Influence of male age on the pregnancy outcomes of IVF-ET / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of male age on the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed 7,533 cycles of IVF-ET performed between January 1, 2009 and October 31, 2013. We divided the samples into three groups according to the female age (< 30, 30-34, and 35-38 yr), each again subdivided into six groups based on the male age (< 30, 30-32, 33-35, 36-38, 39-41, and ≥ 42 yr). We compared the rates of implantation, pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth among different age groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no statistically significant differences in basal E2, FSH, endometrium thickness on the day of hCG administration, number of oocytes retrieved, and days of embryo transfer among different male age groups (P > 0.05). The implantation rate showed an age-dependent decrease in the < 30, 30-32, 33-35, 36-38, 39-41, and ≥ 42 yr male groups, 41.1, 42.0, 39.5, 31.3, 40.7, and 48.6% among the women aged < 30 years (P < 0.05), 40.3, 36.4, 35.1, 35.3, 29.4, and 37.3% among the women aged 30-34 years (P < 0.05), and 48.2, 17.8, 25.3, 23.5, 22.1, and 23.8% among the women aged 35-38 years (P < 0.05). The miscarriage rate was significantly higher in the ≥ 39 yr than in the 30-32 and 33-35 yr male age groups among the women aged 30-34 years (P < 0.05), but showed no remarkable differences among the other male age groups in the women aged < 30 and 35-38 years (P > 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in the rates of pregnancy and live birth among different male age groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Male age has some influence on the rates of implantation and miscarriage but not on the rates of pregnancy and live birth in IVF-ET.</p>

Observation on the efficacy of acupuncture at key acupoints combined with rehabilitation therapy for spasmodic hemiplegia after cerebral infarction / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at key acupoints combined with the routine rehabilitation training of limb function on spasmodic hemiplegia after cerebral infarction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-six cases were randomized into an acupuncture combined with rehabilitation group (group A, 44 cases) and a rehabilitation group (group B, 42 cases). In group A, the key acupoints were selected from head, face, chest, abdomen, shoulder, back, hands, feet and ankles such as Cuanzhu (BL 2), Danzhong (CV 17), Jianyu (LI 15) and Yanglao (SI 16) were stimulated with acupuncture. In combination, the routine limb rehabilitation training was applied, once every day. In group B, the routine limb rehabilitation training was applied alone. In both groups, 10 treatments made one session and 2 sessions were required totally. Before and after treatment, Fugl-Meyer scale and functional independent measurement (FIM) scale were adopted to assess the limb motor level and the activity of daily life in the patients respectively. The modified Ashworth scale was used to assess the effect of anti-spasm.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate of anti-spasm was 90.9% (40/44) in the group A, which was superior to 73.8% (32/42) in the group B (P < 0.05). After 2 sessions of treatment, Fugl-Meyer score and FIM score were all improved in both groups (all P < 0.05) and the results in the group A were better than those in the group B (all P < 0.05). Additionally, the improvement of FIM score after the 1st session of treatment in the group A was better as compared with the group B, indicating the significant difference (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture at key acupoints combined with rehabilitation therapy effectively relieves the spasmodic condition of the patients with post-stroke spasmodic hemiplegia, improves the limb function and the life activity of the patients.</p>

Effects of patient age, number and quality of embryo transferred on the outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of patient age, the number and quality of embryo transferred on pregnancy outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ETs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study was performed in infertile women who underwent a total of 1800 cycles of IVF-ET and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The patients were divided into three age groups, namely<30 years group, 30-35 years group, and>or=35 years group. The clinical pregnancy rate and the multiple pregnancy rate were compared when 1, 2 or 3 embryos and 0, 1, 2 or 3 good-quality embryos were transferred.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In patients<30 years, no significant differences was found in the clinical pregnancy rate between 1, 2 and 3 embryos transfer groups; 2 and 3 good-quality embryos transfer resulted in similar pregnancy rate, which was significantly higher than that resulted from 0 and 1 good-quality embryo transfer. Multiple pregnancy was not found in 1 embryo transfer group. In patients aged 30-35 years, the pregnancy rate showed no significant differences not only between 1 and 2 embryos transfer groups, but also between 2 and 3 good-quality embryos transfer groups; multiple embryo transfer led to significantly increased multiple pregnancy rate. In patients aged>or=35 years, the transfer of 1, 2 and 3 embryos resulted in similar pregnancy rate; transfer of 3 good-quality embryos had obviously higher pregnancy rate than 0, 1 and 2 good-quality embryos transfer groups. Increased numbers of embryos and good-quality embryos transferred were both associated with increased multiple pregnancy rate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>One good-quality embryo transfer in patients<30 years and 2 good-quality embryos transfer in patients>or=30 years can obtain ideal pregnancy rate and reduce the incidence of multiple pregnancy. For patients aged>or=35 years, transfer of only good-quality embryo is recommended.</p>

In vitro maturation of human oocytes from pregnant late term: a new source of oocytes / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the in vitro maturation of human oocytes (IVM) from pregnant late term, natural cycles and Gn stimulating cycles and the effect of granulose cells on IVM from pregnant late term.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 1086 immature oocytes were obtained including 633 oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs) and 453 denuded oocytes (DOs). OCCs were divided into pregnant late term group, natural cycle group and IVM group, and DOs were divided into pregnant late term group, natural cycle group and controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) group. All the oocytes were matured in IVM culture system and fertilized by ICSI. The embryos were cultured to blastocyst stage except that those in IVM group were transferred into the uterus. The main outcomes were assessed including maturation rate (MR), fertilization rate (FR), cleavage rate (CR), and blastulation rate (BR) (natural cycle group, pregnant late term group and COH group) and pregnancy rate per transfer cycle (PR) of IVM group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MR of OCCs in pregnant late term group, natural cycle group and COH group was 74.3%, 76.9% and 82.2%, respectively, showing statistical difference between pregnant late term cycle group and IVM group. No statistical difference was observed in FR, CR or BR between the three groups. For IVM cycle group, clinical pregnancy rate of 20% per aspiration was achieved. For DOs, MR of COH group (86.0%) was significantly higher than that of the natural cycle group (72.5%) and pregnant late term group (72.7%) (P<0.01). FR, CR and BR showed no statistical difference among the 3 groups. No difference was found in MR, FR, CR and BR between OCCs group and DOs group from pregnant late term.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The oocytes from pregnant late term have the same development potential as those from natural cycles or Gn stimulating cycles in vitro, and provide a new source of donor oocytes. Granulose cells do not affect the IVM from pregnant late term.</p>