"Naturalization" of Routine Assisted Reproductive Technologies by In Vitro Culture of Embryos with Microvibration: Sex Ratio, Body Length, and Weight of 2,456 Live-Birth Deliveries after Transfer of 9,624 Embryos In Vitro Cultured in Static System and with Microvibration.

Aim was to determine whether there is any difference in the sex ratio, body length, and body weight of 2,456 deliveries after transfer of 9,624 embryos derived using in vitro culture under static and mechanical microvibration conditions. Pronuclear embryos from 4435 patients were cultured in vitro under two different conditions: without ( = 4821) and with mechanical agitation ( = 4803). Sex ratio, body length, and weight of 2,456 live-birth deliveries after transfer of 9,624 embryos were noted.

Evidence for a role of plasma membrane calcium pumps in neurodegenerative disease: Recent developments.

Plasma membrane Ca ATPases (PMCAs) are a major system for calcium extrusion from all cells. Different PMCA isoforms and splice variants are involved in the precise temporal and spatial handling of Ca signals and the re-establishment of resting Ca levels in the nervous system. Lack or inappropriate expression of specific PMCAs leads to characteristic neuronal phenotypes, which may be reciprocally exacerbated by genetic predisposition through alleles in other genes that modify PMCA interactions, regulation, and function.

Cortical cytoskeleton dynamics regulates plasma membrane calcium ATPase isoform-2 (PMCA2) activity.

We have previously shown that purified actin can directly bind to human plasma membrane Ca ATPase 4b (hPMCA4b) and exert a dual modulation on its Ca-ATPase activity: F-actin inhibits PMCA while short actin oligomers may contribute to PMCA activation. These studies had to be performed with purified proteins given the nature of the biophysical and biochemical approaches used. To assess whether a functional interaction between the PMCAs and the cortical cytoskeleton is of physiological relevance, we characterized this phenomenon in the context of a living cell by monitoring in real-time the changes in the cytosolic calcium levels ([Ca]).

In Vitro Microvibration Increases Implantation Rate After Embryonic Cell Transplantation.

In natural conditions the oocyte and embryo are subjected to ever-changing dynamic processes. However, the routine assisted reproductive technologies today involve the use of static in vitro culture systems. The objective was to determine whether there is any difference in the viability of embryos after in vitro culture under static and mechanical microvibration conditions.