The Utilization of Bee Products as a Holistic Approach to Managing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-Related Infertility

Concerns about fertility, social appearance, and relationships in young adults with polycystic ovary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), affecting 1-11% of reproductive-age women, is characterised by many symptoms that cause important concerns especially in young adults.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the concerns about fertility, social appearance, and relationships in young adults with PCOS.

METHODOLOGY

This descriptive study included 140 young female adults aged 18-26, who were diagnosed with PCOS, agreed to participate in the onlineresearch through social media between July and December 2022 in Turkey. Data were collected using the 'Participant Interview Form' and the "Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS).

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 22.1 ± 2.1. As the most common symptoms, 78.6% experienced menstrual irregularities, 16.4% were overweight, 7.1% were obese, 67.1% had hirsutism and 65.7% had acne. Most of the participants expressed concerns about future infertility (72.9%), and worried about being unable to conceive due to PCOS in the future (sometimes = 61.4%). Over eighty percent of the participants expressed some level of dissatisfaction with their physical appearance. They commonly believe that their self-esteem, emotionalstate, social relationships and partner relationships could be negatively affected by PCOS. SAAS scores were significantly increased by low income, high BMI, hirsutism, dissatisfaction with physicalappearance, low self-esteem, emotional problems and concerns related to social and partner relationships (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Young adults have common concerns about the potential negative impacts of PCOS on fertility, social appearance, and relationships. Health professionals should be aware of their counselling needs about the possible physical and psycho-social effects of PCOS and provide continuous care and support.

Function of MicroRNAs in Normal and Abnormal Ovarian Activities: A Review Focus on MicroRNA-21

Some failures in ovary function, like folliculogenesis and oogenesis, can give rise to various infertility-associated problems, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). PCOS influences 8 to 20% of women; while POI occurs in at least 1% of all women. Regrettably, the current therapies for these diseases have not sufficiently been effective, and finding a suitable strategy is still a puzzle. One of the helpful strategies for managing and treating these disorders is understanding the contributing pathogenesis and mechanisms. Recently, it has been declared that abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), as a subset of non-coding RNAs, is involved in the pathogenesis of reproductive diseases. Among the miRNAs, the roles of miRNA-21 in the pathogenesis of PCOS and POI have been highlighted in some documents; hence, the purpose of this mini-review was to summarize the evidences in conjunction with the functions of this miRNA and other effective microRNAs in the normal or abnormal functions of the ovary (i.e., PCOS and POI) with a mechanistic insight.

Molecular role of non-exonic variants in CALPAIN 10 gene in polycystic ovarian syndrome in Saudi women

Introduction

Non-diabetic women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) often have abnormal insulin regulation. Calpain 10 (CALP10) is a biomarker of type 2 diabetes mellitus, with some of its single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influencing PCOS development.

Methods

In this case-control study on 90 women each with and without PCOS, we explored the molecular role of five CALP10 SNPs using biochemical parameters and Sanger sequencing analyses.

Results

Different genetic models, genotypes, and allele frequencies were significantly associated with UCSNP-19 (rs3842570; p=0.01), UCSNP-44 (rs2975760; p=0.009), UCSNP-56 (rs2975762; p<0.0001), and UCSNP-63 (rs5030952; p=0.0003) in women with PCOS. The multiple logistic regression model showed a strong association of CALP10 SNPs with fasting blood glucose (p<0.001). ANOVA showed significant associations with various biochemical parameters such as FSH (p=0.0001) in UCSNP-19 (rs3842570), FI (p=0.002), TG (p=0.01) in UCSNP-56 (rs2975762) and FBG (p=0.001), FI (p=0.004), FSH (p=0.02) & LDLc (p=0.04) in UCSNP-63 (rs5030952) SNPs. Haplotype analysis also revealed significant associations between different combinations of alleles in the studied 5 SNPs in women with PCOS (p<0.05). Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis showed the best gene-gene interactions among the five SNPs in CALP10I (p<0.05). However, dendrogram and graphical depletion models found no strong association in women with PCOS.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study confirms rs3842570, rs2975760, rs2975767, and rs5030952 SNPs in CALP10 gene is associated in diagnosed PCOS women in the Saudi Arabia.

Antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Apis laboriosa honey against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a common food-borne pathogen that commonly causes gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Apis laboriosa honey (ALH) harvested in China has significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis. We hypothesize that ALH has antibacterial activity against S. Typhimurium. The physicochemical parameters, minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) and the possible mechanism were determined. The results showed that there were significantly different physicochemical parameters, including 73 phenolic compounds, among ALH samples harvested at different times and from different regions. Their antioxidant activity was affected by their components, especially total phenol and flavonoid contents (TPC, TFC), which had a high correlation with antioxidant activities except for the O₂- assay. The MIC and MBC of ALH against S. Typhimurium were 20-30% and 25-40%, respectively, which were close to those of UMF5+ manuka honey. The proteomic experiment revealed the possible antibacterial mechanism of ALH1 at IC₅₀ (2.97%, w/v), whose antioxidant activity reduced the bacterial reduction reaction and energy supply, mainly by inhibiting the citrate cycle (TCA cycle), amino acid metabolism pathways and enhancing the glycolysis pathway. The results provide a theoretical basis for the development of bacteriostatic agents and application of ALH.