The objective of this comparative study was to determine the influence of changes in estradiol and progesterone during ovulatory vs. anovulatory cycles on levels of estradiol receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) in endometrium. Thirty women (range age 20-35 years) were divided into three groups: women with a history of habitual abortion, obese women with menstrual disorders, and women with regular ovulatory cycles as well as proven fertility. A single venous blood sample and an endometrial sample were simultaneously obtained during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, in order to measure estradiol and progesterone levels and ER and PgR concentrations in cytosol and salt-extracted nucleosol. Plasma estradiol levels were not different between groups. Plasma progesterone was two times higher in fertile women than in habitual aborters. In endometrial tissue, progesterone content was 200 times higher in fertile women than in habitual aborters. ER and PgR were lower in the cytosol than in the nuclear fraction in fertile and obese women. Both receptors were at their lowest level in the cytosol and nuclear compartment of women with recurrent miscarriage. Fluctuations mainly in the sex hormone progesterone, in plasma and endometrium tissue, could interfere with ER and PgR levels.
Studies from electronic microscopy disclosed the presence of an electrodense stranded and branch-like electrodense layer that extends toward extracellular space. Chemical composition of this glycoproteic layer showed that protein and total sugar content is similar (0.98 microgram/microgram protein). As for the total sugar content of this glycoproteic constituent, sialic acid accounts for 40%, hexosamines 27%, and fucose 30%. Electrophoresis characterization of this constituent showed the presence of 6 different motility bands. Risen levels of sialic acid indicate the contribution of sialic residue in the net charge of the sperm membrane, its role during capacitation, and its possible participation in the formation of binding bridges between sperm membrane and ovum.
A case-control study of 112 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 131 control subjects was conducted. Estradiol receptor levels were determined in the total (cytosolic-nucleosolic) fraction of the neoplastic cervical specimens taken during the late proliferative phase of their cycle from 58 premenopausal patients who had been oral contraceptive (OC) users for at least 2 years and from 54 premenopausal women who had not been OC users. All specimens contained variable amount of estradiol receptor (from 7.6 to 53.0 fmol estradiol/mg protein and 7.2 to 29.3 fmol estradiol/mg protein in patients who were OC users and non-users, respectively). A significant correlation was found between estradiol receptor concentration and histological grading in both groups, likewise higher levels of estradiol receptor were observed in the low-grade CIN group tissue from patients who were OC users (p < 0.05). At the same time 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone levels were also determined in the serum of all women who had not used an OC for at least 12 months. The mean +/- SD estradiol serum levels in non-users of OC with CIN (0.189 +/- 0.08 ng/ml, follicular phase) were greater than the mean +/- SD (1.163 +/- 0.33 ng/ml, luteal phase) progesterone serum concentration. Serum estradiol levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in OC users, whereas progesterone levels were not (p > 0.05). OC users had an increased risk (odds ratio = 1.31, 95% CI 1.0-2.3) of cervical neoplasia.
& The prevalence of human papillomavirus HPV-16DNA sequences in 57 penile carcinoma biopsies was examined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with type specific internal probes, employing HPV consensus primers from the L1 region. The cases comprised 39 typical squamous cell carcinoma and 18 specimens with different subtype. PCR products were analyzed and HPV-16DNA was detected in a high percentage of specimens. Thirty-eight biopsies were HPV-16DNA positive. This determination was correlated with cellular differentiation and growth pattern. Our data corroborates that squamous cell carcinoma was invariably associated with HPV-16DNA.
The accumulation of the lipophilic cation radiolabeled triphenylmethylphosphonium (TPMP+) was utilized to determine the resting membrane potential across the plasma membrane (psi) of human sperm. Washed sperm were suspended and incubated in low-K+ and high-K+ medium and allowed to take up the cation to a steady state (20 min at 37 degrees C). By using this differential, the value obtained was inserted in the Nernst equation and the value yielded a psi of -69 +/- 2 mV. When the Na+ or K+ concentration is high in the medium, the accumulation of TPMP+ in the membrane sperm cells was increased or decreased, respectively, inducing hyperpolarization and depolarization of the membrane 20% and 85%, respectively. The presence of divalent cations Zn++ and Mg++ in the incubation medium both induced a hyperpolarization of 10% and 8.6%, respectively. The addition of specific reagents such as p-chloromercuribenzenosulfonate and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid sodium salt both decreased the psi 35% and 58%, respectively. The agents acting on the sperm cell membrane, such as dithiothreitol and progesterone, both induced hyperpolarization and depolarization of the membrane 16% and 40%, respectively. The presence of propranolol and L-alpha-lysophosphatidylcholine, which affect the ionic gradients present across the plasma membrane, both induced a depolarization from 43% and 92%, respectively. Finally the psi was glucose-dependent. The result of these studies was that, by the use of agents causing hyperpolarization or depolarization, we obtained changes in the psi of -83.4 +/- 2.2 mV, until -6 +/- 0.6 mV changes of -76.8 +/- 2 mV translated across the sperm cell membrane.
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