Marine litter along the shores of the Persian Gulf, Iran

Plastic wastes -including cigarette butts (CBs)- are dangerous for marine ecosystems not only because they contain hazardous chemicals but also because they can finally turn into micro- or even nano-particles that may be ingested by micro- and macro-fauna. Even large pieces of plastics can trap animals. In this research, the pollution status of macroplastics (abundance, size, type, and colour) and cigarette butts (CBs, number/m2) on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf has been investigated. A total of 19 stations were explored in Bushehr province (Iran), which covers a length equivalent to 160 km of the Persian Gulf coastline. Among the collected plastic waste (2992 items), disposable mugs were the most frequent (18 %). Plastics with sizes 5-15 cm were the most abundant, and the most common type of plastic was PET (P-value <0.05). The origin of most macroplastics was domestic (2269 items). According to the Index of Clean Coasts (ICC), most surveyed beaches were extremely dirty. The average number and density of CBs in this study were 220 and 2.45 items/m2, respectively. Household litter was the most abundant type of waste in the studied beaches, and this problem can be better managed by training and improving the waste disposal culture. In general, it is suggested that an integrated and enhanced management for fishing, sewage and surface water disposal, and sandy recreational beaches be implemented in Bushehr to control plastic waste.

Upregulation of Oxidative Phosphorylation Genes in Cumulus Cells of The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients with or without Insulin Resistance

OBJECTIVE

The relationship between oxidative stress (OS), insulin resistance (IR), and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an important medical issue in human reproduction. Some of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes have been previously studied in granulosa and muscle cells of PCOS patients. Cumulus cells (CCs) remain close to the oocyte even after ovulation. This research has been designed to compare the expression of OXPHOS genes in CCs of PCOS, with or without insulin resistance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental study, patients were included in PCOS insulin-resistant, PCOS insulinsensitive (IS), and control (fertile women with male infertility history) groups. The expression of NCF2, TXNIP, UCP2, NDUFB6, ATP5H, COX7C, NDUFA3, SDHA, and SDHB was studied by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and normalization was performed considering HPRT1 and CYC1 as reference genes. One-way ANOVA and Tukey test were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that the expression of NCF2, TXNIP, UCP2, and ATP5H was significantly higher in the IR group than IS and control groups (P<0.01). NDUFB6 showed the highest expression in the IS group, which was significantly different from other groups (P<0.01). The other genes of interest, except COX7C, were observed with the most transcriptional levels in the IS group, although there was no significant difference for those genes.

CONCLUSION

Altered expression of genes involved in mitochondrial function compared to the control group in CCs of both IR and IS categories of the PCOS patients suggests that alteration in OXPHOS genes can contribute to the pathophysiology of PCOS.

Robust and stable superhydrophilic MIL-101 (Cr)-coated copper mesh for highly efficient oil/water emulsion separation

In this study, dip coating method was investigated to prepare superhydrophilic MIL-101 (Cr)-coated copper mesh for highly efficient oil/water emulsion separation. To increase the surface area of synthesized MIL-101 (Cr), a purification procedure was developed to remove unreacted H2BDC crystals present in the channel of the initial MIL-101 (Cr) sample synthesized. After that, a dispersing solution of MIL-101 (Cr) was needed to coat on the copper mesh. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was used as a binder in this procedure. The prepared membranes of M1 (once coated mesh) to M6 (six times coated mesh) were performed to separate oil/water emulsion effectively. Contact angle tests showed the superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic wettability behavior of MIL-101 (Cr)-coated copper meshes. The wetting mechanism of the prepared membranes is mostly relevant to the surface functional groups of purified MIL-101 (Cr). Also, the roughness of the nanostructured coated membranes was improved because of the uniform coating of MIL-101 (Cr) which is integrated into hydrophilic TPU. Oil/water separation results showed that M2 (twice coated mesh) showed the maximum amount of water flux (83076 L m-2 h-1) in oil/water separation and M3 (three times coated mesh) had the best performance of oil/water emulsion with 99.99% separation efficiency.

