BCS Flashcards
What hormone do sertoli cells produce?
Anti-mullerian hormone
What hormone do leydig cells produce?
Testosterone
What is the key part of sex differentiation?
Y chromosome, SRY gene
What do the primoridal germ cells become?
Sperm in men, oocytes in women
What do the primitive sex cords become?
Sertoli cells (AMH) in men, Granulosa (estradiol) in women
What do the mesonephric cells become?
Leydig cells in men (testosterone), Theca cells in women (androsteriedione = substrate for estradiol)
What are the three ‘waves’ of cells that invade the genital ridge?
Primordial germ cells, primitive sex cords, mesonephric cells
Outline primordial germ cell migration
Outline primitve sex cord development - men and women
Outline roles and future development of mullerian and wolffian ducts
Men - wolffian - seminal vesicles and vas deferens Women - mullerian - uterine tubes, uterus, upper 1/3 of vagina
Outline the differentiation of the gonad in men and women, cells and hormones involved
What is the role of DHT in men?
Fusion of labial scrotal fold, growth of phallus and prostate
What does the lack of androgen in utero do in female development?
Leads to vagina, labia and clitoris
Define gonadal dysgenesis
Sex differentiation is incomplete or gonad development is abnormal
Describe partial and complete AIS - Int and external genitalia, role of hormones, effect at puberty
Puberty delayed in partial, absent if complete
What happens if XY,, makes testosterone, but it doesn’t work?
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
Whast happens if XY, testosterone is made but not DHT?
5 alpha reductase deficiency
Describe 5 alpha reductase deficiency - Int and external genitalia, role of hormones, effect at puberty
What happens if only 45 chromosomes XO
Turner syndrome (1:3000)
Describe Turner syndrome - Int and external genitalia, role of hormones, effect at puberty
What happens if XX exposed to high levels of androgens in utero?
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (1:15,000)
Describe Congenital adrenal hyperplasia - Int and external genitalia, role of hormones, effect at puberty, difference between XX and XY
Pathway block so aldosterone and cortisol are not produced in sufficient quantities, more androgens produced - impact on XX genitalia
REVIEW events in sex differentiation with foetal ages
What is kisspeptin and how does it stimulate GnRH production? How many amino acids?
How many amino acids does GnRH have?
10
Describe the journey made by Kisspeptin and GnRH
Describe the importance of pulsaltile GnRH secretion - what is the significance of slow vs rapid frequency pulses?
What are the gonadotrophins and what are their structures?
What are the three sex steriods?
Estradiol (E2), Progesterone (P4), and Testosterone
Describe puberty changes in men and women
Describe process of adrenarche - what is happening? What is secreted? At what age is this occurring? Which adrenal steriods are involved? What triggers it?
What happens to DHEAS in the body?
Can be converted to testosterone / DHT
Describe pubarche - what is it? at what age is it considered early? What other changes are associated?
Review relationship between androgens and pilosebaceous units
Describe gonadarche - what is it? what is the relationship between gonadarche and foetal development? What triggers its start?
Describe epiphyseal fusion
What stimulates the onset of puberty? (3 theories)
Describe the biphasic effect of eastrogen on epiphyseal growth
Define consonance and outline normal progression for boys and girls
Review Tanner scale of pubertal development - outline stages 1-5 for boys and girls
What are the psychological changes that occur during puberty? (3)
- increasing need for independence 2. increasing sexual awareness / interest 3. development of sexual personality
How do you define a delay in puberty (what age in boys and girls?)
Absence of secondary signs in boys by 14yo and in girls at 13yo (or absence of menarche by 18)
Outline causes of pubertal delay
Describe McCune Albright syndrome - symptoms
Central precocious puberty - what causes it? is consonance maintained? How do you manage it?
What causes 33% of cases of central precocious puberty?
Peripheral precocious puberty - what causes it? is consonance maintained? How do you manage it?
What kind of cells become the egg and sperm?
Primordial germ cells
Describe the journey of germ cells to the gonad
First identifiable in yolk sac at 3 weeks, undergo many cycles of mitosis, migrate to genital ridge which becomes the gonads
What do germ cells become in the ovary? What are they called once mitosis stops?
Oogenia when in the ovary Primary oocytes once mitosis stops
How long does the primary oocyte remain in first phase of meiosis?
Until ovulated or it dies - so maybe 52 years
REVIEW mitosis
REVIEW meiosis
Describe the process of oogenisis and folliculogenesis
Where are the primary oocytes in the ovary?
