Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40119784›Full record

ReviewBioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology2025

The Known and Unknown About Female Reproductive Tract Mucus Rheological Properties.

Luke Achinger, Derek F Kluczynski, Abigail Gladwell, Holly Heck, Faith Zhang, Ethan Good, Alexis Waggoner, Mykala Reinhart, Megan Good, Dawson Moore and 10 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Luke AchingerDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Derek F KluczynskiDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Abigail GladwellDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Holly HeckDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Faith ZhangDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Ethan GoodDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Alexis WaggonerDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Mykala ReinhartDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Megan GoodDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Dawson MooreDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Dennis FilatoffDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Supriya DharDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Elisa NigroDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Lucas FlanaganDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Sunny YadavDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Trinity WilliamsDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Aniruddha RayDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Tariq A ShahDepartment of Urology, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Matthew W LiberatoreDepartment of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.
Tomer Avidor-ReissDepartment of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0918-526X

Funding

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development R15HD110863
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Spermatozoa reach the fallopian tube during ovulation by traveling through the female reproductive tract mucus. This non-Newtonian viscoelastic medium facilitates spermatozoon movement to accomplish fertilization or, in some cases, blocks spermatozoon movement, leading to infertility. While rheological properties are known to affect spermatozoon motility with in vitro models using synthetic polymers, their precise effects in vivo are understudied. This paper reviews the rheological measurements of reproductive tract mucus during ovulation in humans and model animals, focusing on viscosity and its potential effect on spermatozoa. Mucus viscosity in the female reproductive tract's different compartments is poorly understood. While information on this subject is incomplete, most mammals appear to have a viscosity decrease along their female reproductive tracts. Based on this sparse information, we hypothesize that viscosity changes in female reproductive tracts may guide spermatozoa to eggs, a novel concept that could improve our understanding of reproductive biology.

Indexed as

Genitalia, FemaleMucusAnimalsFemaleHumansMaleOvulationRheologySpermatozoaSperm MotilityViscositycervixfemale reproductive tractmucusuterusviscosity

Identifiers

PMID40119784
PMCPMC12101046

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.