Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenously produced signaling molecule that belongs to the group of gasotransmitters along with nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). H2S plays a pivotal role in male reproductive processes. It is produced in various tissues and cells of the male reproductive system, including testicular tissue, Leydig and Sertoli cells, epididymis, seminal plasma, prostate, penile tissues, and sperm cells. This review aims to summarize the knowledge about the presence and effects of H2S in male reproductive tissues and outline possible therapeutic strategies in pathological conditions related to male fertility, e. g. spermatogenetic disorders and erectile dysfunction (ED). For instance, H2S supports spermatogenesis by maintaining the integrity of the blood-testicular barrier (BTB), stimulating testosterone production, and providing cytoprotective effects. In spermatozoa, H2S modulates sperm motility, promotes sperm maturation, capacitation, and acrosome reaction, and has significant cytoprotective effects. Given its vasorelaxant effects, it supports the erection of penile tissue. These findings suggest the importance and therapeutic potential of H2S in male reproduction, paving the way for further research and potential clinical applications.
- MeSH
- erektilní dysfunkce farmakoterapie metabolismus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužská infertilita metabolismus farmakoterapie MeSH
- mužské pohlavní orgány metabolismus účinky léků MeSH
- rozmnožování * účinky léků fyziologie MeSH
- spermatogeneze * účinky léků MeSH
- spermie účinky léků metabolismus MeSH
- sulfan * metabolismus farmakologie MeSH
- testis metabolismus účinky léků MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Deficit či obtížné dosahování ženského orgazmu je považováno v klasifikačních systémech pohlavních dysfunkcí za poruchu komplikující párovousexualitu. Tato premisa je běžně přijímána, přestože je koitální anorgazmie většinovou statistickou normou a dosažení orgazmu zevní stimulací není u žen tak snadné jako u mužů. Projevy ženského vyvrcholení jsou variabilní a souvisí s mnoha proměnlivými faktory. Některé teorie předpokládají vysokou míru korelace mezi schopností orgastického prožitku, sexuálními postoji a chováním, ale také souvislosti s reprodukčním potenciálem či stabilitou partnerských vztahů. Ženský orgazmus je mnohdy vnímán jako diskriminační mechanizmus determinující postoje k sexualitě nebo je dokonce považován za jakýsi katalyzátor plodnosti. Konsenzus o jeho významu neexistuje. Relevantní studie vyvracejí teorie o jeho pozitivních partnerských adaptačních funkcích i o vlivu na fertilitu. Orgazmus je u žen, pravděpodobně, vedlejším evolučním produktem jeho mužské varianty, neboť klitoris i penis mají identický embryonální základ. Ženská anorgazmie by neměla být považována za jednoznačnou diagnózu, natož za paradigma psychiatrického konstruktu působící frustrace či jiné problémy.
A deficit or problematic achievement of female orgasm is often classified as a sexual disorder that creates complications in the sex life of couples. This assumption is generally accepted, even though vaginal anorgasmia is an accepted statistical norm and non-coital methods of generating female orgasm are not as easy as they are for men. Female orgasms manifest themselves in different ways; they are variable and can be dependent on a number of variable factors. Some theories suggest a high degree of correlation between the capacity for orgasmic experience, sexual attitudes and behaviour, but also with reproductive potential or the stability of the given couple’s relationship. Female orgasm is often seen as a discriminatory mechanism influencing attitudes towards sexuality or even as a kind of fertility catalyst. There is no consensus on the importance of female orgasm. The results of some relevant studies refute theories about the female orgasm’s positive influence on adaptive functions of the couple’s relationship, as well as its influence on fertility. The orgasm in women is most likely an evolutionary by-product of its male variant, since the clitoris and penis have an identical embryonic basis of development. Female anorgasmia should not be considered an unquestioned diagnosis, let alone a psychiatric construct leading to a paradigm in which anorgasmia is categorically the cause of frustration or other problems.