In-vitro generation of follicle-like structures from human germ cell-like cells derived from theca stem cell combined with ovarian somatic cells

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to induce the differentiation of human theca stem cells (hTSCs) into germ cell-like cells (hGCLCs) and assess their developmental progression following in vitro 3D culture with ovarian somatic cells within the follicle-like structures. To achieve this, the hTSCs were isolated from small antral follicles of three patients of varying ages and were then seeded in a differentiation medium for 40 days. The differentiated hGCLCs were subsequently aggregated with somatic ovarian cells (cumulus cells and hTSCs) in a ratio of 1:10 and cultured in a growth medium in a suspension culture dish. In addition to examining the morphologies, sizes, and viabilities of the differentiated hGCLCs, this study also analyzed the expression of DAZL and GDF9 proteins within the follicle-like structures.

RESULTS

After 12 days, the hTSCs began to differentiate into hGCLCs, with their shapes changing from spindle-shaped to spherical. The sizes of hGCLCs increased during the differentiation period (from 25 μm to 50 μm). The survival rate of the hGCLCs after differentiation and in vitro development in primordial follicle-like structures was 54%. Unlike hTSCs, which did not express the DAZL protein, the hGCLCs and follicle-like structures successfully expressed DAZL protein (P-value < 0.05). However, hGCLCs poorly expressed the GDF9 protein. Further, the culture of hGCLCs in primordial follicle-like structures significantly increased GDF9 expression (P-value < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our study demonstrated that 3D cultures with ovarian somatic cells in follicle-like structures caused the successful differentiation of reproducible hGCLCs from hTSCs derived from three patients of different ages. Moreover, this method not only enhanced the in vitro development of hGCLCs but also presented a novel approach for co-culturing and developing in vitro oocyte like cells, ultimately leading to the production of artificial follicles.

Gold nanoparticles embedded Fe-BTC (AuNPs@Fe-BTC) metal-organic framework as a fluorescence sensor for the selective detection of As(III) in contaminated waters

In this article, a new off-mode fluorescent platform based on the metal-organic framework (MOF) is introduced as a highly selective and rapid chemical sensor for the detection of As(III) in water and wastewater samples. A typical Fe-BTC (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate or trimesic acid) MOF was used as a porous template for loading gold nanoparticles (AuNPs@Fe-BTC MOF). The physicochemical properties of AuNPs@Fe-BTC MOF were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EAX), element mapping (MAP) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This sensing method for As(III) ions is based on the fact that the fluorescence intensity of AuNPs@Fe-BTC MOF sensor decreases in proportion to the increase in As(III) concentration. The main effective factors on the performance of the sensor signal such as MOF dosage, sonication time, pH and reaction time were optimized. Under optimized conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the concentration range of 0.5-380 ng mL-1 of As(III) and the limit of detection was 0.2 ng mL-1. The proposed method was successfully validated by addition/recovery experiments by the determination of As(III) in four river water and two wastewater effluent samples.

Inductively shunted transmons exhibit noise insensitive plasmon states and a fluxon decay exceeding 3 hours

Currently available quantum processors are dominated by noise, which severely limits their applicability and motivates the search for new physical qubit encodings. In this work, we introduce the inductively shunted transmon, a weakly flux-tunable superconducting qubit that offers charge offset protection for all levels and a 20-fold reduction in flux dispersion compared to the state-of-the-art resulting in a constant coherence over a full flux quantum. The parabolic confinement provided by the inductive shunt as well as the linearity of the geometric superinductor facilitates a high-power readout that resolves quantum jumps with a fidelity and QND-ness of >90% and without the need for a Josephson parametric amplifier. Moreover, the device reveals quantum tunneling physics between the two prepared fluxon ground states with a measured average decay time of up to 3.5 h. In the future, fast time-domain control of the transition matrix elements could offer a new path forward to also achieve full qubit control in the decay-protected fluxon basis.

