Browsing by Subject "Infertility"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
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    Advanced sperm selection strategies as a treatment for infertile couples: a systematic review
    (MDPI, 2022-11-10 ) Jordi Ribas-Maynou; Barranco Cascales, Isabel; Sorolla Segura, María; Llavanera, Marc; Delgado Bermúdez, Ariadna; Yeste, Marc; Medicina y Cirugía Animal
    Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is an essential tool to overcome infertility, and is a worldwide disease that affects millions of couples at reproductive age. Sperm selection is a crucial step in ART treatment, as it ensures the use of the highest quality sperm for fertilization, thus increasing the chances of a positive outcome. In recent years, advanced sperm selection strategies for ART have been developed with the aim of mimicking the physiological sperm selection that occurs in the female genital tract. This systematic review sought to evaluate whether advanced sperm selection techniques could improve ART outcomes and sperm quality/functionality parameters compared to traditional sperm selection methods (swim-up or density gradients) in infertile couples. According to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA guidelines), the inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined in a PICOS (population, intervention, comparator, outcome, study) table. A systematic search of the available literature published in MEDLINE-PubMed until December 2021 was subsequently conducted. Although 4237 articles were recorded after an initial search, only 47 studies were finally included. Most reports (30/47; 63.8%) revealed an improvement in ART outcomes after conducting advanced vs. traditional sperm selection methods. Among those that also assessed sperm quality/functionality parameters (12/47), there was a consensus (10/12; 83.3%) about the beneficial effect of advanced sperm selection methods on these variables. In conclusion, the application of advanced sperm selection methods improves ART outcomes. In spite of this, as no differences in the reproductive efficiency between advanced methods has been reported, none can be pointed out as a gold standard to be conducted routinely. Further research addressing whether the efficiency of each method relies on the etiology of infertility is warranted.
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    Cognitive and affective dimensions involved in mental health of infertile couples.
    (Wiley, 2023-12-30) Limiñana Gras, Rosa María; Morcillo Pérez, M. Eugenia; Picazo González, Ana; Everaert, Nathalie; Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos
    Objective: The main goal is to analyze the relationships among some of the cognitive and affective processes involved in stress coping, cognitive dimensions of personality, and mental health of men and women with reproductive dysfunctions or infertility.
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    Dyadic and emotional adjustment in infertile couples
    (Wiley, National Council on Family Relations, 2023-01-25) García-Quintans, Lorena; Limiñana Gras, Rosa María; Patró Hernández, Rosa; Sánchez-López, M. Pilar; Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos
    Objective: This research evaluated dyadic adjustment and analyzed its contribution to emotional health and interpersonal resources in Spanish couples with reproductive problems undergoing assisted reproduction treatment. Background: Many studies described the psychological challenges of infertile couples experiencing infertility. Social support, particularly in their relationship, protected each couple member's health and quality of life. Method: Overall, 174 infertile heterosexual couples, selected from several Spanish reference hospitals, completed questionnaires regarding personal and clinical data, emotional health, adaptive resources, and dyadic adjustment. Results: Both partners in couples presenting with infertility showed less emotional maladjustment and more dyadic adjustment than the normative values. Women in couples presenting with infertility reported greater emotional maladjustment and interpersonal resources and fewer personal resources than men. For women, educational level, age, affective expression, and dyadic consensus seem to act as protective factors, predicting less emotional maladjustment and more adaptive resources. For men, the couple's relationship duration, affective expression, dyadic cohesion, and dyadic satisfaction contributed to reduced emotional maladjustment and accounted for greater adaptive resources. Conclusion: Greater dyadic adjustment appears to protect the emotional health of women and men seeking infertility treatment. Implications: Support programs targeting dyadic adjustment may be helpful to couples undergoing fertility treatment.
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    Gender roles and mental health in infertile population.
    (Wiley, 2023-12-30) Limiñana Gras, Rosa María; Morcillo Pérez, M. Eugenia; Picazo González, Ana; Everaert, Nathalie; Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos
    The objective was to assess the psychological health of men and women with reproductive difficulties, and explore the relationship to gender roles.
