SP-10 is a sperm intra-acrosomal protein, specific to the testis, that is believed to play an important role in egg-sperm binding. While the molecular characterization of the SP-10 protein has been clarified, little is yet known of its functional role in fertilization. We therefore established a monoclonal antibody (mAb pep-SP10) against a peptide (pep-SP10) that included the most hydrophilic portion of human SP-10 between the 135th and 149th amino acids. Human SP-10 was found to be localized in the equatorial region of acrosome-reacted sperm by immunofluorescent staining using our mAb pep-SP10. Monoclonal Ab pep-SP10 inhibited sperm-oolemma binding in the zona-free hamster egg penetration test, but it did not inhibit sperm-zona binding in the hemizona assay. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the oolemmal ligands of human SP-10 did not include beta(1) integrins, the most promising candidates for oocyte ligands involved in sperm-oolemma binding, based on the findings of a human sperm-cultured cell binding assay using F9 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells and F9-transformed cells lacking beta(1) integrins. In conclusion, our present data suggest that human SP-10, expressed on the equatorial region of acrosome-reacted sperm, indeed mediates sperm-oolemma binding in a beta(1) integrin-independent manner, but not sperm-zona binding.

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The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of a danazol-releasing intrauterine device (D-IUD) in the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia. Twenty patients with endometrial hyperplasia including 14 with simple endometrial hyperplasia and 2 with complex endometrial hyperplasia (group A), and 4 with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (group B) were enrolled in the prospective study between August 1999 and December 2003. During and just after the treatment, improvement was seen in all patients. Simple or complex endometrial hyperplasia (group A) demonstrated regression to a normal secretory endometrium (38% of group A), pseudodecidual stromal change (31%) and glandular atrophy (25%), and miscellaneous change (inflammation, necrosis, etc.) (38%). Atypical hyperplasia (group B) demonstrated regression to a normal secretory endometrium (25% of group B), pseudodecidual stromal change (75%), glandular atrophy (50%) and miscellaneous change (granulation) (25%). In group A, 2 women conceived after completion of the treatment. The recurrence rate in patients with endometrial hyperplasia (groups A and B) in the follow- up was 20% and acceptable as compared with other studies. The pretreatment menstrual interval patterns of the patients were maintained peri- and post-treatment. These data indicate that D-IUD therapy might be a novel and effective method for the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia.

No abstract

Two hundred and forty-three patients with amenorrhoea associated with weight loss were studied. At the onset of amenorrhoea, regardless of percentage weight loss, basal levels of LH were low and LH responses to LHRH were impaired. However, both basal and stimulated levels of FSH were comparable to normal. With resumption of menstruation, the basal and stimulated levels of LH were found to rise to normal, while FSH responses continued to exceed normal. However, 16.6% of 66 unimproved cases had normal responses but remained amenorrhoeic. Furthermore, amenorrhoea persisted in 71% of 31 patients with complete recovery of body weight. No significant correlation was noted between percentage weight loss and responsiveness to LHRH, nor between recovery of body weight and resumption of menstruation. Return to normal weight is desirable for resumption of normal cyclic menstruation and hypothalamic-pituitary function, but is not always effective.