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Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) catalyses the repressive epigenetic modification of histone 3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3) and functions as a key epigenetic regulator during embryonic development. PRC2 is known to regulate the development of a range of tissues by transcriptional silencing of genes that control cell differentiation, but its roles in female germline and ovarian development remain unknown. Using a mouse model with hypomorphic embryonic ectoderm development (EED) function that reduced H3K27me3 in somatic and germ cells, we found that PRC2 was required for survival, with more than 95% of female animals dying before birth. Although surviving adult EED hypomorphic females appeared morphologically similar to controls and were fertile, Eedhypo/hypo adult ovaries were abnormal, with altered morphology characterised by abnormal follicles. Early Eedhypo/hypo and control fetal ovaries were morphologically similar, and germ cells entered meiosis normally. Immunofluorescent analyses of somatic and germline markers indicated that ovarian development in Eedhypo/hypo ovaries was similar to heterozygous and WT controls. However, TUNEL analyses revealed higher rates of apoptosis in the ovarian surface epithelium, and transcriptional analyses revealed changes in genes regulating epithelial and steroidogenic cell differentiation, possibly foreshadowing the defects observed in adult ovaries of hypomorphic females. While it was possible to analyse early-mid fetal ovarian development, postnatal stages were inaccessible due to the high level of lethality during late fetal stages. Despite this limitation, the data we were able to obtain reveal a novel role for EED in the ovary that is likely to alter ovarian development and ovarian function in adult animals.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/REP-21-0361 | DOI Listing |
Histol Histopathol
September 2025
Center for Experimental Teaching, School of Pharmacy, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Background: The aim of this study was to establish a rat model of premature ovarian failure (POF) with cyclophosphamide (CTX), and explore the molecular basis of POF and the mechanism of Guishen-Erxian Decoction (GSEXD) to improve POF from the perspective of oxidative stress regulation of ovarian granulosa cell (OGC) DNA fragmentation.
Method: The study utilized SD rats to establish a POF model via CTX. Rats were divided into Control, POF group, three GSEXD dosage groups (low, medium, high), and a GSEXD+PI3K agonist group to assess GSEXD's therapeutic effects on oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation and ovarian damage.
Gynecol Endocrinol
December 2025
National Clinical Research Center for Obstetric & Gynecologic Diseases, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Objective: To expand the clinical phenotype associated with MYRF mutations in disorders of sex development (DSDs).
Methods: We present a case of a 17-year-old patient with a female phenotype who presented with primary amenorrhea.
Results: The patient's external genitalia was entirely female in appearance, though there was no opening of vagina below the orifice of urethra.
JMIR Cancer
September 2025
iCARE Secure Data Environment & Digital Collaboration Space, NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom.
Background: Electronic health records (EHRs) are a cornerstone of modern health care delivery, but their current configuration often fragments information across systems, impeding timely and effective clinical decision-making. In gynecological oncology, where care involves complex, multidisciplinary coordination, these limitations can significantly impact the quality and efficiency of patient management. Few studies have examined how EHR systems support clinical decision-making from the perspective of end users.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHum Reprod
September 2025
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Study Question: Does weight loss from a hypocaloric dietary intervention improve antral follicle dynamics in women with PCOS?
Summary Answer: During a 3-month hypocaloric dietary intervention, women with PCOS who experienced clinically meaningful weight loss showed more organized antral follicle development including fewer recruitment events, but no change in the overall frequency of selection, dominance, or ovulation.
What Is Known Already: There is a spectrum of disordered antral follicle development in women with PCOS including excessive follicle recruitment and turnover, decreased frequency of selection and dominance, and failure of ovulation. Lifestyle intervention aimed at weight loss is recommended to improve metabolic health in women with PCOS yet benefits on ovarian follicle development and ovulation are unclear.
Int J Surg
September 2025
Department of Gynecology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
Background: Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological cancer, with fewer than 50% of patients surviving more than five years after diagnosis. This study aimed to analyze the global epidemiological trends of ovarian cancer from 1990 to 2021 and also project its prevalence to 2050, providing insights into these evolving patterns and helping health policymakers use healthcare resources more effectively.
Methods: This study comprehensively analyzes the original data related to ovarian cancer from the GBD 2021 database, employing a variety of methods including descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, age-period-cohort (APC) analysis, decomposition analysis, predictive analysis, frontier analysis, and health inequality analysis.