Editorial 2 1 565 2 Avicenna Research Institute (ARI) is proud to announce and celebrate the 11th year of the publication of Journal of Reproduction and Infertility (JRI). During all these years and despite the presence of a noticeable number of fertility/ infertility related journals both at national and international levels, JRI has been able to secure a place in the scientific community of the country, especially among the medical doctors and fertility/infertility specialists. Furthermore, the "Commission for the Evaluation of Medical Sciences Journals" of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education that evaluates and assigns the journals to one of the three different ranks has chosen JRI as one of the first ranked journals of the country. Gaining high on the aforementioned parameters, JRI has achieved the 4th place among 146 national journals. Being among the top ranked journals in Iran, we believe that such an achievement is impossible without wining the minds of the scientific community and high standards of publication. As one of the objectives of any journal is to build a place for researchers to voice their scientific findings and put them to test and criticism by peer-reviewers internationally, our Editorial board gradually moved towards publishing the journal in English. Thus based on the demand for full-text English articles and that this language has become the tool for scientific communication, we decided to aim for a larger audience by publishing the journal in English; a decision which was warmly welcomed by the authors. Publishing JRI in English language would not only increase its audience but would also promote the journals quality in every possible aspect. Diverse coverage of subjects, timely online publication and serving as "open access" journal have encouraged many international researchers to choose JRI for the publication of their articles. At present JRI website offers full text Persian article with English abstracts to it's readers. However following our decision to publish JRI in English, the website will be upgraded to full text English articles with Persian abstract. Therefore we hope that by receiving more high quality English papers from both national and international researchers in the field of reproduction and infertility, we could reach our goal which is "Being indexed in International databases". 175 176 Mohammad Reza MR Sadeghi محمدرضا صادقی Editor-in-chief Editor-in-chief Iran No Keyword 565.pdf ####

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is expressed at feto-placental unit throughout mouse gestation: An immunohistochemical study 2 1 2 Introduction: The cells expressing Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) in feto-maternal interface mediate tryptophan catabolism, hence protect allogeneic fetus from lethal rejection by maternal immune responses. In this study, we report immuno-localization of IDO+ cells in murine reproductive tract and placenta throughout mouse pregnancy by immunohistochemistry.Materials and Methods: Syngeneic pregnant mice were examined for vaginal plug to discover about their state of pregnancy. A total of three pregnant mice were examined at each stage.The examination was further confirmed by the detection of sperm in vaginal smear. On the gestational days of 2nd, 12th and 18th, the uterus and oviduct were removed and expression of IDO was investigated in the endometrium, placenta and oviduct by immunohistochemistry. Results: Our results showed that IDO is expressed consistently in feto-maternal interface throughout pregnancy. In endometrium, expression of IDO was predomin-antly confined to luminal and glandular epithelial cells. Cells at junctional and labyrinth zones of placenta showed strong IDO immunoreactivity as well.Conclusion: Expression of IDO at the protein level in reproductive tract of pregnant mice during entire periods of gestation points to its potential protective role in maintenance of pregnancy. In our knowledge this is the first report of expression of IDO in feto-maternal phase during murine pregnancy. 177 184 Shayda S Hemmati شیدا همتی Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Khatam University Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Khatam University Iran Mahmood M Jeddi-Tehrani محمود جدی‌تهرانی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Ebrahim E Torkabadi ابراهیم ترک‌آبادی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Jamileh J Ghasemi جمیله قاسمی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Golnaz Ensieh GE Kazemi sefat گلناز کاظمی‌صفت Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Parivash P Danesh پریوش دانش Immunology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Immunology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iran Leila L Barzegar Yarmohammadi لیلا برزگر یارمحمدی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Mohammad Mehdi MM Akhondi محمدمهدی آخوندی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Amir Hassan AH Zarnani امیرحسن زرنانی Immunology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Immunology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iran zarnani25@yahoo.com DeciduaEndometriumImmunohistochemistryIndolamine 2,3- dioxygenasePlacentaPregnancyTolerance 382.pdf Shimizu T, Nomiyama S, Hirata F, Hayaishi O. