Ovarian aging refers to the process by which ovarian function declines until eventual failure. The pathogenesis of ovarian aging is complex and diverse; oxidative stress (OS) is considered to be a key factor. This review focuses on the fact that OS status accelerates the ovarian aging process by promoting apoptosis, inflammation, mitochondrial damage, telomere shortening and biomacromolecular damage. Current evidence suggests that aging, smoking, high-sugar diets, pressure, superovulation, chemotherapeutic agents and industrial pollutants can be factors that accelerate ovarian aging by exacerbating OS status. In addition, we review the role of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), Sirtuin (Sirt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase B (AKT), Forkhead box O (FoxO) and Klotho signaling pathways during the process of ovarian aging. We also explore the role of antioxidant therapies such as melatonin, vitamins, stem cell therapies, antioxidant monomers and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and investigate the roles of these supplements with respect to the reduction of OS and the improvement of ovarian function. This review provides a rationale for antioxidant therapy to improve ovarian aging.

Cancer is a disease with a high fatality rate representing a serious threat to human health. Researchers have tried to identify effective anticancer drugs. Licorice is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine with various pharmacological properties, and licorice-derived flavonoids include licochalcones like licochalcone A, licochalcone B, licochalcone C, licochalcone D, licochalcone E, and licochalcone H. By regulating the expression in multiple signaling pathways such as the EGFR/ERK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, p38/JNK, JAK2/STAT3, MEK/ERK, Wnt/β-catenin, and MKK4/JNK pathways, and their downstream proteins, licochalcones can activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and death receptor pathway, promote autophagy-related protein expression, inhibit the expression of cell cycle proteins and angiogenesis factors, regulate autophagy and apoptosis, and inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. Among the licochalcones, the largest number of studies examined licochalcone A, far more than other licochalcones. Licochalcone A not only has prominent anticancer effects but also can be used to inhibit the efflux of antineoplastic drugs from cancer cells. Moreover, derivatives of licochalcone A exhibit strong antitumor effects. Currently, most results of the anticancer effects of licochalcones are derived from cell experiments. Thus, more clinical studies are needed to confirm the antineoplastic effects of licochalcones.

Previous studies of intrauterine infusion therapy in recurrent implantation failure (RIF) patients have shown conflicting results, and there is a lack of head-to-head horizontal comparisons between different drugs. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of four intrauterine infusion drugs, including human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP), in improving pregnancy outcomes in RIF patients through the network meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of preimplantation intrauterine infusion for RIF were searched in the Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline and CINAHL. Meanwhile, relevant data were extracted and Stata 15.0 software was applied to statistical analysis. A total of 21 studies with a sample size of 2917 cases were included in this study. Clinical pregnancy rate network meta-analysis showed that, intrauterine infusion of all four drugs is significantly better than the blank and placebo groups, while only PRP could significantly increase live birth rate compared with the blank and placebo groups. The SUCRA plots of clinical pregnancy and live birth rates showed a higher ranking of PRP and PBMCs. Early abortion intervention analysis found that only G-CSF is significantly better than the blank and placebo groups, and the SUCRA plot of G-CSF showed the highest ranking. All these findings confirmed that all four intrauterine infusion drugs can improve pregnancy outcomes in RIF patients to varying degrees, with PRP being the most effective. Further prospective, large-scale and high-quality RCTs are still necessary to determine the exact subgroups of benefit for the different drugs.

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) imposes significant psychological and mental health burdens on women’s reproductive and general well-being. Disparities in the recognition and reporting of PMS symptoms exist across different regions, influenced by social, cultural, and economic inequalities. This study aims to inform the development of future resource allocation, and ultimately safeguard women's reproductive mental health. Methods: Utilizing data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, we employed Joinpoint regression analysis to examine trends in the burden of PMS from 1990 to 2021, and investigated the impact of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) on the PMS burden. Additionally, we compared the age distribution characteristics of prevalent PMS cases in 1990 and 2021 and projected the burden to 2050 using the Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) model. Results: Despite fluctuations, the global burden of PMS was higher in 2021 compared to 1990. The low-middle SDI region consistently had the highest age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and age-standardized years lived with disability (YLDs) rate, which continued to rise; the middle SDI region followed. The high SDI region generally had the lightest burden for most of the period. Among the five SDI regions, only the high-middle SDI region showed a decrease in burden in 2021 compared to 2019. ASPR and age-standardized YLDs rate demonstrated an initial increase followed by a decrease with rising SDI levels. The age distribution of prevalent PMS cases shifted: the peak prevalence moved from the 20–24 age group in 1990 to the 35–39 age group in 2021, while the 40-44 age group was followed by 35-39 in the the same year. Projections showed a declining trend in the global burden of PMS by 2050. Conclusion: Overall, the global burden of PMS has shown an increasing trend from 1990 to 2021. The burden in low SDI regions may be substantially underestimated, influenced by social, cultural, and economic factors. In socioeconomically disadvantaged regions, attention to menstrual-related mental health, scientific diet, and allocation of healthcare resources require further optimization. In fact, mental health of women aged 35-44 should be emphasized throughout their lifespans, for a better reproductive and general well-being.