COVID-19 and multiorgan failure: A narrative review on potential mechanisms

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) in December 2019 form Wuhan, China leads to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While the common cold symptoms are observed in mild cases, COVID-19 is accompanied by multiorgan failure in severe patients. The involvement of different organs in severe patients results in lengthening the hospitalization duration and increasing the mortality rate. In this review, we aimed to investigate the involvement of different organs in COVID-19 patients, particularly in severe cases. Also, we tried to define the potential underlying mechanisms of SARS-CoV2 induced multiorgan failure. The multi-organ dysfunction is characterized by acute lung failure, acute liver failure, acute kidney injury, cardiovascular disease, and as well as a wide spectrum of hematological abnormalities and neurological disorders. The most important mechanisms are related to the direct and indirect pathogenic features of SARS-CoV2. Although the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, a receptor of SARS-CoV2 in the lung, heart, kidney, testis, liver, lymphocytes, and nervous system was confirmed, there are controversial findings to about the observation of SARS-CoV2 RNA in these organs. Moreover, the organ failure may be induced by the cytokine storm, a result of increased levels of inflammatory mediators, endothelial dysfunction, coagulation abnormalities, and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the organs. Therefore, further investigations are needed to detect the exact mechanisms of pathogenesis. Since the involvement of several organs in COVID-19 patients is important for clinicians, increasing their knowledge may help to improve the outcomes and decrease the rate of mortality and morbidity.

Converting microwave and telecom photons with a silicon photonic nanomechanical interface

Practical quantum networks require low-loss and noise-resilient optical interconnects as well as non-Gaussian resources for entanglement distillation and distributed quantum computation. The latter could be provided by superconducting circuits but existing solutions to interface the microwave and optical domains lack either scalability or efficiency, and in most cases the conversion noise is not known. In this work we utilize the unique opportunities of silicon photonics, cavity optomechanics and superconducting circuits to demonstrate a fully integrated, coherent transducer interfacing the microwave X and the telecom S bands with a total (internal) bidirectional transduction efficiency of 1.2% (135%) at millikelvin temperatures. The coupling relies solely on the radiation pressure interaction mediated by the femtometer-scale motion of two silicon nanobeams reaching a Vπ as low as 16 μV for sub-nanowatt pump powers. Without the associated optomechanical gain, we achieve a total (internal) pure conversion efficiency of up to 0.019% (1.6%), relevant for future noise-free operation on this qubit-compatible platform.

Chitosan Hydrogel Supports Integrity of Ovarian Follicles during In Vitro Culture: A Preliminary of A Novel Biomaterial for Three Dimensional Culture of Ovarian Follicles

Objective

Testing novel biomaterials for the three dimensional (3D) culture of ovarian follicles may ultimately lead to a culture model which can support the integrity of follicles during in vitro culture (IVC). The present study reports the first application of a chitosan (CS) hydrogel in culturing mouse preantral follicles.

Materials and Methods

In this interventional experiment study, CS hydrogels with the concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 1.5% were first tested for fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Compressive Strength, viscosity, degradation, swelling ratio, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity and live/dead assay. Thereafter, mouse ovarian follicles were encapsulated in optimum concentration of CS (1%) and compared with those in alginate hydrogel. The follicular morphology, quality of matured oocyte and steroid secretion in both CS and alginate were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of folliculogenesis, endocrine, and apoptotic related genes was also evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and compared with day that in 0.

Results

The rates of survival, and diameter of the follicles, secretion of estradiol, normal appearance of meiotic spindle and chromosome alignment were all higher in CS group compared with those in alginate group (P≤0.05). The expression of Cyp19a1 and Lhcgr in CS group was significantly higher than that of the alginate group (P≤0.05).

Conclusion

The results showed that CS is a permissive hydrogel and has a beneficial effect on encapsulation of ovarian follicle and its further development during 3D culture.

Total Antioxidant Capacity; A Potential Biomarker for Non-Invasive Sex Prediction in Culture Medium of Preimplantation Human Embryos

Objective

The presence of a sex related metabolic difference in glucose utilization and, on the other hand, different developmental kinetic rates in human preimplantation embryos, has been previously observed, hawever, the correlation between these two events is unknown. Oxidative stress (OS) induced by higher glucose consumption appears to be a possible cause for the delayed development rate in female embryos. We examined the correlation between glucose consumption and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) concentration in individual embryo culture media for both male and female embryos.

