International Journal Of Fertility and Sterility
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Aug-Sep 2008

The endometrium is a highly dynamic tissue empowered with the capacity to undergo cyclic dramatic changes in response to ovarian steroid hormones, ultimately aiming to create a window of receptivity for blastocyst implantation. Intensive research has been performed to understand and establish morphological and molecular correlates of embryo implantation. However, it still remains a biological mystery particularly in the human, where ethical and moral constraints prohibit in vivo testing and the establishment of an ideal in vitro modeling. Rodent models of embryo implantation are largely irrelevant because the process varies significantly from that in humans. Even among primates, subtle differences exist among species. For maternal preparation of implantation, the endometrial epithelium which is surprisingly hostile towards the embryo implantation, acquires functional status receptive to blastocyst acceptance during a limited period of cycle days, termed as the ‘window of implantation (WOI). This review provides currently available information concerned primarily with the various ultrastructural modifications of endometrium coordinated within the WOI that may signify endometrial receptivity. In the following sections, the dominant features of endometrial differentiation during WOI, including transformations of luminal epithelium, endometrial glands, and stromal decidualization will be discussed from the morphological points of view. Lipid peroxidation is known to cause various impairments to sperm cells and may play a major role in the etiology of male infertility. Asthenospermia is the main factor of male infertility and has significantly higher level of peroxidation than in normozoospermic males.

Lipid peroxidation is known to cause various impairments to sperm cells and may play a major role in the etiology of male infertility. Asthenospermia is the main factor of male infertility and has significantly higher level of peroxidation than in normozoospermic males. Using thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay procedure, we have determined the level of lipid peroxidation as indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) in the spermatozoa obtained from asthenospermic male semen. An inverse correlation of MDA concentration with sperm motility is observed. Treatment of cells with L-arginine and vitamin E significantly decreases the MDA concentration and improves the sperm motility as compared to that in case of control samples. A combination of L-arginine and vitamin E shows synergistic effect on sperm motility and prevention of lipid peroxidation. L-arginine and vitamin E protect the cells against the loss of sperm motility by lipid peroxidation. Therefore, supplementation of both L-arginine and vitamin E may improve sperm motility and increase the possibility of fertilization in asthenospermic subjects

The aim of this study was to establish a cell-free sequential culture system that can support high levels of in vitro embryo development and blastocyst formation from bovine zygotes. To this end, this investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of glucose, serum and EDTA on bovine zygote in vitro development. Bovine presumptive zygotes were derived from oocytes matured, and fertilized in vitro and cultured in synthetic oviductal fluid sequential medium in a two-steps manner; SOF 1 for the first 3 days and SOF 2 for the second 5-6 days of in vitro embryo development. In order to evaluate the effect of different modifications of the basic medium on embryo development, glucose was added to the second phase (SOF A), serum was added to the first phase (SOF C) and EDTA alone (SOF D) or in combination with serum (SOF E) was added into the first phase of in vitro embryo culture. The results of each composition were compared with each other and with the results of embryo development in TCM199 vero cell co-culture system. Glucose addition to the second phase of embryo culture, improved the developmental competency; however, the differences were not significant. Serum addition to the first phase of embryo culture, significantly improved the developmental competency of embryos beyond the cleavage stage, compared to all the treatment and TCM199 co-culture groups. EDTA supplementation of culture medium, either alone or in combination with serum, significantly inhibits the embryo development beyond the morula stage. The results indicated that culture of bovine presumptive zygotes in two steps cell-free culture system, can support embryo development, and addition of serum throughout the culture and glucose to the second step significantly increased overall developmental competency compared to TCM199 co-culture system.

