"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.

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.

Effect of transferring a morphologically impaired embryo with a good quality embryo on the pregnancy and implantation rates.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of transferring embryos with different qualities on pregnancy and implantation rates.

Patients And Methods: In a retrospective multi-center study we analyzed 761 patients aged ≤ 35 years who had an elective transfer of one or two embryos. Embryos were scored morphologically by their developmental stage into good "A" and impaired "B" embryos.

Quality of human spermatozoa: relationship between high-magnification sperm morphology and DNA integrity.

The aim of this work is to establish the relationship between the morphology of Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection (IMSI)-selected spermatozoa and their DNA integrity. The 45 ejaculates were randomly distributed into three treatment groups: normozoospermic, oligoasthenozoospermic and oligoasthenotheratozoospermic samples. The evaluation of DNA integrity was performed using the sperm chromatin dispersion test.

Cryoprotectant-free vitrification of human spermatozoa in large (up to 0.5 mL) volume: a novel technology.

Background: The aim of this study was to develop and to test the aseptic technology of cryoprotectant-free vitrification of human spermatozoa in large volume (for intrauterine insemination). Spermatozoa, vitrified by this technology, are free of permeant cryoprotectants and are ready for further use immediately after warming without any additional treatment (centrifugation or separation in the gradient for removal of cryoprotectant).

Methods: Each of 52 swim up-prepared ejaculates were divided into three aliquots and distributed into three treatment groups: Group 1: non-treated control; Group 2: spermatozoa cryopreserved by slow conventional freezing with glycerol-containing medium, and Group 3: spermatozoa vitrified in 0.

Vitrification of human ICSI/IVF spermatozoa without cryoprotectants: new capillary technology.

The aim of this study was to develop and to test the standardized aseptic technology of permeable cryoprotectant-free vitrification of human spermatozoa in capillaries (for intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI] or in vitro fertilization [IVF]). To test the effect of vitrification on basic sperm parameters, each of 68 swim-up-prepared ejaculates from oligo-astheno-terato-zoospermic patients were aliquoted and distributed into 3 groups: 1) nontreated control, 2) 10 μL of spermatozoa cryopreserved by slow conventional freezing with glycerol-contented medium, and 3) 10 μL of spermatozoa vitrified in 50-μL plastic capillaries in culture medium with 0.25 M sucrose.

In-vitro culture of human embryos with mechanical micro-vibration increases implantation rates.

The in-vitro culture of human embryos in a medium subjected to regular short intervals of mechanical agitation leads to increased development rates. This type of treatment tries to mimic conditions in nature whereby oviductal fluid is mechanically agitated by the epithelial cilia. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that an embryo developing in vivo is naturally exposed to constant vibrations of around 6Hz with the periodically repeating increase to 20Hz.

Mechanical agitation during the in vitro culture of human pre-implantation embryos drastically increases the pregnancy rate.

Background: The in vivo developing embryo is naturally exposed to constant vibrations of around 6 Hz, increasing to 20 Hz when the oviductal fluid is mechanically agitated by the cilia. This study examines the effects on viability of subjecting human pronuclear oocytes and embryos to mechanical agitation during their in vitro culture before transplantation.

Methods: Metaphase-II oocytes were ICSI/IVF with morphologically normal spermatozoa and then divided into two groups according to whether the cells underwent mechanical agitation (20 Hz over 5 seconds once per hour) of the culture medium (Group 2, n=23) or were cultured without mechanical agitation (Group 1, n=23).

Pregnancy after the calcium ionophore correction of pronuclei position in oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Objective: To report a successful pregnancy after transfer of embryos derived from oocytes after calcium ionophore correction of the pronuclei localization after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Design: Case report.

Setting: University hospital.

Rescue of spermatogenesis arrest in azoospermic men after long-term gonadotropin treatment.

Several studies have shown that FSH treatment can improve sperm production quantitatively and increase the spermatogonial population in oligozoospermic men with normal hormonal profiles. In this study, we describe the results of long-term gonadotropin therapy of normogonadotropic patients with nonobstructive azoospermia.