Materials and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated high quality embryos from 51 patients that underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) at the Royan Institute between December 2014 and September 2017. The embryos were individually cultured in G-2TMmedium droplets at days 3-5 or 48 hours post PGD. We analysed the spent culture media following embryo transfer for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and any remaining glucose concentrations through fluorometric measurement by chemiluminecence system which indirectly was used for measurement of glucose consumed by embryos.

Results

The results showed that female embryos consumed more glucose which was associated with decreased TAC concentration in their culture medium compared to male embryos. The mean of glucose concentration consumed by the female embryos (30.7 ± 4.7 pmol/embryo/hour) was significantly higher than that of the male embryos (25.3 ± 3.3 pmol/embryo/hour) (P<0.001). There were significantly lower levels of TAC in the surrounding culture medium of female embryos (22.60 ± 0.19 nmol/µl) compared with male embryos (24.74 ± 0.27 nmol/µl, P<0.01).

Conclusion

This finding highlighted the utilization of sex dependent metabolic diversity between preimplantation embryos for non-invasive sex diagnosis and suggests the TAC concentration as a potential noninvasive biomarker for prediction of sex.

Downregulation of Extracellular Matrix and Cell Adhesion Molecules in Cumulus Cells of Infertile Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Women with and without Insulin Resistance

Objective

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the cumulus oocyte complex (COC) is composed of several molecules that have different roles during follicle development. This study aims to explore gene expression profiles for ECM and cell adhesion molecules in the cumulus cells of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients based on their insulin sensitivity following controlled ovarian stimulation (COS).

Materials and Methods

In this prospective case-control study enrolled 23 women less than 36 years of age who participated in an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) program. Patients were subdivided into 3 groups: control (n=8, fertile women with male infertility history), insulin resistant (IR) PCOS (n=7), and insulin sensitive (IS) PCOS (n=8). We compared 84 ECM component and adhesion molecule gene expressions by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction array (qPCR-array) among the groups.

Results

We noted that 21 of the 84 studied genes differentially expressed among the groups, from which 18 of these genes downregulated. Overall, comparison of PCOS cases with controls showed downregulation of extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1); catenin (cadherin-associated protein), alpha 1 (CTNNA1); integrin, alpha 5 (ITGA5); laminin, alpha 3 (LAMA3); laminin, beta 1 (LAMB1); fibronectin 1 (FN1); and integrin, alpha 7 (ITGA7). In the IS group, there was upregulation of ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 8 (ADAMTS8) and neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) compared with the controls (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Downregulation of ECM and cell adhesion molecules seem to be related to PCOS. Gene expression profile alterations in cumulus cells from both the IS and IR groups of PCOS patients seems to be involved in the composition and regulation of ECM during the ovulation process. This study highlights the association of ECM gene alteration as a viewpoint for additional understanding of the etiology of PCOS.

The First Comprehensive Study of H-Deficient Phenotypes in Iran

Background

The lack of correct blood grouping practices can lead to missing of the rare Bombay Oh phenotype and subjecting patients to the risk of severe hemolytic transfusion reaction. In the absence of blood donor registry, transfusion management of patients is a challenge. We performed this study in order to estimate the prevalence of the Bombay blood group (Oh) in Iran and to determine whether consanguinity plays a role in the prevalence of Oh group.

Methods

This is a descriptive study in the Immunohematology Reference Laboratory of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) Tehran, Iran, over a period of 7 years. All donor blood samples showing blood group O and a strong initial reaction with blood group O RBC control cells were tested with anti-H lectin. Also blood samples from blood group O patients were tested with anti-H lectin if all cells on both antibody screening tests and antibody identification panels were reactive with negative auto control test. Specialized tests like adsorption/elution technique and inhibition assay for determination of secretor status were performed on Oh cases. Any history of consanguineous marriages were recorded. All variables were categorical variables, and percentage and proportions were calculated manually.

Results

Analysis of the results of over 7 million first-time blood donors in Iran showed that the most common ABO blood group was O, with 2,520,000 (36%) subjects. 56 Oh individuals' (donors and patients) phenotypes (0.0008%) were detected. Consanguinity was observed in 50 cases (89%).

Conclusions

This study shows that the prevalence of Bombay blood group in the general population of Iran is relatively high (0.0008%) and associated with consanguineous marriage. Thus, consanguinity is still an important risk factor present.

