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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1976

A new method for evaluating cervical penetrability using daily aspirated and stored cervical mucus.

Cervical mucus samples from 33 women undergoing fertility work-up and married to normospermic husbands were aspirated daily with a tuberculin syringe during the periovulatory period. Samples were transferred to polyethylene tubing, sealed, and stored at 4 degrees C for 7 to 14 days. In vitro sperm penetration tests were performed in each case, using only one sample of husband's semen with all of the mucus samples that were collected during one cycle. Preliminary studies with 50 samples of cervical mucus taken at random showed that no difference in physicochemical and penetrability properties existed between fresh mucus and mucus stored for 10 to 14 days. Very often the optimal penetrability of the cervical mucus occurred on unpredictable days. In contrast, many tests performed on days which would have been predetermined for in vivo postocital tests were poor; consequently, those in vivo tests would have been falsely interpreted as negative. This new test using daily aspirated and stored mucus, which is simple to perform, is valuable mainly because it may eliminate the false negative results of other penetration tests. In this way the diagnosis of a truly hostile cervix may be more accurate.

Cervix Mucus↗
PubMed1996

Comparative study of the effect of human cervical mucus and a cervical mucus substitute, Healonid, on capacitation and the acrosome reaction of human spermatozoa in vitro.

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of human cervical mucus on capacitation and the acrosome reaction of human spermatozoa and compare its effect to that of a cervical mucus substitute, sodium hyaluronate (Healonid). Spermatozoa from donors of proven fertility were isolated from semen using cervical mucus, Healonid or a direct swim-up (acting as the control). Sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction were monitored by the chlortetracycline assay. In the mucus-treated group, there was a significantly higher percentage of capacitated spermatozoa, but a low incidence of spontaneous and A23187-induced acrosome reactions compared to the control. The use of Healonid during sperm isolation mimicked the effect of mucus relatively successfully. Since mucus and Healonid show very little chemical similarity, this finding would imply that cervical mucus exerts a physical effect during its interaction with spermatozoa, although a chemical effect cannot be completely dismissed. In conclusion, this study confirms early reports describing the ability of cervical mucus to capacitate spermatozoa but at the same time conserve sperm function. The finding that Healonid exerts an almost identical effect on spermatozoa would lend support to its use as a cervical mucus substitute during in-vitro fertility assessments and research studies.

Acrosome↗
PubMed1991

The relationship between granulocyte elastase-like activity of cervical mucus and cervical maturation.

Granulocyte elastase (elastase)-like activity in 119 samples of cervical mucus from pregnant women was measured. Though elastase-like activity in normal pregnant women was low in 2nd and 3rd trimesters (less than 20 units), it increased during labor (1st stage of labor: 70 +/- 50 U/l; 2nd stage: 72 +/- 56). Elastase-like activity in pregnant women with imminent premature delivery (24-30 gestational weeks) was also high (78 +/- 57). Elastase-like activity of cervical mucus correlated with Bishop score in both normal term and preterm labor. Elastase-containing granulocytes were identified by immunohistochemistry in ripened cervix in normal and preterm labor. Some granulocytes degranulate and release elastase into the cervical stroma. Others migrate through the basement membrane of the endocervix to reach the cervical canal. Elastase could not be demonstrated in immature cervix as assessed by Bishop score. The staining intensity of elastase in the cervix correlated closely with elastase-like activity in cervical mucus. Thus elastase-like activity in cervical mucus reflects the degree of cervical maturation. These results lead one to speculate that elastase is one of the neutral proteases which depolymerize and degrade collagen in the ripening cervix.

Cervix Mucus↗
PubMed1984

Canalization of human cervical mucus.

