Biomedical subjects

C Gervy

Publications and source records attributed to C Gervy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Impact of various endocrine and paracrine factors on in vitro culture of preantral follicles in rodents.

Folliculogenesis is a complex process regulated by various paracrine and autocrine factors. In vitro growth systems of primordial and preantral follicles have been developed for future use of immature oocytes, as sources of fertilizable oocytes and for studying follicular growth and oocyte maturation mechanisms. Rodents were often chosen for in vitro follicular culture research and a lot of factors implicated in folliculogenesis have been identified using this model. To date, the mouse is the only species in which the whole process of follicular growth, oocyte maturation, fertilization and embryo transfer into recipient females was successfully performed. However, the efficiency of in vitro culture systems must still be considerably improved. Within the follicle, numerous events affect cell proliferation and the acquisition of oocyte developmental competency in vitro, including interactions between the follicular cells and the oocyte, and the composition of the culture medium. Effects of the acting factors depend on the stage of follicle development, the culture system used and the species. This paper reviews the action of endocrine, paracrine factors and other components of culture medium on in vitro growth of preantral follicles in rodents.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Effect of insulin-like growth factor-I during preantral follicular culture on steroidogenesis, in vitro oocyte maturation, and embryo development in mice.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is involved in the regulation of ovarian follicular development and has been shown to potentiate the FSH responsiveness of granulosa cells from preantral follicles. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of IGF-I during preantral follicular culture on steroidogenesis, subsequent oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development in mice. Preantral follicles were isolated mechanically and cultured for 12 days in a simplified culture medium supplemented with 1% fetal calf serum, recombinant human FSH, transferrin, and selenium. In these conditions, follicles were able to grow and produce oocytes that could be matured and fertilized. The first experiment analyzed the effect of different concentrations of IGF-I (0, 10, 50, or 100 ng/ml) added to the culture medium on the follicular survival, steroidogenesis, and the oocyte maturation process. The presence of IGF-I during follicular growth increased the secretion of estradiol but had no effect on the subsequent oocyte survival and maturation rates. In the second experiment, IGF-I (0 or 50 ng/ml) was added to the culture medium during follicular growth, oocyte maturation, or both, and subsequent oocyte fertilization and embryo development rates were evaluated. Oocyte fertilization rates were comparable in the presence or absence of IGF-I. However, the blastocyst development rate was enhanced after follicular culture in the presence of IGF-I. Moreover, the total cell number of the blastocysts observed after differential labeling staining was also higher when follicles were cultured or matured in the presence of IGF-I.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Effect of preantral follicle isolation technique on in-vitro follicular growth, oocyte maturation and embryo development in mice.

BACKGROUND: The use of mechanical and enzymatic techniques to isolate preantral follicles before in-vitro culture has been previously described. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the isolation procedure of mouse preantral follicles on their subsequent development in vitro. METHODS: Follicles were isolated either mechanically or enzymatically and cultured using an individual non-spherical culture system. Follicular development and steroidogenesis, oocyte in-vitro maturation and embryo development were assessed for both groups. RESULTS: After 12 days of culture, follicles isolated mechanically had a higher survival rate but a lower antral-like cavity formation rate than follicles isolated enzymatically. Enzymatic follicle isolation was associated with a higher production of testosterone and estradiol compared with mechanical isolation. A stronger phosphatase alkaline reaction was observed after enzymatic isolation, suggesting that follicles isolated enzymatically had more theca cells than those isolated mechanically. However, both isolation techniques resulted in similar oocyte maturation and embryo development rates. CONCLUSIONS: Enzymatic follicular isolation did not affect theca cell development. Follicular steroidogenesis was enhanced after enzymatic isolation but the developmental capacity of oocytes was comparable to that obtained after mechanical isolation.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

[The medical chemistry department].

The laboratory of clinical chemistry performs more than 300 different tests in biochemistry, hormone and tumor markers analysis, therapeutic drug monitoring and toxicology. For the most basic tests it has followed the trend of clinical chemistry towards automation and since 2001 the heart of the laboratory is a modular automated system (MODULAR) including a preanalytical platform, unique in Belgium. For more sophisticated tests, the most recent techniques have been implemented, in particular capillary electrophoresis and ICP-MS ("inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry). Since 1994, the laboratory has become a reference center in the field of erythrocyte hereditary diseases, combining screening, diagnosis and research. The other research themes are the physiopathology of first trimester pregnancy and the P2Y receptors of extracellular nucleotides.

