Micronutrient Antioxidants for Men (Menevit®) Improve Sperm Function by Reducing Oxidative Stress, Resulting in Improved Assisted Reproductive Technology Outcomes.

Oxidative stress (OS) affects men's health and impairs spermatogenesis. Micronutrient antioxidants are available for male infertility as complemental support; however, their efficacy remains debatable. This study aimed to investigate whether antioxidants can help to reduce sperm OS and improve semen analysis and quality. We included 171 male partners of couples planning to undergo assisted reproductive technology (ART). Male partners, aged 29-41 years, of couples intending to conceive were self-selected to take daily antioxidants (n = 84) containing folic acid and zinc, or not to take antioxidants (n = 52) for 6 months. We analyzed the alterations in serum oxidant levels, sperm parameters, OS, and deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation after 3 and 6 months. Additionally, implantation, clinical pregnancy, and miscarriage rates after vitrified-warmed embryo transfer were compared between those taking antioxidants and those not taking them after 6 months. In men with high static oxidation-reduction potential (sORP), we observed a significant improvement in sperm concentration and sORP. The high-quality blastocyst rate tended to increase, and implantation and clinical pregnancy rates also significantly increased after 6 months of intervention. The micronutrient antioxidants could improve sperm function by reducing OS and improving ART outcomes. Therefore, micronutrient antioxidants may be a viable treatment option for male infertility.

Successful monozygotic triplet pregnancy after a single blastocyst transfer following in vitro maturation of oocytes from a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Although women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)-related sub-fertility are high responders to controlled ovarian stimulation, it is difficult to obtain mature oocytes in these women. Therefore, in vitro maturation (IVM), which is the technique of letting the contents of the ovarian follicles and the oocytes inside mature in vitro, has often been proposed in such women. We describe the first successful delivery of monozygotic triplets resulting from transfer of a single blastocyst following IVM of oocytes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old nulligravida female with PCOS underwent IVM. She underwent vitrified-warmed single blastocyst transfer following IVM, and a dichorionic triamniotic triplet pregnancy was confirmed at 8 weeks. Healthy triplets were delivered by cesarean section at 33 weeks' gestation. This is the first case of monozygotic triplets derived from IVM oocytes that were successfully delivered. The determination of chorionicity and amnionicity is generally supposed until 3 days after fertilization, and no division or splitting of her embryo was observed on transfer. Interestingly, her embryo might have split after the transfer, resulting in a dichorionic triamniotic triplet pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients should be informed of a possible increased risk of monozygotic multiple pregnancies after single embryo transfer following IVM.

Parity as a factor affecting the white-coat effect in pregnant women: the BOSHI study.

Parity has previously been reported to affect the difference in blood pressure (BP) measured in the office and at home, also known as the white-coat effect, during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to identify possible factors that cause the white-coat effect during pregnancy, focusing on parity. In total, 530 pregnant women (31.3±4.7 years old) who delivered at a maternal clinic were eligible for the study. The association between parity and the white-coat effect (clinic BP compared with home BP) was investigated for each trimester of pregnancy by multivariate analysis of covariance adjusted for age, body mass index, family history of hypertension and smoking habits. The magnitudes of the white-coat effect for systolic BP in the first, second and third trimesters were 4.1±9.8, 3.4±7.1 and 1.8±6.0 mm Hg, respectively and those for diastolic BP were 3.8±7.4, 1.6±5.8 and 2.4±4.9 mm Hg, respectively. Parity was significantly and negatively associated with the white-coat effect for systolic BP in the first trimester of pregnancy (nulliparous women: 5.07±0.61 mm Hg and multiparous women: 2.78±0.74 mm Hg, P=0.02) as well as for diastolic BP in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Age, body mass index, family history of hypertension and smoking were not significantly associated with the white-coat effect in any trimester of pregnancy. Parity may have an influence on the white-coat effect in pregnancy; however, the observed effect, on average 1-2 mm Hg, was small.

Blood pressure measured in the clinic and at home during pregnancy among nulliparous and multiparous women: the BOSHI study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension during pregnancy can cause serious problems during delivery, such as stroke, premature delivery, or low birthweight. Nulliparity is believed to be a risk factor for hypertension during pregnancy. However, the relationship between parity and blood pressure determined at home during pregnancy is still unknown. METHODS: We assessed the incidence of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia in 575 nulliparous and multiparous women. Also, we examined blood pressure measured in the clinic and at home among 530 normotensive pregnant women who received antenatal care at a maternity hospital in Japan. Clinic blood pressures (CBPs) were obtained by duplicate measurement at each antenatal care visit. The participants were also required to measure their own blood pressures every morning at home while they were pregnant. A linear mixed model was used for analysis of the blood pressure course throughout pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 315 nulliparous and 215 multiparous women were entered into this study (mean age, 30.1 ± 4.6 years and 33.0 ± 4.1 years, respectively). CBP levels during pregnancy among nulliparous women were significantly higher than among multiparous women (P = 0.02/P <0.0001 for systolic/diastolic blood pressure), whereas there were no significant differences in home blood pressure (HBP) levels during pregnancy between the two groups (P = 0.4/P = 0.2 for systolic/diastolic blood pressure). CONCLUSIONS: HBP levels during pregnancy were shown not to differ between nulliparous and multiparous women, while CBP levels during pregnancy were higher among nulliparous than among multiparous women.

Daily serial hemodynamic data during pregnancy and seasonal variation: the BOSHI study.

Although there are some reports that low plasma volume or increased cardiac output is associated with developing preeclampsia, there are few reports of daily serial hemodynamic data during pregnancy. A total of 37,092 home blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) measurements were obtained from 425 normal pregnant women. Heart rate and shock index (SI) gradually increased by gestational week 32 and then decreased, whereas double product (DP) increased linearly during pregnancy. Although systolic BP and DP were consistently and negatively correlated with daily minimum outside temperature, HR and SI were positively correlated with minimum outside temperature in summer.