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. Purification and some properties. J Biol Chem. 1978;253(13):4700-6.##Takikawa O, Yoshida R, Kido R, Hayaishi O. Tryptophan degradation in mice initiated by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. J Biol Chem. 1986; 261(8):3648-53.##Werner ER, Bitterlich G, Fuchs D, Hausen A, Reibnegger G, Szabo G, et al. Human macrophages degrade tryptophan upon induction by interferon-gamma. Life Sci. 1987;41(3):273-80.##Taylor MW, Feng GS. Relationship between interferon-gamma, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophan catabolism. FASEB J. 1991;5(11): 2516-22.##Takikawa O, Kuroiwa T, Yamazaki F, Kido R. Mechanism of interferon-gamma action. Character-ization of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in cultured human cells induced by interferon-gamma and evaluation of the enzyme-mediated tryptophan degradation in its anticellular activity. J Biol Chem. 1988;263(4):2041-8.##Aune TM, Pogue SL. Inhibition of tumor cell growth by interferon-gamma is mediated by two distinct mechanisms dependent upon oxygen tension: induction of tryptophan degradation and depletion of intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. J Clin Inves. 1989;84(3):863-75.##Ozaki Y, Edelstein MP, Duch DS. Induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase: a mechanism of the antitumor activity of interferon gamma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988;85(4):1242-6.##Pfefferkorn ER. Interferon gamma blocks the growth of Toxoplasma gondii in human fibroblasts by inducing the host cells to degrade tryptophan. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984;81(3):908-12.##Gupta SL, Carlin JM, Pyati P, Dai W, Pfefferkorn ER, Murphy MJ Jr. Antiparasitic and antiprolifera-tive effects of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase enzyme expression in human fibroblasts. Infec Immun. 1994;62(6):2277-84.##Nagineni CN, Pardhasaradhi K, Martins MC, Detrick B, Hooks JJ. Mechanisms of interferon-induced inhibition of Toxoplasma gondii replica-tion in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Infect Immun. 1996;64(10):4188-96.##Yoshida R, Nukiwa T, Watanabe Y, Fujiwara M, Hirata F, Hayaishi O. Regulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the small intestine and the epididymis of mice. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1980;203(1):343-51.##Yoshida R, Urade Y, Nakata K, Watanabe Y, Hayaishi O. Specific induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by bacterial lipopolysaccharide in the mouse lung. Arch Biochem Biophy. 1981;212(2): 629-37.##Moffett JR, Espey MG, Namboodiri MA. Anti-bodies to quinolinic acid and the determination of its cellular distribution within the rat immune system. Cell Tissue Res. 1994;278(3):461-9.##Malina HZ, Martin XD. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase: antioxidant enzyme in the human eye. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 1996; 234(7):457-62.##Yamazaki F, Kuroiwa T, Takikawa O, Kido R. Human indolylamine 2,3-dioxygenase. Its tissue distribution, and characterization of the placental enzyme. Biochem J. 1985;230(3):635-8.##Kamimura S, Eguchi K, Yonezawa M, Sekiba K. Localization and developmental change of indole-amine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the human placenta. Acta Med Okayama. 1991;45(3):135-9.##Frumento G, Rotondo R, Tonetti M, Ferrara GB. T cell proliferation is blocked by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. Transplant Proc. 2001;33(1-2): 428-30.##Munn DH, Shafizadeh E, Attwood JT, Bondarev I, Pashine A, Mellor AL. Inhibition of T cell proliferation by macrophage tryptophan catabol-ism. J Exp Med. 1999;189(9):1363-72.##Hwu P, Du MX, Lapointe R, Do M, Taylor MW, Young HA. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase production by human dendritic cells results in the inhibition of T cell proliferation. J Immunol. 2000; 164(7):3596-9.##Munn DH, Zhou M, Attwood JT, Bondarev I, Conway SJ, Marshall B, et al. Prevention of allogeneic fetal rejection by tryptophan catabolism. Science. 1998;281(5380):1191-3.##Kudo Y, Boyd CA. Human placental indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase: cellular localization and charac-terization of an enzyme preventing fetal rejection. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000;1500(1): 119-24.##Mellor AL, Munn DH. Extinguishing maternal immune responses during pregnancy: implications for immunosuppression. Semin Immunol. 