Belgium↗

PubMed2000

Blood biochemistry and endocrinology in the human fetus between 11 and 17 weeks of gestation.

Fetal blood was obtained in 35 normal pregnancies undergoing termination for psychosocial reasons between 11 and 17 weeks of gestation. Biochemical and endocrinological analyses were performed on each sample including concentrations of urea, creatinine, beta-microglobulin total protein, electrolytes, enzymes, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxin binding globulin (TBG), total thyroxin (TT4) and free thyroxin (FT4). The results were compared with values in maternal serum obtained at the same time. Fetal serum contained significantly higher concentrations of iron, beta-microglobulin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate amniotransferase (AST), AFP, HCG and TSH and lower concentration of total protein, TBG and TT4 than maternal serum. Significant positive linear relationships were found between gestational age and the concentration of fetal serum total protein, ALP, TBG and FT4. Significant negative linear relationships were observed between gestational age and fetal serum beta-microglobulin and iron concentration. There were no significant correlations between fetal and maternal values. These data indicate that fetal blood biochemistry is not directly related to placental transfer and that the proteins and enzymes found inside the gestational sac are essentially of feto-placental origin with minimal contribution from the maternal protein metabolism. The comparison of coelomic fluid composition at 10-13 weeks with that of fetal serum at 11-17 weeks suggests that the anatomical changes in the human materno-fetal interface architecture between the early and late pregnancy periods could have a direct impact on materno-fetal transfer pathways.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

Amniotic fluid biochemistry in second-trimester trisomic pregnancies: relationships to fetal organ maturation and dysfunction.

Protein and enzyme patterns were investigated in amniotic fluid samples of 12 trisomy 21 and five trisomy 18, between 11 and 16 weeks and of a control group of 50 chromosomally and anatomically normal pregnancies at the same gestational age. Positive correlations were found between gestational age and the concentration of urea (P<0.05), creatinine (P<0.01), beta2-microglobulin (P < 0.0001), hCG (P < 0.01), ALP (P < 0.001), LAP (P < 0.0001) and GGT (P <0.0005) in the amniotic fluid of euploid pregnancies. There were also significant correlations between the concentrations of the different variables measured except for hCG and AFP. Different protein and enzyme patterns were found in the amniotic fluid of aneuploid pregnancies where only beta2-microglobulin concentration was significantly correlated with advancing gestational age. The beta2-microglobulin concentration was significantly (P <0.05) higher in aneuploid fetuses presenting with hydrops compared to those without. These findings suggest that the changes in amniotic composition found during the fourth month of normal pregnancies reflect mainly the maturation of the fetal renal glomerular function and the arrival of enzymes from the digestive and respiratory tract into the amniotic cavity. In trisomy 21, there is evidence of a delay in the maturation of these organs whereas in trisomy 18, there is a reduced production of most proteins and enzymes.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed1997

Moderate doses of iodide in vivo inhibit cell proliferation and the expression of thyroperoxidase and Na+/I- symporter mRNAs in dog thyroid.

The function and the growth of adult thyroid gland is controlled by the opposite actions of thyrotropin (TSH) and iodide, the main substrate of the gland. Iodide deprivation leads to stimulation of the thyroid, improving the efficiency of iodide transport for hormone biosynthesis. We have investigated cell proliferation and thyroid specific gene expression 24 and 48 h after administering KI to dogs previously treated with goitrogens and perchlorate. In the hypothyroid dogs T3 and T4 serum levels decreased from 53 +/- 4 to < 30 ng/dl and from 1.6 +/- 0.6 to < 1 microg/dl respectively; TSH concentration increased from 0.16 +/- 0.02 to 2.7 +/- 0.4 ng/ml. After a 24 h moderate KI treatment (300 microg KI/dog of +/- 10 kg) serum T3 concentrations rose higher than the initial normal values, while T4 concentrations increased to reach values equivalent to the normal level. The high TSH concentration did not change significantly. The hyperplasia of the chronically stimulated thyroid resulting from goitrogens/NaClO4 treatment was not modified by this short term treatment with KI. In contrast, KI decreased the weight of the total gland and the level of cell proliferation, as determined by the fraction of cells incorporating BrdU. The effect of acute administration of KI on the expression of four major thyroid genes, the TSH receptor (TSHr), thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroperoxidase (TPO), and Na+/I- symporter (NIS) was analyzed by Northern blot. Tg, TPO and NIS mRNA expressions were up-regulated by chronic stimulation. The expression of the mRNAs of TSHr and Tg did not significantly differ between hyperstimulated and KI-treated dogs while TPO and NIS mRNA expression decreased after a 48 h KI treatment. TPO and NIS are therefore the only of these four genes whose expression is acutely modulated by iodide in vivo. Under TSH stimulation low doses of iodide resulted in: (1) decreased cell proliferation, (2) reestablished synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones, (3) diminished TPO and NIS mRNA expression. Notably low doses of iodide under the same conditions had no effect on Tg and TSHr mRNA expression.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Selenium status in pregnant women of a rural population (Zaire) in relationship to iodine deficiency.

