[Ultrastructural aspects of the renal corpuscle during development and involution of the mesonephros. Study on the chick embryo].
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
M Marchini
Publications and source records attributed to M Marchini.
Copper retention, calcium release and ultrastructural evidence indicate specific Cuprolinic Blue uptake and peculiar modifications in mineralizing aortic valves.
Previously, reactions with copper phthalocyanines at 0.05 M critical electrolyte concentration were found to cause demineralization in calcifying porcine aortic valves after subdermal implantation in rat, as well as simultaneous visualization of peculiar phthalocyanine-positive layers around cells and cell-derived matrix vesicles. In the present investigation, an appraisal was made of the mechanism and specificity of reactions with Cuprolinic Blue by comparing quantitatively calcium release and copper retention by calcified aortic valves reacted with this phthalocyanine under different critical electrolyte concentration conditions, and the corresponding ultrastructural patterns. It was found that (i) decalcifying properties are inversely proportional to salt molarity; (ii) reactivity to Cuprolinic Blue is critical electrolyte concentration-dependent, since the greatest copper retention occurred in 0.05 M critical electrolyte concentration Cuprolinic Blue-reacted samples, the only ones that also exhibited phthalocyanine-positive layers; (iii) the appearance of phthalocyanine-positive layers depends on Cuprolinic Blue uptake, revealing pericellular clustering of calcium-binding, anionic molecules; and (iv) minor Cuprolinic Blue uptake occurs by residual proteoglycans which still remain in the extracellular matrix after 6-week-long subdermal implantation. The present results indicate that this method is appropriate for the study of mineralized tissues and illustrate peculiar tissue modifications occurring at least in the experimental conditions used here.
Animals↗
Effect of urea and detergents on the ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate zona-free hamster oocytes.
Washing of human spermatozoa with either BWW alone or with the same buffer containing 0.1 M urea, 0.005% SDS or 0.001% NP40 affected the penetration ability of the gametes into zona-free hamster oocytes to various degrees. In contrast, human spermatozoa washed with BWW buffer containing 0.3 M urea had an increased ability to fuse with the heterologous oocytes when compared to controls capacitated with BWW/BSA. Moreover, the presence or absence of BSA in the insemination medium did not further modify this enhanced penetration pattern. The BWW, BWW/0.1 M urea and BWW/SDS treatments apparently mimicked some of the in vitro capacitation properties of albumin-containing media; the BWW/0.3 M urea treatment overpowered the capacitation and acrosomal reaction extent obtained with BWW+BSA. In all samples the motility of the spermatozoa washed with BWW buffer alone or containing various additives (but no albumin) was significantly decreased if compared to the motility of semen samples washed with albumin containing media. However, each sperm sample behaved differently when exposed to a given buffer.
Animals↗
Removal of sperm-coat from human spermatozoa by interaction with cervical mucus or a capacitating medium.
Human spermatozoa were labelled with cationized ferritin and their interaction with cervical mucus or a capacitating medium enriched with 3% bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the sperm-coat was removed from the surface of spermatozoa after incubation in the BSA-enriched capacitating medium, as well as after crossing a column filled with cervical mucus. These results suggest that both media have a quantitatively similar action in removing the sperm-coat.
Cervix Mucus↗
Etiology of severe asthenozoospermia and fertility prognosis. A screening of 5216 semen analyses.
A review of n = 5216 semen analyses performed in our two Clinics from January 1986 to December 1989 allowed to identify n = 35 patients whose sperm had constantly very low motility (less than 5% progressive motile gametes in three subsequent analyses; necrozoospermia cases were excluded from this study). This apparently rare but severe anomaly was found to be associated not only with ultrastructural anomalies (n = 18), but also with positive seminal bacteriology (n = 8) or the presence of antisperm antibodies (n = 2). In eight cases the cause(s) for this constant asthenozoospermia remained obscure. The fertility potential of the men affected was followed-up and is discussed in relation to their anamnesis, physical exam and seminal characteristics.
Adult↗
Gonads and genital ducts in a case of male pseudohermaphroditism.
We describe a patient with a 46,XY karyotype, ambiguous external genitalia and partial 17a-hydroxylase deficiency in whom we performed a light microscopic study of the gonads and genital ducts. The right and left testes and epididymides were hypoplastic whereas the right vas deferens was normal, the left one was atretic and a left infundibular remnant was also present, which could be due to a concomitant deficiency in testicular secretions in the early stages of embryonic development or to the possibility of receptor insensitivity for testicular hormones or to a concomitant gonadal dysgenesis.
