Pilot study with 120 mg Andriol treatment for couples with a low fertilization rate during in-vitro fertilization.

Treatment with 120 mg/day of Andriol (testosterone undecanoate; Organon, The Netherlands) was given to 11 men whose semen had either failed to fertilize, or had resulted in a less than 33% fertilization rate in a first in-vitro fertilization (IVF) trial. Repeat IVF at the end of a 3 month treatment period resulted in a highly significant increase in the number of oocytes fertilized from 4/95 (4.2%) before to 23/87 (26.4%, P less than 0.001) after Andriol treatment. One couple attained spontaneous conception during the second month of Andriol intake and three pregnancies occurred among the remaining 10 cases undergoing repeat IVF, for a total ongoing pregnancy rate of 36.4%. Sperm concentration but not motility increased in the native semen after Andriol intake, but there were no significant changes in sperm characteristics after preparation. The improvement in pregnancy rate contrasts favourably with the results obtained by repeat IVF of untreated historical controls. The result obtained in the present pilot study should encourage the performance of a larger, placebo-controlled investigation protocol.

Oligohydramnios, renal insufficiency, and ileal perforation in preterm infants after intrauterine exposure to indomethacin.

Three preterm infants exposed antenatally to indomethacin developed a characteristic syndrome consisting of edema and hydrops with a bleeding disorder at birth, oliguric renal failure during the first 3 postnatal days, and acute pneumoperitoneum resulting from localized ileal perforation(s) at the end of the first week of life. Despite the value of indomethacin for arresting preterm labor, the physician must take into account the potential hazards of drug toxicity.