Position of the Spanish Menopause Society regarding the management of perimenopause.

Perimenopause is an imprecise period in woman over 40 years of age, which comprises the time between the moment that the first changes in the menstrual cycle appear and the year following the definitive cessation of the menses. Besides irregular bleeding, many women also complain of hot flashes and other characteristic symptoms of postmenopause. Moreover, most of them are concerned about the future impact that these events may have on their health, such as needing health exams or continuing to use contraceptive methods. A panel of experts from the Spanish Menopause Society has met to establish diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for this period based on the best available evidence.

Women who are not exposed to spermatozoa and infertile women have similar rates of stage I endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of endometriosis and its different stages in infertile women and women not exposed to spermatozoa. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Artificial insemination donor program at a university hospital. PATIENT(S): One hundred fifty women unable to conceive because they had not been exposed to spermatozoa (134 with azoospermic partner, 10 with an HIV-positive partner, and 6 without a male partner). Controls were 750 women in infertile couples in which the male partner had normal sperm. INTERVENTION(S): Laparoscopy was systematically performed in a blinded manner in both groups as part of the infertility work-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Diagnosis of endometriosis. RESULT(S): In unexposed women and controls, the prevalence of endometriosis was similar (32% and 34.5%). Rates of stage I disease were also similar in both groups (26% and 19.3%). There was a significant trend toward higher stages of endometriosis in infertile women (stage II disease, 3.3% vs. 5.7%; stage III disease, 1.3% vs. 3.1%; stage IV disease, 1.3% vs. 6.4%). Endometriosis was not associated with the few demographic characteristics that differed between groups. CONCLUSION(S): From an epidemiologic point of view, stage I endometriosis is not more common in infertile women than in unselected women. However, stage II to IV endometriosis was more frequent in infertile women. Whereas a relation between stage I endometriosis and infertility seems unlikely, the relation between stages II to IV endometriosis and infertility seems possible.

[Histochemical characterization of glycoconjugates in the tongue of the toad Bufo marinus L. (Amphibian, anuran) with conventional techniques for light microscopy]. / Caracterización histoquímica de los glicoconjugados de la lengua del sapo Bufo marinus L. (Anfibio, anuro) con técnicas convencionales para microscopía de luz.

Histochemical stains with and without enzymatic digestions such as alpha-amylase, neuraminidase and hyaluronidase, made possible to localize and differentiate various types of glycoconjugates (GCs) in the tongue of the toad Bufo marinus. In the dorsal mucosae the covering epithelium of the filiform papillae, of the central folds and in the marginal cells of the fungiform papillae there were present large amounts of neutral GCs with little or no galactose and/or N-acetylgalactosamine and scanty carboxylic acid GCs while the superficial strata of the taste organs showed a mixture of neutral an acid GCs with a predominance of sulfated and carboxylic acid GCs. The glandular secretory cells showed neutral GCs almost exclusively with a gradient of concentrations increasing from the base to the apex being galactose or N-acetyl-galactosamine one of the component sugars. The ventral epithelium showed two types of mucous cells, one with neutral GCs and the other with neutral and acidic GCs. The connective tissue contained many mast cells showing highly acid GCs both sulfated and carboxylic with some neutral GCs. The extracellular connective matrix showed scanty neutral and acid GCs. Glycogen was present in the cytoplasm of glandular epithelial cells and of the striated muscle fibers. Additionally, the obtained results suggest the presence of a type of GC with a carboxylic acid (sialic acid) resistant to neuraminidase of Clostridium perfringens used in this study.

Scanning electron microscopy study on the toad (Bufo marinus L) tongue dorsal mucosa

Empleando un método sencillo se hizo un estudio con el microscopio electrónico de barrido de la mucosa lingual dorsal del sapo, caracterizando las regiones distal, central y proximal. La región distal mostró dos tipos de proyecciones, las papilas fungiformes y filiformes; la región central presentó pliegues y papilas fungiformes acortadas, mientras que la superficie de la región proximal se presentó ciliada y con órganos gustaticos del tipo no-papilar. En las tres regiones señaladas se observaron diferencias en el aspecto superficial del disco gustativo pero siempre éste se encontró separado del epitelio adiacente mediante un surco. Las células mucosas de las papilas filiformes distales se caracterizaron por una cubierta formada por numerosas microvellosidades mientras que las células de los pliegues en la región central, mostraron células mucosas con microvellocidades o con expansiones granulares lo que sugiere que estas células se encuentran en diferentes fases de la actividad secretora. Los resultados confirman las observaciones realizadas previamente con microscopía de luz

Estructura histologica de la mucosa lingual de la rana acuatica Sudamericana: Pseudis paradoxus caribensis / Histological structure of the lingual mucosa of the aquatic South American frog: Pseudis paradoxus caribensis Gallardo

Se realiza un estudio detallado de la organización histológica de la mucosa lingual del anuro acuátioco Pseudis pardoxus caribensis mediante cortes sagitales y transversales de todo el órgano. Grupos de seis láminas consecutivas se colorearon con diferentes métodos selectivos de coloración. La lengua es redondeada y ampliamente fijada a la mandíbula inferior. La mucosa dorsal es papilar excepto cerca del borde en todo el perímetro lingual. El epitelio simple que reviste las papilas filiformes presenta tres tipos celulares distintos. Las papilas fungiformes contienen los órganos gustativos discoidales característicos de los anfibios. Ocasionalmente encuentran órganos gustativos no-papilares inmersos en la mucosa ventrolateral. El revestimento ventral es ciliado y con dos tipos de células mucosas. El tejido conectivo contiene numerosos mastocitos dispersos. Estas características indican que la organización histológica básica es similar al observado en la lengua de anuros terrestres más evolucionados, pero que presenta una combinación única de pequeñas variaciones que podrían constituir una peculiaridad de este género