Confocal Microscopic Analysis of the Spindle and Chromosome Configurations of in vitro-Matured Oocytes from Different Types of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the meiotic spindle and chromosome distribution of in vitro-matured oocytes from infertile nonobese or obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to compare in vitro maturation (IVM) rates between groups. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Hospital-based IVF center. PATIENTS: A total of 99 patients (26 obese women with PCOS, 25 nonobese women with PCOS, and 48 controls) undergoing stimulated cycles for intracytoplasmic sperm injection had immature oocytes for IVM. INTERVENTIONS: Immature oocytes (germinal vesicle and metaphase I stages) were collected from obese and nonobese PCOS patients and controlled infertile patients. The meiotic spindle and chromosome configurations in oocytes matured in vitro were studied by confocal microscopy, with fluorescent labeling techniques for visualization of both microtubules and chromosomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Meiotic spindle and associated chromosome configurations. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the different types of PCOS and the control group with respect to IVM rates (61.8, 63.8, and 63.2%, respectively), the percentage of spindle abnormalities in metaphase II oocytes (40.6, 42.9, and 37.5%, respectively) or chromosome abnormalities in metaphase II oocytes (31.2, 34.3, and 33.3%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In vitro-matured oocytes obtained from stimulated cycles had a high ratio of meiotic abnormalities. The different types of PCOS had the same ratio of meiotic abnormalities.

[The effects of infrasound on the blood coagulation function of guinea pigs].

OBJECTIVE: To study the change of the blood coagulation function of guinea pigs exposed to 16 Hz/120 dB, 16 Hz/125 dB infrasound and to explore the mechanism of circulation system damage. METHODS: Seventy-two guinea pigs were divided into 3 groups: the control group, the group exposed to 16 Hz/120 dB infrasound for 1.5 h a day and the group exposed to 16 Hz/125 dB infrasound for 1.5 h a day. Each exposure group was divided into 4 sub-groups (8 guinea pigs a sub-group) which were exposed to infrasound for 1, 7, 14 and 21 d, respectively. The coagulation function and serum nitric oxide (NO) were measured for control group and all sub-groups after exposure to infrasound. RESULTS: The prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR) and serum NO of group exposed to 16 Hz/125 dB infrasound were (31.16 ± 3.05) s, 2.53 ± 1.21 and (88.304 ± 52.601) µmol/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those [(21.36 ± 0.10) s, 1.65 ± 0.07 and (30.943 ± 26.864) µmol/L] of control group (P < 0.05). PT and INR of sub-groups exposed to 16 Hz/125 dB infrasound for 14 and 21 d were significantly higher than those of control group. NO of sub-groups exposed to 16 Hz/125 dB infrasound for 1 week and 2 weeks were significantly higher than that of control group (P < 0.05), but NO of sub-group exposed to 16 Hz/125 dB infrasound for 3 weeks decreased slightly. CONCLUSION: The blood coagulation function of guinea pigs exposed to 16 Hz/125 dB infrasound decreased, PT and INR may be used as the indexes to assess of blood coagulation function change induced by the infrasound exposure.

Effect of recombinant human interleukin-11 on expressions of interleukin-11 receptor alpha-chain and glycoprotein 130 in intestinal epithelium cell line-6 after neutron irradiation.

AIM: To explore the effect of recombinant human interleukin-11 (rhIL-11) on the expressions of interleukin-11 receptor alpha-chain (IL-11Ralpha) and an additional signal transducer glycoprotein 130 (gp130) in intestinal epithelium cell line-6 (IEC-6) after neutron irradiation. METHODS: Cultured IEC-6 cells were exposed to 4.0Gy neutron and treated with 100 ng/mL rhIL-11 12 h prior to or immediately after irradiation. The apoptosis and necrosis rates and expressions of IL-11Ralpha and gp130 were observed by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, Western blot and image analysis. RESULTS: The apoptosis rate of IEC-6 cells was increased by irradiation at 6 h (P < 0.01), IL-11 stimulation resulted in a decreased apoptosis rate in irradiated IEC-6 cells (P < 0.05). In normal control IEC-6 cells, intense immunoreactivity of IL-11Ralpha was located within the cell membrane and cytoplasm. The level of IL-11Ralpha expression significantly decreased at 6 h after irradiation (P < 0.01) and restored at 24 h after irradiation. In IEC-6 cells treated with both radiation and rhIL-11, the level of IL-11Ralpha expression was higher than that of irradiated cells (P < 0.05). When it came to gp130 protein, it was located in the cytoplasm of IEC-6 cells. After irradiation, we found a progressive decrease in the expression of gp130 protein (P < 0.05) in 48 h post-radiation, while in rhIL-11-stimulated cells, it came back to normal level at 24 h after irradiation and decreased at 48 h, but was still higher than that of only irradiated cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: rhIL-11 can protect IEC-6 cells from neutron irradiation. The protective effect of rhIL-11 might be connected with its ability to up-regulate the expressions of specific ligand-binding subunit IL-11Ralpha and signal-transducing subunit gp130.