COOPERATIVE RESEARCH ON INFERTILITY IN PRIMATES (U54)

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. ONPRC's Specialized Cooperative Center (U54) in Infertility and Reproduction Research addresses the causes and cures of human infertility disorders as they pertain to neural, gonadal and gamete deficits. Each research project utilizes nonhuman primates in translational research, and two contain clinical components that relate new information to women's health. Project I, "Effect of Common Life Stresses on Fertility" investigates the neuroendocrine and gonadal lesions associated with a combination of mild forms of stress (e.g., dieting, psychosocial changes). Project II, "Novel Mechanisms Underlying the Transsynaptic Control of LHRH Release" continues genetic and cellular manipulations to evaluate the role of GABA input, and other novel genes (e.g., IAP-1) in neuronal pathways, in controlling LHRH neurons and reproductive cyclicity. Project III, "Angiogenic and Angiolytic Factors in Natural and Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) Cycles" examines the expression and action of angiopoietin (Ang) and endocrine gland (EG)-VEGF in the follicle and corpus luteum, and whether alterations in Ang, EG-VEGF, as well as VEGF-A, cause ovarian disorders, such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Project IV, "Androgen Exposure in Female Pre-pubertal Monkeys: Relevance to PCOS?", will determine whether chronic exposure of prepubertal female rhesus monkeys to elevated levels of testosterone causes changes in the neuroendocrine-ovarian axis reminiscent of those observed in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). All projects attempt to relate basic reproductive processes to the etiology and/or treatment of infertility. These projects are supported by three core (Assisted Reproductive Technologies; Imaging & Morphology; Molecular & Cellular Biology) laboratories operating in an "open access" formulation. See individual projects for progress reports and publications.