Culture of bovine ovarian follicle wall sections maintained the highly estrogenic profile under basal and chemically defined conditions

Follicle cultures reproduce in vitro the functional features observed in vivo. In a search for an ideal model, we cultured bovine antral follicle wall sections (FWS) in a serum-free defined medium (DM) known to induce 17β-estradiol (E2) production, and in a nondefined medium (NDM) containing serum. Follicles were sectioned and cultured in NDM or DM for 24 or 48 h. Morphological features were determined by light microscopy. Gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor were determined by RT-PCR; progesterone (P4) and E2 concentrations in the media were measured by radioimmunoassay. DM, but not NDM, maintained an FWS morphology in vitro that was similar to fresh tissue. DM also induced an increase in the expression of all steroidogenic enzymes, except FSH receptor, but NDM did not. In both DM and NDM, there was a gradual increase in P4 throughout the culture period; however, P4 concentration was significantly higher in NDM. In both media, E2 concentration was increased at 24 h, followed by a decrease at 48 h. The E2:P4 ratio was higher in DM than in NDM. These results suggest that DM maintains morphological structure, upregulates the expression of steroidogenic enzyme genes, and maintains steroid production with a high E2:P4 ratio in FWS cultures.

Clinical, Electrophysiological and Pathological Characteristics in Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies (HNPP) with Chromosome 17p11.2-p12 Deletion

BACKGROUND: Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is a peripheral nerve disorder characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance, recurrent pressure palsies, reduced motor and sensory conduction velocities and sausage-like swellings (tomacula) of myelin sheaths in nerve biopsy. A 1.5-Mb deletion in chromosome 17p11.2- p12 is present in the majority but not all cases of HNPP. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical, electrophysiological and morphological aspects of HNPP patients associated with chromosome 17p11.2-p12 deletion. METHODS: To detect the presence of the deletion, the DNA of the patients was analyzed with pVAW409R3 (D17S122). An electrophysiological study was done in all patients. Sural nerve biopsy with teasing was done in three patients. RESULTS: DNA analysis and electrophysiological tests revealed the deletion in 8 families and 16 patients. Nerve conduction studies demonstrated diffuse mild to moderate slowing of nerve conduction velocities especially worse over the common entrapment sites, regardless of clinical manifestations. The long duration of compound muscle and nerve action potentials without conduction blocks or dispersion is characteristic of patients with HNPP. The tomacula of myelin sheaths was found on sural nerve teasing. CONCLUSIONS: We report the clinical, electrophysiological and morphological aspects of the Korean HNPP patients associated with chromosome 17p11.2-p12 deletion. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(3):251~259, 2001)

Intraoperative Electrophysiological Monitoring during Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm and Surgical Outcome

BACKGROUND: Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is a peripheral nerve disorder characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance, recurrent pressure palsies, reduced motor and sensory conduction velocities and sausage-like swellings (tomacula) of myelin sheaths in nerve biopsy. A 1.5-Mb deletion in chromosome 17p11.2- p12 is present in the majority but not all cases of HNPP. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical, electrophysiological and morphological aspects of HNPP patients associated with chromosome 17p11.2-p12 deletion. METHODS: To detect the presence of the deletion, the DNA of the patients was analyzed with pVAW409R3 (D17S122). An electrophysiological study was done in all patients. Sural nerve biopsy with teasing was done in three patients. RESULTS: DNA analysis and electrophysiological tests revealed the deletion in 8 families and 16 patients. Nerve conduction studies demonstrated diffuse mild to moderate slowing of nerve conduction velocities especially worse over the common entrapment sites, regardless of clinical manifestations. The long duration of compound muscle and nerve action potentials without conduction blocks or dispersion is characteristic of patients with HNPP. The tomacula of myelin sheaths was found on sural nerve teasing. CONCLUSIONS: We report the clinical, electrophysiological and morphological aspects of the Korean HNPP patients associated with chromosome 17p11.2-p12 deletion. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(3):251~259, 2001)