女性生殖道微生态评价研究进展

女性生殖道微生态体系由阴道内的微生态菌群、机体内分泌调节功能和解剖结构共同组成。建立客观全面的评价体系对生殖健康、疾病诊断与治疗预后判定、以及生殖道感染预防技术的微生态环境影响的评价等都具有重要意义。目前对于女性生殖道微生态评价的方法主要有常规理化生化方法、微生物培养与鉴定、以及分子生物学核酸或脂肪酸等生物大分子标志物检测等。本文主要对近年来女性生殖道微生态评价的研究进展,特别是对女性生殖道的绝对优势菌群乳酸杆菌的功能研究加以综述,并对本领域未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

乳酸杆菌及其免疫治疗作用研究进展

乳酸杆菌是人体肠道和阴道的正常菌群,可作为安全的疫苗载体.其本身可调节多种细胞因子的产生,在维持正常菌群中起免疫调节作用。作为辅助微生物制剂,乳酸杆菌可用于治疗消化道疾病、泌尿生殖道感染,以及抗肿瘤等,另外与传统的治疗药物相比,被认为是“天然”无副作用的,是一种有应用前途的微生物。     

女性生殖道感染与阴道菌群失调的关系及治疗

生殖道感染（reproductive tract infection,RTI）是由正常存在于生殖道的微生物或外界微生物在医疗操作中或在性接触中在生殖道引起的感染。从感染的部位上,RTI分为下生殖道感染（外阴阴道炎及宫颈炎）以及上生殖道感染（盆腔炎性疾病）,上生殖道感染常在下生殖道感染的基础上发生,几种下生殖道感染可合并存在。生殖道感染未被及时发现或治疗不及时．可导致不孕、异位妊娠、流产、早产、胎膜早破、新生儿感染等一系列严重后果,此外,生殖道感染还与宫颈癌的发生呈现一定的相关性,也是导致艾滋病、性病易感染的因素之一,严重影响妇女的生活质量。据有关报道,我国已婚育龄妇女生殖道感染的发生率为42．1％,且农村地区患病率更高。     

正常微生物菌群与人体的关系

自然界中广泛存在许多微生物,人的体表以及与外界相连的腔道,如口腔、呼吸道、肠道、泌尿生殖道等都存在着不同种类和数量的微生物.所谓正常微生物菌群是指在人体生理正常状态下,寄居在人的体表和体腔中的一定种类和数量的微生物.大致可分为二群:1、定居菌群:由相当固定的微生物型所组成,有规律地定居于特定部位或只见于特定年龄.如果菌群有了改变,能立即自行恢复原状.2、暂居菌群:由非致病性的或潜在致病性的微生     

肠道共生微生物与健康和疾病

人体是个庞大的动态的微生物群落的天然寄居场所,人体的皮肤、口腔、消化道、呼吸道和生殖道等部位都寄生着大量的微生物.这些微生物与人体互惠互利,形成共生复合体.其中,肠道共生微生物与宿主的相关性及对宿主生理和病理状态的影响已经得到了很好的阐释.肠道共生微生物的主要功能是帮助宿主代谢,使得能量和可吸收的营养物质更好的被利用,为肠道上皮细胞提供营养,增强免疫功能,帮助寄主抵抗外来微生物的入侵.肠道菌群紊乱也是一些疾病的症状或诱发原因,比如肥胖、糖尿病和肠道炎症等.深入研究人类共生微生物与健康和疾病的关系,将为一些疾病的预防和治疗提供新的手段.     

