Search

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies show that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can inhibit oocyte maturation, decrease fertilization capacity, and impair embryo development, but human evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the associations between exposure to drinking water DBPs and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. METHODS: The study included 1,048 women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment between December 2018 and January 2020 from a prospective cohort study, the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental study in Wuhan, China. Exposure to DBPs was assessed by dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in up to four urine samples, which were collected on the day of both enrollment and oocyte retrieval. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models, accounting for multiple IVF cycles per woman, were applied to evaluate the associations between urinary biomarkers of DBP exposures and IVF outcomes. Stratified analyses were used to explore the potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: The included 1,048 women underwent 1,136 IVF cycles, with 960 (91.6%), 84 (8.0%), and 4 (0.4%) women contributing one cycle, two cycles, and three cycles, respectively. We found that elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA and TCAA concentrations were associated with reduced numbers of total oocytes and metaphase II oocytes and that urinary DCAA concentrations with a lower proportion of best-quality embryos (all 푝 for trends<0.05). Moreover, elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with decreased proportions of successful implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth (14%, 15%, and 15% decreases in adjusted means comparing the extreme quartiles, respectively; all 푝 for trends<0.05). Stratification analyses showed that the inverse associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with multiple IVF outcomes were stronger among women ≥30 y of age (푝 for interactions<0.05). DISCUSSION: Exposure to drinking water DBPs was inversely associated with some IVF outcomes among women undergoing ART treatment. Further study is necessary to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the changes of adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation rate, and evaluate the effects of Maixuekang Capsule (脉血康胶囊, MKC) on platelet aggregation rate and long-term prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 236 patients with acute coronary syndrome, who received successful PCI, were randomly assigned to a trial group (116 cases) and a control group (120 cases) according to random numbers; treatment allocation occurred when the participants met the inclusion criteria and signed the informed consent forms. In the trial group, the patients were treated with MKC combined with routine medication, and in the control group the patients were treated with routine medication. The therapeutic course for the two groups was 12 months and the follow-up was 12 months. The levels of ADP-induced platelet aggregation rate and serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were determined before PCI, 12 h and 30 days after PCI. In the meantime, the incidence of cardio-/cerebrovascular events was recorded during the 12-month follow-up. Results: Compared with before PCI, the levels of ADP-induced platelet aggregation rate and serum hs-CRP were significantly higher at 12 h after PCI ( P<0.05). They were significantly reduced after 30-day-treatment of MKC, showing statistical differences when compared with those in the control group ( P<0.05). During the 12-month follow-up, the incidence of cardio-/cerebrovascular events was significantly lower in the trial group than in the control group (6.9% vs. 12.5%, P<0.01). Conclusions: ADP-induced platelet aggregation function was significantly elevated after PCI. MKC improved the prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome, possibly through inhibiting the platelet aggregation, fighting against inflammation, and protecting the vascular endothelial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]