Cervical mucus forms channels when dried under a coverslip. The aim of the present work was: 1) to prove mucus canalization both in spontaneous ovulatory cycles and during ovulation induction with gonadotropins; 2) to prove the estrogen dependence of this phenomenon; 3) to check the importance of the proteidic and electrolytic concentration on chaneling; and 4) to use this phenomenon clinically, shortening the time in which it occurs. The number and arrangement of channels vary during the cycle. The phenomenon is estrogen-dependent. The comparison between estradiol values and the number of channels during spontaneous ovulatory cycles and treatment with gonadotropins showed a linear relationship. Treatment with estradiol 17 beta-valerate and ethinyl estradiol induced channel formation in women with primary amenorrhea. Canalization and ferning disappeared after dialysis or treatment with proteolytic enzymes. It follows that the two phenomena have similar characteristics. Canalization increases daily, as does estradiol, whereas ferning maintains the same grade for a longer period, and when a grade of + + + is reached, it provides no further indications. With the use of a thermostat, canalization occurred in only a few hours. Chaneling, a more precise index, could therefore substitute for ferning, particularly when monitoring the induction of ovulation.

Amenorrhea↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of two anti-estrogens, clomiphene citrate and tamoxifen, on cervical mucus and sperm-cervical mucus interaction.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of two ovulation-inducing agents, clomiphene citrate and tamoxifen, on cervical mucus and sperm-cervical mucus interaction. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Forty couples with unexplained infertility attending infertility clinic. METHODS: Cervical mucus scoring and postcoital test done using the Moghissi system in a spontaneous cycle (control cycle) and with clomiphene citrate or tamoxifen (study cycles). RESULTS: Clomiphene citrate significantly decreased cervical mucus production, whereas tamoxifen significantly improved the total score. CONCLUSION: Tamoxifen is a better drug than clomiphene for ovulation induction in women with poor cervical mucus quality.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Comparison of the in vitro sperm penetration test using human cervical mucus and bovine estrus cervical mucus with the postcoital test.

The objective of this study was to determine how well bovine estrus cervical mucus could be substituted for human cervical mucus in the in vitro sperm penetration test (SPT) and how well the SPT compares with the postcoital test (PCT). The subjects were couples chosen at random from our infertility clinic population. The complete infertility evaluation of these couples included a PCT performed at the time of anticipated ovulation. Human cervical mucus quality was assessed using a scoring system which evaluated amount, spinnbarkeit, ferning, viscosity, and cellularity. SPT's were performed in flat capillary tubes filled with cervical mucus and exposed to semen samples for 90 minutes. Thirty-five couples had SPT's performed with wife's mucus and bovine mucus. Test results showed that PCT results correlated significantly with the SPT (P 0.02) but r was low (r = 0.37). The cervical mucus score correlated well with the SPT (P 0.001, r = 0.52) but less well with the PCT (P 0.03, r = .30). It is concluded that the SPT performed with either wife's mucus or bovine mucus is not an adequate substitute for the PCT but provides complementary information.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Sperm counts in enzymatically liquefied cervical mucus: quantitative validation using donor cervical mucus.

The post-coital test evaluates the penetration of spermatozoa into cervical mucus; it relies on subjective measurements and therefore lacks precision. Enzymatic liquefaction of cervical mucus allows sperm concentration to be measured in post-coital test samples, but the reliability of such measurements is not known. Donor cervical mucus was used as a model to test the accuracy and sensitivity of sperm quantification in liquefied cervical mucus. Donor cervical mucus was dissolved by enzymatic treatments in the presence of known numbers of spermatozoa and the recovery of sperm cells was assessed after liquefaction of the samples. Enzymatic treatment of cervical mucus with a combination of bromelin and glycosidases resulted in reliable and fast liquefaction of the samples. The accuracy of sperm concentration measurements was 89 +/- 10% (mean +/- SD, n = 50), and the sensitivity limits were 1 x 10(6) and 0.2 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml for quantitative concentration measurement and qualitative sperm detection respectively. This study demonstrates that liquefaction of cervical mucus by combined protease and glycosidases allows accurate and sensitive determination of sperm concentration in the sample. Therefore we believe that valuable data can be obtained for sperm concentration and total sperm counts in post-coital tests, that should help to improve the reliability of the post-coital test.

