Effects of hormones on in vitro maturation of cattle oocytes.

The efficiency of cattle oocyte maturation in vitro was studied in protein-free MEM-α with hormones and in completely definite culture medium without hormones. Oocyte capacity to develop after fertilization to the morula/blastocyst and blastocyst stages served as a criterion of effective maturation. The increase in follicle-stimulating hormone concentration in the medium by one or two orders of magnitude in comparison with the "standard" level of 1 μg/ml deteriorated the development of embryos to the preimplantation stages.

[Cholesterol and glucose levels belong to independent predictors of death and hospitalizations in patients with chronic systolic heart failure].

Purpose: To elucidate relationship of total cholesterol (TC) level to results of follow-up of patients (pts) with systolic chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods: In a framework of various international and local trials we prospectively followed up 130 patients (pts) with stable NYHA class II-IV HF and ejection fraction (EF) 40% or less. Criterion of inclusion in this analysis was presence of TC value obtained at baseline examination for a given trial.

[Short Term Simvastatin Use in Patients With Systolic Heart Failure of Ischemic Origin Did Not Preclude Elevation of N-Terminal pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide Level.].

Effect of statins on N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with heart failure has not been well elucidated. Purpose. To assess changes of NT-proBNP during short term use of simvastatin in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and chronic systolic heart failure.

[In vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes in in-vitro protein-free culture system].

We studied the possibility of fertilization of bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes, matured in vitro in a protein-free medium, in a protein-free culture system without preliminary capacitation of spermatozoa. The development of embryos to the morula-blastocyst and blastocyst stage was considered as a criterion of successful fertilization. It was shown that replacement of bovine serum albumin for polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinylpyrrolidone in Tyrode medium for fertilization did not affect significantly the development to the morula-blastocyst stage and the number of cells in blastocysts.

[Short term simvastatin use in patients with heart failure of ischemic origin. Changes of blood lipids, markers of inflammation and left ventricular function].

Aim: To study changes of left ventricular function and some markers of inflammation during use of simvastatin in patients with ischemic systolic heart failure.

Methods: Statin naive patients (n=70) with coronary heart disease (CHD), NYHA class II-IV HF and LV ejection fraction (EF) 35% or less after 1 month of stabilization were randomized to simvastatin 40 mg/day (n=36) or no statin (n=34). Lipids, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured and echocardiography carried out at baseline and in 4 months.