Ejaculatory stimulation, quality of semen and reproductive aspects in spinal cord injured men.

this is a retrospective study of 39 male spinal cord injured patients who, over the last 5 years, have consulted us for ejaculatory dysfunction or infertility. All of these patients underwent at least two distinct sessions during which attempts were made to induce an ejaculation by vibratory stimulation, electric stimulation, or by using subcutaneous physostigmine. A semen analysis was performed each time that an ejaculate was obtained. By one or more of these techniques, 75% of these subjects were able to ejaculate. The level of the neurological lesion had a significant influence on the success rate. Likewise, the mode employed to produce an ejaculation influenced certain characteristics of the sperm collected (mean volume, percentage of motile forms), the best results being obtained by vibratory stimulation. Among the 10 couples who had consulted us for medically assisted reproduction, three pregnancies were obtained, two of which resulted in the birth of healthy children. Although the techniques of stimulation that we use allow ejaculation, the possibilities of reproduction remain limited in particular because of the difficulty in obtaining semen of adequate quality. Nevertheless, recent methods of micromanipulation of gametes should considerably improve the prognosis of the seminal insufficiencies in men with spinal cord injury.

Degenerative lesions in the articular cartilage after meniscectomy: preliminary experimental study in dogs.

Articular cartilage degeneration was studied in an experimental model including 68 knees of adult dogs on which five different types of medial meniscectomy had been performed with a followup period of 10 to 450 days. The results were assessed by macroscopic, radiologic, and histologic methods. The degenerative lesions increased proportionally to the amount of meniscal tissue resected and the duration of observation. These lesions proved to be more intense at the tibial plateau compared to the femoral condyle. For both joint surfaces the predominant location was the central zone. Considering the degenerative process by the articular cartilage after total meniscectomy, maximum preservation of meniscal tissue is recommended.

Meniscal repair following meniscectomy: mechanism and protective effect. Experimental study in the dog.

Meniscal repair was studied to evaluate the mechanism and its potential protective effects on the articular cartilage in an experimental model consisting of 68 knees of adult dogs on which five different types of medial meniscectomy were performed. The results were assessed by macroscopic, microangiographic, and histological methods, after a sequential follow-up period of 10-450 days. Two different mechanisms of meniscal repair were observed, depending on whether meniscal section had been performed in vascular (total meniscectomy) or avascular (subtotal or partial meniscectomy) zones. It was also observed that the repaired meniscal tissue does not prevent articular cartilage degeneration. This is more closely related to the size of the meniscal fragment preserved at meniscectomy. Due to the biomechanical importance of the meniscus and the lack of functional relevance of the repaired meniscal tissue, the most conservative approach possible to meniscectomy is recommended.

[Fluorescence of the Y chromosome and male sterility]. / Fluorescence du corpuscule Y et stérilité masculine.

Barlow and Vosa's (1970) quinacrine coloration procedure was performed on human seminal smears from normal volunteers and on subjects who were selected from those couples who were consulting us for sterility. This analysis proves the specificity of the quinacrine coloration test, and reveals a significant decrease in the numbers of Y-spermatozoa in oligospermic patients with teratospermia and asthenospermia. The role of structural modifications of the chromatin in producing this effect is postulated. Particulars are given of how to perform the coloration technique on specially fixed slides and a table is given showing the frequency of spermatozoa with the Y chromosome in relationship to the parameters of the semen analysis. Furthermore the figures given in the literature by other authors are compared with those of this study and this altogether proves the reliability of the technique developed.

Resistance de la cellule hepatique du rat apres une intoxication infinitesimale au tetrachlorure de carbone / Liver cell resistence of rat before infinitesimal intoxication with carbon tetrachloride

Les auteurs ont montre au cour de ce travail que des doses infinitesimales de CCL, administrees chez le rat etaient susceptibles de creer une resistance vis-a-vis de l'administration ulterieure d'une dose toxique de cette meme substance. Cette protection a pu etre mise en evidence par l'etude du dosage des transaminases seriques et une etude histologique des foies; differentes hypotheses permettant d'expliquer ce phenomene sont envisagees

Action in vitro de dilutions infinitesimales de Phytolacca americana sur la transformation lymphoblastique a la phytohemagglutinine / Actions in vitro of infinitesimal dilutions of phytolacca americana in lynphoblast transformation of phytohemagglutinin

Des solutions de Phytolacca americana sont administrees dilutions homeopathiques 7CH et 15 CH a des cultures de lymphocytes humains stimulees par la phytohemagglutinine. On constante une inhibition statistiquement significative de la stimulation pour la dilution 7CH quel que soit le mode d'administration. La dilution 15CH est inoperant dans tous les cas etudies

[Foetal pancreas implants in an insulin-dependent patient. Technique and clinical results (author's transl)]. / Implantation de pancréas foetaux chez un diabétique insulino-dépendant. Modalité technique et résultat clinique.

Fragments of foetal pancreatic buds taken before the 10th week of gestation, stored at - 196 degrees C and cultivated on artificial media were implanted in an adult, insulin-dependent diabetic patient. Following a 2 weeks latent period, the clinical symptoms of diabetes regressed within 2 months, although all insulin treatment had been withdrawn. These results have now been maintained for 11 months, but major overloads in carbohydrates are imperfectly controlled.