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The remains of ovarian follicles reported in nine specimens of basal birds represents one of the most remarkable examples of soft-tissue preservation in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. This discovery was immediately contested and the structures alternatively interpreted as ingested seeds. Fragments of the purported follicles preserved in an enantiornithine (STM10-12) were extracted and subjected to multiple high-resolution analyses. The structures in STM10-12 possess the histological and histochemical characteristics of smooth muscles fibers intertwined together with collagen fibers, resembling the contractile structure in the perifollicular membrane (PFM) of living birds. Fossilized blood vessels, very abundant in extant PFMs, are also preserved. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy shows the preserved tissues primarily underwent alumino-silicification, with minor mineralization via iron oxides. No evidence of plant tissue was found. These results confirm the original interpretation as follicles within the left ovary, supporting the interpretation that the right ovary was functionally lost early in avian evolution.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01131-9 | DOI Listing |
Am J Reprod Immunol
September 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Problem: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to pelvic pain and infertility. Recent studies have indicated that immunological, endocrine, biochemical, and genetic irregularities, along with suboptimal quality of oocytes, embryos, and the endometrial environment, significantly impact infertility associated with endometriosis. Ectopic endometrial cells in endometriosis have the capacity to avoid apoptosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim
September 2025
Postgraduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PPGCF), State University of Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
The present study aimed to (1) evaluate the effects of different concentrations of the polysaccharide extract of Cissus sicyoides (PE-Cs) during in vitro culture of preantral follicles included in goat ovarian tissue on (i) follicular morphology and activation, (ii) ovarian stromal density, (iii) follicular and oocyte diameters, (iv) antioxidant enzymes activity (SOD, CAT, and GPx), (v) quantification of MDA, thiol, and nitrite levels; as well as to (2) measure the total antioxidant capacity of the extract. The ovarian cortex fragments were cultured at 39 °C in a humidified atmosphere with 5% CO for 6 d in alpha-modified minimum essential medium (αMEM) supplemented with insulin, transferrin, and selenium; hypoxanthine; glutamine; and bovine serum albumin, which was called αMEM alone or added of PE-Cs at 20, 40, or 80 µg/mL. At the end of the culture period, a reduction in the percentage of normal follicles in all treatments using PE-Cs compared to fresh control and αMEM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZool Res
September 2025
College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China. E-mail:
Zona pellucida glycoprotein-1 (ZP1) is essential for maintaining oocyte structural integrity and facilitating fertilization. Mutations in are strongly associated with primary infertility disorders such as fertilization failure and empty follicle syndrome; however, the absence of accurate experimental models has hindered mechanistic understanding and obscured the etiological basis of -related infertility. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing was employed to generate two -edited cynomolgus macaques ( ), designated #ZP1-1 (male) and #ZP1-2 (female).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Intern Med
September 2025
Department of Medicine, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.G.R.).
Background: Animal studies show ovarian follicle damage and mutagenesis after ionizing radiation exposure. Computed tomography (CT) imaging is commonly done outside pregnancy, but risks to future pregnancy are unknown.
Objective: To evaluate the risk for spontaneous pregnancy loss and congenital anomalies in offspring of women exposed to CT ionizing radiation before conception.
Front Pharmacol
August 2025
The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
In recent years, the potential application of Hook f. (TWHF) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has garnered increasing attention in both academic research and clinical practice. However, the effective use of is limited in clinical practice by its severe toxic side effects.
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