Endemic myxoedematous cretinism has been associated with combined selenium and iodine deficiency in several areas of Zaire. To determine selenium and iodine status across the country, serum selenium and thyroid function parameters including urinary iodide were determined at prenatal clinics in 30 health centres of rural villages distributed over the whole country. Only in Bas-Zaire was the mean serum selenium level similar to that in non-deficient areas (80-120 ng/ml); in the regions of Bandunda and Kasai levels were marginally decreased (55-80 ng/ml), and in Kivu, Haut-Zaire, Equateur and Shaba they were marginally or moderately decreased (< 55 ng/ml). The frequency of abnormally low urinary iodide (< 5 micrograms/dl) varied from 20% in the region of Bas-Zaire to 50% in Kasai (P < 0.001), and to still higher percentages in the 5 other regions of Zaire (Bandundu, 57%; Kivu, 63%; Equateur, 72%; Shaba, 76%; Haut-Zaire, 84%). With the exception of Bas-Zaire, biochemical maternal hypothyroidism (serum TSH > 5mU/l) was present in every region, with a frequency ranging from 3% in Kivu to 12% in Equateur. Iodine deficiency affects most of the Zairean population and requires public health measures on a larger scale than previously estimated. Combined iodine and selenium deficiency affects Equateur, Haut-Zaire and Kivu, where endemic myxoedematous cretinism occurs, but also Shaba, where it was not previously described. Besides combined iodine and selenium deficiency which is permissive, another factor (thiocyanate?) must be taken into account to explain the peculiarly elevated prevalence of endemic myxoedematous cretinism in Central Africa.

Congenital Hypothyroidism↗

PubMed1996

Biochemical investigation of fetal renal maturation in early pregnancy.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical indices of normal fetal kidney maturation in early pregnancy. Urea, creatinine, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and beta 2-microglobulin levels were measured on paired samples of amniotic and coelomic fluids and maternal serum collected at the time of pregnancy termination in a group of woman with pregnancies between 8 and 11 wk, or on paired samples of amniotic fluid and maternal serum collected from woman undergoing early transabdominal amniocentesis between 11 and 16 wk. Before 11 wk of gestation (n = 12), significantly lower concentrations of creatinine and beta 2-microglobulin, and higher concentration of gamma-glutamyltransferase were found in amniotic fluid compared with both maternal serum and coelomic fluid. Significant positive correlations were found between gestational age (8-16 wk) and amniotic fluid (n = 47) levels of urea (r = 0.45; p < 0.01), creatinine (r = 0.68; p < 0.001), gamma-glutamyltransferase (r = 0.71; p < 0.001), and beta 2-microglobulin (r = 0.69; p < 0.001). The maternal serum levels of the corresponding variables did not varied significantly. The abrupt increase in creatinine, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and beta 2-microglobulin amniotic fluid concentrations after 10 wk of gestation provides biochemical evidence for the maturation of the fetal renal glomerular function at a time when the reabsorption capacity of the proximal tubular cells is not established. We suggest that this important variation in the amniotic fluid composition, unrelated to any comparable changes in the maternal serum, reflects the fetal kidney development from the mesonephros to the metanephros.

Amniotic Fluid↗

PubMed1996

Hypothyroid patients showing shortened responsiveness to oral iodized oil have paradoxically low serum thyroglobulin and low thyroid reserve. Thyroglobulin/thyrotropin ratio as a measure of thyroid damage.

