Search results for "Culture Techniques"
showing 10 items of 504 documents
Clinical validation of embryo culture and selection by morphokinetic analysis: a randomized, controlled trial of the EmbryoScope.
2014
Objective To determine whether incubation in the integrated EmbryoScope time-lapse monitoring system (TMS) and selection supported by the use of a multivariable morphokinetic model improve reproductive outcomes in comparison with incubation in a standard incubator (SI) embryo culture and selection based exclusively on morphology. Design Prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study. Setting University-affiliated private in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic. Patient(s) Eight hundred forty-three infertile couples undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Intervention(s) No patient intervention; embryos cultured in SI with development evaluated only by morphology (control …
Impact of preimplantation genetic diagnosis on IVF outcome in implantation failure patients
2003
Implantation failure (IF) is defined as three or more failed IVF attempts, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is being used in these patients to improve IVF outcome. PGD was performed in 49 implantation failure patients with a mean number of 4.2 +/- 1.6 previous IVF failures, and in nine fertile controls. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) on blastomeres from biopsied day 3 embryos was performed for chromosomes 13, 16, 18, 21, 22, X and Y. There was a significantly higher rate of chromosomal abnormalities (67.4%) compared with controls (36.3%). In 57 cycles, a pregnancy rate of 34.0% and an implantation rate of 19.8% was observed in implantation failure patients compared wit…
Impact of chromosomal abnormalities on preimplantation embryo development.
2007
Objectives To evaluate the influence of numerical chromosomal abnormalities on preimplantation embryo development. Methods This study includes 6936 embryos from 1245 women undergoing preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Indications for aneuploidy screening were: recurrent miscarriages, implantation failure, severe male factor, advanced maternal age, and mixed causes. Embryo biopsy was performed on day 3, and embryos were co-cultured until day 5, when embryo transfer was performed. Results In the aneuploidy screening regimen, normal euploid embryos showed significantly higher blastocyst rates (68.2%) compared to chromosomally abnormal (42.8%, p < 0.0001) and mosaic (53.7%, p < 0.0001) em…
Vitrification of preimplantation genetically diagnosed human blastocysts and its contribution to the cumulative ongoing pregnancy rate per cycle by u…
2008
Objective To evaluate the survival rate and clinical results of our vitrification procedure on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) blastocysts and to calculate its actual contribution to the reproductive outcome per cycle. Design Retrospective clinical study. Setting University Institute IVI, Valencia, Spain. Patient(s) Patients who requested cryotransfer of surplus PGD blastocysts after failed fresh elective transfer. Intervention(s) Retrospectively collected data during 2 years of experience with blastocyst vitrification. Main Outcome Measure(s) Primary outcome measures were the following: blastocyst recovery and survival; cryotransfer cancellation; and the implantation, pregnancy (PR…
Metformin modulates human leukocyte/endothelial cell interactions and proinflammatory cytokines in polycystic ovary syndrome patients
2015
Abstract Objective We aim to assess the effect of metformin treatment on metabolic parameters, endothelial function and inflammatory markers in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) subjects. Methods The study population consisted of 40 reproductive-age women with PCOS, who underwent treatment with metformin during a 12-week period, and their corresponding matched controls (n = 44). We evaluated endocrinological parameters, adhesion molecules (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin) and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)) in serum. In addition, interactions between human umbili…
In the presence of IL-21 human cord blood T cells differentiate to IL-10-producing Th1 but not Th17 or Th2 cells.
2012
Abstract IL-21, a member of the IL-2 cytokine family, is mainly produced by activated CD4+ T cells and controls the activity of immune and also non-immune cells. As a pleiotropic cytokine, IL-21 acts on both innate and adaptive immune responses, suggesting that IL-21 may be a master regulator of the T-cell-dependent adaptive immune response. Although IL-21 is described as mostly promoting inflammation, evidence also suggests inhibitory effects of IL-21. However, its role, particularly in the human neonatal immune system, has not been detailed so far. Here, we assessed the effect of IL-21 in the specific context of the neonatal immune response and delineated differences between the human new…
Activation by mitogens and superantigens of axolotl lymphocytes: functional characterization and ontogenic study.
1996
Urodele amphibians have weak and slow immune responses compared to mammals and anuran amphibians. Using new culture conditions, we tested the ability of lymphocytes of a well-studied salamander, the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) to proliferate in vitro with diverse mitogenic agents. We demonstrated that the axolotl has a population of B lymphocytes that proliferate specifically and with a high stimulation index to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) known as a B-cell mitogen in mammals. This proliferative capacity is observed without significant changes throughout ontogenesis. In the presence of LPS, axolotl B lymphocytes are able to synthesize and secrete both isotopes of immunoglobulin d…
Inhibition of human detrusor contraction by a urothelium derived factor.
2003
Stimulating muscarinic receptors in pig bladder urothelium causes the release of a diffusable factor that inhibits contractions of the underlying detrusor muscle. We investigated whether the contractions of human detrusor strips elicited by the muscarinic agonist carbachol, electrical field stimulation, KCl or the neurokinin receptor agonist neurokinin A are affected by the urothelium.Paired intact and urothelium denuded muscle strips were placed in modified gassed Tyrode's solution at 37C. Cumulative concentration-response curves to carbachol or KCl were constructed. In other tissues the strips were stimulated electrically (1 to 40 Hz) with trains of square wave pulses 20 seconds in durati…
Neuronal nicotinic receptors in synaptic functions in humans and rats: physiological and clinical relevance.
2000
The present report describes the participation of nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) in controlling the excitability of local neuronal circuitries in the rat hippocampus and in the human cerebral cortex. The patch-clamp technique was used to record responses triggered by the non-selective agonist ACh and the alpha7-nAChR-selective agonist choline in interneurons of human cerebral cortical and rat hippocampal slices. Evidence is provided that functional alpha7- and alpha4beta2-like nAChRs are present on somatodendritic and/or preterminal/terminal regions of interneurons in the CA1 field of the rat hippocampus and in the human cerebral cortex and that activation of the different nAChR subtypes pres…
Pharmacological characterization of uracil nucleotide-preferring P2Y receptors modulating intestinal motility: a study on mouse ileum.
2011
We investigated the possible modulation of the intestinal contractility by uracil nucleotides (UTP and UDP), using as model the murine small intestine. Contractile activity of a mouse ileum longitudinal muscle was examined in vitro as changes in isometric tension. Transcripts encoding for uracil-sensitive receptors was investigated by RT-PCR. UDP induced muscular contractions, sensitive to PPADS, suramin, or MRS 2578, P2Y(6) receptor antagonist, and mimicked by PSB 0474, P2Y(6)-receptor agonist. UTP induced biphasic effects characterized by an early inhibition of the spontaneous contractile activity followed by muscular contraction. UTP excitatory effects were antagonized by PPADS, suramin,…