Hysteroscopy-assisted laparoscopic salpingectomy for interstitial pregnancy without cornual resection.

Objective: To illustrate a novel surgical management technique for interstitial ectopic pregnancies (IP).

Design: Video description of the case, demonstration of the surgical technique, reevaluation at the 6-week postoperative follow-up, and review of the advantages of this surgical technique for IP.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Prospective controlled study to evaluate laboratory and clinical outcomes of oocyte vitrification obtained in in vitro fertilization patients aged 30 to 39 years.

Objective: To determine whether the process of oocyte vitrification affects oocyte viability in in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients between 30 and 39 years of age.

Design: Prospective controlled study.

Setting: Private IVF practice.

Clinical evaluation of the efficiency of an oocyte donation program using egg cryo-banking.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of oocyte donation cycles using egg "cryo-banking."

Design: Study conditions for vitrified/warmed oocytes for 20 non-autologous recipients (from 10 donors) were set prospectively, and outcomes of it were later compared retrospectively to nine fresh donations cycles.

Setting: Private assisted reproductive technology program.

Exposure of preimplantation embryos to platelet-activating factor increases birth rate.

Problem: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) plays a significant role in fertility. Preimplantation stage embryos produce PAF (ePAF) which is required for development. PAF's mechanism of action is receptor-mediated and its presence has been reported in the developing mouse and human embryo.

Platelet-activating factor significantly enhances intrauterine insemination pregnancy rates in non-male factor infertility.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of treating semen specimens with platelet-activating factor (PAF) before IUI.

Design: Prospective randomized double-blinded study of PAF treatment of sperm for patients with a history of infertility undergoing IUI.

Setting: Private infertility center.

Cryopreservation of metaphase II human oocytes effects mitochondrial membrane potential: implications for developmental competence.

Background: Current outcome results with embryos derived from thawed MII human oocyes are significantly lower than with embryos cryopreserved at the pronuclear stage. Here, we investigated whether freezing-thawing was associated with changes in oocyte mitochondrial polarity (DeltaPsim) that could influence competence by altering ATP levels or the ability of the cytoplasm to regulate intracellular Ca2+.

Methods: Fresh and thawed uninseminated and unfertilized MII oocytes were stained with the DeltaPsim-specific probe JC-1 to detect clusters of high-polarized mitochondria (J-aggregate positive) and with the Ca2+- specific probe Fluo-4 to measure changes in intracellular levels of this cation.

Fertilization potential of human sperm is correlated with endogenous platelet-activating factor content.

Purpose: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent signaling phospholipid that is found in mammalian sperm and has a positive correlation with fertility. Whereas PAF is present in human sperm, there are no relational reports on its content and the cells fertilization potential. Therefore, the study objective was to determine if PAF content in capacitated-induced sperm is related to fertilization potential as determined by the sperm penetration assay (SPA).