Higher aneuploidy rates of chromosomes 13, 16, and 21 in a patient with globozoospermia.

Objective: To analyze rates of chromosomal anomalies in a patient with globozoospermia.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Tertiary-care infertility clinic.

Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility.

Objective: To evaluate the ultramorphologic sperm features of idiopathic infertile men after acupuncture therapy.

Design: Prospective controlled study.

Setting: Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, IVF center Munich, Germany, and Department of General Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

Gonadotropin treatment of an azoospermic patient with a Y-chromosome microdeletion.

Objective: To report on the treatment with recombinant FSH of an azoospermic normogonadotropic patient with a Y-chromosome microdeletion.

Design: Case report.

Setting: An assisted reproduction center.

Effect of follicle-stimulating hormone on sperm quality and pregnancy rate.

Aim: To evaluate the possible links between ultrastructural sperm quality and the clinical pregnancy rate in infertile males treated with FSH before intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Methods: Forty-four infertile males with idiopathic oligo-asthenozoospermia were randomly allocated to the treated (n=24) and non-treated (control, n=20) groups. Semen analysis was carried out by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) before and 12 weeks after FSH therapy.

Improved implantation rate after chemical removal of the zona pellucida.

Objective: To evaluate the implantation rate achieved after chemical removal of the zona pellucida from day 5 human in vitro-derived embryos.

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Setting: A tertiary care infertility clinic.

Influence of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in assisted reproductive technology.

The clinical effects of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in sperm parameter and on therapeutic results in assisted reproductive technology were investigated. 22 patients failed in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with idiopathic male infertility were treated with acupuncture twice weekly for 8 weeks, followed by ICSI treatment again. The sperm concentration, motility, morphology, fertilization rates and embryo quality were observed.

Effect of highly purified urinary follicle-stimulating hormone on oocyte and embryo quality.

Objective: To determine the effects of ovarian stimulation with highly purified urofollitropin on oocyte and embryo quality.

Design: Parallel randomized open-label clinical study.

Setting: Assisted reproduction centers.

Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in assisted reproduction therapy (ART) by comparing a group of patients receiving acupuncture treatment shortly before and after embryo transfer with a control group receiving no acupuncture.

Design: Prospective randomized study.

Setting: Fertility center.

Twin pregnancy after vitrification of 2-pronuclei human embryos.

Objective: To report an ongoing twin pregnancy after transfer of embryos that were vitrified at the 2-pronuclei stage in a new vitrification solution.

Design: Case report.

Setting: A tertiary-care infertility clinic.

[The implantation receptive luteal phase of the endometrium. On the current status of molecular and cell biology research].

The biological aim of the differentiation and maturation of endometrial tissue compartments during any menstrual cycle is the achievement of suitable conditions for blastocyst implantation and the establishment of pregnancy. Infertility and early embryonic loss are frequently caused by insufficient endometrial differentiation. Even any incomplete receptivity stage of the luteal phase endometrium will prevent attachment and implantation.

Impact of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone and human menopausal gonadotropins on in vitro fertilization outcome.

Objective: To investigate possible differences between using recombinant FSH (rFSH) and hMG for ovarian stimulation in IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Design: Parallel group design. Prospective, randomized clinical study.

Reproductive outcome of 32 patients with primary or secondary infertility and uterine pathology.

We did a retrospective study on 102 patients who had a laparoscopy and a hysteroscopy during investigations for primary or secondary infertility. 32 of the 102 patients had uterine pathology. Seven of them had septate uteri, eight had uterine synechiae, another six had uterine fibroids, four had a bicornuated uterus, while the remaining had either a combination of all or other uterine anomalies.

[Are there any advantages in immediate assisted fertilization compared with differed fertilization?].

Objectives: To demonstrate a difference between the two assisted fertilization procedures. Can either of these procedures be preferred on the basis of preoperative parameters or criteria? A protocol was created to facilitate the patient's decision, as the results of IAF are better that those of DAF.

Methods: We have performed 39 in vitro fertilizations after testicular or epididymal sperm extraction since December 1995.