Nitric oxide (NO), a member of the reactive nitrogen species family, plays a role in several physiologic processes, including vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, growth and puberty, and senescence and apoptosis. NO plays an important role in the production of ovarian steroids, ovulation, and follicular apoptosis. In other words, increased activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) leads to an increased amount of NO, which triggers production of prostaglandins and inflammatory cascades which facilitate follicular rupture and atresia. NO concentration elevation inhibits steroid synthesis in luteal and granulosa cells. Since NO is a major paracrine mediator of various biological processes, as well as a key factor in both the reproductive cycle and embryo implantation, oversynthesis of NO in the uterus results in toxicity and inflammation in epithelial cells and immunorejection of implantation. In the male physiological system, NO synthesized by NOS plays a major role in erectile function and androgen secretion, as well as semen parameters, and oocyte junction to the sperm. Furthermore, this supposedly simple molecule is involved in a number of other functions, such as germ cell evolution, connections between sertoli cells and germ cells in the blood-testis barrier, homodynamic contraction, and germ cell apoptosis. Moreover, NO is considered a key factor in male fertility due to its widespread distribution in both normal and diseased testis tissue. The difference of expression level of NOS in normal and pathological states is a probable cause of fertility destructive processes.

Pyometra is one of the most common uterine pathologies of intact bitch at middle to advanced age. In the early stages, the disease shows subtle changes, making diagnosis a challenge. In contrast, at later stages, it manifests as potentially life-threatening systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Ultrasonographic examination of the uterus aids in the diagnosis, although it has limitation in ascertaining the clinical severity of pyometra. Moreover, differentiation of cystic endometrial hyperplasia from pyometra could not be discerned with greater accuracy. Therefore, false negative diagnosis of pyometra patients leads to development of systemic inflammatory response, which delays administration of therapies and results in deaths during early course of treatment. Further, indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials at higher dose in false positive cases considerably contributes to the rising pool of drug resistant pathogens, thereby increasing the risk of case fatality due to sepsis in a long-term. Monitoring the circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, acute phase proteins, endotoxin, growth factors and inflammatory mediators is the current trend in pyometra research, especially for developing diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. The present review deals with the prospects of developing diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in the canine pyometra.

Objective: To determine the association between low birth weight and household food insecurity at government hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A case control study was carried out on 468 mothers with term neonates from February 1, 2017 to May 15, 2017. The cases were women who gave term babies weighing less than 2 500 g and the controls were those having 2 500 g or above. In the included hospitals, choices of cases were done as the cases found and the next three eligible newborns in the maternity room were the controls. Data were collected by using pretested and structured questionnaire. Standard beam balance was used to measure the neonatal weight by trained midwifery. The data were entered into a computer using Epi- Data 3.1 and exported to Stata version 14 for data management and analysis. Results: Mothers having food insecurity [adjusted odd ratio (AOR) 3.58; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.79-7.16)], midupper arm circumference [AOR 7.70; 95% CI (4.39-13.60)], hypertension [AOR 4.81; 95% CI (2.33-9.93)], and early age [AOR 3.88; 95% CI (1.35-11.15)] showed statistically significant association with low birth weight. Conclusions: Household food insecurity, hypertension, midupper arm circumference and early age in women were significant predictors of low birth weight. The provision of adequate nutrient for pregnant mothers having household food insecurity should be assured in order to prevent adverse birth weight outcomes.

Objective: To elucidate theoretically the safety and identity of mothers receiving egg and the process of becoming a mother. Methods: This study was conducted during 7 months from July 2018 to January 2019 by using a grounded theory approach. Infertile women at the gestational age who received oocyte were selected with purposive sampling method and then entered the study using theoretical sampling. Mothers who had not decided definitely to participate and had not started the treatment course yet were excluded from the study. The participating mothers were 28-44 years old with a mean age of (37.00±2.49) years. A total of 30 interviews were performed. Data were collected by unstructured deep interviews and field notes. The interview duration ranged between 19 to 74 min with a mean time of 40 min and they were performed individually. Results: Data analysis showed that “feeling of insecurity in personal and familial identity” formed in the context of “exposure to sociocultural constraints” was the main problem of mothers receiving donated oocyte. This led to a set of coping strategies as “gradual acceptance”, “attempts to maintain the marital life”, “sensitivity in selecting donor”, “sensitivity in fetal care”, “seeking information and consultation”, “challenging the internal restlessness”, and “treatment follow-up”, all indicating the concept of “protection of personal and familial identity” as the core variable. Conclusions: The challenge faced by Iranian mothers receiving donated oocyte in the constrained sociocultural context forms a multilateral and all-inclusive insecurity.