2001; 13(4):213-8.##Sedlmayr P, Blaschitz A, Wintersteiger R, Semlitsch M, Hammer A, MacKenzie CR, et al. Localization of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in human female reproductive organs and the placenta. Mol Hum Reprod. 2002;8(4):385-91.##Kudo Y, Boyd CA, Sargent IL, Redman CW. Modulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by interferon-gamma in human placental chorionic villi. Mol Hum Reprod. 2000;6(4):369-74.##Jeddi-Tehrani M, Abbasi N, Dokouhaki P, Ghasemi J, Rezania S, Ostadkarampour M, et al. Indoleamine 2,3–dioxygenase is expressed in endometrium of cycling mice throughout the estrous cycle. 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Tyrosine Phosphorylation Pattern in Sperm Proteins Isolated from Normospermic and Teratospermic Men 2 1 2 Introduction: In mammalian system, spermatozoa are not able to fertilize the oocyte immediately upon ejaculation, thus they undergo a series of biochemical and molecular changes which is termed capacitation. During sperm capacitation, signal transduction pathways are activated which lead to protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Tyrosine phosphorylated proteins have an important role in sperm capacitation such as hyperactive motility, interaction with zona pellucida and acrosome reaction. Evaluation of tyrosine phosphorylation pattern is important for further understanding of molecular mechanisms of fertilization and the etiology of sperm dysfunctions and abnormalities such as teratospermia. The goal of this study is to characterize tyrosine phosphorylation pattern in sperm proteins isolated from normospermic and teratospermic infertile men attending Avicenna Infertility Clinic in Tehran.Materials and Methods: Semen samples were collected and the spermatozoa were isolated using Percoll gradient centrifugation. Then the spermatozoa were incubated up to 6h at 37C with 5% CO2 in 3% Bovine Serum Albumin-supplemented Ham’s F-10 for capacitation to take place. The total proteins from spermatozoa were extracted and were subjected to SDS-PAGE before and after capacitation. To evaluate protein tyrosine phosphorylation pattern, western blotting with specific antibody against phosphorylated tyrosines was performed.Results: The results upon western blotting showed: 1) at least six protein bands were detected before capacitation in the spermatozoa from normospermic samples. However, comparable levels of tyrosine phosphorylation was not observed in the spermatozoa from teratospermic samples. 2) The intensity of protein tyrosine phosphorylation appears to have been increased during capacitation in the normospermic relative to the teratospermic group. Conclusion: For the first time, these findings demonstrate and suggest that the differences in the types of proteins and diminished tyrosine phosphorylation efficiency in sperm from teratospermic men may be responsible for their compromised capacitation and low fertilization success rates. 185 192 Sepideh S Jabbari سپیده جباری Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science & Research Campus Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science & Research Campus Iran Mohammad Reza MR Sadeghi محمدرضا صادقی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Mohammad Mehdi MM Akhondi محمدمهدی آخوندی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Azadeh A Ebrahim Habibi آزاده ابراهیم‌حبیبی Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science & Research Campus Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science & Research Campus Iran Naser N Amirjannati ناصر امیرجنتی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Niknam N Lakpour نیکنام لک‌پور Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Lima L Asgharpour لیما اصغرپور Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Ali M AM Ardekani Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran ardekani@avicenna.ac.ir CapacitationMale infertilityNormospermiaSpermSpermatozoaTyrosine phosphorylationTeratospermia 383.pdf Yanagimachi R, editor. Mammalian fertilization. New York: Raven Press; c1994. 189 p. (Knobil E, Neill J, editors. The physiology of reproduction; vol.1).##Urner F, Leppens-Luisier G, Sakkas D. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation in sperm during gamete interaction in the mouse: the influence of glucose. Biol Reprod. 2001;64(5):1350-7.##Marín-Briggiler CI, Gonzalez-Echeverría F, Buffone M, Calamera JC, Tezón JG, Vazquez-Levin MH. Calcium requirements for human sperm function in vitro. Fertil Steril. 2003;79(6):1396-403.##Da Ros VG, Munuce MJ, Cohen DJ, Marín-Brig-giler CI, Busso D, Visconti PE, et al. Bicarbonate is required for migration of sperm epididymal protein DE (CRISP-1) to the equatorial segment and expres-sion of rat sperm fusion ability. Biol Reprod. 2004; 70(5):1325-32.