Cervix Mucus↗
PubMed1981

Studies on the use of estrous bovine cervical mucus in the human sperm-cervical mucus penetration technique.

Estrous bovine cervical mucus (BCM) was evaluated as a practical substitute for midcycle human cervical mucus (HCM) in the sperm-cervical mucus penetration technique (S-CMPT). Analysis of semen samples from 299 men of infertile couples suggested that up to 95% of the S-CMPT analyses with BCM were compatible with results expected with HCM. Results from a secondary S-CMPT with BCM using donor sperm treated with seminal plasma or cervical mucus extracts from partners of infertile couples indicated 70 and 88% agreement with the clinical S-CMPT obtained with the semen and cervical mucus samples, respectively. Seminal plasma samples from men with serum antisperm antibodies decreased the ability of donor sperm to penetrate BCM in the Secondary S-CMPT. Our results indicate that estrous BCM possess those basic qualities of HCM that support human sperm motility, allow for normal sperm penetration, and interact with antibody-treated sperm to inhibit penetration and to produce the sperm shaking phenomenon.

Agglutination↗
PubMed1982

In vitro sperm cervical mucus penetration: studies in human and bovine cervical mucus.

The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of substituting bovine estrus cervical mucus (BCM) for human midcycle cervical mucus (MCM) for investigation of sperm cervical mucus (CM) interaction and evaluation of cervical factor in infertility. In vitro sperm cervical mucus penetration tests (ICMPT) were performed with the use of ejaculated human spermatozoa collected from fertile donors and infertile men. Tests were performed in a flat capillary tube with the use of MCM and BCM. Mean +/- standard deviation (SD) of sperm penetration in MCM was 32.3 +/- 15.5 mm and in BCM 27.3 +/- 12.1 mm after 90 minutes of migration. The difference was significant (P less than 0.001). A highly significant correlation was found between sperm penetration in MCM and BCM. The depth of sperm penetration in both human cervical mucus (HCM) and BCM was also significantly related to sperm count and motility. Positive correlation was observed between normal morphologic features and sperm migration in BCM but not in MCM. It is concluded that human sperm penetrate BCM at a slower rate than MCM, but BCM can be effectively substituted for HCM in laboratory testing of sperm penetration.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Immunoglobulins, proteinase inhibitors, albumin, and lysozyme in human cervical mucus. I. Communication: hormonal profiles and cervical mucus changes--methods and results.

The serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol-17beta, and progesterone were determined simultaneously with the concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, C'3, alpha1-antitrypsin, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, alpha1x-antichymotrypsin, albumin, and lysozyme in cervical mucus during nine ovulatory cycles. Spinnbarkeit and ferning were also assessed, and the basal body temperature was measured and recorded during these cycles. The profiles were synchronized according to the LH peak. The midcycle period, characterized by the rapid increase and decline of estrogen and the beginning rise of progesterone, shows a prounced minimum of immunoglobulins, C'3, proteinase inhibitors, albumin, and lysozyme in cervical mucus, which is known to be most receptive to sperm penetration at this time. Although the variation of cervical mucus values is considerable during the early proliferative and the luteal phases, the midcycle values appear to be constantly low, showing slight differences among the profiles of the different parameters. The statistical evaluation and the assessment of the significance of parameters for ovulation detection and the assessment of the fertile period as well as the correlation of these parameters with basal body temperature will be the subject of the second communication of this series.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The effect of three anti-oestrogen drugs on cervical mucus quality and in-vitro sperm-cervical mucus interaction in ovulatory women.

