BACKGROUND: The use of anesthesia during assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as TEST (Tubal Embryo Stage Transfer) may expose early embryo to anesthetics in tubal fluid. The effects of anesthetic agents on the development of early embryo in ART are yet unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of narcotics on mouse two-cell embryo development using in vitro growth model of mouse embryo. METHODS: Mouse two-cell embryos were exposed to narcotics, fentanyl (6.0 nM; 30.0 nM) and meperidine (1.0 M; 3.6 M) respectively. Mouse two-cell embryos unexposed to any drugs were served as controls. In vitro developmental patterns were observed on the third and fifth day of culture. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the rates of embryos arrested at 2~8 cell stage on the third day after culture and blastocysts development and their hatching on the fifth day after culture among three groups. CONCLUSION: We conclude that fentanyl and meperidine in clinical therapeutic concentration have no detrimental effects on the in vitro two-cell mouse embryo development. But further investigations are required to determine whether narcotics have any adverse toxic effects in human reproductive medicine.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics ; Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Development* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Meperidine ; Mice* ; Narcotics* ; Pregnancy ; Reproductive Medicine ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Animals ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice*

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic urologic surgery including transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) requires adequate sacral analgesia for insertion of resectoscope. But epidurally administered local anesthetic does not produce anesthetic effects uniformly. Failure to completely block S1 during epidural anesthesia because of the large size of nerve root has been noted. The purpose of this study to compare the relation between catheter direction and sensory anesthesia. METHODS: Thirty patients scheduled for endoscopic urologic surgery were enrolled. The epidural catheter was inserted at L3-4 using a standard 18 gauge Tuohy needle. In group A (n=15), the Tuohy needle with bevel pointed in a cephalad direction during catheter insertion. In group B (n=15), it pointed caudally. And the catheter was introduced 3 cm into the epidural space. After test dose, 2% lidocaine 5 cc, 0.5% bupivacaine 5 cc and 2% lidocaine 3 cc were administered with fractionate dose through it. The extent of the sensory anesthesia to loss of cold sensation and pin prick test was measured every 5minute for 30 minutes. RESULTS: Analgesia spread to loss of cold sensation and pin prick test was no significant statistical difference between the two groups. In 15 minutes after injection of surgical dose, complete blockade in L5, S1 dermatome was present in both groups. CONCLUSION: Our results conclude that epidural catheter direction is not significantly influence the epidural anesthetic spread including sacral area in continuous lumbar epidural anesthesia in elderly patients.
Aged ; Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthetics ; Bupivacaine ; Catheters* ; Epidural Space ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Needles ; Sensation ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate

No abstract available.
Graft vs Host Disease* ; HLA-DR Antigens

It has been Known that silicone intubation may be an effective procedure for total or partial obstruction in infants of age one year or less, and the older the patient, the lower the success rate. We had performed silicone intubation on 40 eyes of 39 patients from january 1995 to May 1996, and they were divided into 3 groups according to age: group 1, 6 months to 6 years: group 2,6 to 16.: group 3, one 16 years. The success rate was 92.4% in groups 1 and 2, respectively: 83.3% ingroup 3. The success rate in patients with partial obstruction in group 3 was 100% In view of the results of the present study, silicone intubation may be in primary procedure for partial obstruction of lacrimal drainage system.
Drainage ; Humans ; Infant ; Intubation* ; Silicones*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

Anesthesia is prerequisite to assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET) and gamete intrafaUopian transfer(GIFT). When choosing the anesthetic agents to facilitate laparoscopic transfer of oocytes and sperms during GIFT procedures and transvaginal ultrasonographic harvesting of oocytes, it is essential to rule out adverse effects of these drugs on fertilization and subsequent development. Unfortunately very little information is available to ascertain if any of the various anesthetics used in these procedures are toxic to the oocyte and developing preimplantation embryo. The purpose of these studies was undertaken to investigate the effects of volatile anesthetics and narcotics on the fertilization and early development of embryos using in vitro fertilization model of mouse oocytes. In the first experiment, mouse oocytes obtained from Fl hybrid(C57BL6 X CBA) were randomly exposed to three volatile anesthetics, enflurane(0.5 mM;1.5 mM), isoflurane(0.26 mM; 0.78 mM) and halothane(0.24 mM;0.72 mM),and in the second experiment they were exposed to two narcotics, meperidine(1.0 uM; 3.6 uM) and fentanyl(6.0 nM: 30.0 nM) respectively. In both experiments mouse oocytes unexposed to any drugs were served as controls. In vitro developmental patterns were observed on the first, fourth and sixth day after insemination of above oocytes. The results were as follows. 1) Any volatile anesthetics studied had no effect on the cleavage rate of mouse oocytes on the first day after insemination, but the incidence of degenerative and fragmented oocytes in 0.78 mM isoflurane group increased significantly compared with control. 2) The rates of mouse embryos developed over morula stages on the fourth day after insemination were significantly lower in 0.78 mM isoflurane and halothane group than in control. The rates of embryos arrested at 3-8 cell stage in these groups were significantly greater than that of control. 3) The percentages of mouse oocytes developed to blastocysts on the sixth day after insemiation decreased significantly in 0.78 mM isoflurane and 0.72 mM halothane group compared with control. 4) The hatching rate of blastocysts developed from mouse aocytes preexposed to 0.72 mM halothane was significantly lower than that of control, but the proportions of hatching and hatched blastocysts among total blastocysts were significantly greater in 0.5 mM enflurane and 0.26 mM isoflurane group than in control. 5) Mouse oocytes preexposed to narcotics had a rate of degeneration and cleavage comparable to that in control on the first day after insemination.Also no significant differences in the rates of embryos arrested at 3-8 cell stage on the fourth day after insemination were notecL 6) There were no significant differences in blastocysts developrnent and their hatching on the sixth day after insemination between the groups preexposed to either fentanyl or meperidine and control. In conclusion these results indicate that narcotics, fentanyl and meperidine does not show adverse effects on in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes in concentrations calculated to approximate those to which human ova would be exposed during clinical anesthesia and that volatile anesthetics such as isoflurane and halothane is detrimental to in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes in high concentrations.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics* ; Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Enflurane ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Halothane ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insemination ; Isoflurane ; Meperidine ; Mice* ; Morula ; Narcotics* ; Oocytes* ; Ovum ; Pregnancy ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Spermatozoa