Assisted hatching in assisted reproduction: a state of the art.

The World Health Organization estimates that one in six couples experience some delay in conception and an increasing number require treatment by the assisted conception (AC) procedures of in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).The implantation rate of embryos resulting from in vitro fertilization cycles is generally less than 20%. The exposure of oocytes and embryos to the artificial conditions of in vitro culture may have negative effects on the embryo's ability to undergo normal hatching, resulting in low rates of implantation following IVF and embryo transfer.

Protamine contents and P1/P2 ratio in human spermatozoa from smokers and non-smokers.

Background: Protamine content is necessary for proper sperm chromatin condensation and subsequent male fertility. The exact effect of smoking on male fertility remains controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of smoking on protamine content of sperm in smoker and non-smoker patients.

Reactive oxygen species, total antioxidant concentration of seminal plasma and their effect on sperm parameters and outcome of IVF/ICSI patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and total antioxident (TAS) in seminal plasma of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI patients, to establish their effect on sperm quality (count, vitality, HOS, morphology, maturity, DNA strand breaks) and assess the fertilization potential of spermatozoa and IVF/ICSI outcome.

Method: IVF/ICSI patients (n = 48) 26 IVF and 22 ICSI were included in this study. A spermiogram was generated from each patient one-hour post ejaculation and smears were made from each semen sample to evaluate the morphology, sperm maturity (Chromomycin CMA3) and DNA strand breaks (Terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling, TUNEL-assay).

Relationship between cytokine concentration in serum and preovulatory follicular fluid and in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcome.

Differences in follicle cell function and follicular fluid biochemistry have been suggested to influence the developmental potential of human oocytes at both cellular and chromosomal levels. Follicular fluids provide the environment in which oocyte maturation occurs. Therefore, follicular fluids may affect fertilization and early embryonic development.

[Body mass index, protein metabolism profiles and impact on IVF/ICSI procedure and outcome].

Objective: Higher risks of infertility have been found in overweight women. The purpose of the present study was to explore whether protein metabolism profiles related to body mass index (BMI) and to find out whether these parameters should affect IVF/ICSI outcome.

Patients And Methods: 52 patients were enrolled in this study.