Objective: To investigate whether administration of genistein can improve hormonal changes (estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)] , heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression, and thickness of vaginal epithelial cells in a rat model of vaginal atrophy. Methods: Twenty-five multiparous female rats were divided into five groups, namely the control group (without ovariectomy), the ovariectomy only group, and the ovariectomy groups 1, 2 and 3 receiving genistein at the doses of 0.045, 0.090 and 0.180 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively. Estradiol, FSH, and Hsp70 expression were analyzed by using the immunoassay technique. Analysis of the thickness of the vaginal epithelium was performed by histology. Results: Ovariectomy significantly decreased estradiol levels compared to the control group (P<0.05). All doses of genistein significantly increased levels of estradiol in rats with vaginal atrophy compared to the ovariectomy only group (P<0.05). Ovariectomy significantly increased FSH levels compared to the control group (P<0.05). All three doses of genistein restored FSH levels comparable to those in the control group (P>0.05). Ovariectomy significantly increased parabasal cell Hsp70 expression compared to the control group (P<0.05). Of all the genistein doses, only the dose at 0.045 mg/kg body weight/day restored the expression of Hsp70 to levels in the control group (P>0.05). Conclusions: Genistein is able to increase the thickness of the vaginal epithelium through hormone modulation and cellular stress suppression. Genistein is beneficial in the form of a herbal or alternative food for improvement of vaginal atrophy due to menopause.

Objective: To investigate seasonal changes in some reproductive characteristics of the male African straw-colored fruit bat [Eidolon (E.) helvum] in a tropical rain forest area of South-East Nigeria. Methods: Spermatozoal characteristics in the testes and cauda epididymides, testicular histology, and the circulating levels of the reproductive hormones, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were evaluated in male bats captured in late January (peak dry season), late May (early rainy season) and late September (late rainy season) of 2019. The bats were captured in Obiagu community in Enugu State, South-East Nigeria. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance. Results: There were high serum concentrations of testosterone in early and late rainy season and of luteinizing hormone in early rainy season, but the concentrations of both hormones were low during peak dry season. These hormonal changes corresponded with the testicular seminiferous and spermatogenic activities and testicular and epididymal sperm concentrations, which were also maximal during early and late rainy season but minimal during peak dry season. Epididymal sperm motility and vitality were also high in early and late rainy season but low in peak dry season, while sperm morphological abnormalities were low in early and late rainy season but elevated in peak dry season. There was histological evidence that spermatogenesis did not cease completely during testis regression, but continued at a reduced rate during the dry season. Conclusions: The findings do not support concurrent epididymal sperm storage with testis regression in E. helvum. Altogether, these indicate that seasonal changes significantly alter sperm characteristics, testicular histology and circulating levels of reproductive hormones in E. helvum within the study area.

Objective: To assess blood flow parameters as well as Doppler indices at the first six months of pregnancy in buffalo heifers. Methods: A total of 15 healthy, cycling, buffalo heifers were examined twice per month. Examination of Doppler ultrasonography started from the first month till the sixth months of pregnancy. All animals were subjected to transrectal Doppler ultrasonography to assess ovarian and uterine blood flow. Resistance index, pulsatility index, peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and blood flow rate were measured of both ipsilateral and contralateral to the fetus side. Results: The resistance index was positively correlated with the pulsatility index (r=0.62, P<0.01) but negatively correlated with all other parameters. For both ovarian and uterine arteries ipsilateral and contralateral to the fetus, there was a reduction in the resistance index, with a significant increase (P<0.01) in peak systolic and end diastolic velocities in both ovarian and uterine arteries. The peak systolic and end diastolic velocities of the ipsilateral ovarian and uterine arteries increased linearly till the six months of pregnancy with increased growth demands of the fetus. The same for the uterine branch of the ovarian artery was done in the middle uterine artery and umbilical artery ipsilateral to the fetus side. Conclusions: This study provides reference data of the hemodynamic changes in both ovarian and uterine arteries that could be a valuable tool to evaluate all hemodynamic changes in the developing placenta/fetus. Transrectal Doppler ultrasonography proves to be a useful non-invasive method to assess utero-ovarian blood flow during pregnancy.