Some diseases targeting the female may not only involve painful or disabling symptoms in everyday life. There are some that can unfortunately negatively affect fertility or even completely undermine it. This is precisely the case for polycystic ovarian syndrome, the exact causes of which until recently were completely mysterious for contemporary medicine.
What disease is it in fact?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a disease that affects women. It is also called Stein-Leventhal Syndrome in reference to the two physicians who described it for the first time in 1935.
As the name implies, this disease involves the formation of several small cysts around the ovaries, which is obviously visible only in ultrasound. These cysts result from a refusal of some follicles to begin their growth as part of the last stage of the follicular phase. Nevertheless, such a condition manifests itself in a variety of ways, so its health implications may change from one woman to another and be realized at different degrees of severity.
One of the most common consequences of polycystic ovarian syndrome is the complete absence of ovulation, which makes it impossible to conceive. Knowing that in 50% of cases it causes primary infertility, in 25% it is a secondary infertility. That means that infertility is certainly present in many cases but it is not systematic so far.
A study that could revolutionize the fight against PCOS
A study was published in Nature Medicine establishing a direct link between hormonal imbalance in the uterus and polycystic ovary syndrome, this finding specifically targets prenatal exposure to a growth factor called "antimulterian hormone" (AMH).
The team conducting the research was led by Dr. Paolo Giacobini of the French Institute of Health and Medical Research, found that the AMH level was 30% higher in pregnant women affected by PCOS. than in those who did not suffer. The researchers decided to investigate whether women with this hormonal imbalance give birth to girls with the syndrome or not.
Robert Norman from the Australian University of Adelaide says, "This is a radical change in thinking about polycystic ovary syndrome, which opens up a whole range of possibilities for further research. "
The experiment had to be done first on mice
As part of the study, the researchers injected AMH into pregnant mice so that they had more than average. These have, in fact, given rise to mice with problems of fertility, irregular ovulation or late puberty.
According to the researchers, the injected AMH would have caused hyperstimulation of a particular set of brain cells that are called "GnRH neurons", the latter are responsible for the management of testosterone levels in the body. This means that the offspring of these mice showed high levels of testosterone, which implies a "masculinization of the exposed female fetus" once it reaches mature age.
But the most incredible thing is that the scientific team has not only been able to determine the cause of PCOS, but has been able to reverse it, at least in mice. In order to achieve this, the researchers gave the polycystic mice a medicine called "Cetrorelix", which made the various symptoms disappear.
This is actually great news for the millions of women affected by this disease all over the world, often manifesting as hair loss or excessive growth, obesity or acne. But although the impact is diverse and varied, this disease remains a common cause of infertility.
According to Dr. Giacobini: "There is talk of a very interesting strategy to restore ovulation and therefore increase the pregnancy rate in these women. "
The research team plans to move to the next level of the study by testing this on humans. This year will witness these new experiences.