Outer layer, cortex
What cells make up the primordial follicle?
What is the definition of folliculogenesis?
Growth and development of follicles from the early resting stages in foetus through ovulation
What layers are formed around the follicle as it grows? (2 more)
Zona pellucida (acellular) Theca cells
What stimulates the follicle growth process?
How are follicles generally classified?
Pre-antral (or primary), antral (or secondary), preovulatory / Graafian follicle, ovulatory
Are all follicles visible on ultrasound?
No, pre-antral follicles are not
Describe the processes of follicle initiation and recruitment
Outline the stages of follicle growth - how long does each phase take? how big are they? Is the process gonadotrophin-dependent?
Describe role of LH and FSH - what cells do they work on and what is the impact?
What is the feedback process of folliculogenesis? What hormones are involved?
REVIEW summary of follicle formation and growth
What should you consider if some is trying to get pregnant?
HIV / Hep B/STIs Haemoglobinopathy Folic acid - 400 mcg or 5mg Alcohol, smoking, drus Chronic disease management
REVIEW reliability stats on various contraceptives
Condoms - advantages and disadvantages
Caps - types, advantages and disadvantages
Fertility awareness - factors used, advantages and disadvantages
Combined oral contraception - types
Combined oral contraception - basic principles, roles of estrogen and progesterone
COCP - benefits
BENEFITS Reliable Safe Unrelated to coitus Woman in control Rapidly reversible Halve ca ovary Halve ca endometrium Helps endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia Can stop periods if taken continuously
COCP - risks
Cardiovascular - Arterial – Progestogen , HBP, smoking (>15 and >35), Venous – Oestrogen-VTE-clotting disorders (DVT, PE, Migraine) Neoplastic - Breast, Cervix, Liver Gastrointestinal – COH/insulin metabolism, Weight gain, Crohn’s disease Hepatic – hormone metabolisms, congenital non-haemolytic jaundices, gall stones Dermatological – Chloasma, acne, erythema multiforme Psychological – Mood swings, depression, Libido
COCP contraindications - absolute (13) and relative (5)
Breast cancer; undiagnosed genital bleeding; pregnancy; <3 weeks post partum; breast feeding; hypertension; PH thrombosis; migraine with aura; active liver disease; thrombophilia; systemic lupus erythematosus; thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; smoking >15 and age >35 Relative contraindications: BMI>35;migraine without aura; hypertension; diabetes; hyperprolactinoma;
REVIEW COCP interactions and drug which reduce hormone levels
REDUCE Barbiturates Lamogitrine Topiramate Carbamazepine Oxcarbazepine Phenytoin Primidone Rifampicin Griseofulvin Certain antiretrovirals Modafinil INTERACTIONS Lamogitrine (levels reduced by cocp) Ciclosporin (levels reduced by cocp) Potassium sparing diuretics (in drosperidone containing cocp)
Monitoring for COCP
Annual BMI and BP
Combined vaginal contraceptive ring
Same as COCP except vaginal delivery (ring) for 21 days Remove for 7 days Adv – don’t have to take every day Disadv - don’t have to take every day!!
What are the progesterone only methods?
What are the principles of the progrogesterone only methods?
Describe copper IUD, benefits, disadvantages (not risks)
Copper IUD - Risks, absolute contraindications, relative contraindications
What is the best option for emergency contraception? How does it work? How far after sex can it be used?
Copper IUD Up to 120 hours after presumed ovulation or 120 hours after one single episode of UPSI at any time of the cycle Failure extremely rare Copper kills sperm in 1st part of the cycle Device prevents implantation in 2nd part of the cycle
What pills are available for emergency contraception? How do they differ?
Describe the symptoms (7) of the menstrual transition and relate them to the physiology of the menopause.
Reduced cycle length - due to reduced length of follicular phase
Reduced fertility - fewer eggs, cycles may become anovulatory
Heavier periods and breast tenderness - due to high oestrogen
Hot flashes, dry vagina and disturbed sleep - due to decling oestrogen levels
Describe treatment options for menopausal symptoms - hot flashes, vaginal dryness, irregular menstrual cycle
Can give low dose HRT (needs to be oestrogen with opposition from prospesterone unless the woman has had a hysterectomy
Can give combo of progesterone and estrogen in form of mirena IUS (or oral) and estrogen patch
SSRIs are sometimes indicated
Topical for vaginal dryness
Outline the changes in the hypothalmic axis leading up to menopause
What are the physiological (or pathological) changes observed in the lead up to menopause? (4)
Reduced number of follicles
Reduced number of granulosa cells
Loss of granulosa cell function
Increased chromosomal abnormalities of oocytes
At age do you have the most eggs in the ovary? How many do you have in menstrual transition?
