Clinical outcomes of transfer of frozen and thawed single blastocysts derived from nonpronuclear and monopronuclear zygotes.

Purpose: In assisted reproductive technology, normal zygotes are bipronuclear (2PN) during fertilization confirmation; however, sometimes, nonpronuclear zygotes (0PN) and monopronuclear zygotes (1PN) are found during routine observations.

Methods: To elucidate the clinical usefulness of -fertilized embryos, we investigated the rates of clinical pregnancy, live birth, miscarriage, and congenital abnormality after transfer of frozen-thawed 1PN- and 0PN-derived single blastocysts at Denentoshi Ladies Clinic, Kanagawa, Japan.

Results: The rates of pregnancy and live birth for 1PN-derived blastocysts obtained by conventional fertilization were 37.

Identification of placental leucine aminopeptidase and triton-slowed aminopeptidase N in serum of pregnant women.

Background: Previously, we found characteristic triton-slowed bands of aminopeptidase N (APN) in cholestatic serum by triton-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (triton-PAGE) [Makoto Kawai, Yukichi Hara, Triton-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and leucine aminopeptidase activity staining detect Triton-slowed bands including high-molecular-mass aminopeptidase N (CD13) isoform in cholestatic patient sera. Clin Chim Acta 2006; 364:188-195].

Methods: Sera from 14 normal pregnant women were electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gel containing 0.

Increase in the concentration of cytosolic-free calcium induced by human follicular fluid was decreased in single human spermatozoon with abnormal morphology.

The increase in the concentration of cytosolic-free calcium ([Ca]i) induced by follicular fluid or progesterone has been reported to promote an acrosome reaction and alternation in several motion parameters in human sperm (hyperactivation). We previously reported that populations of sperm in cell suspension obtained from infertile men with abnormal morphology exhibited lower mean peak progesterone-evoked [Ca]i compared with morphologically normal sperm using cell-suspension methods. In the present study, the change in [Ca]i in individual normally and abnormally shaped spermatozoa was compared.

Methylation of the calcium channel-related gene, CACNA2D3, is frequent and a poor prognostic factor in gastric cancer.

Background & Aims: The calcium channel voltage-dependent alpha2delta subunit consists of 4 genes, CACNA2D1 to CACNA2D4, of which CACNA2D2 and CACNA2D3 are located on 3p21.3 and 3p21.1, respectively.

Impaired hyperactivation of human sperm in patients with infertility.

Hyperactivation and acrosome reaction are prerequisite steps for sperm to be able to fertilize an oocyte. In mammals, hyperactivation is defined as a movement pattern seen in spermatozoa at the site and time of fertilization. The objectives of the present experiments were to analyze the process of hyperactivation and to investigate its relationship with progesterone evoked intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) increase and their implications with infertility.

Ca(v)2.3 (alpha1E) Ca2+ channel participates in the control of sperm function.

To know the function of the Ca2+ channel containing alpha(1)2.3 (alpha1E) subunit (Ca(v)2.3 channel) in spermatozoa, we analyzed Ca2+ transients and sperm motility using a mouse strain lacking Ca(v)2.