17-Ketosteroids↗
Ab-interno trabeculo-canalectomy: surgical approach and histological examination.
PURPOSE: To evaluate, on eye bank eyes, a new surgical approach aimed at removing a quadrant of the trabecular meshwork (TM), with an ab interno approach. METHODS: Gonioscopically controlled ab interno removal of the TM was done with a subretinal forcep on six human bank eyes. Serial histological sections were obtained from the treated and untreated part of each globe to assess the effect of the technique on intraocular tissues. RESULTS: Under the gonioscope, the TM was easily removed in strings of varying length. Histological examination showed, unexpectedly, that this resulted in a well-defined deep furrow in the middle of the trabecular region involving both the TM and the inner wall of Schlemm's canal. The operation created a direct communication between the anterior chamber and Schlemm's canal lumen without any evident damage to the outer canal wall and adjacent ocular structures such as the iris base and corneal endothelium. CONCLUSIONS: Our small series on human bank eyes showed that the procedure involves both the TM and the inner wall of Schlemm's canal and is therefore called ab interno trabeculocanalectomy (AITC). The intraoperative findings and the histological evidence are encouraging, and suggest that the procecedure could have potential clinical application.
Cornea↗
Risk factors for unexplained dyspermia in infertile men: a case-control study.
This study was conducted to analyze risk factors for dyspermia in infertile subjects in a population of men attending outpatient services for infertility in Milan, Northern Italy. Between September 1989 and November 1990 we conducted a case-control study on risk factors for dyspermia. Cases included infertile men with a diagnosis of unexplained dyspermia consecutively observed for the first time during the study period at the Outpatient Service for Infertility of the First Obstetric and Gynecologic Clinic of the University of Milan. Specific work-up was done to exclude the major known or potential causes of dyspermia and infertility in patients and their partners. Two control groups were selected. The first included normospermic men of infertile couples with negative work-up for any disease that might affect fertility, observed in the same outpatient service where cases had been identified. The second control group included fertile men of unknown semen quality who were the partners of women who gave birth at term (> 37 w gestation) to health infants in randomly selected days at the same clinic. In comparison with those who have never smoked, current smokers were at increased risk of dyspermia versus both normospermic men of infertile couples and fertile men of unknown semen quality, and the risk increased with number of cigarettes smoked per day and duration of smoking. The risk of dyspermia increased with the number of cups of coffee drunk per day compared with men drinking no or one cup per day. Likewise, alcohol drinkers were at increased risk and the risk increased with number of drinks/d.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Case-Control Studies↗
[Studies on the development of human knee joint].
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Female↗
Simultaneous intra- and extrauterine pregnancy after multiple ovulation induction.
Superovulation was induced by combined treatment with a GnRH analog, hMG and hCG in a 31 years old nulligravida with a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. She developed a mild hyperstimulation syndrome for which she received conservative treatment in hospital, and she was discharged only after we demonstrated a gestation sac in utero with evident fetal heart beat and beta hCG assays were positive. One week later the patient was readmitted urgently with acute abdominal pain. Laparoscopy revealed a left tubal pregnancy with corpus luteum on the right ovary and free blood in the pouch of Douglas. Salpingotomy was therefore performed with dilatation and curettage of the uterine cavity. Histological examination confirmed the presence of contemporary intra- and extrauterine pregnancy. Based on this first communication, a high index of clinical suspicion for an extrauterine pregnancy is warranted in all patients undergoing superovulation even after a pregnancy in utero has been demonstrated.
Adult↗
Serum Ca-125 concentrations in endometriosis.
Serum Ca-125 levels were measured in 154 patients undergoing laparoscopy or laparotomy for infertility and/or pelvic pain. Pelvic endometriosis at various stages was observed in 102 of the patients, and 52 had a visually normal pelvis and served as a control group. We found a significantly higher mean serum Ca-125 concentration in the patients with stages III and IV endometriosis compared with the controls (P less than 0.001) whereas in the patients with stages I and II disease the mean antigen level was comparable to that of the control group. Considering its low sensitivity (14.7%) the usefulness of serum Ca-125 measurements as an initial diagnostic test for endometriosis is scanty. On the contrary, because of its elevated specificity (100%), this test may be useful in indicating early surgical exploration of the pelvis in cases of infertility and/or dysmenorrhea which are associated with high values of Ca-125.
Adult↗
Effects of clomiphene citrate on cervical mucus: analysis of some influencing factors.
