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Molecular Research on Female Reproductive Diseases

A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 13310

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
2. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Interests: reproductive technology; female reproductive diseases; intracytoplasmic sperm injections; oocytes; spermatozoa; gnrh system; hormone-related disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multiple molecular markers and mechanisms have been considered as key components in female reproductive diseases, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, uterine leiomyoma, endometrial diseases, hydrosalinx, and infertility. Additionally, due to alterations in the molecular markers and underlying mechanisms of the reproductive systems, it seems that these changes induce the physiopathological features of female reproductive diseases. This Special Issue will focus on recent research on the physiopathological features and underlying mechanisms of female reproductive diseases. The studies should focus on determining the molecular mechanisms underlying the associations between physiopathological features and female reproductive diseases. Understanding these physiopathological features and underlying mechanisms could provide insights into the development of novel and effective strategies to prevent, diagnose, and manage female reproductive diseases.

In this Special Issue, we invite researchers to submit work that highlights the physiopathological features and underlying mechanisms of female reproductive diseases.

Dr. Hsien-Ming Wu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • uterus
  • ovary
  • fallopian tube
  • endometrium
  • infertility
  • endometriosis

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2680 KiB  
Article
Galectin-10 Expression in Placentas of Women with Gestational Diabetes
by Christina Buschmann, Laura Unverdorben, Julia Knabl, Stefan Hutter, Sarah Meister, Susanne Beyer, Maximiliane Burgmann, Lucia Keilmann, Alaleh Zati zehni, Elisa Schmoeckel, Mirjana Kessler, Udo Jeschke, Sven Mahner, Thomas Kolben, Franziska Ganster and Alexander Burges
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(11), 8840-8851; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45110554 - 2 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1426
Abstract
Galectins are known to play an important role in immunoregulatory processes and autoimmune diseases. Galectin-10 is a cytoplasmic protein of human eosinophils and is involved in various eosinophilic diseases. Since increased galectin expression is already detected in the placentas of mothers with gestational [...] Read more.
Galectins are known to play an important role in immunoregulatory processes and autoimmune diseases. Galectin-10 is a cytoplasmic protein of human eosinophils and is involved in various eosinophilic diseases. Since increased galectin expression is already detected in the placentas of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), this study focuses on the specific role of galectin-10 and hints at consequences for the diagnosis and therapeutic options of GDM. It is hypothesized that the difference in galectin-10 expression will raise the pathophysiological understanding of gestational diabetes. The study population consists of 80 women: 40 healthy mothers and 40 women suffering from gestational diabetes mellitus. The expression of galectin-10 was analyzed in the syncytiotrophoblast (SCT) and the decidua of the placenta via immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence double staining. The immunoreactivity score (IRS) was used for evaluation. The results in this study were significant for an overexpression of galectin-10 in GDM placentas compared with the control group. The syncytiotrophoblast showed overexpression in the nucleus and the cytoplasm, whereas expression of galectin-10 in the decidua was significant in the cytoplasm only. This study identified the expression changes in galectin-10 in placental tissue between healthy and GDM mothers and intensified the understanding of gestational diabetes. Assuming that gestational diabetes mellitus is involved in inflammatory processes, galectin-10 might play a role in the development and maintenance of GDM. Further investigation is required to strengthen these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Female Reproductive Diseases)
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13 pages, 3116 KiB  
Article
Identification of m6A Modification Regulated by Dysregulated circRNAs in Decidua of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
by Liyuan Cui, Minfeng Shi, Xinhang Meng, Jinfeng Qian and Songcun Wang
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(11), 8767-8779; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45110551 - 31 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1359
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a prevalent modification of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in eukaryote cells and is closely associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in embryo implantation, trophoblast invasion and immune balance, which are important events during [...] Read more.
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a prevalent modification of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in eukaryote cells and is closely associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in embryo implantation, trophoblast invasion and immune balance, which are important events during pregnancy. However, how m6A modification is regulated by circRNAs and the potential regulatory mechanism of circRNAs on RPL occurrence remain largely unclassified. We displayed the expression profiles of circRNAs and mRNAs in the decidua of normal pregnancies and RPL patients based on circRNA sequencing and the Gene Expression Omnibus database. A total of 936 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, including 509 upregulated and 427 downregulated circRNAs. Differentially expressed circRNAs were enriched in immune, metabolism, signaling and other related pathways via the analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was predicted to supply the possible role of circRNAs in RPL occurrence, and we further analyzed the profiles of nine m6A regulators (seven readers, one writer and one eraser) managed by circRNAs in this network. We also showed the expression profiles of circRNAs in the serum, trying to seek a potential biomarker to help in the diagnosis of RPL. These data imply that circRNAs are involved in pathogenesis of RPL by changing immune activities, metabolism and m6A modification in the ceRNA network. Our study might provide assistance in exploring the pathogenesis and diagnosis of RPL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Female Reproductive Diseases)
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18 pages, 5792 KiB  
Article
1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Improves Follicular Development and Steroid Hormone Biosynthesis by Regulating Vitamin D Receptor in the Layers Model
by Manman Cheng, Zhenquan Song, Yan Guo, Xuliang Luo, Xuelian Li, Xiaohui Wu and Yanzhang Gong
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(5), 4017-4034; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45050256 - 4 May 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1914
Abstract
1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VitD3) is the active form of vitamin D, and it regulates gene expression and protein synthesis in mammalian follicle development. However, the function of VitD3 in the follicular development of layers remains unclear. This study investigated, through [...] Read more.
1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VitD3) is the active form of vitamin D, and it regulates gene expression and protein synthesis in mammalian follicle development. However, the function of VitD3 in the follicular development of layers remains unclear. This study investigated, through in vivo and in vitro experiments, the effects of VitD3 on follicle development and steroid hormone biosynthesis in young layers. In vivo, ninety 18-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly divided into three groups for different treatments of VitD3 (0, 10, and 100 μg/kg). VitD3 supplementation promoted follicle development, increasing the number of small yellow follicles (SYFs) and large yellow follicles (LYFs) and the thickness of the granulosa layer (GL) of SYFs. Transcriptome analysis revealed that VitD3 supplementation altered gene expression in the ovarian steroidogenesis, cholesterol metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism signaling pathways. Steroid hormone-targeted metabolomics profiling identified 20 steroid hormones altered by VitD3 treatment, with 5 being significantly different among the groups. In vitro, it was found that VitD3 increased cell proliferation, promoted cell-cycle progression, regulated the expression of cell-cycle-related genes, and inhibited the apoptosis of granulosa cells from pre-hierarchical follicles (phGCs) and theca cells from prehierarchical follicles (phTCs). In addition, the steroid hormone biosynthesis-related genes, estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations, and vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression level was significantly altered by VitD3. Our findings identified that VitD3 altered the gene expression related to steroid metabolism and the production of testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone in the pre-hierarchical follicles (PHFs), resulting in positive effects on poultry follicular development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Female Reproductive Diseases)
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21 pages, 2147 KiB  
Article
Effects of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Clinical Symptoms and DNA Methylation in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and High Metabolic Risk
by Hana Dema, Alja Videtič Paska, Katarina Kouter, Mojca Katrašnik, Mojca Jensterle, Andrej Janež, Aleš Oblak, Borut Škodlar and Jurij Bon
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(4), 2717-2737; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45040178 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3570
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting women of reproductive age. Research has shown that epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation may play a role in the development and progression of abnormal ovarian function and metabolic disorders in PCOS. [...] Read more.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting women of reproductive age. Research has shown that epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation may play a role in the development and progression of abnormal ovarian function and metabolic disorders in PCOS. Studies have identified specific genes (related with insulin signaling and steroid hormone metabolism) that are methylated in women with PCOS. DNA methylation appears to respond to various interventions aimed at altering health and lifestyle factors. We tested the efficacy of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) in PCOS patients. We examined its effects on anthropometric measurements, mental health and wellbeing, and alterations in DNA methylation in peripheral blood. MBSR was associated with a reduction in body mass index, waist circumference and blood glucose level, an improvement in subjectively perceived general health, emotional role limitation, and levels of pain, as well as mindfulness-like traits. MBSR reduced the expression of anxious symptomatology and subjectively perceived stress. Methylation changes were observed in four genes: COMT, FST, FKBP51, and MAOA. We conclude that MBSR may be a useful supplementary therapy to mitigate the deleterious effects of PCOS on mental health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Female Reproductive Diseases)
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Review

