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Arthur T Knackerbracket [soylentnews.org] writes:

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story [newscientist.com]:

Restoring levels of specific gut microbes might help treat fertility issues in people with PCOS

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have lower levels of a gut microbe, which appears to raise the risk of pregnancy complications.

PCOS is the most common hormonal condition [newscientist.com] in women of reproductive age and is a leading cause of infertility. Yet relatively little is understood about what causes it or how to best treat it. For instance, it isn’t clear why those with PCOS who are able to get pregnant have a higher risk of complications like miscarriage, preterm birth [newscientist.com] and gestational diabetes [newscientist.com].

Despite similar pregnancy rates, those with PCOS were nearly twice as likely to experience a pregnancy complication, such as miscarriage, preterm birth, gestational diabetes or a child with low birth weight. The researchers also found that those with PCOS had about half the amount of a gut bacterium called Parabacteroides merdae than those without the condition and that this was associated with pregnancy outcomes.

When the researchers cultured the participants’ endometrial cells and exposed them to isoleucine in a dish, they saw an increase in markers of cellular senescence, where cells become so worn or damaged that they cease to function. The isoleucine also hindered the process endometrial cells undergo in preparation for, and during, pregnancy.

“These findings indicate ageing-like changes in the uterus,” said Liu in a press release from an annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, where she presented these findings. “Our data suggest that high isoleucine levels and the loss of P. merdae may impair endometrial health, even in women under 35.”

While this suggests that changes to the gut microbiome may contribute to fertility issues in PCOS, Andrea Dunaif [mssm.edu] at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York is sceptical. Her own research suggests that reproductive ageing in PCOS is delayed, rather than accelerated. “Their reproductive abnormalities tend to improve in their 30s,” says Dunaif. “That makes me sceptical about how significant the endometrial findings are, and if they are really what is responsible for these alterations and pregnancy outcomes.”

Still, these findings could lead to improved fertility treatments for PCOS. “The microbiome is something [where] you could intervene with different probiotics to alter the [bacteria],” says Dunaif. “So that is nice to have a potential target to treat because we don’t really have any specific treatments for PCOS.”

Original Submission