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To assess treatment satisfaction and owner preference for two delivery devices (VetPen, MSD Animal Health, and U40 insulin syringes) and the effect on glycaemic control in diabetic dogs treated with porcine insulin zinc suspension.Randomised prospective cross-over study with two arms, each of 8 weeks. Twenty client-owned diabetic dogs on insulin treatment by U40 syringe were enrolled. Dogs were randomly assigned to receive insulin by syringe or pen injector for 2 months, followed by 2 months of the other injection method. Treatment satisfaction and owners' insulin delivery device preference were assessed using a questionnaire. Glycaemic control was assessed using a clinical score, serum fructosamine and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c%) at the time of the enrolment (T0) and the end of each arm of treatment (T2 and T4).Treatment satisfaction differed for the two types of the delivery device when the order that each device was used was taken into consideration. Owners who used the syringe first did not have a significant preference for an injection device. In contrast, owners who used the pen injector first expressed a significant preference for VetPen compared to syringes. No significant differences in the number of dogs of Groups 1 and 2 with good and poor glycaemic control at T2 and T4 were detected.Overall treatment satisfaction and preference for the two delivery methods were similar. However, VetPen was preferred by owners who were randomised to use this device first. Glycaemic control did not appear to be affected by the insulin delivery device used.

Assisted reproductive technology may influence epigenetic signature as the procedures coincide with the extensive epigenetic modification occurring from fertilization to embryo implantation. However, it is still unclear to what extent ART alters the embryo epigenome. In vivo fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube, where a specific and natural environment enables the embryo's healthy development. During this dynamic period, major waves of epigenetic reprogramming, crucial for the normal fate of the embryo, take place. Over the past decade, concerns relating to the raised incidence of epigenetic anomalies and imprinting following ART have been raised by several authors. Epigenetic reprogramming is particularly susceptible to environmental conditions during the periconceptional period; therefore, unphysiological conditions, including ovarian stimulation, in vitro fertilization, embryo culture, cryopreservation of gametes and embryos, parental lifestyle, and underlying infertility, have the potential to contribute to epigenetic dysregulation independently or collectively. This review critically appraises the evidence relating to the association between ART and genetic and epigenetic modifications that may be transmitted to the offspring.

Objective. Endometriosis is a frequent indication for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Its influence on IVF-ET cycles remains controversial. We evaluated the impact of the severity of endometriosis on IVF-ET cycles in young women. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. Academic tertiary referral centre. Sample and Methods. In a retrospective cohort analysis, 164 IVF-ET cycles in 148 women with endometriosis-associated infertility were analyzed. Eighty cycles performed during the same period on 72 consecutive women with tubal infertility were considered as controls. All patients were younger than 35 years old.Main Outcome Measures. Response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH), number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization, implantation and pregnancy rate (PR). Results. Clinical PR was lower in the group with endometriosis (all stages) in comparison with the tubal factor group. Higher total gonadotropin requirements, lower response to COH and lower oocyte yield were also found in the endometriosis group.Stage-stratifiedanalysisshowedalowerfertilizationrateinstageI‐II(52.6% stageI‐II,70.5%stageIII‐IVand71.9%tubalfactor).InstageIII‐IVendometriosis there was a higher cycle cancellation rate, a reduced response to COH and a lower PR compared with both the stage I‐II and the tubal infertility groups (PR 9.7, 25 and 26.1%, respectively). Conclusions. Stage III‐IV was strongly associated with poor IVF outcome. A decreased fertilization rate in stage I‐II might be a cause of subfertility in these women, owing to a hostile environment caused by the disease. Abbreviations: ASRM, American Society for Reproductive Medicine; COH, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation; E2, estradiol; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin; IVF, in vitro fertilization; IVF-ET, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer; PR, pregnancy rate

The availability of computer-controlled artificial hearts, kidneys, and lungs, as well as the possibility of implanting human embryos in ex vivo uterus models or an artificial endometrium, presents new perspectives for creating an artificial uterus. Survival rates have also improved, with fetuses surviving from as early as 24 weeks of gestation. These advances bring new opportunities for complete or partial ectogenesis through the creation of an artificial womb, one that could sustain the growth and development of fetuses outside of the human body.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a morbid, iatrogenic, and potentially lethal condition caused by the pharmacological induction of ovulation. In OHSS, the ovaries are the site of significant stromal edema with bilateral cystic ovarian enlargement. It has been suggested that ascitic fluid accumulation may be due to increased capillary permeability, which results in fluid shift from the intravascular to the extravascular compartment. While the exact etiology is not clear, several biochemical markers are considered to be possible mediators. There is an incidence of OHSS in about 3% to 8% of all therapy cycles. Severe OHSS is the rarest form, with an incidence characterized by a degree of variability ranging from 0.1% to 2.5% of women subjected to induced polyovulation.

Cryopreservation of the human embryo has been successfully achieved at the zygote (day 1), cleavage (day 2/3), and blastocyst (day 5) stages; however, each stage presents specific advantages and disadvantages. During the past decades, two major methods have been applied: slow freezing (equilibrium procedure) and vitrification (nonequilibrium procedure). The overwhelming majority of published data prove that the latest vitrification methods induce less cellular trauma and are a more effective cryopreservation technique of human embryos than any other versions of slow freezing. For this reason, fragmented and slow-cleaving embryos that normally would not be recommended may be revaluated for cryopreservation by using the vitrification method. Furthermore, if laser-assisted necrotic blastomere removal is associated with the slow-freezing/thawing procedure, good clinical results can be obtained. Finally, the most proper embryo cleavage stage at which to perform cryopreservation has to be assessed according to clinical indications and laboratory experience.

4-(3,4-Dihydro-2,4-dioxo-2H-1,3-benzoxazin-3-yl)-butyric acid (7) and its ester 6, two potential gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) prodrugs, were synthesized and studied to determine their stability in aqueous buffer and their susceptibility to undergo enzymatic hydrolysis in vitro (mouse plasma). Both compounds were fairly stable in aqueous media, (t1/2 = 68.2 h and 25.7 h, respectively). The 3,4-dihydro-2,4-dioxo-2H-1,3-benzoxazine ring underwent enzymatic hydrolysis (t1/2 = 5.8 h) in compound 7, whereas in compound 6 it seemed not to be opened by mouse plasma esterases within the observation time (3h). Both compounds were tested for their anticonvulsant activity in pentetrazole (PTZ) treated mice, and showed significant activity. Compound 7, administered as sodium salt 8, was active at relatively low doses and can be considered a very interesting GABA prodrug.