Lu Jiayin, Wang Zixu, Cao Jing, Chen Yaoxing, Dong Yulan

Laboratory of Neurobiology, College of Animal Medicine, China Agricultural University, Haidian, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.| Laboratory of Neurobiology, College of Animal Medicine, China Agricultural University, Haidian, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.| Laboratory of Neurobiology, College of Animal Medicine, China Agricultural University, Haidian, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.| Laboratory of Neurobiology, College of Animal Medicine, China Agricultural University, Haidian, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China. yxchen@cau.edu.cn.| Laboratory of Neurobiology, College of Animal Medicine, China Agricultural University, Haidian, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China. ylbcdong@cau.edu.cn.

Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2018 Aug 20;16(1):80. doi: 10.1186/s12958-018-0391-5.

In recent years, the study of oxidative stress (OS) has become increasingly popular. In particular, the role of OS on female fertility is very important and has been focused on closely. The occurrence of OS is due to the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are a double-edged sword; they not only play an important role as secondary messengers in many intracellular signaling cascades, but they also exert indispensable effects on pathological processes involving the female genital tract. ROS and antioxidants join in the regulation of reproductive processes in both animals and humans. Imbalances between pro-oxidants and antioxidants could lead to a number of female reproductive diseases. This review focuses on the mechanism of OS and a series of female reproductive processes, explaining the role of OS in female reproduction and female reproductive diseases caused by OS, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, preeclampsia and so on. Many signaling pathways involved in female reproduction, including the Keap1-Nrf2, NF-kappaB, FOXO and MAPK pathways, which are affected by OS, are described, providing new ideas for the mechanism of reproductive diseases.

Jansen Erik, Laven Joop S E, Dommerholt Henri B R, Polman Jan, van Rijt Cindy, van den Hurk Caroline, Westland Jolanda, Mosselman Sietse, Fauser Bart C J M

Global Business Inteligence Center, NV Organon, PO Box 20, 5340 BH Oss, The Netherlands. erik.jansen@organon.com

Mol Endocrinol. 2004 Dec;18(12):3050-63. doi: 10.1210/me.2004-0074. Epub 2004 Aug

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents the most common cause of anovulatory infertility and affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. The etiology of PCOS is still unknown. The current study is the first to describe consistent differences in gene expression profiles in human ovaries comparing PCOS patients vs. healthy normoovulatory individuals. The microarray analysis of PCOS vs. normal ovaries identifies dysregulated expression of genes encoding components of several biological pathways or systems such as Wnt signaling, extracellular matrix components, and immunological factors. Resulting data may provide novel clues for ovarian dysfunction in PCOS. Intriguingly, the gene expression profiles of ovaries from (long-term) androgen-treated female-to-male transsexuals (TSX) show considerable overlap with PCOS. This observation provides supportive evidence that androgens play a key role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. Presented data may contribute to a better understanding of dysregulated pathways in PCOS, which might ultimately reveal novel leads for therapeutic intervention.