{"title":"Triphasic pills: variability of endocrine parameters and of sex steroid-binding globulins.","authors":"E Pasinetti, L Falsetti","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A hundred and twenty healthy women who did not desire pregnancy were selected to check the effects of triphasic oral contraceptives on endocrine parameters and on plasma levels of steroid-binding proteins. Three groups of 40 women each were treated with 3 different pills containing different doses of ethynilestradiol in combination with noretistherone or levonorgestrel or gestodene, for a 6-month period. Serum concentrations of pituitary, ovarian and adrenal hormones, sex-hormone binding globulin and corticosteroid binding globulin were measured, basally and after the 6th cycle. Triiodothyronine and thyroxine were also tested. After 6 cycles the three oral contraceptives determined the inhibition of gonadotropins, ovarian steroids and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate as well as an increase in Cortisol, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, sex hormone binding globulin and corticosteroid binding globulin. Prolactin levels did not vary. In the groups that receive the pills containing noretistherone, levonorgestrel and gestodene, sex hormone binding globulin increased by 138-136 and 156 per cent respectively, while corticosteroid binding globulin increased by 89-75 and 82 per cent respectively. The higher increase in sex hormone binding globulin, caused by gestodene-containing pill, testifies to the selectivity of this progestogen towards a lower androgenicity than norethisterone and levonorgestrel.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 2","pages":"67-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19163529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Y Prapas, A Papanicolaou, N Prapas, M Goutzioulis, N Papanicolaou
{"title":"Term pregnancy after vaginal transplantation in a case of vaginal agenesis with a functional uterus.","authors":"Y Prapas, A Papanicolaou, N Prapas, M Goutzioulis, N Papanicolaou","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This is a report of a successful pregnancy on a patient that had congenital vaginal aplasia with a functioning uterus. Continuity of the reproductive tract was restored at 12 years of age with transplantation of vaginal wall from the mother. The patient had no problems after initiating intercourse 7 years later and conceived without treatment after 5 years of primary infertility. She was delivered by cesarean section at term.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 2","pages":"77-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19163534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The pattern of melatonin in amenorrheic women affected by sterility.","authors":"A Turi, G G Garzetti","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The authors analyzed the pattern of melatonin in the menstrual cycles of six amenorrheic women affected by sterility. Only in one ovulatory cycle did melatonin respect its typical secretory behavior, i.e., nadir in the preovulatory period followed by an increase in the luteal phase, even though melatonin values were higher than normal over the entire cycle. The melatonin pattern in the five cycles showing no evidence of follicular recruitment nor regular formation of a main follicle was different from that seen in an ovulatory cycle. The authors support the concept of a correlation between the pineal gland and pituitary gland and hypothalamus, also because previous studies have demonstrated the presence of melatonin in follicular and peritoneal fluid. They conclude that there is a role for melatonin in the regulation of the menstrual cycle even though they have not as yet uncovered the specific mechanism.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 2","pages":"71-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19162776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of the importance of Chlamydia T. and/or Mycoplasma H. and/or Ureaplasma U. genital infections and of antisperm antibodies in couples affected by muco-semen incompatibility and in couples with unexplained infertility.","authors":"C Cimino, A R Borruso, P Napoli, E Cittadini","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Both the male and female partners of 28 couples with muco-semen incompatibility and of 8 couples with unexplained infertility were examined for the presence of genital infections by Chlamydia T. and/or Mycoplasma H. and/or Ureaplasma U. (CMU infections), and for topical and serum antisperm antibodies (AS-abs). The presence of other common genital infections, and for Candida A. and Trichomonas had previously been excluded in all the subjects; all the female partners presented normal hysterosalpingographs, regular ovulatory function and cervical score > or = 10. The main cause of the muco-semen incompatibility was dysspermia (35.7%), either associated or not with male CMU infections, followed by female CMU infections (21.4%), male CMU infections without dysspermia (3.6%), and the presence of AS-abs in the mucus (3.6%) and in the semen (3.6%); in 32.6% of the cases no plausible explanation was found for muco-semen incompatibility. In 42.8% CMU infections were implicated in the muco-semen incompatibility; furthermore, there was associated dysspermia in 50% of the cases. AS-abs were found in the mucus or in the serum of 70% of the patients with CMU infections, while this figure went down to 34.6% in subjects not affected by such infections. None of the patients with CMU infections showed AS-abs either in the semen and/or in the serum. AS-abs were found in the serum of 25% of the female patients with so-called \"unexplained\" infertility. CMU infections are important for the determination of muco-semen incompatibility, both with and without dyspermia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 1","pages":"13-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19291957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R Schoysman, L Segal, P Van Der Zwalmen, M Nijs, G Bertin, E Cittadini, C Cimino, G Ruvolo, E Cefalù, R Palermo
