Fertility preservation in patients undergoing gonadotoxic treatments: a Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society clinical practice guideline.

The management of young patients with cancer presents several unique challenges. In general, these patients are ill prepared for the diagnosis and the impact on their fertility. With the improved survival for all tumour types and stages, the need for adequate fertility counselling and a multidisciplinary approach in the reproductive care of these patients is paramount.

Neurovascular Response to Pressure in Patients With Diabetic Foot Ulcer.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a problem worldwide, and prevention is crucial. We hypothesized that the inability of the skin to respond to pressure is involved in DFU pathogenesis and could be an important predictive factor to take into account. We included 29 patients with DFU and 30 patients with type 2 diabetes without DFU.

No. 356-Egg Freezing for Age-Related Fertility Decline.

Objective: To provide a comprehensive review and evidence based recommendations for Canadian fertility centres that offer social egg freezing.

Outcomes: In social egg freezing cycles we evaluated thawed oocyte survival rates, fertilization rates, embryo quality, pregnancy rates, and live birth rates. We also review how these outcomes are impacted by age, ovarian reserve, and the number of eggs cryopreserved.

VEGF-A promotes both pro-angiogenic and neurotrophic capacities for nerve recovery after compressive neuropathy in rats.

Nerve recovery following injury is usually incomplete, leaving functional deficits. Our aim was to investigate the neural changes in pro-angiogenic, pro-inflammatory and apoptotic factors during and after chronic nerve compression (CNC). Nerve function was impaired after CNC and was progressively restored after nerve decompression, while nerve blood flow was elevated.

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH): a reliable biomarker of oocyte quality in IVF.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of serum AMH levels on stimulated IVF implantation and clinical pregnancy rates.

Methods: •

Design: Retrospective study with multivariate analysis. •

Setting: Clinique ovo (Montreal University affiliated Center).

Effect of ageing on tactile transduction processes.

With advancing age, a decline in the main sensory modalities including touch sensation and perception is well reported to occur. This review mainly outlines the peripheral components of touch perception highlighting ageing influences on morphological and functional features of cutaneous mechanical transducers and mechanosensitive ion channels, sensory innervation, neurotransmitters and even vascular system required to ensure efferent function of the afferent nerve fibres in the skin. This, in conjunction with effect of ageing on the skin per se and central nervous system, could explain the tactile deficit seen among the ageing population.

Asic3 is a neuronal mechanosensor for pressure-induced vasodilation that protects against pressure ulcers.

Pressure-induced vasodilation (PIV) delays the decrease in cutaneous blood flow produced by local application of low pressure to the skin, a physiologically appropriate adjustment of local vasomotor function. Individuals without a normal PIV response have a high risk of ulceration. Here we demonstrate that acid-sensing ion channel 3 (Asic3) is an essential neuronal sensor for the vasodilation response to direct pressure in both humans and rodents and for protecting against pressure ulcers in mice.

Chronic sciatic nerve injury impairs the local cutaneous neurovascular interaction in rats.

Most studies of chronic nerve compression focus on large nerve function in painful conditions, and only few studies have assessed potential changes in the function of small nerve fibers during chronic nerve compression and recovery from compression. Cutaneous pressure-induced vasodilation is a neurovascular phenomenon that relies on small neuropeptidergic fibers controlling the cutaneous microvasculature. We aimed to characterize potential changes in function of these small fibers and/or in cutaneous microvascular function following short-term (1-month) and long-term (6-month) nerve compression and after release of compression (ie, potential recovery of function).

Chest tcpO2 changes during constant-load treadmill walking tests in patients with claudication.

Changes in chest transcutaneous-pO(2) at rest (ΔtcpO(2)) mimic absolute changes in arterial-pO(2) during moderate exercise, although the absolute starting values may dramatically differ. We retrospectively studied 485 patients (group 1), prospectively studied 292 new patients (group 2) and estimated the intra-test and the test-retest reproducibility of ΔtcpO(2) during constant-load treadmill tests: 3.2 km h(-1), 10% grade, using the cross correlation technique.

What can current stimulation tell us about the vascular function of endogenous prostacyclin in healthy rat skin in vivo?

