Equivalence between vaginal and sublingual administration could not be demonstrated overall. Vaginal administration showed a higher effectiveness than sublingual administration in terminating second trimester pregnancies, but this result was mainly driven by nulliparous women. Fever was more prevalent with vaginal administration. Registered with International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial number ISRCTN72965671.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the occurrence of association between homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B 12 in patients with preeclampsia. Fifty preeclamptic patients from gynecology ward were studied for estimation of serum homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B 12 over a period of October 2007 to June 2010. Serum homocysteine and folic acid, and vitamin B 12 were determined by means of Immulite 1000 analyzer. The statistical analysis of study group of preeclampsia compared with normotensive control group, showed significant alterations in serum homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B 12 concentrations in preeclampsia. Inverse association between serum homocysteine and folic acid, and vitamin B 12 levels were observed in preeclampsia. The present study found hyperhomocysteinemia and deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B 12 along with increased blood pressure as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in preeclampsia.

To understand the involvement of polyamines in testicular maturation and spermatogenesis, the activity of two enzymes involved in the polyamine synthetic pathway, L-ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) were determined in whole testis and isolated testicular cell types during the sexual maturation of male rats. ODC activities per mg protein in whole testis and cultured Sertoli cells from 12- to 14-day-old rats were very high but declined as the age of the animals increased. ODC activities in both germ cells and interstitial cells increased as the age of the rats increased, reached a maximum at 22 days and then declined rapidly. On the other hand, AdoMetDC activity in whole testis, Sertoli cells, germ cells and interstitial cells was highest from 27 to 35 days, 18 to 22 days, 22 to 27 or 35 days, and 27 days of age, respectively, then decreased and remained at a constant lower level after 45 days. After 35 or 45 days of age, cellular AdoMetDC activities were relatively higher than ODC activities in the whole testis and germ cells, while the activity of both enzymes was comparable in the Sertoli cells. Correlation of these data with the development of germ cells during rat testicular maturation suggests that the high ODC activity in both Sertoli and germ cells is associated mainly with cell proliferation while the increase in AdoMetDC activity is most likely associated with the maturation of Sertoli cells and the meiosis of germ cells, particularly the formation of pachytene spermatocytes and the meiotic cell division of spermatocytes into spermatids.

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