从粪菌移植到下一代益生菌:挑战与进展CSCD

细菌、真菌、病毒和原生动物等微生物生活在肠道中,共同组成肠道微生物群。其中,细菌在肠道微生物群中占主导地位。肠道菌群对于维持肠道及全身健康至关重要,肠道微生态失调与人类多种疾病相关。调节失衡的肠道菌群有助于这些疾病的治疗,粪菌移植因在治疗艰难梭菌感染方面取得成功而备受关注。许多临床试验证实了粪菌移植在治疗其他肠道疾病及全身疾病方面具有潜力,但疗效却因人而异,具体机制不明。研究者们致力于从健康供体肠道菌群中寻找真正具有“益生”作用的新型细菌,这些细菌被称为下一代益生菌。     

阴道微生物组：种群特征与疾病干预治疗

高通量测序技术的发展显著加快了对人类微生物组的理解。将人体微生物组与疾病关联,力求阐明疾病的发生进程,是推进个性化精准医疗的重要研究方向。近年来,栖居于女性阴道的微生物菌群日益受到关注,发现其生态失调与疾病发生、演变密不可分。文中综述了阴道微生物组与生殖道疾病发生、进展和治疗的最新进展,同时对阴道微生物组培养组、益生菌工程化改造以及合成菌群在阴道微生物组学研究以及疾病干预与治疗方面的前景进行了展望。     

环境及遗传调控机制对白念珠菌菌丝形成过程调控的研究进展

<正>白念珠菌(Candida albicans)是最常见的真菌病原体,可定植于口腔、泌尿生殖道以及健康人的皮肤表面,在大多人群中,白念珠菌是正常微生物菌群中的一部分^[1]。由于微生物菌群变化、免疫功能障碍和皮肤屏障破坏,白念珠菌可能会从共生转变为致病性^[2],这种转变导致白念珠菌在不同组织和器官中引起浅部感染(如皮肤感染),以及甚至危及生命的深部真菌感染^[3]。     

重视微生态制剂在妇女生殖道感染的防治作用

生殖道感染（reproductive tract infection,RTI）是妇产科常见的感染,WHO给予的定义是由正常存在于生殖道的微生物或外界微生物在医疗操作中或在性接触中进人生殖道引起的感染。生殖道感染是个广义的概念：包括内源性、医源性感染和性传播感染（sexual transmited infections,STIs）。     

阴道乳酸杆菌影响精子活力可介导女性不孕

不孕症的发病机制多样,其中微生物因素占据很大比例。以往,人们关注重点主要集中在由病原体感染导致的不孕不育,对阴道正常宿主菌是否参与不孕症关注甚少。最新研究表明,以卷曲乳酸杆菌为代表的乳酸杆菌作为阴道内的优势菌群,不仅具有维持女性生殖道微生态平衡、免疫防御等功能,还可通过物理作用影响精子泳动能力,进而对弱精、少精人群受孕结局产生不良作用。本文拟通过探讨阴道菌群组成和其对女性阴道健康的积极作用及对受孕产生的消极作用,从正、反两面丰富和完善阴道益生菌对生殖健康的影响。     

阴道微生物与多囊卵巢综合征相关性的研究进展

多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）是育龄期女性最常见的内分泌失调性疾病,具有高度的异质性和复杂性,是女性不孕的常见因素之一,且PCOS会显著增加2型糖尿病、肥胖、心血管疾病、高血压和心理疾病的风险,严重危害患者健康。阴道微生物群是每个女性特有的,正常的阴道微生物群在维持女性生殖健康方面起着至关重要的作用,而异常的阴道微生物定植与不良生殖结局密切相关。结合PCOS患者不孕症、高流产率、高早产率和胚胎停育等不良妊娠事件的发生,阴道乃至整个生殖道的不良微生物群可能通过免疫和炎症反应等途径影响着PCOS的发生发展,但其机制仍不清楚。因此,本文综述了阴道微生物群和PCOS患者相关性的研究概况,包括PCOS患者阴道微生物群的组成、阴道微生物群与PCOS的发生机制以及PCOS患者阴道微生物对生殖结局的影响,以期为PCOS的诊疗提供新思路。

     

Reproductive anatomy of three nulliparous female Asian elephants: The development of artificial breeding techniques