In Central Africa, all of northern Zaire is very severely deficient in iodine. A peculiar feature of this endemia is that iodine deficiency and the ensuing thyroid gland stimulation not only leads to goitre formation but also to progressive thyroid involution and to myxoedematous cretinism. An iodine supplementation trial based on oral administration of small doses of iodine was made in 81 schoolchildren. All of them received a small dose of iodine (0.1 ml containing 48 mg) per os and the thyroid status was followed during 4 months. Blood and urine samples were collected at the start of the study, then 2 weeks, 2 months and 4 months after iodine administration. Before iodine supplementation the mean urinary iodine level was 0.18 +/- 0.02 micromol/l, and 10% of the subjects had a urinary iodine level below 0.08 micromol/l. Fifty-two percent of the subjects had a serum thyrotropin (TSH) level above 10 mU/l. All the subjects responded to the administration of iodine. and all of them recovered a euthyroid status. Most of them were still euthyroid at the end of the study. However. within 4 or even 2 months, some subjects (15 % of the total) reverted to hypothyroidism. At the entry of the study these subjects were all hypothyroid and had elevated TSH and paradoxically low serum thyroglobulin (TG) values. In myxoedematous cretins living in the same area, even lower serum TG levels were found. Together with the absence of goitre, a paradoxically low serum TG Suggests a low thyroid reserve, and in the present case a reduced amount of functional thyroid tissue. We show that the serum TG/TSH ratio may be used as a predictive index of thyroid reserve and of positive response to iodine administration. These data further suggest that thyroid damage is not confined to myxoedematous cretins. but is widely distributed in the phenotypically normal population. Widely distributed thyroid damage may render iodine prophylaxis based on oral administration unpredictable.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1996

The long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues impaired the implantation rate.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and innocuousness of long-acting versus short-acting GnRH analogues (GnRH-a) in long protocol for in IVF-ET. DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. SETTING: The IVF unit at an academic hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred couples admitted for their first IVF-ET attempt. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum concentrations of LH, E2, and P during the all cycles and duration of pituitary desensitization were assessed, as well as fertilization rate, embryo quality, and implantation and pregnancy rates. RESULTS: Significantly more days (10.8 +/- 1.8 versus 9.2 +/- 1.7 days) of stimulation and more ampules of hMG (47 +/- 22 versus 33 +/- 16) were necessary to obtain similar numbers of embryos of quality with the long-acting GnRH-a. Implantation and delivery rates were significantly lower with the long-acting GnRH-a (32.8% versus 21.1%; 48.9% versus 29.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: As the long-acting GnRH-a might interfere with the luteal phase and embryo development, short-acting GnRH-a should be preferred for ovarian hyperstimulation in IVF-ET.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

T4 accumulation in lysosomes of rat thyroid remnants after subtotal thyroidectomy.

In chronically stimulated rat thyroids after subtotal thyroidectomy, lysosomes increased in number and volume. They contained iodocompounds and did not appear in iodine-deficient animals. In this study, we analyzed the subcellular localization and the nature of these intracellular iodocompounds. Classical subcellular fractions were isolated from homogenates of rat thyroids and remnants 14 weeks after sham-operation or subtotal thyroidectomy. Two lysosome subpopulations of increasing density, a light fraction, lysosomes 2 (L2, density 1.065-1.08 g/ml) and a dense fraction, lysosomes 1 (L1, density > 1.08 g/ml) were separated from crude lysosomal particulate fractions (ML) by centrifugation in Percoll gradients. Results obtained with thyroids of normal rats were used as controls. In TSH-stimulated thyroid remnants, total activities of three lysosomal enzymes and iodine concentration were increased by 1.6-fold compared with thyroids of sham-operated rats. Total iodoprotein-derived T3 and T4 concentrations, measured after pronase hydrolysis, were slightly decreased. Thyroglobulin (Tg) concentration in the supernatant was reduced by 50%. Iodine, T3 and T4 contents of Tg were not modified. After differential centrifugation, the iodine excess of remnants sedimented with subcellular particulate fractions. The concentration of iodine in dense lysosomes (L1) was 6 times that in sham L1. Intact Tg did not accumulate in L1. Two thirds of the iodine in L1 was soluble in methanol, double the normal proportion, with twice as much iodine included in hydrophobic peptides eluted after T4 by reverse-phase HPLC. Although iodoprotein-derived T4 and T3 concentrations were decreased in the remnant homogenate, they were increased in particles, particularly in L1 where they were increased by 8 and 4-fold, respectively. In contrast, specific activities of lysosomal enzymes in ML and L1 remained unchanged. It is concluded that the chronic TSH stimulation of thyroid remnants in subthyroidectomized rats receiving a normal iodine supply induces the endocytosis of a normal Tg with iodine kept in dense lysosomes. The expansion of the lysosomal compartment resulted from a limitation in iodopeptides degradation as though secondary lysosomes would be overloaded with Tg. The accumulation in L1 of hydrophobic iodopeptides and of more iodoprotein-derived T4 than T3 suggests that exopeptidases involved in the liberation of T4 become rate-limiting.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Restoration by corticosteroids of the hyperaldosteronism in hyponatraemic rats with panhypopituitarism.