20-24 weeks - 6-7 million
Puberty - 300,000-400,000
Menstrual transition - 100s
What factors contribute to follicular depletion?
Increased apoptosis (which can be increased by smoking)
Accleratied follicular loss (because AMH declines, FSH increases, more follicular recruitment)
Decline in graulosa cell numbers (by about 30%)
Loss of granulosa cell function
Decline in oocyte function and development
What is the role of the granulosa cell in menstrual transition?
The produce less inhibin B in follicular phase which allows higher FSH
Anovulatory cycles lead to drop in inhibin A (as no luteal phase) which allows higher FSH
Decrease in FSH receptors prevents recruitment of dominant follicle
Less secretion - GFs, signalling, oestrogen and progesterone
What are the symptoms of granulosa cell dysfunction?
What is the first hormonal sign of declining ovarian function? What are the other hormonal changes and when do they occur?
What factors can affect the age of menopause?
Smoking, ethnicity, geography, mother’s age of menopause, several candidate genes, surgery / chemotherapy
Describe considerations when prescribing HRT - dosage, risks, contraception, progesterone
Hyperplasia found in 56% of women who take unopposed estrogen, 3% will develop carcinoma (so give 10-13 days progesterone)
Describe the different modes of prescribing estrogen and progesterone - risks and benefits of each
Discuss the long term risks and possible benefits of HRT in terms of other illnesses
More than 5 years, BC risk goes up (but not as bad as alcohol, obesity_
May have benefits in alzheimer’s - unknown
Improves osteoporosis BUT not if only on for 5 years (give bisphosphonates instead)
No benefits in incontinence
May help with sleep disturbance (by addressing hot flashes)
What is menopause?
What is peri-menopause / transition?
Menopause - 1 year without menstruation (retrospective diagnosis) - if woman are under 40, its ‘premature ovarian failure’
Perimenopause - 2-8 years pre-menopause
Outline the HPG axis in terms of the control of the mnstrual cycle
What does GnRh have to be pulsaltile? What happens if it’s continous? What do slow or fast pulses do?
If continuous, production of LH/FSH stops
Slow - FSH
Fast LH
What is happening on day 1 of the menstrual cycle?
Bleeding
What is happening in day 1-14 of menstrual cycle? Which hormone is key?
Follicular phase, growth of follicles to prepare for ovulation
Dominated by estrogen (which is produced by follicles)
What is happening in day 14-18 of menstrual cycle? Which hormone is key?
Luteal phase, formation of corpus luteum from empty follicle which produces progesterone
Outline the HPG feedback through the menstrual cycle - at late luteral/early follicular, mid follicular, mid cycle and mid luteal
When does it change from negative to positive feedback?
At end of follicular phase, E2 levels are raised for long enough (48hr) and at high enough levels (more than 300pM) to switch feedback from negative to positive
What is important about the inter-cycle rise and fall of FSH?
Selection of a single follicle - the early rise (during menses) allows one follicle to be selected to grow. The fall in FSH prevents other follicles from growing unnecessarily (fall caused by rise in oestrogen levels which reinstated negative feedback)
Once selected, how is the dominant follicle maintained despite the drop in FSH levels?
The dominant follicle gains LH receptors on the granulosa cells - as the LH levels rise, this keeps this dominant follicle stimulated
REVIEW cells nad receptors of dominant follicle
Outline which steroids are produced by theca and granulosa cells (1 each) and which ones are created by both (3)
Describe what triggers the LH surge - what triggers it and what does it cause?
Describe process of ovulation - what are the ‘cascade of events’ occurring?
When / why does the follicle complete the first meiotic division? What does it become?
Describe corpus luteum formation and its hormone production - how does it differ during pregnancy?
Role of corpus luteum secretions, what is its lifespan?
Progesterione supports oocyte in journey, maintains CL, prepares endometrium, controls cells in fallopian tubes, alters cervical secretions
Estrogen - for endometrium
Life span is 14 days (fixed)
Potential treatments if issues with mentstrual irregularity
What is ‘normal’ in terms of length of menstrual cycle?
menses - 3-8 days
cycle can vary in length (27-32) but there should not be 4+ day variability month to month
What are clinical signs of ovulation?
