Journal of Reproduction & Infertility
Volume:17 Issue: 3, Jul-Sep 2016

Using cellular phone has rapidly increased all over the world. Also, the concern on the possible health hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMF) induced from cell phones to reproduction has been growing in many countries. The aim of this study was to assess the consequences and effects of exposure to the cell phone radiation on the quality and survival rates of preimplantation embryos in mice.
A total of 40 mice (20 females and 20 males), 6 weeks old and sexually mature BALB/c, were used for control and experimental groups. The ovary burses were removed and the zygotes were dissected in the morning after mating. Next, 2-cell embryos were divided into two groups of control (n=150) and experimental (n=150). EMF (900-1800 MHz) was used for four days in experimental group for 30 min/day in culture at 37°C in a CO2 incubator. The quality of embryos was recorded daily and the fluorescent staining was used for identification of viable blastocysts. All data were compared by Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney test (p The rate of embryo survival to the blastocysts stage was similar in both groups. However, the percentage of dead embryos at the 2-cell stage was significantly higher in EMF-exposed group compared with controls (p=0.03). Also, the loss of cell viability significantly increased in experimental blastocysts (p=0.002).
The normal embryonic development up to the blastocyst stage indicates that EMF-exposure commonly did not have adverse effect on embryo development in mice. But, it caused loss of blastocysts cell viability.

Ammonium is produced in culture medium due to amino acids degradation and has adverse effect on in vitro culture of embryo. In the current study, the purpose was to evaluate the effects of ammuniom chloride (AC) on in vitro oocyte maturation rate and early embryo development in the sheep and its effect on the expression of Bcl-2.
In vitro maturation (IVM) was performed in the presence of various concentrations (0, 29, 88,132,176 μM/ml) of ammonium chloride (NH4CL) (AC). Meiotic maturation, embryonic development and expression of Bcl2 gene in Blastocyst cells were determined. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey post HOC test, and values with p The highest concentration (176 µM) of AC significantly decreased the rate of fully expanded cumulus cells 24 hr after IVM compared with the control group (p Our results suggested that significant increase in IVM rate could be obtained with supplementation maturation medium with AC in a dose dependent manner. Increased AC concentration led to lower blastocyst rate under normal condition. However, regulation of pro–apoptotic (Bcl-2) gene did not change with different concentrations of AC supplementing.

Survival of the semi-allograft fetus during pregnancy opens a new area for the immunological based causes of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) is a negative regulator of the T-cell activation, which may modulate peripheral self-tolerance of the allogeneic fetus. The present study aimed to investigate the A/G CTLA4 genetic polymorphism and predisposition to RSA.
The total participants were 120 women with at least two miscarriages and 120 healthy post-menopausal women as the control group. The A/G polymorphism was genotyped using PCR-RFLP method. Required demographic information was collected through filling out a questionnaire. The obtained data were fed into SPSS software version 16.
The results showed a significant association between the minor alleles (G) with the decreased risk of the RSA. The frequency of the G allele in controls and patients was 25% and 12%, respectively. A GG genotype in the co-dominance model (OR: 0.25, 95%CI: 0.09-0.66) and in the dominant model for allele G (GG vs. AA) (OR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.8-0.87) showed significant association with RSA by imposing the protective role. The frequency of miscarriage is significantly (p=0.04) higher among the relatives of RSA women (33.3%) in comparison with the women in the control group (21.7%).
It can be concluded that  allele may act as a dominant allele and reduce the risk of RSA. Family history of miscarriage increased the risk of RSA among women.

Oxidative stress affects women fertility and influences on the sperm quality by alterating activities of cholinesterases, a molecular marker of stress-related infertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities and phenotypes in patients with unexplained infertility (idiopathic). It’s possible association with inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) and other oxidative stress markers, i.e. before and after intra uterine insemination (IUI).
In this study, blood samples of 60 patients with unexplained infertility were collected the day before and 24 hr after IUI (between 8 AM and 9 AM after the overnight fasting) and activities of BuChE, AChE, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GpX) and serum levels of thiol proteins (TP), C-reactive protein (CRP), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured. Statistical significance was assumed at p Before IUI, there was a significant (p=0.048) positive correlation between BuChE activity and plasma TAC and a significant difference in the CAT activity between various BuChE (UU and non-UU) phenotypes. However, after IUI, a significant negative correlation between the AChE activity and BuChE activity was found (p=0.045) and the level of RBC AChE activity was significantly reduced (382.4±163.19 vs. 586.7±384 IU/grHb, p=0.025). Meanwhile, after IUI, the activities of SOD (1568±847.5 IU/grHb vs. 1126±229.3, p=0.031) and CAT (310±53.4 IU/grHb vs. 338±73, p=0.025) were increased.
This study suggests that decline in cholinesterases activities may be responsible for stimulation of oxidative stress and inflammation and reduction in fertility rates by IUI.

