Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction

215-222

Authors: Pratibha Rathod, Trupti Patel, Ajesh Desai, Divya Chandel

The etiology of preterm birth is mostly underestimated in developing countries. Current presumptions are that both environmental and genetic factors contribute towards its onset and are responsible for the higher frequency of neonatal deaths. Despite there being considerable scientific data on preterm births across the world, the frequency of its occurrence and threat to the survival of neonates are alarming. It is important that variations among populations should be considered as the socioeconomic status, climatic zones and other genetic, as well as epidemiological factors vary, so as to draw definitive conclusions on the pathogenesis of preterm birth. Predictive biomarkers, prevention and optimum treatment strategies are still being discovered, but with well-designed studies and collaborative efforts, maternal and child healthcare can be prioritized. The purpose of this review is to understand the contributing factors of preterm birth as it is a critical issue and needs in-depth understanding with planned scientific studies to decrease the rate of preterm birth and complication related to it. Furthermore, the review enlists various factors linked to preterm birth viz., high maternal age, psychological state, environmental contaminants, infection, cervical length, addiction, cytokine interaction, preeclampsia, genetic composition, ethnicity, oxidative stress and microRNAs. We have summarized the status of preterm birth, its causes, and future line of work required to prevent mortality of mother and neonate that will help us design successful studies which aim to reduce preterm births effectively.

230-238

Authors: Rupavath Chandrashekhar, Bakshi Vasudha, Jagruthi Jeripothula, Nelavelli Lakshmi Bhavani, Bhavani Ram

Objective: To investigate the potential activity of protocatechuic acid in female Wistar rats with letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Thirty rats were divided into five groups of six each. Group 1 received 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose orally and served as the normal control group; group 2 was treated orally with 1 mg/kg of letrozole daily for 21 days and served as the PCOS induced group; group 3 was orally administered with letrozole of 1 mg/kg for 21 days and further administered with standard drug of clomiphene citrate at a dose of 1 mg/kg body weight in 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose per oral and served as the standard group; groups 4 and 5 were administered with letrozole of 1 mg/kg for 21 days and further treated with protocatechuic acid orally at low dose of 5 mg/kg body weight and high dose of 15 mg/kg body weight respectively for 15 days. At the end of the study period, rats were subjected for the estimation of invasive blood pressure and heart rate, biochemical estimations and antioxidant assay. In addition, ovarian histomorphology was examined. Results: The PCOS was confirmed in the letrozole induced rats with increased concentration of androgen, abnormal lipid levels, glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and also depletion of antioxidants. After protocatechuic acid treatment, the increased levels of testosterone due to induction of PCOS were restored to normal levels. Additionally, there was a consistent decrease in luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone levels in the treatment groups, followed by decrease in the number of cysts after treatment with protocatechuic acid. Histopathological observations showed a remarkable recovery of the ovarian tissue and the presence of normalized structure of antral follicle. Protocatechuic acid treatment restored all the parameters to normalcy and abolished cysts formation in ovaries of female rats. Conclusions: Protocatechuic acid shows potential protective effects in letrozole-induced PCOS rats. The protective effect is comparable to that of clomiphene citrate and thus shows its potential in the treatment of PCOS.

247-254

Authors: Pradeep Nag, Ankur Sharma, Elango Kamaraj, Arumugam Kumaresan, Tirtha Kumar Datta, Ayyasamy Manimaran, Nilendu Paul, Sakthivel Jeyakumar, Kerekoppa P. Ramesha

Objective: To assess the stability of 10 candidate internal control genes (ICGs), namely GAPDH, ACTB, RPL23, RPS15A, ATPSF1, GLUT5, HMBS, ATP2B4, PPIA, and BRP to normalize the transcriptional data from testes samples of Zebu and crossbred bulls. Methods: Total RNA was isolated from testicular tissue of Zebu and crossbred bulls (n=6 each) between 2-8 years of age. cDNA was synthesized, and the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed. The cycle threshold values were used for the analysis of the stability of ICGs. Four different statistical algorithms: geNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder, were used to assess the stability of these genes. Results: ATPSF1, HMBS, PPIA, and RPS15A were the most reliable and stable ICGs for Zebu testes, and ATPSF1, RPL23, and PPIA for crossbred testes. Conclusions: A panel of stable ICGs (ATPSF1, HMBS, PPIA, RPS15A for Zebu and ATPSF1, RPL23, and PPIA for crossbred) for normalization of gene expression data in testes samples can be helpful for researchers to conduct functional genomics studies at the testicular level in cattle bulls.