Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)

Changes in reproductive status place varied functional demands on the vagina. These include receptivity to male intromission and sperm transport in estrus, barrier functions during early pregnancy, and providing a conduit for fetal passage …

Fallopian tube (FT) and endometrial urocortin 1 (Ucn1) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-receptor (CRH-R1/CRH-R2) expression were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry in n…

Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for epithelial cell polarity and protein trafficking within human uterine epithelium. The actin-binding protein cofilin is involved in regulation of actin dynamics by promoting actin branchi…

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if a diagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is associated with a differential gene profile of ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). DESIGN: Prospective Co…

The main factor involved in neovascularization of ectopic endometrial tissue in endometriosis is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is produced both by the endometrial implant and by peritoneal macrophages. On the other ha…

Mounting evidence suggests that immunological responses may be altered in endometriosis. The baboon (Papio anubis) is generally considered the best model of endometriosis pathogenesis. The objective of the current study was to investigate f…

Phytoestrogens, which have a weak estrogenic effect, bind to estrogen receptors (ERs), thereby competing with estradiol, have an antiestrogenic effect on women of reproductive age with high estrogenic level. Herein, we examined the ability …

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive techniques have poor sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing endometriosis, which is often associated with an inflammatory process. In several benign diseases, measurement of hypermetabolism using fluorodeoxyglucos…

UNLABELLED: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), a transcription factor, is essential for the activation of multiple steroidogenic genes for estrogen biosynthesis in endometriosis-derived stromal ce…

To investigate the role of the nerve growth factor (NGF) in the development of dysmenorrhea/pelvic pain in patients with endometriosis, we performed a prospective, clinical, blind study. Peritoneal fluids (PFs) were obtained from patients w…

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which the endometrial glands and stroma grow outside the uterus. The disease affects women's quality of life and is a common cause of infertility. In this review, we describe promising new devel…

Human endometrium, a steroid hormone-dependent tissue, displays complex cellular regulation mediated by nuclear receptors (NRs). The NRs interact with histone-modifying and DNA-methylating/-demethylating enzymes in the transcriptional compl…

In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology of adhesion development, the impact of physiological changes associated with pregnancy on markers of adhesion development, and the clinical implications of adhesion development following cesare…

The authors previously demonstrated decreased levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis compared to women without endometriosis. Here, the authors determine whether women with endomet…

We designed this prospective, randomized controlled animal study to determine the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on experimentally induced endometriosis in a rat model. Surgical induction of endometriosis was performed in 40, nonpregnan…

The role of sex steroid hormones in reproductive function in women is well established. However, in the last two decades it has been shown that receptors for estrogens, progesterone and androgens are expressed in non reproductive tissue /or…

Cytokines modulate turnover of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle and contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Gene expression for cytokines is often regulated by proteins that bind to adenosine- and uridine-rich elements (A…

Adenomyosis is a tough disease to manage nonsurgically. Levo-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP), a known analgesic, and andrographolide, a nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor, are both active ingredients extracted from Chinese medicinal herbs…

Human reproduction has benefited significantly by investigating nonhuman primate (NHP) models, especially rhesus macaques. To expand the Old World monkey species available for human reproductive studies, we present protocols in baboons, our…

Endometriosis is associated with activation of local and systemic inflammatory mechanisms, including increased levels of chemokines and other proinflammatory cytokines. We have previously reported increased gene expression of chemokine rece…

Endometriosis is a gynecologic disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Although 15% of the female population in reproductive age is affected by endometriosis, its pathogenesis remains unclear.…

Control of estrogenic activity within the uterus is evident as unopposed estrogen action is associated with endometrial pathologies such as endometriosis and endometrial carcinoma. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important posttranscript…

Although pains of various kinds top the list of complaints from women with endometriosis and are the most debilitating of the disease, little is known about the mechanism/mechanisms of endometriosis-associated pains. To test the hypothesis …