Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are distributed in consistent and distinctive patterns between the cell surface and the growth medium of haemopoietically active longterm bone marrow cultures. Heparan sulfate is the main cell surface component and chondroitin sulfate is the major sulfated species in the medium. When the cultures are supplemented with /Y-D-xylosides a significant increase in chondroitin sulfate synthesis is observed but no stimulation of heparan sulfate synthesis occurs. The chondroitin sulfate accumulates in the culture medium in/~-D-xyloside-treated cultures but the composition of sulfated GAGs in cellsurface derived material is unaffected. ,8-D-xylosides also stimulate the production of haemopoietic cells without any apparent alteration in the adherent stromal cells of the marrow cultures. Equivalent increases are obtained in cells at all stages of development so that a fivefold increase in pluripotent stem cells (CFU-S) is matched by fivefold increase in the granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (GM-CFC) and in mature granulocytes. The stimulation persists for many weeks in fl-D-xyloside-treated cultures. These results indicate that the sulfated GAGs may play an important role in the regulation of haemopoiesis.

The authors summarize their experience in 75 in vitro fertilization cycles, where frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa were used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. In 32 cases, motile spermatozoa could be observed in the frozen-thawed sample. In 34 cases, motility could be induced by pentoxifylline and in nine cases immotile spermatozoa, selected with hypoosmotic swelling test, were used for fertilization. The fertilization rates obtained with motile and immotile spermatozoa (66.1% versus 52.3%) were not significantly different. Our data demonstrate that freezing of testicular spermatozoa opened new possibilities for the treatment of azoospermic men. The clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer (ET) (21.87%) was comparable with previous results use of fresh testicular spermatozoa (27.7%). The quality and number of transferred embryos had the most significant impact on the pregnancy rate. The fertilization rate and frequency distribution of good-quality embryos were lower in the case of immotile spermatozoa, and pregnancies were only achieved when motile spermatozoa had been used.

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Use of in vitro fertilization techniques increases the frequency of pathological implantation. However, simultaneous pregnancies are a rarity. Ectopic implantation of the embryo may occur in the cervical canal. This is the first case report, which describes successful management of an intrauterine twin pregnancy which occurred simultaneously with a cervical pregnancy. Diagnostic and therapeutic options are discussed along with the outcome of pregnancies. The cervical pregnancy was removed by aspiration, without dilation of cervical canal, which saved the lives of intrauterine fetuses and preserved fertility for following pregnancies. Finally we review the advanced methods in the literature.

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