The anti-oestrogens, clomiphene citrate, tamoxifen and cyclofenil are commonly used in the treatment of female infertility. Their role in the management of anovulation is well established but there is continuing controversy about their relevance to other areas of management. We have studied the effects of each of these drugs on cervical mucus and sperm-cervical mucus interaction among 23 patients with unexplained infertility. Each patient received all three drugs in an alternative month treatment regime and in addition acted as her own control. The starting point in each patient was randomized. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and oestradiol were measured daily from day 10, and follicle scanning was also undertaken. Cervical mucus quality and sperm-cervical mucus interaction were studied on the day of onset of the LH surge. The use of clomiphene and tamoxifen resulted in a significant reduction in cervical mucus score and sperm-cervical mucus interaction as judged by the distance travelled by the vanguard spermatozoa. Cyclofenil had no effect on these parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Biochemical and functional-structural aspects of human cervical mucus.

Human cervical mucus is composed of an insoluble polymer of glycoproteins (mucin) which forms a matrix in which the aqueous phase is dispersed. Both the mucin and the aqueous phase are considered to be of importance to the structural integrity and function of cervical mucus. The mucin is considered to be composed of coiled glycoprotein molecules. These molecules may then associate by the chelation of divalent copper, via the carboxylic acid groups of the terminal sialic acid moieties of the carbohydrate side chains, to form the mucin per se. The modulation of the mucin structure at midcycle may then be achieved by the reduction of the copper bound to the sialic acid, by the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid: the L-ascorbic acid becoming oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid. This will result in an increase in hydration of the mucin by the association of water molecules with the uncomplexed sialic acid molecules of the glycoproteins. Thus the biophysical changes of cervical mucus may occur without enzymatically induced biochemical reactions. The proposed biochemical structure of cervical mucus is in accordance with the honeycomb-like structure of cervical mucin viewed by scanning electron microscopy. Whether or not the mucin exists precisely in this form in vivo is debatable. However, the honeycomb-like structure provides a convenient model on which one may investigate the biochemical, physiological and pathological nature of cervical mucus.

Ascorbic Acid↗
PubMed1988

[Bovine cervical mucus as a substitute of human cervical mucus].

The sperm penetration test (SPT) in cervical mucus (CM) is an important test in screening for sperm-CM incompatibility. For a routine SPT, a sufficient amount of preovulatory CM is necessary, but the amount of human CM is often inadequate. We examined estrous bovine CM as a substitute for human CM in the SPT. Preovulatory human CM and estrous bovine CM were collected and stored frozen at -20 degrees C until use. After being thawed at room temperature, the two CM samples were compared as to their pH, spinnbarkeit and ferning patterns, and it was found that they are quite similar. In Kremer's method of SPT, sperm penetration distance, density and motility were similar in human and bovine CM for 12 hours, but thereafter sperm motility became much lower in bovine CM than in human CM. The results of SPT with spermatozoa from patients with oligozoospermia were quite similar in both CMs. When spermatozoa pretreated with antisperm antibody were used for SPT, sperm penetration was completely blocked in human CM, but no inhibition was seen in bovine CM. From these results, we conclude that bovine CM can be substituted for human CM for some, but not all, purposes.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Sperm penetration into cervical mucus in vitro. III. Effect of freezing on estrous bovine cervical mucus.

The influence of the storages period on estrous bovine cervical mucus after it was stored in the freezing compartment of the laboratory refrigerator was evaluated by an in vitro sperm penetration test with human spermatozoa, laser light-scattering, and a spinnbarkeit test. Data obtained from the sperm penetration test were analyzed by a mathematical model that correlates the sperm motility with the sperm transport rate and the penetrability of the mucus. The tests showed that estrous bovine cervical mucus can be stored for up to 4 weeks at -12 degrees C without a change in its physical properties. The results of this study strengthen the suggestion that bovine mucus could be employed as a substitute for human cervical mucus.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[The relation between granulocyte elastase activity in cervical mucus and gestational cervical polyp].

