Morphometric and histochemical study of the adrenal cortex in experimental schistosomiasis mansoni.

In this study, 45 mice were used, 30 mice of them were injected subcutaneously with 80-100 schistosoma mansoni cercariae and 15 mice remained uninfected and served as a control group. Infected mice were killed at 8 and 12 weeks post-infection while control mice were killed at one time. Paraffin sections were made from adrenal cortex and liver. The thickness and cellularity of zonae glomerulosa and fasciculata as well as the serum cortisol level were determined. In the infected group of mice, the zona glomerulosa and fasciculata increased in the thickness and cellularity and the serum cortisol level increased with the progression of infection as compared with the control uninfected group. Bilharzial liver granulomas were profound in the infected group at 12 weeks post-infection which coincided with the time of suprarenal hyperactivity.

Role of anti-oxidant preparation (oxi-guard) on Cryptosporidium parvum infection in albino mice.

Oxi-guard is a commercial anti-oxidant preparation in the form of capsules. One hundred and twenty albino mice were divided into three groups, first (50 mice) received oxi-guard for one week before infection with Cryptosporidium oocysts and continued for 50 days post-infection (P.I.), second (50 mice) did not receive oxi-guard and infected with Cryptosporidium oocysts and third (20 mice) was neither infected, nor receiving oxi-guard, a control group. Histopathological examination of small intestines and counting of endogenous stages of Cryptosporidium in the epithelial surface were done. Malonyldialdehyde (MDA) levels in small intestines were measured in all mice. It had been observed that the administration of oxi-guard led to significant increase in the numbers of endogenous stages of Cryptosporidium in the small intestines of group (1) in comparison with group (2). MDA levels showed a significant increase on the 15th, 20th and 25th days P.I. in group (2) and they did not show any significant changes in group (1) in comparison with the control group. As regards the activity of endogenous anti-oxidant enzymes in Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, there was a significant increase in superoxide dismutase in group (2) of mice compared with its level in group (1). Finally, it can be concluded that the administration of oxi-guard had led to eradication of free radicals which in turn prevented their lethal effects on the parasite leading to increased parasitic colonization in the small intestine of mice.

Sonographic assessment of ovarian and endometrial changes during long-term Norplant use and their correlation with hormonal levels.

OBJECTIVE: To study the probability of ovulation and subclinical abortion during long-term use of Norplant and to assess the concomitant endometrial development. DESIGN: This was a prospective nonrandomized comparative study. The ovaries and endometrium were assessed daily by ultrasonography during 59 menstrual cycles in 50 women who were using Norplant for > 1 year. Serum concentrations of E2, P, FSH, LH, pregnancy specific beta 1 glycoprotein (Sp1), and hCG were also daily measured. The findings were compared with those in 35 ovulatory cycles in normal fertile women not using contraception. SETTING: Clients of the Family Planning Clinic of Assiut University Hospital (Norplant users) and the hospital women staff (controls). RESULTS: Sonographic and hormonal evidence of ovulation were observed in one third of Norplant users; two of them resulted in conception. However, the majority of these ovulatory cycles showed low midcycle peaks of E2, FSH, and LH and evidence of luteal phase defect (LPD). Excessive follicular enlargement was observed in 46% of the cycles. Norplant users had significantly thinner endometrium that did not exhibit the normal phasic changes in sonographic texture. Apart from conceptive cycles, no rise in Sp1 or hCG was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Norplant acts mainly by inhibiting ovulation, but when this occurs, it is associated with LPD and subnormal endometrial development. Subclinical abortion does not contribute to the contraceptive effect.

PIP: 59 cycles in 50 women with Norplant inserted 18-48 months previously were observed daily with ultrasonic scanning and analysis of serum estradiol, progesterone, FSH, LH, pregnancy-specific beta1 one-glycoprotein (Spl) and hCG, compared to 38 menstrual cycles in matched controls not using contraception. Subjects were all parous, married clients at the Family Planning Clinic of Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt, or hospital staff controls. 35 of the 38 control cycles were ovulatory, and 3 conceptions were noted by ultrasonic and hormonal criteria. In Norplant users there were waves of folliculogenesis, some even occurring during vaginal bleeding. Estradiol levels were highest when the largest follicles were seen in anovulatory cycles, and lowest in quiescent cycles with no follicle development. This correlation was highly significant (p0.01).

Improved hatching in mouse embryos brought about by combined partial zona dissection and co-culture.

In this study 874 mouse embryos were allocated to six groups including a control, co-culture, and four groups that underwent partial zona dissection (PZD): at the 2-cell (PZD-2) and morula stages (PZD-M) both with and without co-culture. Rates of complete blastocyst hatching on day 5 increased in the following order: control, co-culture alone, PZD-2 alone, PZD-M alone, PZD-2 with co-culture and PZD-M with co-culture (P < 0.00001). PZD-M led to significantly higher rates of complete blastocyst hatching compared to PZD-2 (P < 0.03). This study showed also that co-culture apparently compensates for any minor damage incurred during the PZD technique at the 2-cell and morula stages, (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01) respectively. Therefore PZD and co-culture seem mutually beneficial techniques that promote early blastocyst hatching in the mouse.

Cruciate thinning of the zona pellucida for more successful enhancement of blastocyst hatching in the mouse.

Implantation rates remain low following human in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Suboptimal culture conditions may limit the ability of embryos to hatch as blastocysts, and artificial opening of the zona pellucida has been proposed as a means to promote subsequent hatching (assisted hatching). Such techniques must have minimal adverse effects on the embryos, while maximizing the potential for an embryo to hatch fully as a blastocyst. In a mouse model, we compared embryonic development after zona drilling, and cruciate thinning of the zona (CTOZ) intended to simulate the natural thinning of the zona pellucida. Using acidic Tyrode's solution both zona drilling and cruciate-thinning were performed on day 3 morulae. On day 4 the rates of complete hatching of blastocysts were 0/165, 24/172 and 72/175 in control, zona drilled and thinned groups respectively (P less than 0.0001). On day 5 the rates of complete hatching in the same groups were 20/165, 54/172 and 120/175 respectively (P less than 0.00001) and by day 6, 66/165, 74/172 and 130/175 respectively (P less than 0.00001). The rate of arrest at the morula stage was 24/172 versus 8/175 in the zona drilled and thinned groups respectively (P less than 0.005, whilst the rate of arrest at the blastocyst stage was 21/172 versus 14/175 respectively (NS). Hence cruciate thinning of the zona appears less detrimental at the morula stage than zona drilling, but eventual rates of arrest at the blastocyst stage were comparable. Both techniques significantly increased the rate of hatching, but zona drilling did not guarantee complete hatching.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Improvement of in vitro fertilization and early embryo development in mice by coculture with human fallopian tube epithelium.

Coculturing one- and two-cell embryos with various cell lines has been shown to overcome species-specific developmental blocks and to improve blastocyst transformation rates. The objective of this study was to assess whether human fallopian tube epithelium organ explants influence in vitro fertilization and subsequent early embryo development in a murine model. Fertilization, blastocyst transformation, and blastocyst expansion and hatching rates were significantly higher in the coculture group when compared with rates for culture in standard media or media conditioned by human tubal explant cultures. The results from conditioned and unconditioned media were not significantly different.