- MeSH
- klitoris fyziologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- orgasmus * MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- sexuální chování * fyziologie MeSH
- sexuální dysfunkce fyziologická etiologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- přehledy MeSH
- MeSH
- endometrióza etiologie MeSH
- hormon uvolňující gonadotropiny MeSH
- infertilita etiologie MeSH
- kisspeptiny * metabolismus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- ovarium fyziologie MeSH
- primární ovariální insuficience MeSH
- receptory kisspeptinu-1 MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- syndrom polycystických ovarií etiologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- přehledy MeSH
Reactive nitrogen species (RNS), like reactive oxygen species (ROS), are useful for sustaining reproductive processes such as cell signaling, the regulation of hormonal biosynthesis, sperm capacitation, hyperactivation, and acrosome reaction. However, endogenous levels of RNS beyond physiological limits can impair fertility by disrupting testicular functions, reducing gonadotropin production, and compromising semen quality. Excessive RNS levels cause a variety of abnormalities in germ cells and gametes, particularly in the membranes and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and severely impair the maturation and fertilization processes. Cell fragmentation and developmental blockage, usually at the two-cell stage, are also connected with imbalanced redox status of the embryo during its early developmental stage. Since high RNS levels are closely linked to male infertility and conventional semen analyses are not reliable predictors of the assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes for such infertility cases, it is critical to develop novel ways of assessing and treating oxidative and/or nitrosative stress-mediated male infertility. This review aims to explicate the physiological and pathological roles of RNS and their relationship with male reproduction.
- MeSH
- analýza spermatu MeSH
- DNA metabolismus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužská infertilita * metabolismus MeSH
- oxidační stres fyziologie MeSH
- reaktivní formy dusíku * metabolismus MeSH
- reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- sperma metabolismus MeSH
- spermie metabolismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- MeSH
- časové faktory MeSH
- endokrinní disruptory aplikace a dávkování metabolismus toxicita MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- metabolické nemoci chemicky indukované epidemiologie metabolismus MeSH
- rozmnožování účinky léků fyziologie MeSH
- vystavení vlivu životního prostředí škodlivé účinky MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- úvodní články MeSH
- úvodníky MeSH
One of the most fundamental, although controversial, questions related to the evolution of plant mating systems is the distribution of outcrossing rates. Self-compatibility, and especially autonomous self-pollination, can become particularly beneficial in anthropogenically degraded habitats with impoverished pollinator assemblages and increased pollen limitation. In a hand-pollination experiment with 46 meadow plants from the Železné hory Mts., Czech Republic, we evaluated the species' ability to adopt different mating systems. For a subset of the species, we also tested seed germination for inbreeding depression. Subsequently, we analysed relationships between the species' mating systems and 12 floral and life-history traits. We found a relatively discrete distribution of the studied species into four groups. Fully and partially self-incompatible species formed the largest group, followed by self-compatible non-selfers and mixed mating species. The germination experiment showed an absence of inbreeding depression in 19 out of 22 examined species. Nectar sugar per flower, nectar sugar per shoot and dichogamy were significant associated with the mating system. Spontaneous selfing ability and self-incompatibility in species of the meadow communities had a discrete distribution, conforming to the general distribution of mating and breeding systems in angiosperms. The low frequency of spontaneous selfers and the lack of inbreeding depression at germination suggest the existence of a selection against selfing at the later ontogenetic stages. Some floral traits, such as the level of dichogamy and amount of nectar reward, may strongly impact the balance between selfing and outcrossing rates in the self-compatible species and thus shape the evolution of mating systems.
- MeSH
- fyziologie rostlin * MeSH
- květy MeSH
- opylení * MeSH
- pastviny * MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
When individuals breed more than once, parents are faced with the choice of whether to re-mate with their old partner or divorce and select a new mate. Evolutionary theory predicts that, following successful reproduction with a given partner, that partner should be retained for future reproduction. However, recent work in a polygamous bird, has instead indicated that successful parents divorced more often than failed breeders (Halimubieke et al. in Ecol Evol 9:10734-10745, 2019), because one parent can benefit by mating with a new partner and reproducing shortly after divorce. Here we investigate whether successful breeding predicts divorce using data from 14 well-monitored populations of plovers (Charadrius spp.). We show that successful nesting leads to divorce, whereas nest failure leads to retention of the mate for follow-up breeding. Plovers that divorced their partners and simultaneously deserted their broods produced more offspring within a season than parents that retained their mate. Our work provides a counterpoint to theoretical expectations that divorce is triggered by low reproductive success, and supports adaptive explanations of divorce as a strategy to improve individual reproductive success. In addition, we show that temperature may modulate these costs and benefits, and contribute to dynamic variation in patterns of divorce across plover breeding systems.