In what part of your cycle are you fertile?
Generally 6 day span - egg lives from 24 hr post ovulation, sperm can live up to 5 days (median is 1.5 days)
REVIEW basic anatomy of uterus
REVIEW anatomy of uterus, cervix, ovary
Why is a newborn uterus larger than 4 year old?
Because newborn female has been effected by maternal steroids
Where does fertilisation occur?
Ampulla of uterine tubes
What makes the myometrium grow?
Estradiol
What layer of the myometrium grows during childhood?
Outer layer
What are the layers of the myometrium (3)? and what shape are their fibres?
What are the other layers of the uterine wall (2)?
Inner - circular
Middle - Figure 8 / spiral
Outer - longitudinal
Other layers are endometrium and perimetrium
REVIEW layers of endometrium, blood supply
What is the amount of endometrium a good indicator for?
Good ‘bioassay’ of estradiol levels
Which endometrial cells are changing throughout the menstrual cycle?
Changes in glandular and epithelial cells through cycle.
What does the endometrium look like after menstruation - cell type, thickness
After menstruation - stromal matrix with small columnar cells with glandular extensions 2-3mm thick
glands are simple and straight.
Describe the endometrial proliferative phase - what is it stimulated by (and where is this made?)
What occurs to the cells / glands / blood supply (and when are these changes at max levels)
Proliferative phase Stimulated by estradiol from the dominant follicle.
Stromal cell division, ciliated surface. Glands expand and become tortuous, increased vascularity, neoangiogenesis
maximal cell division by days 12-14.
At what thickness of endometrium do progesterone receptors develop? And what other process starts?
When endometrium >4mm induction of progesterone receptors and small muscular contractions of the myometrium.
REVIEW overview of follicular and endometrial phases - what are the phases called, which hormones are peaking when?
When does the secretory phase of the endometrium start? What stimulates it? What happens to the glands, blood supply, muscle cells?
Secretory phase (luteal phase of ovary) 2-3 days after ovulation, the gradual rise in progesterone (secreted by CL) causes a reduction in cell division.
Glands increase in tortuosity and distend…secretion of glycoproteins and lipids commences.
Oedema, increased vascular permeability arterioles contract and grow tightly wound.
Myometrial cells enlarge and movement is suppressed
blood supply increases.
Describe regression of corpus luteum? What keeps it alive? What is its lifespan?
What saves it during pregnancy? What happens if it isn’t saved?
Corpus luteum stimulated by LH from pituitary during luteal phase.
The fertilised oocyte becomes a blastocyst and produces human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) which acts like LH ie on LH receptor, and ‘rescues’ the CL.
In the absence of this, falling levels of steroid from the CL results in menstruation.
Describe menstruation - what day of cycle? What stimulates prostaglandins? What do the prostaglandins do?
How long does bleeding last? How much? What layers remain? What start the next cycle?
Prostaglandin release (caused by drop in progesterone, as CL has died) causes constriction of spiral arterioles. Hypoxia causes necrosis.
Vessels then dilate and bleeding ensues.
Proteolytic enzymes released from the dying tissue.
Outer layer of endometrium shed, 50% lost in 24hrs, up to 80ml is considered normal. Bleeding normally lasts 4+ days.
Basal layer remains and is then covered by extension of glandular epithelium.
Estrogen from follicle in next follicular phase starts cycle off again.
What are the sections (4) and cellular levels of the uterine tubes (3)?
What changes do the cells in the uterine tubes undergo during the cycle? (2 types of cells)
When in cycle are changes occurring? Role of hormones
Estrodiol before
Progesterone after
How long does the fertilied embryo remain in uterine tube?
5-6 days
What can cause damage to the uterine tubes? And resulting symptoms?
Damage to lining of the tube by infection, endometriosis, surgery or adhesions may cause blockage or damage to ciliated epithelia, resulting in…
pain
infertility
ectopic pregnancy
Describe investiagetions to determine if uterine tube blockage?
Laparoscopy better if you suspect endometriosis or PID as you have view inside
What are the parts of the cervix? What is its role? What cells are present (and their role?)?
What is happening to the cervix in the follicular phase? What causes this?
Estrogen in the follicular phase causes…
change in vascularity of cervix and oedema