Our recent findings have shown that the rat testis is subjected to significant oxidative stress during the early phase of diabetes induced by Streptozotocin (STZ). In the present study, we have investigated whether oral supplementation of β-carotene (BC) to pubertal rats would provide protection against diabetes associated oxidative stress in testis and liver. Male (6 wk old) rats were rendered diabetic by an acute dose of Streptozotocin (60 mg/kg bw) and were given oral BC supplements (20 mg/kg bw/d on alternate days) for 4 weeks. The modulatory potency of BC was assessed by determination of selected markers of oxidative stress in testis and liver. The testis of STZ-administered rats exhibited significantly elevated status of lipid peroxidation (cytosol and mitochondria) and increased ROS production compared to the non-diabetic controls. Oral supplements of BC completely normalized the oxidative damage in testis. Further, STZ-induced depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) and elevated protein carbonyl content in testis were also restored to normalcy. The protective effects of BC in testis were also discernible in terms of restoration of activities of various antioxidant enzymes in diabetic rats. Furthermore, STZ-induced oxidative impairments in liver were also abrogated significantly by BC treatment. STZ-induced perturbations in serum and testicular lipid profiles in diabetic rats were also attenuated by BC treatment. Collectively, our data indicate that oral supplementation of β- carotene can significantly mitigate the diabetes associated oxidative impairments in testis as well as in liver and suggest its efficacy as a complementary therapeutic agent in the management of diabetes associated oxidative stress mediated complications.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF)/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles in non polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOs) women. In this cross sectional study, 287 infertile non PCOs women referred to Royan institute, Tehran, Iran between 2002 and 2003 were enrolled. Patients with age≥40 years old or BMI <20 Kg/m2 were excluded. All of patients underwent IVF or ICSI cycles. The outcome of assisted reproductive technology (ART) were compared between three groups: patients with 20≤ BMI≤25 (normal weight group); patients with 25< BMI≤30 (over weight) and patients with BMI more than 30 Kg/m2 (obese group). ANOVA, T test, Chi-square and logistic regression were used for analysis.P value less than 0.05 was considered as significant level. One hundred thirty three (46.3%) subjects had normal BMI, 117 women (40.8%) were overweight and 37 women (12.9%) were obese. Obese group had lower pregnancy rate (13.5%) in comparision to normal (29.3%) and overweight (21.4%) groups although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.09). Chi square analysis showed that normal weight women had significantly higher regular mensturation (p=0.02). The logestic regression analysis showed that BMI significantly affects on pregnancy rate of ART cycles in non PCOs women (p=0.038). The finding of this study suggested that in non PCOs women, BMI had independent adverse effect on the pregnancy rate of IVF/ICSI cycles.

Transfer of micro-Injected oocytes into fallopian tubes is an alternative procedure for IVF-ET with a similar success rate. This could be either done immediately after ovum pick-up microinjected oocytes intrafallopian transfer (MIFT) or after a time interval zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT). This study was designed to compare the outcomes of the two procedures. The study population included 149 infertile patients who needed assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and fulfilled the criteria for transfer of oocytes into tubes. 2-5 injected oocytes were transferred into normal fallopian tube either immediately (Group A) or 24 hours later (Group B). A total of 63 (36.9%) pregnancies were achieved. There were 33 pregnancies in the immediate transfer group and 30 pregnancies in the delayed transfer group. No significant difference was found in the implantation rate and the clinical pregnancy rate. This study demonstrates that no difference could be observed in outcome between immediate and delayed transfer groups. Therefore, immediate transfer of microinjected oocytes into fallopian tubes or MIFT is the preferred method.

Effect of seasonal changes in human reproduction has been intensively researched. Some studies acknowledge influences of seasonal variation on natural conception, while others can not confirm them. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of seasonal changes on different stages of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Tehran. This study was carried out on 268 cycles which were the first intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle of the couples between July 2005 and March 2007. Multiple logistic regression was used to model the influence of different clinical factors on pregnancy rate and a bivariate Poisson regression model was used for modeling the number of mature oocytes and obtained embryos. Based on the logistic regression model, the duration of infertility, female age, number of mature oocytes, and transferred embryos were only the significant predictors. In this series, seasonal changes had no predictive value on the pregnancy rate.Bivariate Poisson regression model showed that only the female age and duration of infertility were the factors simultaneously affecting the number of embryos and mature oocytes. The suspected seasonal variability on the outcome of ICSI cycles has not been confirmed. Furthermore, among different seasons, there are no significant differences in the number of mature oocytes, obtained embryos, and transferred embryos.

Rapid development in assisted reproductive techniques along with relieving the pain of childlessness has brought new ethical and policy dilemmas. Posthumous assisted reproduction is the most challenging, difficult and sensitive issue to be discussed ethically and religiously. In this paper the acceptability of the posthumous reproduction in Islamic contexts is evaluated and major concerns like Consent and ownership of the gametes after death, Family and Marriage vision and Welfare of the child are discussed together with some international legislation. We can conclude that upon Islamic vision to assisted reproductive techniques as treatment of families and relieving the serious problem of childlessness, posthumous assisted reproduction is unacceptable even with previously frozen gametes or embryos. Also, Islamic vision to marriage, consent and welfare of the child confirms the unacceptability. There must be some law or legislation to ban this procedure in Islamic contexts.