- MeSH
- biologická evoluce * MeSH
- Charadriiformes fyziologie MeSH
- chov MeSH
- párová vazba MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- rozvod MeSH
- sexuální chování zvířat fyziologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Ground-nesting birds face many challenges to reproduce successfully, with nest predation being the main cause of reproductive failure. Visual predators such as corvids and egg-eating raptors, are among the most common causes of nest failure; thus, parental strategies that reduce the risk of visual nest predation should be favored by selection. To date, most research has focused on egg crypsis without considering adult crypsis, although in natural circumstances the eggs are covered by an incubating parent most of the time. Here we use a ground-nesting shorebird, the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) as model species to experimentally test whether decoy parents influence nest predation. Using artificial nests with a male decoy, a female decoy or no decoy, we found that the presence of a decoy increased nest predation (N = 107 nests, p < 0.001). However, no difference was found in predation rates between nests with a male versus female decoy (p > 0.05). Additionally, we found that nests in densely vegetated habitats experienced higher survival compared to nests placed in sparsely vegetated habitats. Nest camera images, predator tracks and marks left on eggs identified the brown-necked raven (Corvus ruficollis) as the main visual nest predator. Our study suggests that the presence of incubating parents may enhance nest detectability to visual predators. However, parents may reduce the predation risk by placing a nest in sites where they are covered by vegetation. Our findings highlight the importance of nest site selection not only regarding egg crypsis but also considering incubating adult camouflage.
- MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- hnízdění fyziologie MeSH
- hustota populace MeSH
- ovum fyziologie MeSH
- predátorské chování fyziologie MeSH
- pryskyřičné cementy chemie MeSH
- ptáci fyziologie MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Spider wasps of the genus Minagenia have evolved koinobiontism as a relatively rare life strategy within the widely diversified hymenopteran family Pompilidae. In this study, we evaluated several aspects of the parasitic strategy of the wasp Minagenia sp. (hereafter, Minagenia) - namely host specificity, ontogeny, and sex determination as a function of host size. We found that Minagenia is highly host specific, being associated only with the genus Lycosa from the family Lycosidae, namely Lycosa u-album (Mello-Leitão, 1938), Lycosa erythrognatha (Lucas, 1836) and Lycosa poliostoma (Koch, 1847) with a parasitism incidence of 18.9%, 15.8% and 12.5%, respectively. Both ecological and taxonomical host traits determine the host selection and sex allocation of Minagenia female wasps. Charnov's host-size model explains Minagenia's host-size-dependent sex ratio in combination with the effect of host development stage, host species, and host foraging strategy. We also found that the final instar larva of Minagenia induces behavioural changes in spider hosts. The manipulated spider builds a protective silk chamber as a shelter for parasitoid pupation. Our results suggest that host manipulation seems to be narrowly connected with koinobiont life style throughout Hymenoptera. This study provides new information about the host-parasitoid koinobiont life strategy among spider wasps, which probably arose convergently in distant taxonomical groups within Pompilidae.
- MeSH
- chování zvířat MeSH
- interakce hostitele a parazita MeSH
- larva fyziologie MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- sršňovití fyziologie MeSH
- stadia vývoje MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
MAIN CONCLUSION: The current state-of-the-art creates a sound basis for the preservation of unique species Cupressus dupreziana provided that targeted effort and care is devoted to the accomplishment of multiplication protocols. This review is to summarize known data on Cupressus dupreziana-specific characteristics, including abiotic stress resistance, and natural reproduction, and estimates the possibilities of ex situ conservation with an emphasis on the cultivation in vitro of this endangered species. As there is only limited information about the cultivation of C. dupreziana in vitro, we have included relevant data on the related species Cupressus sempervirens, where micropropagation techniques are well established, along with other information on species with similar fates and life strategies-Saharan olive Olea europaea subsp. laperrinei and myrtle Myrthus nivellei. The aim of this work is to enhance general understanding and to promote an interest in this relict plant species to contribute to more wide-ranging studies and to increase its chance of preservation. Besides others, reducing the number of species threatened with extinction is an essential and immediate task as high genetic variability of ecosystems is crucial for their stability under changing climatic conditions.
- MeSH
- cypřiš (rod) růst a vývoj fyziologie MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- ohrožené druhy * MeSH
- rozmnožování fyziologie MeSH
- šlechtění rostlin MeSH
- zeměpis MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- severní Afrika MeSH
