Fertility study finds hormone that could support early pregnancy

image credit: emaxhealth.com

"The hormone helps prime cells for implantation, a vital stage in early pregnancy when a fertilised egg attaches to the womb lining, the study suggests.

The discovery -- made by testing tissue from women aged in their forties -- could help scientists develop ways to improve fertility.

Each month, as part of the menstrual cycle, hormones send chemical signals to cells in the womb lining to create conditions to support pregnancy. Fertilised eggs are extremely sensitive to changes in the womb lining, but the exact environment needed for healthy implantation is unknown.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh tested the effects of a hormone known as DHEA on healthy tissue donated by women undergoing unrelated surgery.

They found that treating womb lining cells with DHEA in a dish doubled the level of key proteins associated with healthy implantation in the tissue.

DHEA treatment also increased the production of active androgens -- hormones found in high levels in men -- suggesting that these could underlie the improvement.

The study also suggests that levels of DHEA -- which are known to decline significantly with age -- could play a role in infertility in later life, researchers say.

They caution that it is too early to say if treatments could help women with fertility issues.

The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Lead author Dr Douglas Gibson, from the MRC Centre for Inflammation Research at the University of Edinburgh, said: "A fertilised egg will implant only if the conditions are just right and we were excited to see that DHEA and androgens might help improve this environment in cells. The findings will help us develop studies for potential therapies but more research is needed before we can tell if this approach could be used to help women who are struggling to conceive."

Dr Stephen Meader, Programme Manager for Reproductive Health at the MRC, said: "This study is important in learning more about what's required for a successful implantation and healthy pregnancy. This research may be in its early stages, but it's worthwhile because it lays the groundwork to uncovering potential treatments down the road to help women trying to conceive."

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221122506.htm

Hormone replacement therapy may be beneficial for women's memory

via contemporaryobgyn.modernmedicine.com

"A type of hormone replacement therapy may protect memory for some women, according to a new USC-led study.

The findings by USC researchers are the latest to indicate that hormone replacement therapy may have some benefits, deepening scientific discussions about the pros and cons of the menopausal treatment.

"Our study suggests that estrogen treatment after menopause protects the memory that is needed for short-term cognitive tasks from the effects of stress," said Alexandra Ycaza Herrera, the study's lead author and a researcher at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

Earlier studies have pointed to potential health risks of the treatment. A combination therapy that uses both estrogen and progesterone has been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and blood clots.

The study was published on Nov. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

The researchers found that women taking estrogen-only therapy had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and performed better on tests of "working memory" following exposure to stress compared to women taking a placebo.

Working memory allows the brain to keep information immediately available for processing, such as when a shopper uses a mental grocery list to pick up items or when a student keeps specific numbers in mind as a teacher reads a word problem aloud in math class. Studies have documented that stress can impair working memory..."

Learn more:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171102140518.htm

Can a postmenopausal hormone therapy play the role of protector from Alzhaimer disease?

via medscape.com

"Postmenopausal estrogen-based hormone therapy lasting longer than ten years was associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease in a large study carried out at the University of Eastern Finland.

"The protective effect of hormone therapy may depend on its timing: it may have cognitive benefits if initiated at the time of menopause when neurons are still healthy and responsive," says Bushra Imtiaz, MD, MPH, who presented the results in her doctoral thesis.

The study explored the association between postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy, Alzheimer's disease, dementia and cognition in two nation-wide case-control studies and two longitudinal cohort studies. The largest study comprised approximately 230,000 Finnish women and the follow-up time in different studies was up to 20 years.

Menopause may explain women's higher dementia risk

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, and two out of three Alzheimer's cases are women. One possible explanation for women's higher dementia risk is the postmenopausal depletion of sex steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen receptors are present throughout the body including brain areas primarily affected in Alzheimer's disease. In in vitro and animal studies, estrogen has showed neuroprotective effects. However, studies on humans have yielded inconsistent results on the association between postmenopausal estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy and dementia risk..."

Learn more:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170216103859.htm

Hormonal contraception is safer than expected for women with diabetes

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"Strokes and heart attacks are rare for women with diabetes who use hormonal contraception, with the safest options being intrauterine devices (IUDs) and under-the-skin implants, new research published in Diabetes Care shows.

The study, one of the first to evaluate hormonal contraception and health outcomes in women with a chronic condition, should encourage physicians to include implants and IUDs in birth control discussions with diabetic patients.

"Clinicians need to get beyond the idea that birth control just means 'the pill,'" said study senior author Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, professor of internal medicine at UC Davis Health System. "There are options that are safe and effective for all women, including those with diabetes."