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    Histopathological evaluation of infertility: Lessons from laboratory rodents
    (Universidad de Murcia, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Histiologia, 2024) Ricken, Albert Markus; Hamed, Moses Agbomhere; Akhigbe, Roland Eghoghosoa
    Infertility is a growing challenge globally with emerging risk factors. There are effective laboratory tests to evaluate infertility in humans, nevertheless, some measures, especially histo-pathological evaluations, are invasive due to the pain inflicted when accessing the reproductive organs and obtaining samples; hence, their relevance may be limited in humans. However, these histopathological evaluations provide essential information on the etiopathogenesis of infertility and the likely mechanisms of action of potential therapeutic candidates. Also, non-invasive methods are available, such as the assay of testosterone in the blood and semen analysis, both of which are predictors of testicular functions. This review provides detailed information on the available histopathological investigations of infertility, such as qualitative and quantitative histopathological assessments of gonadal tissues, specific cell counts, and sperm morphology characterization, with a focus on the procedures, interpretation, and pathophysiological basis. Data from the literature revealed that histopathological examinations of the reproductive organs, as well as spermatozoa, are useful in understanding the pathogenesis of incident infertility. Histopathological evaluation may range from basic hematoxylin and eosin stains to some special stains. Also, histopathological findings (such as spermatogenic cells and planimetric variables, like seminiferous tubule diameter and theca cell and corpus luteum thickness) may be quantified and analyzed for comparison. Some skill is required for these investigations, which may be a limiting factor; however, they are important tools in translational medicine.
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    Madri dissidenti nella letteratura italiana e spagnola contemporanea
    (Editorial Comares, 2021) Reyes Ferrer, María; Filología Francesa, Románica, Italiana y Árabe
    Il presente studio ha come obiettivo analizzare due opere letterarie che affrontano l’argomento della materntià da una posizione dissidente, fatto che permette di riarticolare i rapporti della donna con la maternità e con il proprio corpo. Per arrivare a tale scopo ci concentreremo sulle opere che trattano la maternità da una prospettiva matrifocale e che puntano ad un cambiamento di paradigma nei modelli femminili e materni che la letteratura offre. Per svolgere la nostra ricerca abbiamo scelto due opere pubblicate in Italia e in Spagna per due motivi: 1) dall’inizio del nuovo secolo si è constatato un aumento dei romanzi che trattano l’argomento della maternità dal punto di vista della madre ed in maniera soggettiva; 2) le opere danno visibilità ad argomenti taciuti dalla letteratura, e dalla società in generale, come l’infertilità e le difficoltà che sperimentano le donne quando non possono diventare madri. Questi sono gli argomenti delle due opere oggetto di studio: El cielo oblicuo (2015) di Belén García Abia, e L’isola delle madri (2020), di Maria Rosa Cutrufelli.
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    Seminal extracellular vesicles and their involvement in male (In)fertility: a systematic review
    (MDPI, 2023-03-02) Parra, Ana; Padilla, Lorena; Lucas, Xiomara; Rodríguez Martínez, Heriberto; Barranco, Isabel; Roca, Jordi; Medicina y Cirugía Animal
    Seminal plasma contains numerous extracellular vesicles (sEVs). Since sEVs are apparently involved in male (in)fertility, this systematic review focused on studies specifically investigating such relationship. Embase, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched up to 31 December 2022, primarily identifying a total of 1440 articles. After processing for screening and eligibility, 305 studies were selected as they focused on sEVs, and 42 of them were considered eligible because they included the word fertility or a related word such as infertility, subfertility, fertilization, and recurrent pregnancy loss in the title, objective(s), and/or keywords. Only nine of them met the inclusion criteria, namely (a) conducting experiments aimed at associating sEVs with fertility concerns and (b) isolating and adequately characterizing sEVs. Six studies were conducted on humans, two on laboratory animals, and one on livestock. The studies highlighted some sEV molecules, specifically proteins and small non-coding RNAs, that showed differences between fertile and subfertile or infertile males. The content of sEVs was also related to sperm fertilizing capacity, embryo development, and implantation. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that several of the highlighted sEV fertility-related proteins would be cross-linked to each other and involved in biological pathways related to (i) EV release and loading and (ii) plasma membrane organization.
