Clinical outcomes of two different endometrial preparation methods for cryopreserved-thawed embryo transfer in patients with a normal menstrual cycle

Aim:  To compare the clinical outcomes of cryopreserved-thawed embryo transfer among patients with a normal menstrual cycle who had natural or hormone-replacement cycles.
Methods:  From January 2004 to June 2006, cryopreserved embryos following conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were thawed and transferred in a total of 720 natural cycles and 136 hormone-replacement cycles.
Results:  Cryopreserved-thawed embryo transfer in patients who had a natural or hormone-replacement cycle resulted in clinical pregnancy in 43.1% and 40.4%, respectively; a rate of miscarriage of 14.5% and 23.6%, respectively; and a rate of ongoing pregnancy and delivery of 36.5% and 30.9%, respectively. None of these differences were statistically significant.
Conclusions:   Patients with a normal menstrual cycle who have natural or hormone-replacement cycles can be expected to have comparable clinical outcomes with cryopreserved-thawed embryo transfer. (Reprod Med Biol 2007; 6 : 53–57)     

Three human osteosarcoma cell lines exhibiting different phenotypic expressions.

to elucidate the differences in histological features and biological behavior of osteosarcomas, three human osteoblastic-type osteosarcomas were studied in vitro and in nude mice. The secretory processing and extracellular fiber formation of type I collagen proved to be the most important factor in bone formation in the osteosarcomas. Alkaline phosphatase also seemed to be important. However, we were unable to find any particular protooncogene abnormalities which could have been implicated in the occurrence or biological behavior of these osteosarcomas.     

Differential sensitivity to halothane anesthesia of the genioglossus, intercostals, and diaphragm in kittens.

Recent studies in humans and animals have indicated that different inspiratory muscles have different sensitivities to respiratory depressants. The sensitivity of inspiratory muscles during early growth and development relative to that in adults of the same species, however, has not been studied. We therefore studied the activity of the diaphragm, the external intercostals, and the genioglossus by means of electromyography and its moving time average with different concentrations of halothane in seven 2-mo-old kittens. The kittens spontaneously breathed 1.0%-2.0% halothane in oxygen while PaCO2 was maintained at about 60 mm Hg by adding CO2 to the inspired gas as needed. Muscle activity was evaluated in terms of the peak height of the moving time average. Activity at 1% halothane was used as the control measurement because measurements at zero inspired concentrations of halothane could not be obtained without sedation, which is known to depress respiratory muscle activity. Halothane anesthesia significantly (P less than 0.01) decreased phasic inspiratory activity of the inspiratory muscles in a dose-dependent fashion. Genioglossal activity was completely abolished at 1.5% and 2.0% halothane. By contrast, in our previous study in adult cats under nearly identical experimental conditions, the phasic genioglossal activity was depressed but present even at 3.0% halothane. The degree of depression at 1.5% and 2.0% halothane was least in the crural diaphragm (71.8% +/- 5.8%, 66.6% +/- 4.5% of control, respectively), intermediate in the intercostals (68.9% +/- 9.6%, 35.4% +/- 8.8%), and greatest in the genioglossus (0.0%, 0.0%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Induction, Recovery, and Safety Characteristics of Sevoflurane in Children Undergoing Ambulatory Surgery: A Comparison with Halothane

Background: Sevoflurane is an inhalational anesthetic with characteristics suited for use in children. To determine whether the induction, recovery, and safety characteristics of sevoflurane differ from those of halothane, the following open-labeled, multicenter, randomized, controlled, phase III study in children undergoing ambulatory surgery was designed.

Methods: Three hundred seventy-five children, ASA physical status 1 or 2, were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either sevoflurane or halothane, both in 60% N2 O and 40% O2. Anesthesia was induced using a mask with an Ayre's t piece or Bain circuit in four of the centers and a mask with a circle circuit in the fifth center. Maximum inspired concentrations during induction of anesthesia were 7% sevoflurane and 4.3% halothane. Anesthesia was maintained by spontaneous ventilation, without tracheal intubation. End-tidal concentrations of both inhalational anesthetics were adjusted to 1.0 MAC for at least 10 min before the end of surgery. Induction and recovery characteristics and all side effects were recorded. The plasma concentration of inorganic fluoride was measured at induction of and 1 h after anesthesia.

