BackgroundOur objective was to determine the effect of fatty acids (FAs) in serum and follicular fluid (FF) on fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes.MethodsOne hundred five women aged 18–38 years undergoing ICSI were recruited in this prospective cohort study. oocyte and emberyo quality was morphologically assessed. FAs in serum and FF were analyzed, using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS).ResultsThe mean number of mature oocytes was associated with serum levels of oleic acid (r = 0.58; P = 0.002). There were negative correlations between metaphase II oocytes and FF levels of stearic acid (r = −0.19; P = 0.04) and linolenic acid (r = −0.37; P = 0.004). According to the obtained Spearman’s correlation coefficients, serum levels of stearic, palmitoleic and tricosanoic acids were positively correlated with the percent of germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocyte.The mean serum level of eicosapentaenoic acid was significantly higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant patients (P = 0.006). Good quality embryos’ percentages were negatively correlated with the concentrations of palmitic acid (r = −0.22; P = 0.02).After adjusting the effects of body mass index and age, total FAs were found to have a significant effect on the odds of having high-quality oocytes (percentage of oocytes > 80%; odds ratio =2.55; P = 0.054).ConclusionParticular FAs affect oocyte maturation and implantation. Apparently, while higher FF levels of saturated FAs, especially palmitic and stearic acids, observed in some metabolic contexts have harmful effects on oocyte maturation and implantation, such effects can be counteracted and developmental competence can be enhanced (at least in vitro) by the presence of unsaturated FAs, e.g. oleic and eicosapentaenoic acids.

Background: Sperm dysfunction caused by reactive oxygen species (ROSs) is one of the major causes of infertility in men, which leads to, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the formation of stable peroxidation products like Malondialdehyde (MDA) in seminal plasma. MDA is effective factor in reducing fertility. Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine two biochemical markers of oxidative stress; TAC and MDA, and them correlation to quality-quantity factors in Asthenoteratospermic and Oligoashenoteratospermic men. Patients and Methods: A total of 42 semen samples including: 15 samples normospermic as control group, 12 Asthenoteratospermic and 15 oligoasthenoteratospermic were collected from Babol IVF center; Iran. Semen analysis was performed according to WHO (1999) guidelines. Seminal plasma TAC and MDA levels in all patients were measured by TBARs and FRAP methods, respectively. Results: Seminal plasma TAC level in normospermic men was significantly higher than asthenoteratospermic men (P < 0.001) and oligasthenoteratospermic men (P < 0.001) and had posetive correlation with sperm count, motility and morphology. In contrast MDA levels in normospermic men were significantly lower than in asthenoteratospermic men (P = 0.049) and oligoasthenoteratospermic men (P = 0.001) and had negative correlation with sperm count, motility and morphology. Conclusions: These results suggest that lipid peroxidation and decreasing total antioxidant capacity lead to low motility; morphology and sperm count in spermatozoa of astheno-and oligoastheno-teratospermic men. Therefore, evaluation of oxidative status and antioxidant defenses system may be as a useful tool for diagnosis and treatment of male infertility especially in idiopathic male infertility. Keywords: Lipid Peroxidation; Malondialdehyde; Reactive Oxygen SpeciesImplication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: Lipid peroxidation and decreasing total antioxidant capacity lead to low motility, morphology and sperm count in spermatozoa of astheno -and oligoastheno -teratospermic men.

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Silk fibroin is increasingly emerging as an important biomaterial for tissue engineering applications. The ability to fluorescently image silk matrices under a microscope would be helpful in differentiating embedded labeled cells from background signal, critical for the study of silk-based engineered tissues. In this study, we fabricated a scaffold using freeze drying and confirmed its structure by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We then examined the fluorescence of the silk fibroin scaffold using confocal microscopy, both before and after cell seeding and fluorescent labeling. We subsequently investigated the fluorescent signature of the silk fibroin scaffold chemically. Fluorophore-labeled cells seeded into the scaffold showed the same fluorescent color as the scaffold itself when excited by the same wavelength of light. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy of a silk fibroin solution indicated absorption and emission maxima at 277 and 345 nm, respectively, which is a typical protein-derived signal. HPLC and GC-MS were used to detect quercetin and quercetin derivatives, without success. We therefore conclude that unlike silk cocoons, the fluorescent behavior of silk fibroin scaffolds does not derive from quercetin and its derivatives but from the intrinsic fluorescence of fibroin protein. We also find that the fluorescent signals deriving from a scaffold and from labeled cells embedded in it can be distinguished when the different optical channels are merged.

Differences in BMI are not associated with the fatty acid composition of the FF. The FF fatty acid possibly affects the outcome of ICSI through the achievement of clinical pregnancy. Therefore, it is essential to provide patients with nutritional counseling before they use assisted reproductive techniques.

Background:The use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) is increasing in the world. The rate, efficacy and safety of ART are very different among countries. There is an increase in the use of intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), single fresh embryo transfer (ET) and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET). Objective:The objective of this study was to compare pregnancy rate in fresh ET and FET.Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study 1014 ICSI-ET cycles (426 fresh ET and 588 FET) from 753 women undergoing ICSI treatment referred to Fatemezahra Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center in Babol, Iran from 2008 to 2013 were reviewed.Results:There were no significant differences between biochemical pregnancy rate (23% versus 18.8%, OR 1.301; 95% CI .95-1.774), gestational sac (95.6% versus 100% in FET, OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.54-0.67), and fetal heart activity (87.2% versus 93.6% OR .46; 95% CI .16-1.32) in fresh ET and FET cycles, respectively. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all measures.Conclusion:Although, the result showed no significantly difference between the fresh ET and the FET cycles, however the embryos are able to be stored for subsequent ART. Therefore, we recommend FET cycles as an option alongside the fresh ET.

Despite scientific advances, many of the treatments in male infertility remained indeterminate. In recent years, the attention to herbal remedies as an effective treatment for male infertility is considerable. We designed this study to determine the effects of Alpinia officinarum on the results of semen analysis in men with idiopathic infertility. In this clinical trial, seventy‐six participants with idiopathic infertility were included in the intervention (plant treatment: n = 31; placebo: n = 29). Participants were randomised to take capsules containing dried extract of A. officinarum rhizome or placebo on a daily (total daily dosage of 300 mg) basis for 3 months. After 12 weeks of intervention, the sperm count and total number of spermatozoa with normal morphology were increased in participants treated with A. officinarum extract compared with the placebo group. The mean sperm count was initially 52 × 106 ± 24 × 106/ml which changed to 71 × 106 ± 23 × 106/ml, after intervention (p = 0.043). Also, the mean percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology was 14.34% ± 9.16% before the treatment which significantly increased to 19% ± 14.89% (p < 0.001). Alpinia officinarum, a traditional medicine remedy, can be effective in the improvement of sperm morphology and sperm count in idiopathic infertility without causing adverse effects.

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