Microdose flare-up GnRH agonist and GnRH antagonist have become more popular in the management of poor ovarian responders (POR) in recent years; however, the optimal protocol for POR patients undergoing in vitro fertilization has still been a challenge.
In this observational study design, two hundred forty four poor ovarian responders were retrospectively evaluated for their response to GnRH agonist protocol (group-1, n=135) or GnRH antagonist protocol (group-2, n=109). Clinical pregnancy rate was the primary end point and was compared between the groups. Student t-test, Mann Whitney U test and x2-test were used to compare the groups. The p The mean total gonadotropin doses were 3814±891 IU in group 1 and 3539±877 IU in group 2 (p=0.02). The number of metaphase-II oocytes (3.6±2.4 vs. 2.8±1.9, p=0.005) and implantation rates (27.8% vs. 18.8%, p=0.04) in group 1 and group 2, respectively were significantly different. The fertilization rate in group 1 and group 2 was 73% vs. 68%, respectively (p=0.5) and clinical pregnancy rate was 19.8% vs. 14.4%, respectively (p=0.13).
The GnRH agonist microdose flare-up protocol has favorable outcomes with respect to the number of oocytes retrieved and implantation rate; nevertheless, the clinical pregnancy rate was found to be similar in comparison to GnRH antagonist protocol in poor ovarian responders. GnRH antagonist protocol appears to be promising with significantly lower gonadotropin requirement and lower treatment cost in poor ovarian responders.

The "Sex-Reassignment Surgery" is a solution that besides behavioral therapy has been suggested to people suffering from gender identity disorders in recent years. In Iran, this trend has become more popular over the past years due to the inclination to reach to the goal rapidly with less effort and also the surgery has attracted many patients with the problem. Religious clerics have tried to determine the religious doctrines for this practice and as a result a group of them favor an absolute permission while others choose prohibition and some of them favor a middle path. The aim of this study was to determine the religious doctrines for Sex-Reassignment and legitimate treatment for GID.

The research method was a library research based on which an investigation was done by analyzing the relevant books, articles and dissertations. Primary documents of Islamic sources (Quran and tradition) along with scientific, medical and psychological materials were used in this research.

In this study, the survey shows that none of the reasons have the power to deliver a definitive and religious ruling on this issue because the validity of its reasons is related to the reality of "Sex-Reassignment".

The results demonstrate that Sex-Reassignment is prohibited and it is not authorized. In case of urgency for doing the surgery, the gender of the person should not be changed.

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of four repeated ejaculations on the same day at two-hour intervals on conventional and functional semen parameters.
Three healthy men (32±3.6 years) donated the first semen samples after 3-4 days of sexual abstinence followed by three subsequent samples on the same day at two-hour interval each. Semen samples were processed and analyzed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 guidelines. Furthermore, intracellular reactive oxygen (ROS) production, sperm DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial function were evaluated by flow cytometry.
An overall decreasing trend was noted in the conventional semen parameters at second, third and fourth evaluations after two hours of abstinence in comparison to first evaluation after 3-4 days of abstinence. The statistical comparison of the conventional semen parameters at fourth evaluation after 2 hr of abstinence revealed significant reduction (p The findings of the present study indicate the potential use of additional semen samples with repeated ejaculations at short abstinence times in assisted reproduction procedures particularly from severe oligospermic men.

Robertsonian translocations are structural chromosomal abnormalities caused by fusion of two acrocentric chromosomes. In carriers of such translocations, different modes of segregations would result in the formation of either balanced (alternate segregation mode) or unbalanced (adjacent 1, adjacent 2, and 3:1 segregation modes) gametes. In addition, there is an increased risk for imprinting disorders in their offspring. Although it has been estimated that 1/1000 healthy persons carry a Robertsonian translocation, homozygosity for this type of structural chromosomal abnormality has been reported rarely. Most of reported cases are phenotypically normal but experience adverse pregnancy outcomes.
In this paper, a report was made on a normal female with a history of 4 consecutive first trimester fetal losses and a normal son referred to Center for Comprehensive Genetics Services,Tehran, Iran, in summer 2015. Cytogenetic analyses of proband and her infant showed 44,XX, der(13;14)(q10;q10)x2 and 45, XY, der(13;14)(q10;q10), respectively. Parents of proband have been shown to have 45,XY,der(13q;14q) and 45,XX,der(13q;14q) karyotypes, respectively.
The present report was in agreement with the few reports of homozygosity for Robertsonian translocation which demonstrated normal phenotypes for such persons and possibility of giving birth to phenotypically normal heterozygote carriers of Robertsonian translocations.

McCune Albright syndrome is rare with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 1,000,000 persons. The classical clinical triad consists of fibrous dysplasia of the bone, café-au-lait skin spots and precocious puberty. However, in rare cases, there may be primary hypogonadism and amenorrhea.
An eighteen-year-old female presented with amenorrhea. She had a short stature, round face, thick neck, and short fourth metacarpals and metatarsals. The secondary sexual characters were absent. Serum calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid concentrations were normal, but gonadotropin hormones were very low. X-ray examination revealed short fourth and fifth metacarpals, short left metatarsal, and short fibula.
These local bony abnormalities along with the biochemical findings helped us to diagnose this case as an unusual presentation of primary hypogonadism with features of McCune Albright’s syndrome where there was amenorrhea rather than preocious puberty.