Results: During induction of anesthesia, the time to loss of the eyelash reflex with sevoflurane was 0.3 min faster than with halothane (P < 0.001). The incidence of airway reflex responses was similar, albeit infrequent with both anesthetics. The total MAC *symbol* h exposure to sevoflurane was 11% less than the exposure to halothane (P < 0.013), although the end-tidal MAC multiple during the final 10 min of anesthesia was similar for both groups. Early recovery as evidenced by the time to response to commands after sevoflurane was 33% more rapid than it was after halothane (P < 0.001), although the time to discharge from hospital was similar for both anesthetics. The mean (+/-SD) plasma concentration of inorganic fluoride 1 h after discontinuation of sevoflurane was 10.3+/-3.5 micro Meter. The overall incidence of adverse events attributable to sevoflurane was similar to that of halothane, although the incidence of agitation attributable to sevoflurane was almost threefold greater than that attributable to halothane (P < 0.004).     

Functional linkage of the cardiac ATP-sensitive K+ channel to the actin cytoskeleton

The role of the cytoskeleton in the rundown and reactivation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) sensitive K⁺ channels (KATP channels) was examined by perturbing selectively the intracellular surface of inside-out membrane patches excised from guinea-pig ventricular myocytes. Actin filament-depolymerizing agents (cytochalasins and desoxyribonuclease I) accelerated channel rundown, while actin filament stabilizer (phalloidin) or phosphatidylinositol biphosphate (PIP₂; inhibitor of F-actin-severing proteins) inhibited spontaneous and/or Ca²⁺-induced rundown. When rundown was induced by cytochalasin D or by long exposure to high Ca²⁺, channel activity could not be restored by exposure to MgATP, but application of F-actin with MgATP could reinstitute channel activity. The processes of rundown and reactivation of cardiac K_ATP channels may thus be influenced by the assembly and disassembly of the actin cytoskeletal network, which provides a novel regulatory mechanism of this channel.     

Morphologic Development of Fetal Rabbit Lung and Its Acceleration with Cortisol

The influence of cortisol on the maturation of fetal lungs of rabbits has been studied. The normal developmental pattern of the various lobes is also documented and it is shown that there is a definite sequence of maturation among the five lobes of the lung. At a given gestational age, both upper lobes are consistently most mature. The right middle lobe is somewhat less mature while right and left lower lobes are least mature. The difference in the rate of maturation between the most advanced right apex and the least advanced base of lower lobes is as much as 1½ days out of a total gestation of 30 days. Cortisol, injected into the fetuses 2 days prior to delivery, accelerated the overall maturation of the lung by about 1½ days. The maturation of the type II epithelial cells also was accelerated and their inclusion bodies were more numerous than those of the controls. As reported elsewhere, prematurely delivered cortisol-injected rabbits of 26 to 28 days' gestation are more viable, breathe better and their lungs are better aerated when compared with control littermates. The surface activity of the alveolar lining of these animals is greater than that of the controls as indicated by higher ratios of bubble stability. These findings are apparently the results of accelerated maturation of the type II alveolar epithelial cells, which contain surfactant or its precursors as inclusions within the cytoplasm.     

Neoplastic and non-neoplasti mediate trophoblasts: An immunohistochemical an structural study

Five cases of non-molar trophoblastic disease including one placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT), two exaggerated placental sites and two choriocarcinomas were compared with each other and with normal chorionic villi and placental site. This involved light microscopic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies. Comparison of PSTT with choriocarcinoma suggested that the former represented a neoplastic transformation of placental site intermediate trophoblast. The PSTT showed a characteristic immunohistochemical distribution of human placental lactogen and human chorionic gonadotropin, resembling that of the placental site intermediate trophoblast. Placental site trophoblastic tumor cells were also characterized ultrastructurally by prominent perinuclear filaments, abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, or both. Infiltrating intermediate trophoblasts in exaggerated placental sites were similar to PSTT cells rather than normal placental site intermediate trophoblasts. However cells with vacuolated cytoplasm or spindle-shaped intermediate trophoblastic ceils were observed more frequently in the PSTT than the exaggerated placental sites. The intermediate trophoblastic cells in the choriocarcinomas showed a morphologically transitional form from cytotrophoblastic cell to syncytiotrophoblastic cell, but did not share unique ultra-structural similarities with placental site intermediate trophoblasts.     

Structural abnormalities of autosomal chromosomes in the male partner do not influence fertilization and early development of embryos after intracytoplasmic sperm injection

The objective of this study was to determine whether or not abnormalities in the autosomal structure of the male partner have any influence on fertilization and early embryo development after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Thirty-seven couples in whom the male partners were examined by the same andrologist were included in this study. Six couples (group I) in whom the male partner possessed autosomal structural abnormality underwent seven ICSI cycles. As a control group, 31 couples (group II) in which the male partner was karyotypically normal underwent 41 ICSI cycles. Although the normal fertilization rates seen in group I were significantly higher than those in group II (P < 0.05), there was no significant difference in the cleavage rates between the two groups. We did not perform the analysis of the female partner's chromosomes, but we surmise that structural autosomal abnormalities in the male partner do not adversely influence fertilization at ICSI and early development of embryos.