Granulocyte elastase activity in cervical mucus (elastase activity) was measured in pregnant women (10-20 gestational weeks) with cervical polyp and controls (gravida with no cervical polyp). Elastase activity in the cervical polyp group was 86 +/- 44 U/l, and that in the control group was 22 +/- 13 (p less than 0.01). Elastase activity after polypectomy was 44 +/- 24. It decreased significantly compared with prepolypectomy (p less than 0.05). A high level of elastase activity continued in cases without polypectomy. Immunohistochemical staining of elastase for cervical polyps was also performed. In the low elastase staining group there was low elastase activity (46 +/- 26 U/l). Elastase activity in the moderate staining group was 89 +/- 31, and that in the intense staining group was 114 +/- 31. As for the prognosis of patients with cervical polyps, the occurrence rate of chorioamnionitis is 9% in the control group, 14% in the polyp with polypectomy group and 40% in the polyp without polypectomy group. There was a significant difference between the polyp without polypectomy group and other groups (p less than 0.01). These data suggest that cervical polyp is a focus of inflammation and that it may cause chorioamnionitis. We conclude that cervical polyp during pregnancy should be removed. If polypectomy could not be performed, local anti-inflammatory and anti-infectious therapy would be needed.

Cervix Mucus↗
PubMed1997

Prostaglandin E and F2 alpha concentration in the cervical mucus and mechanism of cervical ripening.

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of cervical ripening by determination of prostaglandin E (PGE) and F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) concentrations in cervical mucus during the course of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Cervical mucus was collected from 99 pregnant women attending the mother care unit of the department. Women with sexual intercourse within the last 24 hours before sampling and subjects with bacterial vaginosis were analysed separately. RESULTS: Eleven women had sexual intercourse within 24 hours before sampling. The concentration of PGE in their cervical mucus was high corresponding to 2000-4000 pg/mg w w lasting for a period of 10-12 hours postcoitally, whereas the levels of PGF 2 alpha only increased slightly. Bacterial vaginosis was accomplished by a slight but significant elevation of PGF2 alpha levels but only of a minor increment of the PGE values. The prostaglandin concentrations in the mucus from the remaining 68 women were for PGE 102.75 +/- 111.51 and for PGF2 alpha 97.54 +/- 82.48 pg/mg w w (mean +/- SD). Although the values were scattered the concentrations remained at approximately the same level throughout pregnancy and there was no tendency towards an increment during the last weeks of pregnancy when cervical maturation is apparent. CONCLUSION: Cervical softening seems not to be accomplished by a massive local release of prostaglandins but rather the result of a number of different mechanisms more or less influenced by minor alterations of prostaglandin synthesis and release. Involved in these mechanisms are probably neutrophil-derived collagenases.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1988

Analysis of the levels of CA125, carcinoembryonic antigen, and CA19-9 in the cervical mucus for a detection of cervical adenocarcinoma.

To verify whether analysis of the levels of CA125, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA19-9 in the cervical mucus is effective for a detection of cervical adenocarcinomas or not, simultaneous measurement of these three tumor markers in the cervical mucus samples from women without gynecologic disorders, with leiomyoma, with cervical squamous cell carcinomas, and with cervical adenocarcinomas was performed. Extremely high levels of CA125 with low levels of both CEA and CA19-9 were demonstrated in the cervical mucus samples from women without gynecologic disorders and with leiomyoma. The cervical mucus samples from cervical adenocarcinomas showed low CA125 levels with extremely high CEA and/or CA19-9 levels. Therefore, analysis of the levels of these three tumor markers in the cervical mucus possibly helps in the diagnosis of cervical adenocarcinomas if CEA and/or CA19-9 show extremely high levels. When a ratio of (CEA + CA19-9)/CA125 was calculated, all women without gynecologic disorders and with leiomyoma showed a ratio less than 0.5, whereas ten of 11 cases of cervical adenocarcinomas had a ratio greater than or equal to 0.5. Only one case of microinvasive adenocarcinoma showed a ratio less than 0.5. Accordingly, the ratio greater than or equal to 0.5 strongly suggested an existence of cervical adenocarcinoma, although it included some cases of squamous cell carcinomas (four of 17 cases).

Adenocarcinoma↗