1. In the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, hyponatraemia is associated with a normal bicarbonate concentration despite dilution. This normal bicarbonate concentration is related to the development of a hyperaldosteronism, which is attributed to a direct stimulation of the zona glomerulosa by the hyponatraemic state. Some workers have suggested that, to develop this hyperaldosteronism requires the presence of a pituitary factor. To determine whether the pituitary gland plays a role in this hyponatraemia-induced hyperaldosteronism, water intoxication was performed for 24 h in normal and in panhypopituitaric rats. 2. In normal rats, hyponatraemia (108 mmol/l), induced by the administration of 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin and 2.5% D-glucose-0.45% NaCl by gavage (15% body weight) was associated with a mild increase in bicarbonate concentration, and blood acid-base equilibrium showed a mixed metabolic and respiratory alkalosis (pH 7.57, partial pressure of CO2 29 mmHg, base excess +5.5 mmol/l), and aldosterone concentration was increased 3-fold as compared with the control value. When hyponatraemia (110 mmol/l) was induced in a similar manner in panhypopituitaric rats, we observed a very low aldosterone concentration (< 50 pg/ml) and a compensated respiratory alkalosis (pH 7.45, partial pressure of CO2 30 mmHg, base excess -2.6 mmol/l). The restoration of a hyperaldosteronaemic state in this group of rats was related essentially to corticosteroid intake. 3. These data suggest that corticosteroids play a critical role in the development of hyponatraemia-related hyperaldosteronism, a phenomenon not necessarily dependent on a pituitary factor.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗

PubMed1994

High haematocrit in haemodialysis patients can be controlled by theophylline administration.

Three patients on chronic maintenance haemodialysis have progressively increased their haematocrit to reach values between 40 and 45%, a situation associated with an increased risk of thrombosis of their arteriovenous fistulae. Two of them had been submitted to repeated phlebotomies, which remained unsuccessful despite the induction of a profound iron deficiency in one of them. Hence, a trial with oral theophylline was performed in the three patients, resulting in a sustained decrease of the haematocrit (from 43.6 to 33%) and endogenous erythropoietin (from 46 to 15 mU/ml) levels. In two patients, theophylline therapy was stopped transiently due to gastrointestinal side-effects, which resulted in a rapid return to previous haematocrit levels; rechallenge with a better tolerated preparation, however, was efficient again. We conclude that oral theophylline appears to be an efficient treatment to control too high haematocrit levels in dialysis patients.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1994

Normal acid-base equilibrium in acute hyponatremia and mixed alkalosis in chronic hyponatremia induced by arginine vasopressin or 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin in rats.

The effects of acute and chronic water intoxication induced by the administration of oral water and arginine vasopressin (AVP) or 1-deamino-8-D-arginine-vasopressin (DDAVP) on blood acid-base equilibrium and aldosterone, corticosterone, and thyroxine secretion were studied in rats. Acute hyponatremia (3 hours) was associated with normal bicarbonate and blood acid-base equilibrium and a decrease in aldosterone and thyroxine concentrations, while corticosterone was increased. When similar levels of hyponatremia (serum sodium 110 mEq/L) were maintained for 24 or 72 hours, a normal serum bicarbonate concentration was observed, but blood acid-base equilibrium showed a mixed respiratory and metabolic alkalosis. Blood pH was negatively correlated with serum sodium concentration (R = -0.65; p < 0.001), as was the metabolic alkalosis (base excess; R = -0.64; p < 0.001) and the aldosterone concentration (R = -0.52; p < 0.01), while the PCO2 was positively correlated (R = +0.49; p < 0.01). Hyperaldosteronism was similar whether hyponatremia was induced with AVP or DDAVP and was observed even for mild hyponatremia. When hyponatremia was induced by a high water and salt intake (2.5% D-glucose, 0.45% NaCl; 15% body weight), aldosterone concentration was as high (about three times control values) as in rats with similar levels of hyponatremia but with a salt-free diet. The high salt intake was associated with a more severe metabolic alkalosis (base excess +5,5 mEq/L). In chronic hyponatremia, corticosterone and thyroxine values were normal. In hyponatremia related to syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, the normal serum bicarbonate level is an expected observation; as in acute water intoxication, it stays normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗

PubMed1993

Somatic mutations in the thyrotropin receptor gene cause hyperfunctioning thyroid adenomas.

