The objectives of this study were to evaluate embryonic size and survival, plasma progesterone (P4) and pregnancy-specific protein bovine (PSPB) concentrations in early pregnancies (n = 99) following the transfer of one whole (n = 66) or one demi (n = 33) embryo to recipient virgin dairy heifers. The experiment ...

Preeclampsia is an important cause of maternal and perinatal mortality worldwide. The etiology of this relatively common medical complication of pregnancy, however, remains unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the copper concentrations in serum and urine samples of preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women to establish the possible ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate links between first trimester Down's syndrome screening markers and adverse pregnancy outcomes; preeclampsia (PE), small for gestational age (SGA), preterm delivery (PD) and placental abruption (PA) in spontaneous, chromosomally normal pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study in a university hospital. Data during pregnancy were routinely collected from a ...

Antimicrobial peptides are small proteins produced by epithelial surfaces and inflammatory cells which have broad spectrum antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. They are known to be important in a number of infectious and inflammatory conditions and have been shown to be present in a number of sites throughout the female reproductive ...

Objective:  Apelin is an adipokine secreted from adipose and other tissues with increased expression in obesity, role in glucose metabolism and atherosclerosis, as well as in oxidative stress. Pregnancy is considered a state of hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress and decreased insulin sensitivity. The aim of the present study is to investigate ...

Preeclampsia is a serious cardiovascular complication in pregnancy which is associated with an increased future metabolic and cardiovascular risk for mother and newborn. Recently, chemerin was introduced as a novel adipokine inducing insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo. In the current study, we investigated serum concentrations of chemerin by ...

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to show changes in salivary cortisol and chromogranin A/protein concentrations as stress markers during pregnancy and to clarify the effect of chronic stress on stress markers. Material and Methods:  Salivary samples were collected from 69 pregnant women during pregnancy. Salivary cortisol levels ...

Significant changes in body tissues occur during pregnancy; however, literature concerning the effects of pregnancy on the voice is sparse, especially concerning the professional classically trained voice. Hormonal variations and associated bodily changes during pregnancy affect phonatory conditions, such as vocal fold motility and glottal adduction. Longitudinal case study with ...

Abstract Background: The present study aims to determine the predictive power of activin A levels in the prognosis of first trimester pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Methods: The study cohort included 23 biochemical, and 23 normal ongoing pregnancies conceived via IVF. Serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), progesterone, and ...

To report the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles of an oligozoospermic man with reciprocal translocation. Two ICSI cycles were given to a 29-year-old man with severe oligozoospermia and reciprocal translocation t(18;21)(p11;q21) and his wife. In the first cycle, no sperm were found in his semen and all 15 ...

Because von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels increase during pregnancy, many women with VWD, though not requiring support with hemostatic agents, are at increased risk for delayed postpartum hemorrhage as coagulation factor levels fall to their prepregnancy levels in the puerperium. Women with moderate or severe disease or complicated pregnancies are ...

The Ovsynch protocol was designed to synchronize ovulation, thereby allowing timed artificial insemination (TAI) of all cows without detection of estrus. However, the effectiveness of Ovsynch in different breeds of dairy cows has not been previously compared. The aim of this study was to compare the response to Ovsynch in ...

Despite being one of the leading causes of maternal death and a major contributor of maternal and perinatal morbidity, the mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of preeclampsia are unclear. One important initiating event in preeclampsia is thought to be reduced placental perfusion leading to the production of a variety of ...

Thirteen mammalian aquaporin (AQPs) isoforms with a unique tissue-specific pattern of expression have been identified. To date, 11 isoforms of AQP have been reported to be expressed in female and male reproductive systems. The purpose of our study was to determine the localization and quantitative changes in the expression of ...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of exogenous progesterone and equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) in non-ovulated and ovulated, asynchronous dromedary camel recipients being prepared for an embryo transfer programme. The uteri of 12 mated donor camels were flushed non-surgically 7 days after ovulation and 42 ...

Regulative endocrine mechanisms influence the reproductive behaviour and success of mammals, but they have been studied predominantly in domestic and captive animals. The study aims at describing the pattern of faecal 20-oxopregnane and oestrogen concentrations during pregnancy in wild plains zebra Equus quagga chapmani. Data were collected during wet and ...

Background  Induction of multiple ovulations, or superovulation, may potentially increase the efficiency of equine embryo transfer programs. Our objective was to investigate the effects of equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH) treatment on the success rate of embryo transfer programs in mares. Methods  In the research facility of the University of Saskatchewan, ...

