Jeon K, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2019 Mar;34(14):e110. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e110

Globally, women have been adopting oocyte cryopreservation (OC) for fertility preservation for various reasons, such as inevitable gonadotoxic treatment for specific pathologic states and social preferences. While conventional vitrification (C-VIT) has improved the success rate of OC, challenges of possible toxicities of high-concentration cryoprotective agents and osmotic stress persist. To overcome these challenges, we evaluated the ultra-fast vitrification (UF-VIT) method, which reduces the equilibration solution stage exposure time compared to C-VIT by observing mouse oocyte intracellular organelles and embryonic development. Consequently, compared to fresh mouse oocytes, UF-VIT presented significant differences only in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) intensity and mitochondrial (MT) distribution. Meanwhile, C-VIT showed substantial differences in the survival rate, key ER and MT parameters, and embryonic development rate. UF-VIT exhibited considerably fewer negative effects on key MT parameters and resulted in a notably higher blastocyst formation rate than C-VIT. Meiotic spindle (spindle and chromosomes) morphology showed no significant changes between the groups during vitrification/warming (VW), suggesting that VW did not negatively affect the meiotic spindle of the oocytes. In conclusion, UF-VIT seems more effective in OC owing to efficient cytoplasmic water molecule extraction, osmotic stress reduction, and minimization of cell contraction and expansion amplitude, thus compensating for the drawbacks of C-VIT.