Association between The Number of Retrieved Mature Oocytes and Insulin Resistance or Sensitivity in Infertile Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Background

The objective of this study was to describe the association between luteinizing hormone (LH)/ follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio and demographic variables and maturation stage of oocytes in insulin- resistant and insulin-sensitive patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison with control group.

Materials and Methods

In this case-control study, 60 patients with in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplas- mic sperm injection (ICSI) indication were subdivided into 3 groups as follow: 20 subjects were assigned to control (fertile women with male infertility history) group, 20 subjects with PCOS were insulin resistant (IR) and 20 subjects with PCOS were insulin sensitive (IS). After puncture, retrieved oocytes were classified into metaphase II (MII) as mature and in metaphase I (MI) or germinal vesicle stage (GV) as immature. Regres- sion analyses were used to explore the association between MII oocyte number and demographic and clinical variables.

Results

LH/FSH ratio was significantly higher in PCOS-IR women compared to controls but not significantly dif- ferent from that of PCOS-IS group. PCOS-IR women had lower MII oocyte number compared with that of controls. According to multiple regression analysis, the number of previous assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles was negatively associated with the number of MII oocytes.

Conclusion

Insulin resistance can be associated with reductions in MII oocyte number in patients with PCOS.

Comparison of Three Techniques on Facility of Bag-Mask Ventilation: Thenar Eminence, E-O and E-C

Background

Rapid and secure management of airway is an important lifesaving intervention in critically ill patients at emergency wards. Training undergraduate students about airway management must be regarded as a priority in their education period. The aim of the present study was to compare the quality of three ventilation techniques with a bag and mask among two groups of undergraduate students (Novices) and senior group (Experienced) in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Methods

This study was a mannequin type research that was carried out in the faculty of medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The study population consisted of two elementary groups (Novices) and senior group (Experienced). The number of participants included 100 individuals. Ventilation quality by bag and mask in two groups was recorded based on the rise of lungs and two reviewers' opinions who gave a score from 1 as weak to 4 as excellent using three techniques of E-C, E-O, and Thenar Eminence. In the E-C technique, index fingers and thumbs form two “C”s facing each other while the remaining fingers lift the mandible and form two “E”s. In E-O techniques, the web between thumb and index finger is used to form a circle around the neck of the mask while other fingers perform a chin lift. In thenar eminence techniques, the thenar eminence and thumb are placed on the top of the mask while other fingers perform jaw thrust.

Results

In our study, 27% of undergraduate participants and 59% of seniors were male and the others were female. The mean of age of elementary and seniors were 24 and 33.5, respectively (P < 0.05). E-O technique was well done by the novices group.

Conclusions

Based on our results, it was concluded that the elementary group performed E-O bag and mask ventilation technique appropriately. Therefore, it can be suggested that training of this technique will be placed in educational curriculum of undergraduate students.

Lipid Peroxidation and Its Role in the Expression of NLRP1a and NLRP3 Genes in Testicular Tissue of Male Rats: a Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Background:

The majority of male patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffer from infertility. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors NOD-like receptors (NLRs) are a kind of receptors that corporate in the inflammasome complex. Recent studies have introduced the inflammasome as the responsible agent for secreting cytokines in semen. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the elements that trigger inflammasome activation. Genital infections in SCI can lead to ROS generation. We investigated the relation between lipid peroxidation and inflammasome complex activity in testicular tissue of SCI rats.

Methods:

Adult male rats (n=20), weighting 200-250 g, were included and divided into four groups: three experimental groups, including SCI1, SCI3, and SCI7, i.e. the rats were subjected to SCI procedure and sacrificed after one, three, and seven days, respectively and a control group. We performed a moderate, midline spinal contusion injury at thoracic level 10. The animals were anesthetized, and testes were collected for measurement of gene expression by real-time PCR. Caudal parts of epididymis were collected for malondialdehyde (MDA) measurement.

