Impact of Distinct Antiandrogen Exposures on the Plasma Metabolome in Feminizing Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy.

Context: The plasma metabolome is a functional readout of metabolic activity and is associated with phenotypes exhibiting sexual dimorphism, such as cardiovascular disease. Sex hormones are thought to play a key role in driving sexual dimorphism.

Objective: Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is a cornerstone of transgender care, but longitudinal changes in the plasma metabolome with feminizing GAHT have not been described.

Investigating ticagrelor in a preclinical pipeline as a novel therapeutic to prevent preterm birth.

In Brief: Preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, and new therapies that delay preterm birth and improve neonatal outcomes are urgently needed. This study investigates whether ticagrelor inhibits uterine contractility and inflammation in preclinical in vitro, ex vivo (human) and in vivo (mouse) studies, to explore the potential of repurposing ticagrelor for the prevention of preterm birth.

Abstract: Preterm birth remains a significant global health challenge, affecting approximately 10% of pregnancies and resulting in one million deaths globally every year.

Assessment of the tocolytic nifedipine in preclinical primary models of preterm birth.

Spontaneous preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Tocolytics are drugs used in cases of imminent preterm birth to inhibit uterine contractions. Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocking agent used to delay threatened spontaneous preterm birth, however, has limited efficacy and lacks preclinical data regarding mechanisms of action.

Immune regulatory cytokines in seminal plasma of healthy men: A scoping review and analysis of variance.

Objective: Seminal plasma cytokines are associated with fertility and reproductive health, but progressing their clinical utility is hampered by absence of reference data on concentration ranges of relevant cytokines in healthy men. We employed a systematic approach to assemble current evidence on the concentrations of immune regulatory cytokines present in seminal plasma (SP) of normozoospermic and/or fertile men and evaluated the impact of different platform methodologies for cytokine quantification.

Evidence Review: A systematic literature search was performed utilising PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus.

Maternal high-fat diet changes DNA methylation in the early embryo by disrupting the TCA cycle intermediary alpha ketoglutarate.

In Brief: Maternal obesity can impair metabolism in the embryo and the resulting offspring. This study shows that metabolic disruptions through α-ketoglutarate may link altered metabolism with epigenetic changes in embryos.

Abstract: Maternal obesity can impair offspring metabolic health; however, the precise mechanism underpinning programming is unknown.

Repurposing existing drugs as a therapeutic approach for the prevention of preterm birth.

In Brief: Preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality; however, current therapies offer limited efficacy to delay birth and improve neonatal outcomes. This review explores the potential of repurposing drugs with known safety profiles to quench uterine contractions and inflammation, identifying promising agents for clinical trials.

Abstract: Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality globally.