##Buffone MG, Calamera JC, Verstraeten SV, Doncel GF. Capacitation-associated protein tyrosine phos-phorylation and membrane fluidity changes are im-paired in the spermatozoa of asthenozoospermic patients. Reproduction. 2005;129(6):697-705.##Buffone MG, Verstraeten SV, Calamera JC, Doncel GF. High cholesterol content and decreased mem-brane fluidity in human spermatozoa are associated with protein tyrosine phosphorylation and functional deficiencies. J Androl. 2009;30(5):552-8.##Buffone MG, Doncel GF, Calamera JC, Verstraeten SV. Capacitation-associated changes in membrane fluidity in asthenozoospermic human spermatozoa. Int J Androl. 2009;32(4):360-75.##Morton B, Albagli L. Modification of hamster sperm adenyl cyclase by capacitation in vitro. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973;50(3):697-703.##Hyne RV, Garbers DL. Calcium-dependent increase in adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and induction of the acrosome reaction in guinea pig spermatozoa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979;76(11):5699-703.##Visconti PE, Johnson LR, Oyaski M, Fornés M, Moss SB, Gerton GL, et al. Regulation, localiza-tion, and anchoring of protein kinase A subunits during mouse sperm capacitation. Dev Biol. 1997; 192(2):351-63.##Asquith KL, Baleato RM, McLaughlin EA, Nixon B, Aitken RJ. Tyrosine phosphorylation activates surface chaperones facilitating sperm-zona recog-nition. J Cell Sci. 2004;117(Pt 16):3645-57.##Ecroyd H, Jones RC, Aitken RJ. Tyrosine phos-phorylation of HSP-90 during mammalian sperm capacitation. Biol Reprod. 2003;69(6):1801-7.##Ficarro S, Chertihin O, Westbrook VA, White F, Jayes F, Kalab P, et al. Phosphoproteome analysis of capacitated human sperm. Evidence of tyrosine phosphorylation of a kinase-anchoring protein 3 and valosin-containing protein/p97 during cap-acitation. J Biol Chem. 2003;278(13):11579-89.##Arcelay E, Salicioni AM, Wertheimer E, Visconti PE. Identification of proteins undergoing tyrosine phosphorylation during mouse sperm capacitation. Int J Dev Biol. 2008;52(5-6):463-72.##Yunes R, Doncel GF, Acosta AA. Incidence of sperm-tail tyrosine phosphorylation and hyper-activated motility in normozoospermic and asthe-nozoospermic human sperm samples. Biocell. 2003;27(1):29-36.##Flesch FM, Wijnand E, van de Lest CH, Colenbrander B, van Golde LM, Gadella BM. Capacitation dependent activation of tyrosine phos-phorylation generates two sperm head plasma membrane proteins with high primary binding affinity for the zona pellucida. Mol Reprod Dev. 2001;60(1):107-15.##Howard JG, Brown JL, Bush M, Wildt DE. Teratospermic and normospermic domestic cats: ejaculate traits, pituitary-gonadal hormones, and improvement of spermatozoal motility and morph-ology after swim-up processing. J Androl. 1990;11 (3):204-15.##Long JA, Wildt DE, Wolfe BA, Critser JK, DeRossi RV, Howard J. Sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction are compromised in terato-spermic domestic cats. Biol Reprod. 1996;54(3): 638-46.##Pukazhenthi BS, Wildt DE, Ottinger MA, Howard J. 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Producing Recombinant mTEX101; a Murine Testis Specific Protein 2 1 2 Introduction: Production of antibodies against specific proteins of testis germ cells is of great significance for the investigation of processes involved in spermatogenesis, study of infertility problems and determination of the probable role of these proteins as cancer-testis antigens. Murine Testis Specific Recombinant Protein 101 (mTEX101) is a 38kDa, GPI-anchored protein which is expressed in testis germ cells of adult mice but it seems to be absent in other tissues. The structure and function of mTEX101 is not completely understood yet, but it is speculated that it may transduce biochemical signals into the cytoplasm since mTEX101 does not have an intracellular domain but the precise mechanisms are still ambiguous.Materials and Methods: RNA was extracted from three adult mice testis. The RNA was used in RT-PCR, employing a pair of specific primers for mTEX101 ORF region. TA-cloning technique was performed by the insertion of mTEX101 into a pGEM-T Easy Vector, followed by its subcloning into a His-tagged expression vector, pET-28a (+). The recombinant mTEX101 was then produced by transfection of the expression vector into BL 21 (DE3) E. coli strain.Results: A recombinant protein, weighing 27kDa, was produced upon IPTG-induction of the bacterial host. The presence of mTEX101 protein was detected through Western blot analysis by anti-mTEX101 peptide antibodies.Conclusion: We produced mTEX101 recombinant protein that could be used for the production of mono and polyclonal antibodies. 