Results:

No NLRP1a mRNA overexpression was seen in the testes of control and SCI groups. After seven days from SCI surgery, NLRP3 mRNA expression was significantly increased in SCI7 animals (p ≤ 0.05). There was a significant difference in MDA level in SCI7 versus control group, as well as SCI1 and SCI3 animals (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion:

NLRP3 overexpression occurs due to the increased ROS production in testis tissue of SCI rats

The Effect of Prolonged Culture of Chromosomally Abnormal Human Embryos on The Rate of Diploid Cells

Background

A decrease in aneuploidy rate following a prolonged co-culture of human blastocysts has been reported. As co-culture is not routinely used in assisted reproductive technology, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the prolonged single culture on the rate of diploid cells in human embryos with aneuploidies.

Materials and Methods

In this cohort study, we used fluorescence in situ hybridi- zation (FISH) to reanalyze surplus blastocysts undergoing preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) on day 3 postfertilization. They were randomly studied on days 6 or 7 following fertilization.

Results

Of the 30 analyzed blastocysts, mosaicism was observed in 26(86.6%), while 2(6.7%) were diploid, and 2(6.7%) were triploid. Of those with mosaicism, 23(88.5%) were determined to be diploid-aneuploid and 3(11.5%) were aneuploid mosaic. The total frequency of embryos with more than 50% diploid cells was 33.3% that was lower on day 7 in comparison with the related value on day 6 (P<0.05); however, there were no differences when the embryos were classified according to maternal age, blastocyst developmental stage, total cell number on day 3, and embryo quality.

Conclusion

Although mosaicism is frequently observed in blastocysts, the prolonged single culture of blastocysts does not seem to increase the rate of normal cells.

Relationship Between Serum Hepcidin and Ferritin Levels in Patients With Thalassemia Major and Intermedia in Southern Iran

BACKGROUND

Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron absorption in humans. It is mainly affected by hypoxia and iron stores.

OBJECTIVES

The current study aimed to determine the correlation between serum hepcidin and ferritin levels in patients with Thalassemia Major (TM) and Thalassemia Intermedia (TI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The current cross-sectional study investigated 88 randomly selected patients with Thalassemia, 48 TM and 40 TI, registered at the Thalassemia Clinic of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, a referral center for Thalassemia in Southern Iran in 2013. All patients with TI were receiving Hydroxyurea (HU) 10 - 15 mg/kg/day for at least 10 years. The serum hepcidin, ferritin levels, hemoglobin (Hb) and nucleated Red Blood Cell (RBC) of the two groups were measured.

RESULTS

No statistically significant correlation was observed between serum hepcidin and ferritin levels in any of the two groups of patients with TM (rs = 0.02, P = 0.892) or TI (rs = 0.055, P = 0.734). The median Interquartile Range (IQR) for serum hepcidin and ferritin levels were significantly higher in TM compared to TI group, (hepcidin: 87.6 (43.9) vs. 51.8 (23.4), P < 0.001; ferritin: 2208 (3761) vs. 465 (632), P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There was insignificant correlation between serum hepcidin and ferritin levels in the two groups of patients with TM and TI. It seems that regulation of hepcidin in patients with Thalassemia is more affected by erythropoeitic activity than iron stores. Also, hepcidin levels were significantly higher in patients with TM than TI, possibly due to higher erythropoeitic activity in TI. In TI, it seems that low dose HU increases Hb levels and leads to transfusion-independence, but it is not high enough to suppress bone marrow activity and ineffective erythropoiesis. Consequently, serum hepcidin level decreases.

Rhesus-D zygosity and hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn

Alloimmunization against the Rhesus-D (RhD) antigen still remains as a major cause of hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn (HDFN). Determination of paternal RhDzygosity is performed by molecular testing and is valuable for the management of alloimmunized pregnant women. A 30-year-old pregnant woman with AB negative blood group presented with two consecutive abortions and no history of blood transfusion. By application of the antibody screening, identification panel, and selected cells, she was found to be highly alloimmunized. RhDzygosity was performed on her partner and was shown to be homozygous for RhD. The sequence- specific priming-polymerase chain reaction used in this report is essential to establish whether the mother requires an appropriate immunoprophylaxis or the fetus is at risk of HDFN.

