Comparison of intrafollicular sperm injection and intrauterine insemination in the treatment of subfertility.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of intrafollicular sperm injection (IFI) versus intrauterine insemination (IUI) in the treatment of subfertility.

Methods: 38 couples suffering primary or secondary subfertility contributed a total of 47 IUI or IFI cycles, 26 by IUI and 21 by IFI. Folliculogenesis, ovulation triggering, and IUI or IFI were performed.

ERK1 and ERK2 are involved in recruitment and maturation of human mesenchymal stem cells induced to adipogenic differentiation.

Adipocytes' biology and the mechanisms that control adipogenesis have gained importance because of the need to develop therapeutic strategies to control obesity and the related pathologies. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), undifferentiated stem cells present in the bone marrow that are physiological precursors of adipocytes, were induced to adipogenic differentiation. The molecular mechanisms on the basis of the adipogenesis were evaluated, focusing on the MAPKinases ERK1 and ERK2, which are involved in many biological and cellular processes.