[Cooperation between genetic counseling centers, cytogenetic laboratories and in vitro fertilization centers in the treatment of reproductive disorders]. / Soucinnost genetické poradny, cytogenetické laboratore a centra IVF pri lécbe poruch plodnosti.

The techniques of assisted reproduction have recently become the most effective methods of treatment of infertility; namely ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection), MESA (microepididymal sperm aspiration), TESA (testicular sperm aspiration) and TESE (testicular sperm extraction). The techniques have been increasingly successful, even above the average efficiency of classical IVF (in vitro fertilization). It can be demonstrated by the percentage of ICSI-aided births percentage per 100% of embryotransfers in ISCARE; 1996 = 21.3%, 1997 = 26.15%, 1998 = 29.7%. The successful use of these techniques is associated with the rise of risks which result from the selection of couples for assisted reproduction with genetic-based infertility and with the rise of risks involving the introduction of genetic-based defects in to the next generation. Presently, a list of indications is being developed, which, while still not accepted officially, identifies patients for genetic counselling. Only the counselling center has the competence to estimate genetic risks over generations. Subsequently, after selection by the center, during 1997 and 1998 the chromosomes of 731 patients were cytogenetically examined, representing 429 infertile couples from the centres ISCARE, PRONATAL, FERTIMED, and CAR 1. LF UK. Within these 429 couples, belonging to four groups of indications, the cytogenetic examination was informative in 8.15%. This finding of a relatively high percentage (10 times more than in the general population) confirms the validity of the list of indications and the necessity of cooperation among the genetic counselling center, cytogenetic laboratory and the IVF centre.

Increased micronuclei frequencies in couples with reproductive failure.

A higher incidence of chromosomal instability in the infertile population is widely recognized. An increased level of micronuclei has been shown to be a marker of chromosome damage. Therefore, micronuclei frequencies were assessed in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes of 130 patients (65 couples) with idiopathic infertility or with two or more spontaneous abortions, and 30 healthy fertile donors (15 couples). The frequency of micronucleated cells in the cohort with reproductive failure and healthy controls averaged 14.95+/-6.04 per 1000 and 10.60 +/-2.57 per 1000 (P<0.0001), respectively. When micronuclei frequency sums in particular couples (male + female) were analyzed in the same order, identical statistical significance was reached (P<0.0001). We found no effect of age or sex on micronuclei frequency. In summary, the cytokinesis-blocked micronuclei assay revealed increased micronucleus frequency in couples with infertility or two or more spontaneous abortions, suggesting a possible role of chromosomal instability in reproductive failure.

Creatine kinase reaction in skinned rat psoas muscle fibers and their myofibrils.

The aim of this study was to evaluate myofibrillar creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2) activity on the background of the effect of substrate channeling by myosin ATPase and to compare it with creatine kinase (CK) activity of whole skinned fibers. In order to assess CK activity, skinned fibers were prepared from the rat psoas major muscles defined by light microscopy. The activity in permeabilized fibers after treatment with saponin, Triton X-100 and Ca(2+)-free medium reached 2.80, 6.97 and 3.32 micromol ATP min(-1) mg(-1) protein, respectively, when a coupled enzyme assay system with external hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was used. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed a possible interference among activities of sarcolemmal, sarcoplasmic, myofibrillar and mitochondrial CK from persisting structures. For evaluation of the myofibrillar CK itself, a pure myofibrillar fraction was prepared. Fraction purity was confirmed by TEM and by enzymatic assays for marker enzymes. Two procedures, i.e. the coupled enzyme assay and the evaluation of phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration before and after the CK reaction, were used for measurement of CK activity in this fraction. The procedures resulted in 3.2 nmol ATP min(-1) mg(-1) protein and 7.6 nmol PCr min(-1) mg(-1) protein, respectively. These alternative approaches revealed a discrepancy between the reacting portions of PCr by more than 50 %, which provides information about the size of the effect, generally described as substrate channeling.

Genotoxicity of purine acyclic nucleotide analogs.

The genotoxic and embryotoxic effects of phosphonomethoxyalkylpurines, a new group of antiviral agents, decrease in the following order: PMEG > PMEthioG > PMEDAP > PMEA > (R)-PMPDAP = (R)-PMPA. Results of the present study are fully consistent with the previously found efficacy of their diphosphates to inhibit the replicative DNA polymerases. The marked genotoxicity of PMEG and PMEthioG is comparable to that of mitomycin C, whereas the moderate genotoxicity of PMEA is comparable to that of AZT. (R)-PMPDAP and (R)-PMPA did not induce any structural aberrations of chromosomes under the experimental conditions.

Antimitotic and teratogenic effects of acyclic nucleotide analogues 1-(S)-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonomethoxyethyl)cytosine (HPMPC) and 9-(2-phosphonomethoxyethyl) adenine (PMEA).

The acyclic nucleotide analogues, HPMPC and PMEA, differ in their in vitro effect on the genetic material of eukaryotic cells. While HPMPC exerts a cytostatic effect on eukaryotic cells in vitro, PMEA has a genotoxic activity. These results correspond with the mode of embryotoxic action of these compounds: HPMPC exhibits a general embryolethal effect, whereas PMEA is apparently teratogenic and interacts with the mutant allele producing preaxial polydactyly of the hind limbs.

[Partial trisomy 1q25-1q32 in a boy with isolated lactase deficiency]. / Parciální trisomie 1q25-1q32 u chlapce s izolovaným deficitem laktázy.

A six-month-old boy with partial trisomia 1q25-1q32. In the phenotype psychomotor retardation, progeric facial features and general dystrophy dominated. He failed to thrive partly because of milk intolerance due to hypolactasia. This disorder was revealed by histochemical examination of the enterobioptic material. The chromosomal aberration developed as a result of tandem duplication of section 1q25-1q32 de novo; this finding was not published so far in the literature.

Correlation of extracts obtained by high efficiency gel chromatography of lactic dehydrogenase virus infected mouse serum and cytosol from human tumors using leukocyte adherence inhibition assay.

Immunochemically active fractions were obtained using Separon Hema-300-glc(R) from serum of lactic dehydrogenase virus (LDV) infected mice and from homogenates of human tumors. The mixture of proteins of tumorous origin from the cytosol giving a positive reaction in the leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) test was found in the same fractions showing maximum of absorbance at 340 nm in the spectrophotometer and a corresponding peak in the refractometer. Analogous peaks were not proved in material obtained from healthy controls, but they were found in some human placentas and fetal organs. The LDV fraction obtained from mouse serum served as a "control" antigen in LAI test for human tumor testing, and results corresponded with those obtained using cytosol specific for the tumor under study.