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    Lo sviluppo sociale, l’ecocidio naturale: uno sguardo ecofemminista alla società nel romanzo L’isola delle madri
    (Università degli Studi di Milano, 2024-06-01) Reyes Ferrer, María; Filología Francesa, Románica, Italiana y Árabe
    L’ecofemminismo, con le sue radici nell’analisi intersezionale, evidenzia le connessioni tra il dominio sulla natura e l’oppressione delle donne. Questa categoria di analisi integra i principi dell’ecologia e del femminismo, promuovendo una filosofia che ripensa l’attuale modello sociale e posiziona l’individuo in relazione con gli altri e con l’ambiente naturale. Il romanzo eco-distopico di Maria Rosa Cutrufelli, L’isola delle madri, proietta una luce anticipatoria sugli impatti su natura e società di un mondo fondato su principi biocidi ed ecocidi. Descrive una società scaturita da politiche ed economie egemoniche, concentrate sul guadagno immediato, disgiunte dalla vita, dalla terra e dai corpi. Questa eco-distopia, illustrata magistralmente da Cutrufelli, si rivela scenario di oscure conseguenze di un’era post-naturale. Attraverso l’ottica dell’ecofemminismo, il saggio analizza i temi centrali del romanzo quali la distruzione della biodiversità e l’infertilità, risultati di un malinteso concetto di sviluppo. Lo studio si estende oltre il testo letterario, esaminando il contesto socioculturale per esplorare come l’ecodistopia, oltre a essere un genere letterario, diventi un incisivo strumento di critica sociale e ambientale.
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    Las técnicas de reproducción asistida en México: una realidad ignorada en su legislación.
    (Universidad de Murcia, Servicio de Publicaciones., 2024) Sandoval Ochoa, Francisco Javier
    El presente trabajo muestra la situación legal que existe en México, tanto a nivel federal como estatal, respecto a las técnicas de reproducción asistida. En primer lugar, se plantea la situación que existe a nivel federal respecto la legislación y jurisprudencia que rige este tema, así como la autoridad competente para regular los establecimientos dónde se realizan estos procedimientos. Posterior a esto, se pasa a analizar la legislación de los estados que autorizan la reproducción asistida y se muestran la información provista por la autoridad sanitaria de los 32 estados respecto a tipo y número de procedimientos de reproducción asistida realizados en la entidad, número de clínicas públicas y privadas que operan en el estado, así como el número de nacimientos registrados como resultado del empleo de técnicas de reproducción asistida.
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    The triple role of glutathione S-transferases in mammalian male fertility
    (2019-12-05) Llavanera, Marc; Mateo Otero, Yentel; Bonet, Sergi; Barranco Cascales, Isabel; Fernández Fuerstes, Beatriz; Yeste, Marc; Medicina y Cirugía Animal
    Male idiopathic infertility accounts for 15-25% of reproductive failure. One of the factors that has been linked to this condition is oxidative stress (OS), defined as the imbalance between antioxidants and reactive oxygen species. Amongst the different factors that protect the cell against OS, the members of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) superfamily play an important role. Interestingly, reduction or lack of some GSTs has been associated to infertility in men. Therefore, and to clarify the relationship between GSTs and male fertility, the aim of this work is to describe the role that GSTs play in the male reproductive tract and in sperm physiology. To that end, the present review provides a novel perspective on the triple role of GSTs (detoxification, regulation of cell signalling and fertilisation), and reports their localisation in sperm, seminal plasma and the male reproductive tract. Furthermore, we also tackle the existing correlation between some GST classes and male fertility. Due to the considerable impact of GSTs in human pathology and their tight relationship with fertility, future research should address the specific role of these proteins in male fertility, which could result in new approaches for the diagnosis and/or treatment of male infertility.