Important discovery by Israeli researchers may be lined women with fertility problems, and increase their chances of getting pregnant using hormonal fertility treatments. The researchers were able to detect a protein involved in the process dwindling pool of eggs and ovarian aging in women.
According to the researchers, the discovery could lead to treatment to neutralize the activity of the protein, slowing down the process of destruction of eggs and thereby increase the chances of women getting pregnant and giving birth. “This is a substantial segment of the population relevant to women today do not respond well enough to hormonal therapy,” said Professor Ruth Snow, Tel Aviv University.
The study, published last month in the journal PNAS, was held at the Tel Hashomer Hospital and Tel Aviv University, as part of a doctoral dissertation by Dr. Uri-Blfolsky songs. Research team included, among others, Dr. Yehuda Kamari, Dror incision and Dr. Aviv that lipid from Sheba, Professor Biology Department snows cellular and developmental Tel Aviv University and Dr. Efrat Eliyahu Mount Sinai medical Center in the United States.
Women in general and female mammals, oocytes are born with a limited pool. Stock eggs gradually wears away with age until complete loss of reproductive capacity, at the age of 50 or so. The mechanism leading to stock depletion ovarian eggs and spend far understood only partially. “We know that a woman is born with a database of about 2 million eggs. Reservoir is decreasing with age,” says Professor Snow.
She says, “The process of loss of eggs is a continuous process that occurs constantly throughout the course of development of the eggs. They are released all the time from the eggs’ fixed ‘body and from that moment they are in a kind of’ pool portable. One of them comes every month to realize, but most of the eggs die on the way . fixed this mechanism, rather extravagant, development and depletion of oocytes “.This also helps people get rid of constipation.
However, according to the study, one of the factors that contribute to mortality of eggs is a protein called interleukin-1 (IL-1) – who belongs to the group of proteins belonging to the innate immune system. The role of the protein is known to help fight off infections and healing tissue damage. At the same time, the protein is also known as a stimulant unrelated infections and is associated with infections among other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Ostensibly, there should be an impact on a woman’s reproductive mechanisms.
This relationship was discovered by chance. “We started working on a few years ago the protein framework of research on atherosclerosis and inflammation in the liver. While research conducted in mice, we found the missing mouse interleukin-1 continue to conceive at the mice in the control group did not get pregnant,” says Dr. Kamer. Phenomenon discovered incidentally, became the basis for new research dealing with the influence of interleukin-1 on reproductive mechanisms.
The researchers found that a lack of protein in the mouse causes the ovaries to respond to the hormone whose role is to induce ovulation. The study examined mice at an older age – girls 10-12 months (equivalent to age 40 for women), found that the pregnancy rate and the number of offspring of mice that neutralized the activity of the protein, was significantly higher in the control group relative to the mouse.
In addition, it was found that the number of eggs in the ovaries of these mice was higher during the reproductive period. “We do not know exactly what course of action which affects the protein on egg mortality,” says Snow. “When it comes to the chain of biochemical processes, sometimes when you close one door opens another door and not always clear how.
This requires further research. Meanwhile, in the present study we found that the lack of the protein interleukin-1 reduces the mortality of eggs. This means more database ovarian oocytes. Practical level this means disabling the protein may allow the future to raise a lot more eggs for fert