Dydrogesterone does not reverse the cardiovascular benefits of percutaneous estradiol.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of dydrogesterone on estimated cardiovascular risk of users of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (with percutaneous 17ß-estradiol in monotherapy and in combination with dydrogesterone) and HRT non-users through the Framingham score tool for a period of 2 years. METHODS: Framingham scores were calculated from the medical records of patients treated for at least 2 years with 17ß-estradiol alone or in combination with dydrogesterone, along with HRT non-users, through the analysis of patient medical records, followed for at least 2 years at Instituto Estadual de Diabetes e Endocrinologia Luiz Capriglione. RESULTS: Improvements in lipid profile, glucose and blood pressure levels, which reduced the estimated cardiovascular risk, were observed in the 17ß-estradiol group. Similar changes were observed in the users of 17ß-estradiol + dydrogesterone, suggesting that this progestogen does not attenuate the effects caused by 17ß-estradiol. CONCLUSIONS: Both HRT groups showed a reduction in their Framingham score. In contrast to data from other HRT investigations on cardiovascular risk, these formulations proved to be safe, even in the first year of use.

Spermatozoa and testes in the boar: correlative analysis of sperm morphologic features, seminiferous epithelial area, and testes weight.

Testicular tissue and sperm from the cauda epididymidis of 300 boars were obtained in 6 collections during 1 year at a Chicago abattoir. Seventy-five boars (25%) had - 1 sperm abnormality present at rates that could result in infertility. These abnormalities and their frequency criteria were: proximal droplets > or = 15%, loose heads > or = 10%, abnormal middle pieces > or = 10%, abnormal acrosomes > or = 10%, bent tails > or = 15%, coiled tails > or = 15%, and abnormal head shapes > 5%. These 75 abnormal boars were then compared with a control group of 75 boars selected at random from the remaining 225 boars. Frequency of sperm abnormalities, testicular and epididymal weights, relative seminiferous epithelial areas (SEA), and the degree of testicular lesions were used in making comparisons. Testicular lesions were scored on a scale of 1 (normal) to 5. The SEA was measured and was expressed as the mean area of 50 tubules. The SEA was negatively correlated with proximal droplets and abnormal middle pieces in abnormal boars and abnormal head shapes in control boars. The mean SEA was 8.71 and 5.60 cm2 for control and abnormal boars, respectively. The overall mean score for testicular lesions was 1.72 and 3.17 for control and abnormal boars, respectively.

Comparison of sperm-rich fractions of boar semen collected by electroejaculation and the gloved-hand technique.

Semen was collected from 8 yearling boars, using electroejaculation and the gloved-hand technique. Four semen samples were collected from each boar by each technique, on an alternating schedule, with a 72-hour interval between collections. Comparison of the volume, motility, live-dead ratio, sperm concentration, and spermatozoal conformation of the sperm-rich fractions showed that there were no significant differences between the 2 techniques for any factor evaluated.