Objective. To evaluate the use of late first trimester maternal serum inhibin-A concentrations in prediction of preeclampsia. Design. Prospective study. Setting. Tanta University Hospital. Methods. All cases (327) were subjected to complete history taking, clinical and ultrasound examination, CBC, liver function tests, estimation of 24 h urine protein and venous blood samples were taken during ...

Autophagy is an inducible catabolic process that responds to environment and is essential for cell survival during stress, starvation and hypoxia. Its function in the human placenta it is not yet understood. We collected 14 placentas: 7 at vaginal delivery and 7 at elective caesarean section after uneventful term pregnancies. ...

OBJECTIVE. To evaluate and compare the laboratory and clinical outcomes of vitrification with slow-freezing method for cryopreservation of embryos and blastocysts in an in-vitro fertilisation programme. DESIGN. Retrospective analysis of all the 104 cycles of frozen embryo and blastocyst replacements from 2003 to 2008 and all the 149 cycles with ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcomes of letrozole and laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) in patients with clomiphene-citrate-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: In the present prospective randomized trial, 140 women with clomiphene-citrate-resistant PCOS were randomly allocated to receive 5mg letrozole from day 3 to day 7 of menses for 6 ...

Abstract The removal of chromosomes from recipient oocytes is one of the key steps in nuclear transfer cloning. Although microtubule interrupters have been successfully used for oocyte enucleation, their potential side effect on oocyte developmental potential should be considered, and less harmful drugs should be explored for chemical-assisted enucleation. Based ...

In this longitudinal multicentre cohort study, the overall ongoing pregnancy rate after current evidence-based management in male subfertility was studied. All subfertile couples who visited the fertility clinic for the first time between 2002 and 2006, and had male subfertility as a single diagnosis (n = 762 of 2476 couples), were included ...

Background: The aim of this study was the evaluation of the levels of serum interleukin (IL) 1-beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PIGF), and soluble VEGF receptor (sVEGFR)-1 and sVEGFR-2 in the association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case with repeated total fertilization failure due to oocyte defect. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): A patient with repeated total fertilization failure. INTERVENTION(S): Assisted oocyte activation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with calcium ionophore oocyte activation, donor semen, and donor oocytes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Fertilization, ...

The eastern water skink (Eulamprus quoyii) has lecithotrophic embryos and was previously described as having a simple Type I chorioallantoic placenta. Indeed, it was the species upon which the definition of a Type I placenta was thought to be based, although we had cause to question that assumption. Hence we ...

Fetal drug exposure is determined by the type and concentration of placental transporters, and their regulation is central to the development of new treatments and delivery strategies for pregnant women and their fetuses. We tested the expression of several clinically important transporters in the human placenta associated with various pregnancy ...

BACKGROUND:: Few data are available on the possible long-term negative effects of a short exposure to ART for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). OBJECTIVE:: To determine whether ART for PMTCT, discontinued after delivery, affects the virological response to HAART administered during subsequent pregnancies. METHODS:: All current pregnancies of HIV-1 infected ...

This study evaluated whether heparin administration could affect IVF outcome. A total of 172 women, aged <40years, without laboratory findings of thrombophilia and undergoing their first IVF cycle, were randomly allocated to treatment (n=86) and control (n=86) groups. Patients allocated to the treatment group received low-molecular-weight heparin dalteparin sodium 2500IU ...

During human pregnancy, circulating concentrations of components of the renin-angiotensin system increase, but pressor refractoriness to angiotensin II (Ang-II) is observed. Given the importance of the Ang-II pressor response in deciding susceptibility to preeclampsia and of the Ang-II system for controlling uterine vasoreactivity, we sought to address the effects of ...

Progesterone (P4) and nitric oxide (NO) suppress uterine contractility (CTX). This study compares the effects of P4 to sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) and their combination on human CTX of term/preterm and labor/nonlabor tissues. Uterine tissues (n = 128) from women (n = 28) undergoing Cesarean were suspended in ...

Hypertensive disorders are the most common medical problem encountered during pregnancy due to defective angiogenesis during placental development. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the angiogenic growth factors that stimulates angiogenesis. The recombinant form of its soluble receptor VEGF receptor-2 (sVEGFR-2) has anti-angiogenic activity. However, there is a ...

Citation Park J-C, Kim D-J, Kwak-Kim J. Upregulated amniotic fluid cytokines and chemokines in emergency cerclage with protruding membranes. Am J Reprod Immunol 2011 Problem  To identify the prognostic factors for pregnancy outcome in women who received emergency cerclage for dilated cervix with protruding membranes. Method of study  A prospective ...

OBJECTIVE: The importance of low complement and anti-dsDNA during pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is poorly defined. We investigated the effect of these laboratory tests and clinical SLE activity on pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a study of all pregnancies in patients with SLE followed from 1986 ...

