistry was performed to study apoptotic cells or estrogen receptor (ER) expression in uterine epithelial cells and ovaries. ANOVA was used for statistical analysis.

Swimming in both groups reduced the serum FSH and estradiol levels (p

Forced swimming of 2 wks duration reduces the serum levels of FSH and estradiol without having effects on apoptosis in the ovaries or uteri of mice. Over a long period of time, forced swimming may have an adverse effect on fertility.

The particles in the range of 1-100 nm are called nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticle is one of the most important metal nanoparticles with wide usage.

This study investigated the effects of gold nanoparticles on sperm parameters and chromatin structure in mice.

In this experimental study, 72 male bulb-c mice were divided into 9 groups including: 4 Sham groups (Sc 1-4), 4 experimental groups (Au 1-4), and 1 control group (C). Experimental groups received 40 and 200 µg/kg/day soluble gold (Au) nano-particles for 7 and 35 days, by intra peritoneal injection, respectively. Sham groups were treated with 1.2 mM sodium citrate solution with 40 and 200 µg/kg/day doses for same days and control group did not receive any materials. Motility and Morphology of spermatozoa were analyzed. Chromatin quality was also evaluated using AB (Aniline blue), TB (Toluidine blue) and CMA3 (Chromomycin A3) staining methods.

The sperm analysis results showed that motility and morphology of sperm in experimental groups (especially in groups that have been treated for 35 days with nano-particles) had significant decrease in comparison with control group. TB, AB and CMA3 results showed a significant increase in abnormal spermatozoa from all Au-treated groups.

Gold nano-particles firstly can reduce the sperm parameters such as motility and normal morphology and secondly affect sperm chromatin remodeling and cause the increase instability of chromatin and also increase the rate of sperm DNA damage. These deleterious effects were more obvious in maximum dose and chronic phase.

Termination of pregnancy in the second trimester using prostaglandins has been shown to be safe and effective. Misoprostol has multiple routes of administration; oral, vaginal, buccal, rectal and sublingual.

The study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of intrauterine extra-amniotic and vaginal misoprostol in a dose of 200 microgram every 4 hours for the termination of pregnancy in cases of second trimester miscarriage.

A prospective randomized open labeled clinical trial included 180 women with missed miscarriage in gestational age between 13 and 24 wks. Patients were randomized to receive subsequent doses of 200 µg misoprostol every 4 hrs either intra uterine extra-amniotic by Foley catheter or vaginally administered. Randomization was completed using a computer-generated random table. The primary outcome of this study was the mean duration from the initial misoprostol dose until complete fetal expulsion (induction-expulsion interval).

The mean gestational age was 17.74 wks. The mean time to complete miscarriage in the intra uterine extra-amniotic group was 5.27 hrs, which was significantly lower than the vaginal group (9.92 hrs, p=0.001). Side effects were more common in vaginal group.

Intra uterine extra-amniotic misoprostol with a dose of 200 µg every 4 hrs appears to be more effective and safer than vaginal misoprostol in induction of second trimester miscarriage.

L-carnitine (LC) is an antioxidant with the ability to promote the growth in vitro embryo.

The goal was to evaluate the effect of LC on some indicators of embryo development and blastocyst quality including zona pellucid (ZP) thickness, the hatching of blastocysts and their cell numbers.

Mouse embryos were randomly divided into five groups and incubated with different concentrations of LC (I; 0, II; 0.5, III; 1, IV; 2 and V; 4 mg/ml) from 2-cell to hatched blastocyst. The percentage of blastocysts and hatched blastocysts was calculated. Blastocysts ZP thickness was measured and the number of blastocyst cells was counted using Hoechst and propidium iodide (PI) staining.

The results showed concentration of 0.5 mg/ml of LC had an antioxidant effect as in this group, the percentage of blastocysts and hatched blactocysts (p=0.01), the ZP thickness (p=0.00) and the number of blastocyst inner cell mass were significantly more favorable than the control group (p=0.03); and concentration of 4 mg/ml of LC had a toxic effect on embryo development and blastocyst quality (p=0.00).

The results suggest that LC may increase the number of blastocyst cells, which probably helps to expand the blastocyst and thinning of the ZP thickness and, therefore, creating a successful hatching for implantation.

Implantation is one of the essential steps for the success of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). Their success depends on three main factors: embryo quality, endometrial receptivity (ER), and synchrony between embryo and endometrium. There are various factors that regulate the complex process of implantation. In this regard, one may refer to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as the most important factor.

This study aims to investigate the effect of intrauterine hCG injection before embryo transfer (ET) on pregnancy outcome in infertile couples.

A total of 159 patients undergone In vitro Fertilization/ Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (IVF/ICSI) with an antagonist protocol were evaluated. Patients were divided into three groups (n=53). Group 1 received 500 IU of hCG, group 2 received 1000 IU of hCG intrauterine injection before ET, and the control group underwent ET without hCG preceding intrauterine injection.

There was no significant difference among the groups. The implantation rates were 18.86%, 13.52%, and 14.37%, chemical pregnancy rates were 34%, 32.1%, and 35.3%, and clinical pregnancy rates were 34%, 32.1%, and 31.4% respectively.

The pregnancy outcome in IVF/ICSI /ET cycles cannot be improved through hCG intrauterine injections before ET.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is among the most unfavorable problems in women in reproductive age; however its pathophysiology is still not fully confirmed. Vitamin D as an immunomodulator could prevent inflammatory state before and during menstruation.

The aim was to investigate whether there is any relationship between serum vitamin D levels and PMS.

In total, 82 women participate in this case-control study which was conducted in Shahid Akbar-abadi hospital from November 2013 to March 2015. Categorization was based on an Iranian version of the premenstrual symptoms screening tool (PSST). Levels of 25 hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25OHD) were determined by using 25-OH Vitamin D ELISA kit in luteal phase. Characteristics of participants and vitamin D levels were compared between two groups by using independent sample t-test.

Menarche age of women with PMS was significantly lower than normal women (p=0.04). Body mass index was not statistically different between groups. We observed a high rate of vitamin D deficiency and also its severe deficiency in both PMS and non-PMS groups. However, our study demonstrated no significant difference in the levels of serum 25OHD between the two groups.

It seems there is no association between PMS and serum levels of vitamin D3; however, the high rate of vitamin D deficiency among young Iranian women emerges special health care considerations in this group.