Estrogen-containing birth control -- including oral contraceptives, transdermal patches and vaginal rings -- prevent pregnancy by suppressing ovulation. While effective contraceptives, these methods increase women's risks for heart attacks, strokes and blood clots. Physicians have been especially reluctant to prescribe hormonal birth control to women with diabetes, as adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults who do not have diabetes..."

Learn more:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161215143304.htm

New evidence that hormone levels measured in hair can affect IVF success by almost one-third

"Levels of a hormone when measured in hair can significantly predict the likelihood of pregnancy in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, scientists at The University of Nottingham have revealed.

The new study, funded by Nurture Fertility (Nottingham) and published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, found that elevated levels of the so-called 'stress hormone' cortisol measured in hair were associated with almost a third less chance of conceiving.
This technique enables doctors to measure cumulative hormonal function over the previous 3-6 months and, as such, provides a more reliable measure of hormonal function compared to other techniques using saliva, blood and urine that measure only short term levels of the hormone.

The findings provide the first proper evidence that long term levels of cortisol, which are affected by many lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, caffeine and most notably stress, may play an important role in determining reproductive outcomes. Scientists believe that interventions to reduce cortisol prior to infertility treatment could therefore improve outcomes for the many thousands of couples undergoing IVF each year..."

Learn more: 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161018094120.htm

PCOS,hormone imbalance and Resveratrol

credit: happyhormones.com.au

"Resveratrol -- a natural compound found in red wine and grapes -- can help address a hormone imbalance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of infertility in women, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

An estimated 5 million to 6 million women in the United States have PCOS, according to the Hormone Health Network. It is one of the most common endocrine conditions in women of childbearing age.

Women who have PCOS produce slightly higher amounts of testosterone and other androgen hormones than average. Although these reproductive hormones are typically associated with men, women also have small amounts. The elevated levels in women with PCOS can contribute to irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, weight gain, acne or excess hair on the face and body. Women who have PCOS also face a higher risk of developing other health problems, such as diabetes..."

Learn more:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161018143436.htm

Can hormone levels measured in hair affect the IVF success by almost one-third?

"Levels of a hormone when measured in hair can significantly predict the likelihood of pregnancy in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, scientists at The University of Nottingham have revealed.

The new study, funded by Nurture Fertility (Nottingham) and published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, found that elevated levels of the so-called 'stress hormone' cortisol measured in hair were associated with almost a third less chance of conceiving.

This technique enables doctors to measure cumulative hormonal function over the previous 3-6 months and, as such, provides a more reliable measure of hormonal function compared to other techniques using saliva, blood and urine that measure only short term levels of the hormone.

The findings provide the first proper evidence that long term levels of cortisol, which are affected by many lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, caffeine and most notably stress, may play an important role in determining reproductive outcomes. Scientists believe that interventions to reduce cortisol prior to infertility treatment could therefore improve outcomes for the many thousands of couples undergoing IVF each year..."

Learn more: 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161018094120.htm

Female sex hormone and protection from the effects of the flu

via flickr.com

"In mouse studies, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that progesterone - a female sex hormone contained in most forms of hormone-based birth control - appears to stave off the worst effects of influenza infection and, in an unexpected finding, help damaged lung cells to heal more quickly.

The findings, published Sept. 15 in PLOS Pathogens, suggest that sex hormones have an effect far beyond the reproductive system and that progesterone may one day be a viable flu treatment for women.

The World Health Organization reports that more than 100 million young adult women around the world are on progesterone-based contraception. And women of reproductive age are twice as likely than men to suffer from complications related to the influenza virus.

"Despite the staggering number of women who take this kind of birth control, very few studies are out there that evaluate the impact of contraceptives on how the body responds to infections beyond sexually-transmitted diseases," says study leader Sabra L. Klein, PhD, an associate professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology..."

Learn more:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160915144704.htm

Estrogen protects women against the flu, study finds

via micro.magent.fsu.edu

"The female sex hormone estrogen has anti-viral effects against the influenza A virus, commonly known as the flu, a new study in American Journal of Physiology -- Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology reports.

A virus infects and causes sickness by entering a cell and making copies of itself inside the host cell. When released from infected cells, the virus can spread through the body and between people. How much a virus has replicated determines its severity. Less replication of the virus means the infected person may experience less disease or is less likely to spread the disease to someone else, says Sabra Klein, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University and lead investigator of the study.

To examine how estrogen affected the flu virus's ability to replicate, the research team gathered nasal cells -- the cell type that the flu virus primarily infects -- from male and female donors. The researchers exposed the cell cultures to the virus, estrogen, the environmental estrogen bisphenol A and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM), which are compounds that act like estrogen that are used for hormone therapy..."

Learn more:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160112093424.htm