Maternal reproductive performance and fetal development of the Wistar Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain.

Wistar Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain is an animal model for epilepsy studies, the chronic multifactorial disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The animals of this strain are genetically predisposed to sound-induced seizures, called audiogenic seizures, and have been used for many years in studies to understand the mechanisms involved in the epilepsies and their neuropsychiatric comorbidities, as well as the screening of potential anti-convulsant agents. Nevertheless, little is known about the reproductive characteristics of these animals.

Elevated circulatingadenosine deaminase activity in women with preeclampsia: association with pro-inflammatory cytokine production and uric acid levels.

Objective: Preeclampsia is a specific disorder of human pregnancy that is associated with hyperuricemia and higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an enzyme present in all human tissues, and is considered an indicator of cellular inflammation. In the present study we assess whether adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity is altered in women with preeclampsia (PE) and contributes to elevated levels of uric acid and pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

Association between Number of Formed Embryos, Embryo Morphology and Clinical Pregnancy Rate after Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.

 Infertility has a high prevalence in the general population, affecting ∼ 5 to 15% of couples in reproductive age. The assisted reproduction techniques (ART) include in vitro manipulation of gametes and embryos and are an important treatment indicated to these couples. It is well accepted that the implantation rate is positively influenced by the morphology of transferred embryos.

N-Acetyl-Cysteine and l-Carnitine Prevent Meiotic Oocyte Damage Induced by Follicular Fluid From Infertile Women With Mild Endometriosis.

This study evaluated the potential protective effect of the antioxidants, l-carnitine (LC) and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), in preventing meiotic oocyte damage induced by follicular fluid (FF) from infertile women with mild endometriosis (ME). We performed an experimental study. The FF samples were obtained from 22 infertile women undergoing stimulated cycles for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (11 with ME and 11 without endometriosis).

Silibinin modulates the NF-κb pathway and pro-inflammatory cytokine production by mononuclear cells from preeclamptic women.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complication of human pregnancy associated with an intense inflammatory response involving leukocyte activation, as well as elevated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is present in cells of the immune system and is responsible for transcription of genes coding for pro-inflammatory proteins. Silibinin is the main component of silymarin, a polyphenolic extract obtained from fruits and seeds of Silybum marianum with potent hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities.