Prediction of pregnancy in IVF cycles on the fourth day of ovarian stimulation.

PURPOSE: Prediction of IVF outcome on the first days of ovarian stimulation has focused clinical research for many years. The aim of this work is to predict the probability of pregnancy on the fourth day of ovarian stimulation for IVF cycle, using parameters usually determined in this stage--estradiol, antral follicle count--together with parameters determined previously: FSH on the third day of cycle and women age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and ten patients with primary infertility due to a tubal factor were recruited to participate in a prospective study. FSH was determined on the third day of spontaneous cycle. Antral follicles and estradiol were measured on the fourth day of ovarian stimulation. After oocyte pick-up, quality and quantity of oocytes and embryos and pregnancy rates were assessed. RESULTS: In stepwise multiple logistic regression the variables with better predictiveness over pregnancy are: antral follicles count, estradiol and woman age. The logistic regression analyses demonstrate that the capacity of the model that uses these variables to predict pregnancy is 75%, with a positive predictive value of 69% and a negative predictive value of 80%. CONCLUSIONS: On the fourth day of ovarian stimulation of IVF cycles, the variables with highest predictiveness are: antral follicle count, estradiol and women age. When these variables are included in a model of prediction, the capacity to predict pregnancy is 75%.

Effects of oxidative stress and antioxidant treatments on eicosanoid synthesis and lipid peroxidation in long term human umbilical vein endothelial cells culture.

We analyzed the influence of oxidative stress and agents that modify its effect in human umbilical vein endothelial cell cultures (HUVEC). The parameters analyzed were PGI2, TXA2, PGI2/TXA2 ratio, lipid peroxidation and cell viability. Oxidative stress was induced by H2O2. The agents (treatments) that were tested are: antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase), oxygen free radical scavenger (vitamin E) and eicosanoids of the series 2 and 3 (Arachidonic acid, Eicosapentanoic acid). In this study we show, in long term endothelial cell cultures, the effects of different levels of oxidative stress alone or in combination with the different treatment agents, over the analyzed parameters. With induced oxidative stress alone the results obtained indicate that it has a harmful effect over cell function and viability, and that this effect is dose and time dependent. In absence of oxidative stress in basal situation, none of the treatments assayed showed significant differences compared to control cultures in the different analyzed parameters. When oxidative stress increased, antioxidant enzymes reduced cell damage and had a protective function, whereas Eicosapentanoic acid and vitamin E presented a lower level of protection. No beneficial effect was observed with arachidonic acid treatments. A significant increase in cell survival was observed in culture cells with oxidative stress when they were treated with antioxidant enzymes.

Age-dependent changes and interrelations of number of cells and biochemical parameters (glucose, triglycerides, TBARS, calcium, phosphorus) in cultured human vein endothelial cells.

The aim of this study is to assess in human vein endothelial cells cultures the variations related to aging in: number of cells, glucose, triglycerides, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol, total protein and urea and to analyze the relation of these parameters between themselves. Eight parallel flasks were subjected to the natural aging process, one of them without cells, analyzed at eight chronological stages. The determinations of biochemical parameters were performed in culture medium when it was changed. The number of cells, glucose, triglycerides and TBARS show significant variations during the aging process (P < 0.001). The glucose uptake per cell is maintained relatively constant in time (0.9 ng/cell day). A high linear correlation between glucose and the number of cells (r=0.935), triglycerides and the number of cells (r=0.505), triglycerides and decrease in number of cells (r=0.805) is observed. The measurement of glucose uptake seems to be an excellent method for the assessment of energetic cellular metabolism and, in certain conditions, can be used to estimate the number of cells. In the latest stages of aged cells a slight increase in glucose uptake has been observed. There is an increase of triglycerides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances release during aging process.