Background: Several studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) can rescue ovarian aging and that ovarian surface epithelium (OSE)-derived ovarian stem cells (OSCs) are useful for treating infertility due to ovarian aging. However, few studies have examined the effect of CoQ10 on OSCs. This study was aimed to investigate whether CoQ10 activates OSCs and recovers ovarian function in a 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD)-induced mouse model of ovarian failure.Methods: Forty female C57BL/6 mice aged 6 weeks were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10/group): a control group administered saline orally, a CoQ10 group administered 150 mg/kg/day of CoQ10 orally in 1 mL of saline daily for 14 days, a VCD group administered 160 mg/kg/day of VCD i.p. in 2.5 mL of saline/kg for 5 days, and a VCD + CoQ10 group administered VCD i.p. for 5 days injection and CoQ10 (150 mg/kg/day) orally for 14 days. After treatment, follicle counts were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and ovarian mRNA expressions of Bmp-15, Gdf-9, and c-Kit were examined by quantitative real-time PCR. Serum FSH, AMH, and ROS levels were also measured. Oocyte-like structure counts and the expressions of Oct-4 and MVH were also evaluated after culturing OSE for 3 weeks. In a second experiment, 32 female mice were administered CoQ10 as described above, induced to superovulate using PMSG and hCG, and mated. Numbers of zygotes and embryo development rate were examined.Results: Postcultured OSE showed significant increases in the numbers of oocyte-like structure and that the expression of Oct-4 and MVH were higher in the VCD + CoQ10 group than in the VCD group (p < 0.05). Numbers of surviving follicles from primordial to antral follicles, numbers of zygotes retrieved and embryo development rate to blastocyst were significantly greater in the VCD + CoQ10 group than in the VCD group (p < 0.01). Serum AMH level and ovarian expressions of Bmp-15, Gdf-9 and c-Kit were also significantly greater in the VCD + CoQ10 group than in the VCD group (p < 0.05). In contrast, serum ROS level was significantly lower in the VCD + CoQ10 group than in the VCD group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: This study shows that CoQ10 stimulates the differentiation of OSE-derived OSCs and confirms that CoQ10 can reduce ROS levels and improve ovarian function and oocyte quality in mice with VCD-induced ovarian failure.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether the incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is higher in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) group than the control group. Additionally, the study investigated whether serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level is associated with various clinical parameters of PCOS regarding different phenotypes of the disease. Material and methods: This retrospective, case-control study included 329 PCOS patients and 162 control women who were aged between 20 and 42 years and visited the Gynecology outpatient clinic in Pusan National University Hospital from January 2014 to December 2017. PCOS patients were further classified according to their phenotypes: phenotype A as the combination of all hyperandrogenism (HA), ovulatory dysfunction (OD), and polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM); phenotype B as the combination of HA and OD; phenotype C as the combination of HA and PCOM; and finally, phenotype D as the combination of OD and PCOM. Laboratory blood tests included follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), TSH and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH). The ovarian volume was calculated using three diameters by gynecologic ultrasonography. Results: Serum TSH level was significantly higher in PCOS patients than in the control group after adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI). Serum TSH level was not related to HA and OD, but its significant association with PCOM was confirmed in comparative analysis in quartiles. The proportion of phenotype A patients increased as serum TSH level increased, while the proportion of phenotype B and D decreased. Phenotype C stayed relatively consistent with varying TSH levels. Conclusions: More numbers of patients showed elevated TSH level satisfying SCH diagnosis in PCOS group than the control group. In addition, a significant correlation between serum TSH level and different PCOS phenotypes has been observed; especially, PCOS patients with phenotype A, which displays all of HA, OD, and PCOM, tended to have the higher TSH levels than the PCOS patients with other phenotypes, requiring proper and thorough evaluation for potential endocrine disparity and according to management in such patient group. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether the incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is higher in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) group than the control group. Additionally, the study investigated whether serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level is associated with various clinical parameters of PCOS regarding different phenotypes of the disease. Material and methods: This retrospective, case-control study included 329 PCOS patients and 162 control women who were aged between 20 and 42 years and visited the Gynecology outpatient clinic in Pusan National University Hospital from January 2014 to December 2017. PCOS patients were further classified according to their phenotypes: phenotype A as the combination of all hyperandrogenism (HA), ovulatory dysfunction (OD), and polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM); phenotype B as the combination of HA and OD; phenotype C as the combination of HA and PCOM; and finally, phenotype D as the combination of OD and PCOM. Laboratory blood tests included follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), TSH and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH). The ovarian volume was calculated using three diameters by gynecologic ultrasonography. Results: Serum TSH level was significantly higher in PCOS patients than in the control group after adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI). Serum TSH level was not related to HA and OD, but its significant association with PCOM was confirmed in comparative analysis in quartiles. The proportion of phenotype A patients increased as serum TSH level increased, while the proportion of phenotype B and D decreased. Phenotype C stayed relatively consistent with varying TSH levels. Conclusions: More numbers of patients showed elevated TSH level satisfying SCH diagnosis in PCOS group than the control group. In addition, a significant correlation between serum TSH level and different PCOS phenotypes has been observed; especially, PCOS patients with phenotype A, which displays all of HA, OD, and PCOM, tended to have the higher TSH levels than the PCOS patients with other phenotypes, requiring proper and thorough evaluation for potential endocrine disparity and according to management in such patient group.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between nutritional intake and metabolic syndrome in otherwise healthy middle-aged Korean women. Retrospectively, medical records were reviewed for nutritional intake of 2,182 Korean women who had undergone routine medical check-ups from 2010 to 2016 at Pusan National University Hospital. The patients who met diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome based on NCEP-ATPIII were included, and each of the patients was assessed through self-report questionnaires and individual interview with a health care provider. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for women in Republic of Korea was based on 2015 criteria discussed in Dietary Reference Intake for Koreans, organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Through univariate analysis, daily calorie, protein, fat, and carbohydrate consumption were significantly higher and exceeded RDA in the patients with metabolic syndrome; other than major nutrients, iron, vitamin B2, and niacin were also consumed in excess of the RDA in these patients. Multivariate analysis showed that carbohydrate consumption, along with protein and vitamin B2, were significantly higher in the patients with metabolic syndrome. In middle-aged Korean women, high consumption of carbohydrates, along with protein and vitamin B2, was found to have a statistically significant association with the presence of metabolic syndrome. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2020;64(3):298-305.

Yu EH, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2024 Aug;39:e282. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e282