The janus face of stress on reproduction: from health to disease

Ginger honey affects cortisol, estrogen and glutathione levels; preliminary study to target preconceptional women

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed to determine the effect of ginger honey supplementation on cortisol, glutathione, and estrogen levels. The study was conducted on mice that had not yet experienced conception, and prior stress induction was carried out so that they could be continued for human trials at the preconception stage and subjects who experienced mild stress.

METHOD

It was an in vivo study, pretest-posttest control group design. The sample of this study was 2-3 months female Balb/c mice, divided into negative control and ginger honey intervention as much as 28mg/20g BW for 14 days-the ELISA method used to examine cortisol hormone, glutathione levels, and estrogen levels. The mice chosen were those that had never experienced conception, and before the intervention, swimming activities were carried out on the mice until they showed symptoms of stress.

RESULTS

Results show 42mg/20g BW of ginger honey administration for 14 days increased 1.892 ng/dl of cortisol (p = 0.165), increased 2.438 ng/dl of glutathione (p=0.002), and also increased 22.754ng/ml estrogen levels in induced stress Balb/c female mice (p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

Ginger honey did not affect reducing cortisol levels but increasing glutathione and estrogen levels significantly. Ginger honey supplements are the potential to use as complementary therapies.

Caesarean delivery and pubertal timing in boys and girls: A Danish population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

There is considerable public and scientific interest in the declining age of pubertal timing. Prenatal and postnatal stress has been proposed to relate with earlier pubertal timing, but it remains unknown whether intrapartum stress may affect pubertal timing as well.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the potential effect of caesarean delivery on pubertal timing in boys and girls.

METHODS

This study was based upon the nationwide Puberty Cohort nested within the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) from 2000 to 2003. A total of 15,731 mother-child pairs with complete information on delivery mode and puberty were included in the main analysis. The delivery mode was categorised into non-instrumental vaginal delivery (reference), instrumental vaginal delivery, elective caesarean delivery before labour, emergency caesarean delivery during labour and un-specified caesarean delivery. Children's pubertal development were self-reported in web-based questionnaires from 11 years of age and every 6 months throughout puberty (2012-2019), including Tanner stages 2-5, menarche, voice break, first ejaculation, axillary hair growth and the onset of acne. Regression models for censored, normally distributed time-to-event data were used to estimate mean monthly differences in age at attaining the different pubertal milestones and the average of all these estimates for each sex (a combined indicator of pubertal timing).

RESULTS

A total of 2810 participants were born by caesarean delivery (17.9%). Neither elective nor emergency caesarean delivery was associated with earlier age at achieving the pubertal milestones in boys or in girls. For the combined indicator, the mean age differences for elective caesarean delivery and emergency caesarean delivery were 0.1 (95% CI -1.1, 1.4) months and -0.7 (95% CI -2.0, 0.5) months in boys and 0.7 (95% CI -0.7, 2.0) and 0.2 (95% CI -1.3, 1.7) in girls.

CONCLUSIONS

This study does not suggest a clinically important effect of caesarean delivery on children's pubertal timing.

Influence of ethanolic extract of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) seed flour on the estrous cycle, the serum concentrations of reproductive hormones, and the activities of oxidative stress markers in female cavies (Cavia porcellus L.)

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the ethanolic extract of avocado seed flour on the estrous cycle characteristics, the concentrations of reproductive hormones [luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol], and the activities of some tissues (ovarian and uterine) that are markers of oxidative stress in female guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-four female cavies with normal estrous cycles and equivalent body weights (464.25 and 71.88 gm) were randomly assigned to four groups, each with six females. The control group received 1 ml of distilled water orally, whereas the EE100, EE200, and EE400 groups received 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg bw of ethanolic extract of Persea americana seed, respectively. Following that, three consecutive estrous cycles were observed using vaginal smears. After the trial, the females were slaughtered, and blood and organs were gathered for study.

RESULTS

The mean duration of the estrus phase is considerably (p < 0.05) longer in group EE100 animals than in control animals. LH concentrations were substantially (p < 0.05) higher in females in group EE200 than in controls. Total cholesterol levels typically dropped in females in the extract groups, but only significantly (p < 0.05) in those in group EE100 compared to the control group. Serum estradiol levels increased considerably (p < 0.05) in treated females compared to controls. Catalase activity rose considerably (p < 0.05) in the ovaries of group EE400 when compared to the control. Superoxide dismutase activity rose considerably (p < 0.05) in the uterus of female cavies given the extract compared to the control.

CONCLUSION

Avocado seed ethanolic extract prolongs the estrus phase, increases estradiol and LH levels, and protects the uterus from oxidative stress in female cavies.