A multicenter study was performed to investigate the effects of a standard dose of clomiphene citrate (100 mg/day from day 5 of the cycle for five days) on the quality of cervical mucus. A total of 82 cervical mucus samples from 60 infertile patients (15 with secondary amenorrhea, 16 with delayed ovulation, 15 with anovulatory cycles, 14 with oligomenorrhea) was examined on the day of maximum follicular diameter. As a control we studied 54 cervical mucus samples from 47 patients with documented tubal sterility or infertile partners, who had spontaneous cycles with normal rhythm. Cervical mucus was unfavorable in 59% of the treatment cycles compared with 11% of the control cycles. Clomiphene citrate's antiestrogenic effect on cervical mucus was found to be related to the length of time between the last drug administration and the day of maximum follicular diameter (delta days), since cervical mucus was favorable in 64% of the cycles with a delta days more than 6 and in only 16% of the cycles with a delta days of 6 or less. Clomiphene citrate thus seems able to decrease cervical mucus quality. This could be one of the causes of the discrepancy between the rates of ovulation and pregnancy reported in patients treated with this drug.
Adult↗
[Anatomic contribution to the study on the variety of fibrous formations of the arm in humans].
The authors have examined an anatomical preparation of a human upper limb preserved in the Anatomical Museum in Bologna. The specimen was formed by bone, fibrous formations, musculus biceps brachii and musculus coracobrachialis. The soft parts were kept in situ and dried by mummification. The humerus showed abnormalities at its proximal extremity (Fig. 1) and the muscles displayed fibrous varieties: a) a fibrous sheet (Fig. 1, 2) connected the caput brevis of the musculus biceps brachii to the articular capsule of the shoulder joint; b) an aponevrosis (Fig. 1, 3) connected the musculus coracobrachialis to the same articular capsule and the humerus. These observations were discussed from an evolutionary and functional point of view.
Biological Evolution↗
[The Augustine operation in inveterate lesion of the posterior cruciate ligament of the knee].
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Adult↗
Poor reproductive prognosis in severe teratozoospermia with a predominant sperm anomaly.
A retrospective examination of the semen analyses performed in our clinic from January 1979 to September 1986 revealed that approximately 15% of the patients were affected by severe teratozoospermia (greater than 80% abnormal forms and greater than 5 x 10(6) sperm/ml). In approximately 8% of these cases, a single predominant anomaly (same defect in greater than 50% of the sperm) was reported and confirmed by subsequent analyses (n = 37). The types of monomorphic teratozoospermia encountered in this study included round head (n = 6), amorphous head (n = 16), small head (n = 6), tapering head (n = 2), pin head (n = 1) and midpiece anomaly (n = 6). The clinical data suggest that familial genetic factors are probably involved in round head-monomorphic teratozoospermia, whereas testicular factors may be associated with amorphous head-monomorphic teratozoospermia. No matter what type of monomorphic teratozoospermia, the data in vivo (no pregnancies recorded in the follow-up period ranging from 2-8 years) and in vitro (negative SPAs) suggest a poor prognosis for the couples affected by this syndrome.
Adult↗
Communicating uteri: description and classification of a new type.
A case of bicornuate-bicervical communicating uterus with atresia of the right hemicervix is reported. This cannot be included in any of the nine groups of Toaff's classification of uterine malformations proposed in 1984, and should be classified as a new, tenth type.
Adult↗
Second-look laparoscopy in the treatment of endometriosis.
The results of second-look laparoscopy were compared with subjective symptomatology and findings at pelvic exploration in 36 patients who had received conservative treatment for endometriosis. In the 14 patients given pharmacologic treatment, second-look laparoscopy demonstrated active endometriosis in 57.1%, whereas pelvic pain was present in 64.3% and gynecologic examination was positive in 28.6%. In the 22 patients who underwent surgery, active endometriosis was detected by second-look laparoscopy in 31.8%, whereas 40.9% reported pelvic pain and pelvic examination was positive in 31.8%. Thus clinical signs and symptoms were unreliable in the diagnosis of endometriosis recurrence, whereas laparoscopy was indispensable. It should be programmed for 6 months from the end of medical treatment and 12 months after surgery; however, if the pain symptomatology recurs, then laparoscopy is performed immediately.
Adult↗
Partial seizures and migraine.
Epilepsy and migraine, despite some common features, have quite different pathophysiological mechanisms. Studies carried out on large population samples have shown that the relationships between migraine and epilepsy may be of the following type: associated attacks, with migraine and seizures occurring quite independently of one another; combined attacks, with the two types of attacks succeeding one another in time; basilar artery migraine with seizures and marked EEG abnormalities; benign epilepsies with occipital discharges, migraine and intercalated seizures. We report four cases of particular interest.
Adolescent↗