The pituitary hormone thyrotropin stimulates the function, expression of differentiation and growth of thyrocytes by cyclic AMP-dependent mechanisms. Tissue hyperplasia and hyperthyroidism are therefore expected to result when activation of the adenylyl cyclase-cAMP cascade is unregulated. This is observed in several situations, including when somatic mutations impair the GTPase activity of the G protein Gsa (ref 6, 7). Such a mechanism is probably responsible for the development of a minority of monoclonal hyperfunctioning thyroid adenomas. Here we identify somatic mutations in the carboxy-terminal portion of the third cytoplasmic loop of the thyrotropin receptor in three out of eleven hyperfunctioning thyroid adenomas. These mutations are restricted to tumour tissue and involve two different residues (aspartic acid at position 619 to glycine in two cases, and alanine at position 623 to isoleucine in one case). The mutant receptors confer constitutive activation of adenylyl cyclase when tested by transfection in COS cells. This shows that G-protein-coupled receptors are susceptible to constitutive activation by spontaneous somatic mutations and may thus behave as proto-oncogenes.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1991

Biochemical composition of exocoelomic fluid in early human pregnancy.

Exocoelomic fluid (N = 25) and amniotic fluid (AF) (N = 17) were retrieved by transvaginal puncture from 30 normal pregnancies being terminated for psychosocial reasons between 5-13 weeks of gestation. Biochemical analyses were performed on each sample including concentrations of urea, total protein, potassium, sodium, creatinine, hCG, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The results were compared with values in maternal serum obtained at the same time. Significant correlations were found between gestational age and concentrations of urea (P less than .005), total protein (P less than .05), and hCG (P less than .001) in the exocoelomic fluid. Significantly (P less than .05) higher total protein levels were found in the exocoelomic fluid during the third month of pregnancy compared with the second month. Urea concentration and hCG levels were significantly (P less than .005 and P less than .001, respectively) lower in the exocoelomic fluid during the third than during the second month of gestation. Significantly higher protein (P less than .001 and P less than .001), potassium (P less than .005 and P less than .05), sodium (P less than .001 and P less than .05), and creatinine (P less than .01 and P less than .001) concentrations were found in the maternal serum compared with exocoelomic fluid and AF, respectively. The concentration of hCG was significantly (P less than .001) higher in exocoelomic fluid and significantly (P less than .001) lower in AF than in maternal serum. The AFP level was significantly (both P less than .001) lower in the maternal serum than in both fluids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amniotic Fluid↗

PubMed1991

[Current program of in-vitro fertilization at the Erasmus Hospital: initial results and original ethical aspects].

The clinical results including all in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles with oocyte pick-up in 1990 are presented. Different types of treatment including classical IVF and embryo transfer, laparoscopic replacement of zygotes in the fallopian tube (ZIFT), IVF with donor sperm (IVF-D), cross fertilization test, embryo freezing, oocyte donation and IVF with epididymal sperm were performed. The total pregnancy rate obtained reaches 38% per oocyte pick-up, 30% of clinical pregnancies (including 4 pregnancies obtained with frozen and thawed embryos). The anticipated "Take Home Baby Rate" will be around 25% per oocyte pick-up, 26 of these 40 pregnancies being today over 20 weeks of gestation. Particular ethical aspects of the program are presented: a study on couple's attitudes regarding embryo freezing as well as the final destination of possibly remaining supernumerary embryos will stress the importance of a precise clear decision on that matter before entering IVF treatment. Indeed the couple's idea on embryo destiny were very precise but also very different. The oocyte donation program has the originality of preserving the donor's anonymity by exchanging the donors recruited by the patients. It will be stressed that this kind of approach combines higher pregnancy chances for the patients, respect of ethical principles linked to gamete donation and gives satisfaction to the patients. The global normalized pregnancy cumulative curve shows that 60% of the couples entering IVF treatment will obtain a child within the first three pick-up cycles.

Embryo Transfer↗