In the growing follicle, communication between the oocyte and its surrounding follicular cells is essential for normal oocyte and follicular development. Maturation of the fully grown oocyte in vivo is associated with the loss of cumulus cell-oocyte gap junctional communication, preventing entry of meiotic-modulating factors such as cAMP into the oocyte. We have previously shown that oocyte and...

OBJECTIVE To compare the outcomes of embryo development between oval-shaped oocyte as an abnormal morphology oocyte and a normal morphology oocyte in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). METHODS This study was a comparative analytical study with retrospective approach which lasted from September 2014 until November 2015. For this study, we used secondary data (medical records) from 24 patients submi...

Restenosis remains the main complication of balloon angioplasty and/or stent implantation. Preclinical testing of new pharmacologic agents preventing restenosis largely rely on porcine models, where restenosis is assessed after endothelial abrasion of the arterial wall or stent implantation. We combined endothelial cell denudation and implantation of stents to develop a new clinically relevant ...

P-selectin expression has been reported in platelets, endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells in response to vascular injury. Here, we report P-selectin expression on macrophages in the arterial wall after carotid denudation injury and spontaneous atherosclerosis in atherosclerosis-prone apoE-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice. Double-immunofluorescence staining revealed robust P-selectin e...

We aimed to establish a rabbit model of vulnerable plaques (VPs) with the morphology and component characteristics of human VPs and to evaluate the microstructural features of VPs in vivo using intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT). Twelve rabbits underwent endothelial denudation of the carotid artery and consumed a 1% high-cholesterol diet (HCD). They were equally divided into two g...

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cocaine on vasoreactivity in the swine model. Eight miniature pigs underwent regional endothelial denudation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and were then fed a high cholesterol diet. Cross-sectional area (CSA) of coronary arteries was measured by quantitative angiography. Before denudation, intravenous cocaine (1, 3, and...

The release of redox-active iron and heme into the blood-stream is toxic to the vasculature, contributing to the development of vascular diseases. How iron induces endothelial injury remains ill defined. To investigate this, we developed a novel ex vivo perfusion chamber that enables direct analysis of the effects of FeCl(3) on the vasculature. We demonstrate that FeCl(3) treatment of isolated ...

objective(s): several researchers have reported the relationship between infertility in male and varicocele for so many years but the implication of varicocele in female patients is remains elusive. here, we aim to examine the effects of unilateral varicose ovarian vein on antioxidant capacity and oocyte quality of rat ovary after the experimental creation of varicocele in female rats. material...

rate of in vitro maturation of oocytes is one of the challenges of assisted reproductive techniques. in this study we investigated the effects of supplementation of cysteamine on the rate of in vitro maturation of oocytes in two different media. germinal vesicle oocytes were collected from mouse ovary and cultured in two media (tcm199 and meme) with 0, 50, 100, 200, 500 µm/ml cysteamine. number...