Th1 immune responses are suppressed in pregnancy, but the temporal regulation and the mechanism(s) underlying this immune alteration are unknown. We assessed the expression of Th1 cytokines IFNγ, IL-2 and TNFα in response to stimulation in isolated T-cells from pregnant women throughout gestation. Using flow cytometry we demonstrated an early ...

In the current study, our aim was to demonstrate that EmbryoScope incubation conditions is comparable to standard laboratory incubation circumstances by comparing embryo quality, development and ongoing pregnancy rates between the EmbryoScope (ES) and a standard incubator (SI). We analyzed 478 embryos from 60 couples undergoing oocyte donation were included ...

Abstract Objectives: To investigate the expression of laminin receptor 1 (LR1), a non-integrin-type laminin receptor, in preeclamptic and normal third-trimester placentas, as well as to investigate whether its expression differs with disease severity. Study design: Third trimester placental samples obtained from deliveries of preeclamptic (n=34) and normotensive healthy pregnant women ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of bias in median MoM levels of PAPP-A and free β-hCG on first trimester combined screening for trisomy 21. METHODS: The effects of deviations in the MoM levels of free β-hCG and PAPP-A were investigated by simulating NT at 12 weeks and MoM values for ...

Objective. In this study, we tried to determine whether the activities of the primary antioxidant enzymes are detectable in amniotic fluid and whether they can be used as early biomarkers of complications in pregnancy such as pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and bacterial vaginosis. Methods. This was a prospective study ...

The purpose of this study was to determine pharmacokinetic parameters for oseltamivir in all trimesters of pregnancy. Thirty pregnant women, 10 per trimester, who were receiving oseltamivir phosphate (75 mg) were recruited to study first-dose pharmacokinetics. Plasma samples were obtained at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours ...

There is growing evidence that folate status and variation in folate-metabolizing genes are involved in female reproductive functions. This study evaluated the influence of maternal blood folate, vitamin B(12), homocysteine and 10 folate pathway gene variants on IVF outcome. Also, the prevalence of these polymorphisms was compared in 439 female ...

We sought to delineate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of oseltamivir and its active metabolite oseltamivir carboxylate during pregnancy. Physiologic changes of pregnancy, including increased renal filtration and secretion, may increase the clearance of oseltamivir carboxylate. Sixteen pregnant women taking oseltamivir for prophylaxis or treatment of suspected/proven influenza infection were enrolled. Twenty-three ...

An accurate timing of parturition is very useful for managing canine parturition. It is generally accepted that parturition in bitches occurs between 64 and 66 days after the luteinizing hormone peak. In this retrospective study, we determined pregnancy length in different breeds and its influencing factors dating it from the estimated ...

The aim of this study was to determine whether blood plasma progesterone is a reliable indicator of pregnancy in mink at an early stage of gestation. We also attempted to establish the threshold value of progesterone as a pregnancy indicator. The analysis was carried out at a production farm on ...

Amino acids (AA) are crucial for the developing conceptus prior to implantation. To provide insights into the requirements of the bovine embryo, we determined the AA composition of the uterine fluid. At Days 12, 15 and 18 post-estrus, uteri of synchronized pregnant and non-pregnant Simmental heifers were flushed for the ...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify metabolic, genetic, and lifestyle factors that discriminate between women who have pregnancies affected by congenital heart defects (CHDs) from those who have unaffected pregnancies. METHODS: We analyzed the concentrations of 13 serum biomarkers, 3 functional genetic variants, and 4 lifestyle factors ...

It is well established that GABAergic inputs to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) tonically suppress heart rate and the activity of several sympathetic nerves. However, whether GABA similarly inhibits PVN control of baroreflex function has not been previously investigated. To test this hypothesis, it was determined whether microinjection ...

Objective: Relaxin, a potent pregnancy-related hormone, has been proposed to be a major mediator of renal physiology in normal pregnancy. We wished to test relaxin levels in pregnancy and preeclampsia. Methods: We performed precise physiologic measurements of kidney function in 38 normal peripartum women and 58 women with preeclampsia. We ...

The objective was to quantify the effect of postpartum uterine diseases on milk production and culling. Data from 2,178 Holstein cows in 6 herds enrolled in a randomized clinical trial were used. Milk production data from the first 4 Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) test-days and culling data from farm ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate whether pregnancy-induced changes in total homocysteine (tHcy) are associated with folate and vitamin B12 nutritional status, genetic C677T polymorphism in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme, and gestation outcome at a time when folic acid supplementation started to be recommended in the Spanish health system. ...