China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Toxic Responses of the Female Reproductive System
Published in Stephen K. Hall, Joana Chakraborty, Randall J. Ruch, Chemical Exposure and Toxic Responses, 2020
Joana Chakraborty, Maureen McCorquodale
The central nervous system (CNS) plays an integrative role in the reproductive process. The neurons in the hypothalamus of the brain secrete the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). The anterior pituitary cells have receptors for GnRH. In response to GnRH, the anterior pituitary cells secrete follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH secretion is necessary for the development of the follicles, while both FSH and LH are needed for their final maturation and a burst of LH is required for ovulation and the initiation of corpus luteum formation. Estrogens, the female sex hormones, are produced by the theca cells and the corpus luteum. Granulosa cells also produce estrogens, which remain in the follicular fluid. Mature corpus luteum secretes progesterone. Progesterone is responsible for changes in the endometrium of the uterus. If the implantation takes place, then the early embryo, is capable of prolonging the life of the corpus luteum. The implanting embryo, which is now called the blastocyst is composed of different types of cells. The syncytiotrophoblast cells of the blastocyst produce a hormone which is called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is critical for maintaining the progestagenic activity of the corpus luteum. After the formation of the placenta, various hormones are secreted by this organ which become central to the maintenance of pregnancy. Exogenous chemicals altering the placental activity may be damaging or lethal to the fetus.
Protective effects of some Nigerian indigenous antimalarial plants on placental malaria related pathological damages and pregnancy outcomes in murine model
Published in Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2020
Ayodele S. Babalola, Olufunmilayo A. Idowu, Kehinde O. Ademolu, J. Olukunle, A. Rahman Samson
In this study, placental malaria-related histological damages were observed in all mice treated with leaf extract of C. citratus even though placental parasite density reduced with dosage. This findings might be related to the poor antiplasmodial property shown by the extract in the peripheral blood, hereby facilitating the infectivity of the parasite in the placenta. However, pathological damages to the placenta was more pronounced in the infected non-treated group. It has been suggested that malaria parasites are able to selectively infect the placenta due to their ability to adhere to the chondroitin sulfate A (CS-A) receptor on the syncytiotrophoblast in the placenta [32,33]. By so doing, they elicit immune responses by the host causing pathological lesions in infected placenta [32].