Detailed gross examinations of the reproductive tracts of three mature female nulliparous Asian elephants were conducted to develop artificial insemination (AI) techniques. Of primary concern was the determination of the length characteristics and the size and configuration of the foramina between segments of the tract. The elephants were 13, 28, and 40 years of age and had been maintained in captivity for most of their lives. One elephant died naturally and two were euthanized for health reasons. The reproductive tracts of two of the elephants were manually palpated in situ via the urogenital canal. A fibreoptoscope was used to visualize the internal structures of the terminal reproductive tract of one elephant and to deposit dye into the vagina. The reproductive organs were removed from the body cavity, dissected, measured, and photographed. The major anatomical obstacles to overcome for standard AI procedures (the passage of an AI pipette into the reproductive tract) were the length of the urogenital canal (85–97 cm), the constriction at the urogenital-vaginal junction, and the tight cervix. The reproductive anatomy was compared to that of previous dissections reported in the literature.     

The role of the microbial factor in the pathogenesis of male infertility

Microorganisms can be isolated from most seminal fluid samples, but the significance of bacteriospermia is uncertain because many males lack symptoms associated with the bacterial infection of the reproductive tract. The data on the influence of urogenital tract infections of fertility are contradictory. In many cases opportunistic microorganisms cause such classical infections of the urogenital tract as epididymitis and prostatitis, as well as subclinical reproductive tract infections. Some possible pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of infertility linked with infection of the ejaculate are considered: its direct effect on the fertile properties of the seminal fluid due to a decrease in the number of spermatozoa, the suppression of their motility, changes in their morphology and fertilizing capacity, its indirect influence due to the inhibition of spermatogenesis resulting from testicular damage, autoimmune processes induced by inflammation, secretory dysfunction of the male accessory sex glands as a consequence of the infection of the reproductive tract organs, leukocytospermia with its secondary influence of the ejaculate parameters, etc. The importance of the pathogenic properties of microorganisms for the localization of the inflammatory process in the urogenital tract of males and their role in the pathogenesis of male infertility are discussed.     

Role of thyroid hormones in human and laboratory animal reproductive health

The highly conserved nature of the thyroid gland and the thyroid system among mammalian species suggests it is critical to species survival. Studies show the thyroid system plays a critical role in the development of several organ systems, including the reproductive tract. Despite its highly conserved nature, the thyroid system can have widely different effects on reproduction and reproductive tract development in different species. The present review focuses on assessing the role of thyroid hormones in human reproduction and reproductive tract development and comparing it to the role of thyroid hormones in laboratory animal reproduction and reproductive tract development. The review also assesses the effects of thyroid dysfunction on reproductive tract development and function in humans and laboratory animals. Consideration of such information is important in designing, conducting, and interpreting studies to assess the potential effects of thyroid toxicants on reproduction and development.     

Spectrum of microflora isolated from various areas of the female reproductive tract

The composition of microflora in different sections of the reproductive tract of women with disturbances of reproductive function was studied. The study revealed that the spectrum of microorganisms isolated from a bioptic specimen taken from the cavity of the small pelvis was narrower in comparison with such spectrum in material aspirated from the uterine cavity. The latter was narrower in comparison with that in the microflora of the lower sections of the reproductive tract. The possibility for one and the same patient to have both similarities and essential differences in the spectra of microflora in different sections of the reproductive tract was shown.     

Survey of the reproductive cyclicity status of Asian and African elephants in North America

