Fertility, clinical control

Aitken, R.J. (1990). Motility parameters and fertility, in Controls of Sperm Motility Biological and Clinical Aspects (C. Gagnon, ed.), pp. 285-302. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 

Reduced food intake and efficiency of food use, altered iron metabolism, clinical signs of copper deficiency. Onset of puberty delayed 10 weeks, decreased conception rate (fertility 12-33% vs. 57-80% in controls), disrupted estrus cycle (67% were anestrus vs. 7% in controls), and other signs consistent with decreased releases of luteinizing hormones associated with altered ovarian secretion (3, 4) Growth and fertilization normal liver copper 10 mg/kg DW only 16% of embryos developed normally (2)... 

Endocrine diseases and their treatment have a major impact on health throughout the world, particularly in terms of diabetes, thyroid disease, steroid therapy, and control of fertility. Most endocrine therapy is simple and relatively cheap, but a clear understanding of their actions and uses is essential for safe and cost-effective treatment. In this chapter we will focus mainly on well established and validated endocrine therapies that are widely used throughout the world, with briefer mention of drugs that have recently been introduced. In the sections that follow we outline the major issues in the current clinical pharmacology of endocrine disease, covering each of the major endocrine systems in turn. 

One rodent species (preferably rat) should be used. Dose selection should be based on the results of the previous 14- or 28-day toxicity study in rat. Three dose groups, the highest one showing minimal toxicity in systemic studies, and a control group should be included. Each group should consist of six adult male animals. Animals should be treated with the test substance by the intended route of clinical use for minimum 28 days and maximum 70 days before they are paired with female animals of proven fertility in a ratio of 1 2 for mating. 

FSH, LH, and hCG are commercially available in several forms. They are used in states of infertility to stimulate spermatogenesis in men and to induce ovulation in women. Their most common clinical use is for the controlled ovulation hyperstimulation that is the cornerstone of assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF, see below). 

Japan assessment of female fertility and embryo-fetal development should be completed prior to the inclusion of women of childbearing potential using birth control in any type of clinical trial... 

We should then ask What is the alternative to the conventional Fourier processing and fitting approach First, it is necessary to properly define the task of quantification in MRS. This entails the determination of metabolite concentrations that are the norms and then the identification of various patferns of deviation from normal as indicative of cancer versus other, nonmalignant disease processes. Here is the role for clinical interpretation. Realization of this task will be greatly facilitated by a broader view. Namely, to provide cross-fertilization about how spectral analysis, which is quantification, has been successfully achieved in other branches of science. Mathematics is the key, with rational response functions being the leading tool. The Fade approximant is especially well suited since it uniquely solves the quantification problem. In this chapter, we have provided clinically-relevant examples of the performance of the FPT. We have handled fully controlled problems with synthesized FIDs that were based on actually measured data. 

Escudero, E.L., Boerrigter, P.J., Bennink, H.J., Epifanio, R., Horcajadas, J.A., Olivennes, F., Pellicer, A. and Simon, C. (2005) Mifepristone is an effective oral alternative for the prevention of premature luteinizing hormone surges and for premature luteinization in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 90, 2081-2088... 

The clinical relevance of selenium deficiency is more difficult to estabhsh than that of iodine deficiency. Moderate selenium deficiency is present in some regions of Europe, but it has not been associated with any cfinical condition in humans. Nonetheless, the degree of selenium deficiency in Finland was considered severe enough to implement a control program based on the supplementation of fertilizers with selenium (Aro et ai, 1995). New Zealand adopted the same strategy, because of the beneficial effects of selenium supplementation on the productivity of their animal industry. 

Kopf GS, Ning XR, Visconti RE, Rurdon M, Galantino-Homer H, Fornes M. 1999. Signaling mechanisms controlling mammalian sperm fertilization competence and activation, in Gagnon C, Ed. The Male Gamete From Basic Science to Clinical Applications. Vienna, IL Cache River Press, pp. 105-118. 

Pearl J (2000) Causality Models, Reasoning and Inference. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Pearson K, Lee A, Bramley-Moore L (1899) Mathematical contributions to the theory of evolution. VI. Genetic (reproductive) selection inheritance of fertility in man, and of fecundity in thoroughbred racehorses. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 192 257-330. Piantadosi S, Wittes J (1993) Politically correct clinical trials. Controlled Clinical Trials 14 562-567. 

Cosson, M.P. (1990). Sperm chemotaxis, in Controls of Sperm Motility Biological and Clinical Aspects (C. Gagnon, ed.), pp. 103-135. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Cummins, J.M. andYanagimachi, R. (1982). Sperm-egg ratios and the site of the acro-some reaction during in vivo fertilization in the hamster. Gamete Res. 5, 239-256. Darszon, A., Beltran, C., Felix, R., Nishigaki, T. and Trevino, C.L. (2001). Ion transport in sperm signaling. Develop. Biol. 240, 1—14. 

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