Background: Human and experimental studies suggest that the sympathetic regulatory drive in the ovary may be unbalanced (hyperactivity) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Dysfunctional secretion of interleukin (IL) -1 (α & β) or related cytokines may thus be related to abnormal ovulation and luteinization. Objective: The aim of this study was the evaluation of cytokines' pattern in PCOS women and discussion about the explanation of cross-talk between two super systems: sympathetic and immune systems and explanation sympatho-excitation and relationship with interleukins. Materials and Methods: In this study, 171 PCOS women aged between 20-40 years were studied. Their body mass index was <28. The patients were divided into two groups: study group (n=85, PCOS women) and control group (n=86 normal women). The blood sample was obtained on the 3rd day of menstruation cycle. IL-17, IL-1α, IL-1β, and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentrations were determined in both groups. Results:The median serum level of IL-1α in the PCOS group was higher than the control group (293.3 and 8.0, respectively, p<0.001). Also, the median serum level of IL-1β was higher than the control group (5.9 and 3.1 respectively). But the median serum of level IL-17 in women with PCOS was significantly lower than the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our results confirm that PCOS is a low-level chronic inflammation.

Objectives The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging outcomes on adolescents’ well-being. However, less attention has been paid to the adolescent’s mental health during the pandemic. The pandemic may impair adolescents’ mental health through stress spillover from other family members, contextual and policy changes, and the disruption of everyday life routines. Therefore, our research is motivated by a need to address the relative scarcity of research examining adolescent mental health during the pandemic. Content This systematic review was conducted through the medical database, Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases for peer-reviewed, cross-sectional, cohort studies assessing the mental health status of adolescents during the Covid-19 virus pandemic from May 2020 till Dec 2022 without language restriction. Keywords were selected based on the Mesh terms and Emtree. Summary Studies on coronavirus have revealed many significant psychological effects on teens of all ages. The most commom problems were on the stress and anxiety, sleep disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder. Risk factors were concidered as prior mental health problem, female sexuality, fear of covid-19, nutrition, physical activity and listening the covid 19 news. Outlook Considering the critical age of teenagers, the role of parents is vital. Health policy maker should support parents as a key factors to approprate care for adolescent. Parents should be educated on parenting methods during the covid pandemic to avoid irreparable damage of adolescent’s mental health.

Background:Both oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and estradiol valerate (E2) have been used to schedule a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Since the suppression of follicle-stimulating hormone by OCPs can stay 5-7 days after stopping the pills, it seems that starting the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) after 6 days of pre-treatment discontinuation may be important in IVF outcomes.Objective:The aim of the present study was to determine the number of mature oocyte and pregnancy rate of three pretreatment methods for fresh embryo transfer cycles.Materials and Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, two-hundred ten women (18-35 yr and less than 2 previous IVF attempts) undergoing IVF with the GnRH antagonist protocol were randomized to the OCP, E2, and no pretreatment arms. OCP group (n=53) received OCP (ethinyl estradiol30 μg and levonorgestrel150 μg), E2 group (n=63) received 4 mg/day oral E2 (17β‐E2) for 10 days from day 20 of the previous cycle and GnRH antagonist stimulation was started 6 days after the interruption of OCP and E2. The control group (n =70) did not receive any pretreatment.Results:No significant difference was observed in the mean number of the mature oocyte, endometrial thickness, and embryo quality. The pregnancy rate in E2 group was higher than the two other groups (42.9% vs 39.6% and 34.3% in OCP and control group, respectively), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.59).Conclusion: It seems OCP or E2 pretreatment could not improve the fresh IVF-embryo transfer outcomes.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) induced by testicular torsion can damage the testicles. In the present study, we assessed the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and diamond nanoparticles on sperm parameters in I/R testes in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight Wistar adult male rats were divided into eight groups: healthy control (Ch), diamond nanoparticle healthy control group (Ch+Dia), CoQ10 healthy control group (Ch+Q10), diamond nanoparticles+CoQ10 healthy control group (Ch+Q10+Dia), torsion/detorsion group (Ct), the Ct group that received diamond nanoparticles (Ct+Dia), the Ct group that received CoQ10 (Ct+Q10), and Ct group that received diamond nanoparticles and CoQ10 (Ct+Q10+Dia). The rats were euthanized, and we collected the semen from the epididymal tissues to evaluate sperm viability, motility, concentration, and morphology parameters. Results: The I/R of the testicles significantly reduced sperm concentration, motility, viability, and altered sperm morphology in the rats. However, the administration of CoQ10 significantly improved sperm parameters in the rats with testicular I/R. Diamond nanoparticles decreased the sperm parameters; however, simultaneous administration of diamond nanoparticles and CoQ10 led to improved sperm parameters. Conclusion: CoQ10 potentially appeared to have protective effects against the long-term side-effects of I/R in testes in rats. Co-administration of diamond nanoparticles with CoQ10 significantly improved sperm parameters and greatly reduced the negative effects of diamond nanoparticles alone. Therefore, green synthesis of nanoparticles with the use of antioxidants such as CoQ10 is recommended. [GMJ.2021;10:e2029]

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Background: Parabens (PBs) may have potential endocrine disruption effects and may affect fertility. Objectives: This study aimed to find the relationship between the urinary concentration of PB derivates, including methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), propylparaben (PP), and butylparaben (BP), with the hormonal profile and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes of infertile women. Methods: This case-control study was conducted in an academic center in Tehran from April to December 2021. The demographic data and lifestyle components as well as the urinary MP, EP, PP, and BP among the infertile and fertile women were evaluated and compared. Also, in infertile patients, the correlation between the hormonal profile and IVF outcomes (the number and quality of oocytes and embryos) with urinary PBs was assessed and reported. Results: A total of 206 women were included in the study. The distribution of urinary PB concentrations between groups was not significantly different. The frequency and comparison of used personal care products, cosmetics, detergents, and foodstuffs for some items except folic acid were significantly higher in the control group. Comparing the effects of PBs on hormones, a significant impact of MP on estradiol was observed for the second, third, and fourth quantiles. The follicle-stimulating hormone was significantly affected by the fourth quartile of EP. Additionally, the effect of EP on anti-mullerian hormones was negative and significant for the fourth quartile compared to the first quartile. Conclusions: Urinary PB levels may not be an indicator for infertility and hormonal distribution, at least for a short duration, and did not impact IVF outcomes.

Background: Testicular ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a urological emergency that can lead to male infertility. So far, no suitable treatment has been found for it. Therefore, in the present study, we investigate the therapeutic effects of concomitant administration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) on testicular I/R damage in rats and the expressions of genes involved in mitochondrial apoptosis, miR-21, and circRNA0001518. Materials and Methods: In this study, after induction of testicular torsion/detorsion, CoQ10 and TiO2-NPs were administered to the rats for ten days. Then, sperm extracted from the epididymides were analyzed for concentration, viability, morphology, and motility. The amount of apoptosis in testicular cells was studied by flow cytometry. Also, the expressions of the Bax and Bcl-2 genes, as well as miR-21 and circRNA0001518 levels were evaluated. Results: Sperm parameters improved in the rats’ testicular that received CoQ10. Administration of TiO2-NPs to healthy rats increased apoptosis and the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio. However, its administration to testicular I/R rats alone or in combination with CoQ10 caused a decrease in apoptosis, the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio, and an increase in miR-21 and circRNA0001518 expressions. Conclusion: Overall, individual or joint administration of TiO2-NPs or CoQ10 can have therapeutic effects on testicular I/R by altering the expressions of genes in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and their regulatory elements.

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