EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Objective: To investigate the effect of exogenous ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) on the expression of integrins alpha(3), beta(1) in the rat endometrium during implantation. Study design: Following three successive normal estrous cycles the animals were divided into five groups: Group I (n = 10, control group) received no medication; Group II (n = 10) received 10 units of hMG; Group III (n = 10) received 20 units of hMG; Group IV (n = 10) received 10 units of rFSH; Group V (n = 10) received 20 units of rFSH at midday of middiestrous. The rats were then mated with fertile males. The animals were sacrificed on the day of implantation. The uterine horns were placed in fixative and paraffin blocks of the tissue were cut in 5 mu m sections. The tissues were stained with primary antibodies; monoclonal anti-integrin alpha(3) and monoclonal anti-integrin beta(1) using immunohistochemical methods. The staining intensities of alpha(3) and beta(1) integrins were calculated separately for epithelium and stroma in each group. Results: Staining intensities of alpha(3) and beta(1) integrins in both the epithelium and the stroma were significantly lower in the treatment groups than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Ovarian stimulation by low and high doses of HMG and rFSH may have an effect on endometrial receptivity, possibly via a decrease in expression of integrins in the endometrium during the implantation period. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Comparison of the ICSI outcome of ejaculated sperm with normal, abnormal parameters and testicular sperm

WOS: 000178413300008PubMed ID: 12206925Objective(s): To compare fertilization rates, quality of embryos, pregnancy rates (PRs) and outcome of pregnancies in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using sperm from ejaculates of normal and abnormal semen and testicular sperm of non-obstructive azoospermia. Study design: Four hundred fifty-four patients who underwent 454 ICSI cycles were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were divided into three groups according to the quality and source of sperm. Patients in group 1 underwent 133 cycles of ICSI using ejaculated normal semen, group 2 underwent 235 cycles using ejaculated abnormal semen, and group 3 underwent 86 cycles using testicular sperm. Results: The parameters were compared among the groups with respect to cycles induced by long (n = 160) and short (n = 294) protocol. In group 3, the fertilization and PRs were significantly lower than in all other groups (51.3 and 10.6% in the long protocol cycles, 53.3 and 5.1 % in the short protocol cycles, respectively). There was no significant difference in the outcome of pregnancies in respect to abortion rates between different groups. Conclusion(s): The fertilizing ability of sperm in ICSI is highest with ejaculated sperm and lowest with sperm extracted by testicular biopsy. Also, the clinical PRs are significantly lower in ICSI with sperm from testicular biopsy. However, the outcomes of pregnancies are not affected by using surgically retrieved sperm from ejaculated semen. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Comparison of short and long ovulation induction protocols used in ART applications according to the ovarian response and outcome of pregnancy

PubMed ID: 11998967This retrospective study was designed to determine whether there is any difference between short and long protocol ovulation induction with Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone agonist (GnRHa) and gonadotropins used in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) applications according to the number of retrieved oocytes, oocyte maturity, fertilization rates, embryo quality and the outcome of pregnancies. 240 cycles consisting of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles without andrologic factor and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were evaluated. 112 cycles which were induced by short protocol GnRHa and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) + Human Menopausal Gonadotropin (HMG) combinations and 128 cycles which were induced by long protocol GnRHa and FSH + HMG combinations were compared according to the number of retrieved oocytes, cancellation rate of cycles, oocyte maturity, fertilization rates, embryo quality and pregnancy rates. The cancellation rate for short protocol cycles were found to be significantly higher than those with long protocol. The number of retrieved oocytes, mature oocytes and fertilized oocytes were also found significantly lower. The quality of embryos did not show any significant difference between these groups. The clinical pregnancy rates were evidently found to be high in the long protocol cycles. As a conclusion we have found that while the number of retrieved oocytes, mature oocytes, fertilized oocytes and clinical pregnancy rates were increasing, the cancellation rate of cycles were decreasing significantly in ART cycles induced by long protocol

Effects of oral and transdermal hormone replacement therapy on internal carotid artery pulsatility indices in postmenopausal women - A prospective, randomized, comparative study

WOS: 000172469600005PubMed ID: 11762152Objective: To compare the effects of oral and transdermal hormone replacement therapy on the internal carotid artery pulsatility index in postmenopausal women. Study design: Thirty-seven women were randomized to six months of treatment with oral (n=19) or transdermal (n=18) sequential combined hormone replacement therapy. The internal carotid artery pulsatility index was assessed by color Doppler ultrasound at baseline and after six months of treatment. Results: Carotid artery pulsatility indices were significantly lower than the mean of 0.939 +/-0.139 at 0.860 +/-0.084 in the oral hormone replacement group and significantly lower than the mean of 0.928 +/-0.092 at 0.891 +/-0.046 in the transdermal hormone replacement therapy group (P=.042) after six months of treatment. The mean changes in the carotid artery pulsatility index between the oral and transdermal hormone replacement groups were nonsignificant (-0.078 +/-0.131 and -0.037 +/-0.067, respectively; P=.53). There was a significant negative correlation between the change in pulsatility index during treatment and baseline values in the carotid artery (r = -.81, P=.001), bid no correlation was found with time since menopause and serum estradiol level. Conclusion: Oral and transdermal sequential hormone replacement therapy are similarly effective at six months in reducing impedance to flow in the internal carotid artery