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16 pages, 2150 KiB  
Review
The Role of p16/Ki67 Dual Staining in Cervical Cancer Screening
by Andraž Dovnik and Alenka Repše Fokter
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(10), 8476-8491; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45100534 - 19 Oct 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4188
Abstract
Cervical cancer screening has enabled a decrease in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Various screening modalities have been studied to date. In many countries, screening is still based on cervical cytology, where cervical cells obtained either on glass or in a [...] Read more.
Cervical cancer screening has enabled a decrease in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Various screening modalities have been studied to date. In many countries, screening is still based on cervical cytology, where cervical cells obtained either on glass or in a liquid medium are examined under a microscope. However, the fact that the vast majority of cervical cancers are a result of persistent infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (hr-HPV) has led to the implementation of primary HPV screening in many countries. Taking into consideration the fact that the majority of HPV infections are transient and do not cause cervical precancer, effective triage methods are needed to prevent an increase in colposcopy referrals. Among these, the most extensively investigated are HPV genotyping, HPV methylation, and p16/Ki67 dual staining. In this manuscript, we briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding different screening strategies for the prevention of cervical cancer, with a focus on p16/Ki67 dual staining. In addition, we provide an explanation regarding the rationale for the use of various screening modalities based on the molecular biology of cervical cancer and cervical precancerous lesions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Female Reproductive Diseases)
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