The Effects of ISM1 Medium on Embryo Quality and Outcomes of IVF/ICSI Cycles

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of ISM1 culture medium on embryo development, quality and outcomes of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles. This study compares culture medium commonly used in the laboratory setting for oocyte recovery and embryo development with a medium from MediCult. We have assessed the effects of these media on embryo development and newborn characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective randomized study, fertilized oocytes from patients were randomly assigned to culture in ISM1 (MediCult, cycles: n=293) or routine lab culture medium (G-1TM v5; Vitrolife, cycles: n=290) according to the daily media schedule for oocyte retrieval. IVF or ICSI and embryo transfer were performed with either MediCult media or routine lab media. Embryo quality on days 2/3, cleavage, pregnancy and implantation rates, baby take home rate (BTHR), in addition to the weight and length of newborns were compared between groups.

RESULTS

There were similar cleavage rates for ISM1 (86%) vs. G-1TM v5 (88%). We observed a significantly higher percentage of excellent embryos in ISM1 (42.7%) compared to G-1TM v5 (39%, p<0.05). Babies born after culture in ISM1 had both higher birth weight (3.03 kg) and length (48.8 cm) compared to G-1TM v5 babies that had a birth weight of 2.66 kg and a length of 46.0 cm (p<0.001 for both).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that ISM1 is a more effective culture medium in generating higher quality embryos, which may be reflected in the characteristics of babies at birth.

Nitric oxide-induced polycystic ovaries in the wistar rat

BACKGROUND

Nitric oxide (NO) involves in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a cause of infertility in women during the reproductive age. The PCOS is now categorized as an inflammatory phenomenon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of NO, a proinflammatory agent, in this syndrome at histological and biochemical levels.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental study, animals were female Wistar rats (weighing 200-250 g) kept under standard conditions. L-Arginine (50-200 mg/kg), a precursor of NO, was injected intra-peritoneally (i.p.) through a period ranging from 9 to14 days/ once a day. The rats' estrous cycle was studied using Papanicolaou test; those showing phase of Diestrous were grouped into experimental and control groups. The control group solely received saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.) throughout all experiments. To evaluate the inflammatory effect of NO, the rats were treated an anti-inflammatory agent, naloxone hydrochloride (0.4 mg/kg, i.p.), prior to L-arginine. At the end of the treatment period all animals' ovaries were assessed for histopathological and histochemical investigations. Also, activation of NO synthase (NOS) in the experiments was studied using NADPH-diaphorase technique.

RESULTS

The ovaries of rats treated with L-arginine showed polycystic characteristics in contrast to those collected from control or naloxone pretreated groups, based on image analysis. A difference in enzyme activation was also shown in the sections that belonged to the groups that received L-arginine when compared with the pre-naloxone and control groups.

CONCLUSION

Based on these results, we believe that NO may play a major role in the pathophysiology of PCOS.

Vitrification versus slow freezing gives excellent survival, post warming embryo morphology and pregnancy outcomes for human cleaved embryos

PURPOSE

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of vitrification and slow freezing for the cryopreservation of human cleavage stage embryos in terms of post-warming survival rate, post-warming embryo morphology and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

The embryos of 305 patients at cleavage stages were cryopreserved either with vitrification (153 patients) or slow-freezing (152 patients) methods. After warming; the survival rate, post-warmed embryo morphology, clinical pregnancy and implantation rates were evaluated and compared between the two groups.

RESULT(S)

In the vitrification group versus slow freezing group, the survival rate (96.9% vs. 82.8%) and the post-warmed excellent morphology with all blastomeres intact (91.8% vs. 56.2%) were higher with an odds ratio of 6.607 (95% confidence interval; 4.184-10.434) and 8.769 (95% confidence interval; 6.460-11.904), respectively. In this group, the clinical pregnancy rate (40.5% vs. 21.4%) and the implantation rate (16.6% vs. 6.8%) were also higher with an odds ratio of 2.427 (95%confidence interval; 1.461-4.033) and 2.726 (95% confidence interval; 1.837-4.046), respectively.

CONCLUSION(S)

Vitrification in contrast to slow freezing is an efficient method for cryopreservation of human cleavage stage embryos. Vitrification provides a higher survival rate, minimal deleterious effects on post-warming embryo morphology and it can improve clinical outcomes.