The Asian and African elephant populations in North America are not self‐sustaining, and reproductive rates remain low. One problem identified from routine progestagen analyses is that some elephant females do not exhibit normal ovarian cycles. To better understand the extent of this problem, the Elephant TAG/SSP conducted a survey to determine the reproductive status of the captive population based on hormone and ultrasound evaluations. The survey response rates for facilities with Asian and African elephants were 81% and 71%, respectively, for the studbook populations, and nearly 100% for the SSP facilities. Of the elephants surveyed, 49% of Asian and 62% of African elephant females were being monitored for ovarian cyclicity via serum or urinary progestagen analyses on a weekly basis. Of these, 14% of Asian and 29% of African elephants either were not cycling at all or exhibited irregular cycles. For both species, ovarian inactivity was more prevalent in the older age categories (>30 years); however, acyclicity was found in all age groups of African elephants. Fewer elephant females (～30%) had been examined by transrectal ultrasound to assess reproductive‐tract integrity, and corresponding hormonal data were available for about three‐quarters of these females. Within this subset, most (～75%) cycling females had normal reproductive‐tract morphologies, whereas at least 70% of noncycling females exhibited some type of ovarian or uterine pathology. In summary, the survey results suggest that ovarian inactivity is a significant reproductive problem for elephants held in zoos, especially African elephants. To increase the fecundity of captive elephants, females should be bred at a young age, before reproductive pathologies occur. However, a significant number of older Asian elephants are still not being reproductively monitored. More significantly, many prime reproductive‐age (10–30 years) African females are not being monitored. This lack of information makes it difficult to determine what factors affect the reproductive health of elephants, and to develop mitigating treatments to reinitiate reproductive cyclicity. Zoo Biol 23:309–321, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Primary human epithelial cell culture system for studying interactions between female upper genital tract and sexually transmitted viruses, HSV-2 and HIV-1

Evidence from clinical and epidemiological studies indicates that women are disproportionately susceptible to sexually transmitted viral infections. To understand the underlying biological basis for this increased susceptibility, more studies are needed to examine the acute events in the female reproductive tract following exposure to viruses during sexual transmission. The epithelial lining of the female reproductive tract is the primary barrier that sexually transmitted viruses, such as HIV-1 and HSV-2 need to infect or traverse, in order to initiate and establish productive infection. We have established an ex-vivo primary culture system to grow genital epithelial cells from upper reproductive tract tissues of women. Using these cultures, we have extensively examined the interactions between epithelial cells of the female genital tract and HSV-2 and HIV-1. In this review, we describe in detail the experimental protocol to grow these cultures, monitor their differentiation and inoculate with HSV-2 and HIV-1. Prospective use of these cultures to re-create the microenvironment in the reproductive tract is discussed.     

The antimicrobial action of histones in the reproductive tract of cow

An infection of any part of female reproductive tract can severely interfere with fertility and reproduction. The fluids and epithelium from the lumen of the female reproductive tract (uterus, oviduct and ovarian follicle) are a known source of antimicrobial action in several species. In this study, we compared the antimicrobial properties of fluids from the reproductive tract of a cow. After removal of small molecules, we demonstrated that there is an antimicrobial activity connected with a fraction of compounds with a molecular mass range between 3500 and 30,000. The most probable candidates responsible for the observed antimicrobial effect were subsequently identified by mass spectroscopy as histones H2A type 2-C, H2B type 1-K, H3.3, and H4. The antimicrobial role of histone H2B was further confirmed by using an antibody against this histone.     

节肢动物内共生细菌研究进展

节肢动物门是动物界最大的门,占整个动物种数的80%,全世界约有120万现存种。节肢动物在生长发育过程中会感染多种微生物,这些微生物会与其形成协同进化和互利共生的关系。内共生细菌是一类广泛分布于节肢动物体内的共生微生物,能够进行垂直传播和水平传播,对宿主的生长发育、生殖代谢、适应性、免疫功能和进化等诸多方面均具有重要的作用。目前,随着现代分子生物学理论和技术的发展,节肢动物内共生细菌相关研究主要集中在对其宿主的生殖调控功能、与其宿主、宿主寄主植物以及其宿主体内微生物和宿主天敌间互作关系等方面。因此,利用内共生细菌对昆虫种群动态的生殖调控功能,阻断热带蚊虫带来的疾病或植物病害的传播并对宿主昆虫进行种群压制或种群替换,可达到防控害虫的目的。本文从节肢动物内共生细菌的传播方式、对其宿主生物学效应以及内共生细菌与其宿主、宿主寄主植物、宿主天敌和宿主体内微生物互作关系等多方面进行概述,并对内共生细菌今后研究方向进行展望,以期为生物进化、物种形成和种群压制提供参考。