{"title":"Assisted fertilization with epididymal spermatozoa.","authors":"R Schoysman, L Segal, P Van Der Zwalmen, M Nijs, G Bertin, E Cittadini, C Cimino, G Ruvolo, E Cefalù, R Palermo","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In vitro fertilization is used for several years as a technique for resolving infertility problems due to moderate or severe oligospermia. More recently, techniques of micro-insemination of oocytes have also become available for cases of extremely severe oligospermia which cannot be resolved by classical I.V.F. Nevertheless, although these particular techniques have already led to results which have gone far beyond initial hopes, they are not able to resolve all cases of male sterility. There are indeed many situations of excretory azoospermia associated with normal spermatogenesis; the spermatozoa remain trapped in a more or less extensive part of the epididymis because its passage is blocked, either because of post-infectious sclerosis, or of agenesis of a variably extensive area of the Wolffian duct. Post-inflammatory occlusions can be treated by micro-surgery, whereas in cases of agenesis, attempts to collect spermatozoa by means of an artificial spermatocele have led to far too many failures, and this technique has now been abandoned, in spite of some successful pregnancies. The extraordinary development of in vitro fertilization techniques has led to the logical idea that it might be possible to collect epididymal spermatozoa for oocyte fertilization.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 1","pages":"7-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19291924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Purified FSH as a treatment for a cervical hostility.","authors":"M Nicotra, C Muttinelli, G Rolfi, P Amato","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Abnormal cervical mucus (CM) quality and quantity is considered one of the causes of infertility which occurs in only 2 to 8 per cent of infertile couples. The periovulatory mucus with its specific properties is necessary to determine a correct Post Coital Test (PCT). Twenty patients, with infertility for over 18 months and with a baseline negative PCT (repeated at least three times) for abnormal CM, were treated with pFSH. Our results show that the pFSH improves the quality and quantity of CM in all for our patients including an improvement of penetration and motility spermatozoa in 55 per cent of our cases. Therefore we suggest the routine pFSH use in case of cervical hostility and recurrent negative PCT.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 1","pages":"19-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19291959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Uterine receptivity for egg-implantation and scanning electron microscopy.","authors":"A Psychoyos","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 1","pages":"41-2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19291919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Radicioni, T Rossi, E Paris, F Mazzilli, F Dondero, R Giacomelli, G Tonietti
{"title":"Evaluation of the morphological and functional damage to human sperm subjected to freezing at -196 degrees C and to refrigeration at +4 degrees C.","authors":"A Radicioni, T Rossi, E Paris, F Mazzilli, F Dondero, R Giacomelli, G Tonietti","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A study was carried out on five healthy, fertile donors to evaluate refrigeration at +4 C compared to cryopreservation at -196 degrees C. These donors had produced more than two pregnancies in different women with their cryopreserved semen in an AID program. The following parameters for evaluation and comparison were used: (i) the percentage of forward sperm motility, (ii) the percentage of swollen sperm after hypoosmotic stress (swelling test) and (iii) the sperm morphology observed both with a light microscope after staining and with an electron microscope. After 48 hours of refrigeration the result obtained were comparable with those observed after one week of cryopreservation. After 72 hours of refrigeration, a sharp and significant decrease of these values was noted. Our data underlined the fact that there is an individual variability in subject response to the method of preservation employed. Our findings show the possibility of using sperm refrigerated for up to 48 hours in AIH programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 1","pages":"31-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19291920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exogenous gonadotropin therapy in combined anovulatory and male factor infertility.","authors":"M R Fluker, B G Fleige-Zahradka, B H Yuen","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This retrospective study evaluated conception rates in 18 women with refractory anovulatory infertility undergoing hMG ovulation induction in the presence of persistent mild to moderate semen abnormalities. Logistic regression analysis showed no relationship between conception (9.6% cycle) and the age of either partner, primary versus secondary infertility, or lowest sperm count, motility or morphology. In summary, this study demonstrates that a coexisting mild to moderate male factor does not preclude pregnancy during hMG therapy for anovulation. While semen abnormalities should not be ignored, aggressive treatment of concomitant ovulatory disorders and the resulting timed ovulation of several oocytes may minimize the effects of semen abnormalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 1","pages":"23-5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19291960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G Beretta, O Saltarelli, M Marzotto, A Zanollo, B Re
{"title":"Transcutaneous minoxidil in the treatment of erectile dysfunctions in spinal cord injured men.","authors":"G Beretta, O Saltarelli, M Marzotto, A Zanollo, B Re","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We have tested the erectile effect of a topical applied drug (Minoxidil) in 15 spinal cord injured men. Minoxidil exerts a direct relaxant effect on arterial smooth muscles. This topical vasodilatory agent (1 ml of a 2% solution) was applied on the skin of the penile shaft. Increases in diameter and rigidity were measured with the RigiScan device (Dacomed Minneapolis, Minnesota). A total of 4 paraplegic men with a complete dorsal level lesion reported a positive erectile response. 3 of these 4 patients preferred to continue with this noninvasive treatment compared to prostaglandin E1 intracavernous injections. In our study no side effects were emerged and minoxidil proved to be well tolerated at the cutaneous level of the penis. Our results indicate that this treatment should be tested in spinal cord injured men before a invasive therapy is initiated.</p>","PeriodicalId":7016,"journal":{"name":"Acta Europaea fertilitatis","volume":"24 1","pages":"27-30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1993-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19291917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}