In endothelial function, prostacyclin (PGI(2)) is as important as nitric oxide (NO); however, no test assesses specifically the vascular function of endogenous PGI(2). We hypothesized that PGI(2) has a dominant role in cathodal current-induced vasodilation (CIV) described in human skin. We thus aimed to study, in physiological conditions, the PGI(2) involvement in cathodal CIV in rats in order to use pharmacological blockers that could not be used in humans.

Variability and short-term determinants of walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudication.

Objective: Global positioning system (GPS) recordings can provide valid information on walking capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication (IC) during community-based outdoor walking. This study used GPS to determine the variability of the free-living walking distance between two stops (WDBS), induced by lower-limb pain, which may exist within a single stroll in PAD patients with IC and the potential associated parameters obtained from GPS analysis.

Methods: This cross-sectional study of 57 PAD patients with IC was conducted in a university hospital.

A normal penile pressure cannot rule out the presence of lesions on the arteries supplying the hypogastric circulation in patients with arterial claudication.

Proximal claudication remains a difficult diagnosis. The ankle to brachial index may be insensitive in the case of isolated hypogastric lesions. Penile pressure represents an alternative method for proximal arteries.

Aging-associated sensory neuropathy alters pressure-induced vasodilation in humans.

Healthy skin is protected from pressure-induced ischemic damage because of the presence of pressure-induced vasodilation (PIV). PIV relies on small sensory nerve fibers and endothelial function. Since aging alters both nervous and vascular functions, we hypothesized that PIV is altered with aging.

Axon-reflex cutaneous vasodilatation is impaired in type 2 diabetic patients receiving chronic low-dose aspirin.

Low-dose aspirin is largely but non-homogeneously used in primary prevention of cardiovascular complication in type-2 diabetic patients. We hypothesised that low-dose aspirin could interfere with the cutaneous neurovascular responses in type-2 diabetic patients. Galvanic current-induced vasodilatation (CIV) is an original non-noxious integrative model of neurovascular interaction and is impaired under low-dose aspirin in healthy subjects.

Microvascular endothelial function in obstructive sleep apnea: Impact of continuous positive airway pressure and mandibular advancement.

Objectives: Endothelial dysfunction has been proposed as a potential mechanism implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). This study aimed to evaluate the microvascular endothelial function (MVEV) in OSAS and the impact on MVEF of 2 months of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mandibular advancement device (MAD).

Methods: Microvascular reactivity was assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry combined with acetylcholine (Ach) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) iontophoresis in 24 OSAS patients and 9 control patients.

Cutaneous neurovascular interaction involved in tactile sensation.

The sense of touch is one of the most vital; still, it is incompletely understood. We review the afferent function that allows for the relay of sensory information from the periphery (the skin) to the central nervous system. Within this afferent function, we examine the different integrating levels including several candidates for cutaneous transducers, the conduction of the information via the afferent nervous fibres and the transmission of the sensory stimuli to higher brain structures, resulting in the perception of the different senses.

A national prevalence study of pressure ulcers in French hospital inpatients.

Objective: To ascertain pressure ulcer prevalence rate in French hospitals.

Method: In 2004, a cross-sectional study was conducted in all French hospitals, except university hospitals. The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) staging was used.

In vitro metformin anti-neoplastic activity in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objective: Metformin, a commonly used drug in the treatment of type II diabetes, may reduce cancer risk and improve cancer prognosis. We evaluated its effect on epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines.

Methods: The OVCAR-3 and OVCAR-4 cell lines were exposed to metformin with and without cisplatin.

Functional assessment at the buttock level of the effect of aortobifemoral bypass surgery.

Background: Little is known about the prevalence of proximal (hip, buttock, lower back) claudication after aortobifemoral bypass (AF2B) grafting and its hemodynamic effects at the buttock level.

Methods: Forty-eight patients performed a treadmill test before and within 6 months after AF2B. The San Diego Claudication Questionnaire and the chest-corrected decrease from rest of transcutaneous oxygen pressure on buttocks were used to study exercise-induced proximal claudication and regional pelvic blood flow impairment.