193 199 Leila L Barzegar Yarmohammadi لیلا برزگر یارمحمدی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Mohammad Hossein MH Modarresi محمدحسین مدرسی Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science Iran Saeed S Talebi سعید طالبی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Reza R Hadavi رضا هادوی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Mahyar M Ostad Karampour مهیار استادکرم‌پور Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Ahmad Reza AR Mahmoudi احمدرضا محمودی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Mohammad Mehdi MM Akhondi محمدمهدی آخوندی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Hodjattallah H Rabbani حجت‌الله ربانی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Mahmood M Jeddi-Tehrani محمود جدی‌تهرانی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran mahjed@yahoo.com Antibody productionGametogenesisGerm cellsRecombinant proteinSpermatogenesisTES101 protein mouseTestisGlycoprotein 384.pdf Mackay S. 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Testicular proteins associated with the germ cell-marker, TEX101: involvement of cellubrevin in TEX101-trafficking to the cell surface during spermatogenesis. Bio-chem Biophys Res Commun. 2006;345(1):229-38.##Towbin H, Staehelin T, Gordon J. Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: procedure and some applica-tions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1979;76(9):4350-4.##GeneBee [internet]. Moscow: A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology; 1965-2009. GeneBee - Molecular Biology Server; 2008 Dec 20 [cited Dec 25]. Available from: http://www. genebee.msu.su/services/malign_reduced.html##Jin H, Yoshitake H, Tsukamoto H, Takahashi M, Mori M, Takizawa T, et al. Molecular character-ization of a germ-cell-specific antigen, TEX101, from mouse testis. Zygote. 2006;14(3): 201-8.##Campbell CT, Yarema KJ. Large-scale approaches for glycobiology. Genome Biol. 2005;6 (11):236. Review.##Hang HC, Bertozzi CR. 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A Novel Human Lipid Binding Protein Coding Gene: PERF15, Sequence and Cloning 2 1 2 Introduction: PERF15 is a testicular germ-cell specific fatty-acid binding protein (FABP) isolated from mammals, originally from rats. It encodes one of the most abundant proteins of rat spermatozoa localized in the perinuclear theca. Northern blot analysis has demonstrated that rat PERF15 mRNA is exclusively transcribed during meiosis and post-meiosis. In this study, we cloned and sequenced human PERF15 gene.Materials and Methods: According to the open reading frame of automated computational analysis of Homo sapiens similar to testis fatty acid binding protein nine, two specific Primers were designed to amplify human PERF15 gene. To confirm the identity of the amplified gene, PCR products of PERF15 were cloned into appropriate plasmid vectors followed by sequencing of the inserts.Results: A unique band of ~3kb was obtained after PCR amplification. Restriction enzyme digestion using PvuII confirmed that the fragment was related to PERF15. Gene alignment, direct sequencing and application of specific primers to the gene showed 100% similarity between this gene and the computational data by gel extraction of the ~3 kb band. The human PERF15 gene contained four exons and three introns. Exons one, two, three and four, respectively, coded for 24, 57, 34 and 17 amino acids. The existing three introns were composed of 2113, 461, and 168 nucleotides.Conclusion: In spite of the homology between exonic regions and exon-intron boundaries of human PERF15 gene and that of animals, human PERF15 gene is different in size and sequence from corresponding introns in rat and murine PERF15. 199 206 Farkhondeh F Pouresmaeili فرخنده پوراسماعیلی Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Iran pouresfar@gmail.com Tahereh T Khalili طاهره خلیلی Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Iran Mahmood M Jeddi-Tehrani محمود جدی‌تهرانی Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR) Iran Mojgan M Bandehpour مژگان بنده‌پور Molecular Biology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Molecular Biology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Iran Jamileh J Ghasemi جمیله قاسمی Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Fatemeh F Salehi-Niya فاطمه صالحی‌نیا Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Iran CloningFatty acid binding proteinFertilizationPERF15Testis genes 385.pdf Russell LD, Chiarini-Garcia H, Korsmeyer SJ, Knudson CM. Bax-dependent spermatogonia apop-tosis is required for testicular development and spermatogenesis. Biol Reprod. 2002;66(4):950-8.##Pouresmaeili F, Morales CR, Oko R. Molecular cloning and structural analysis of the gene encoding PERF 15 protein present in the perinuclear theca of the rat spermatozoa. Biol Reprod. 1997;57(3):655-9.##Ward WS, Kimura Y, Yanagimachi R. An intact sperm nuclear matrix may be necessary for the mouse paternal genome to participate in embryonic development. Biol Reprod. 1999;60(3):702-6.##Oko R, Moussakova L, Clermont Y. Regional dif-ferences in composition of the perforatorium and outer periacrosomal layer of the rat spermatozoon as revealed by immunocytochemistry. Am J Anat. 1990;188(1):64-73.##Liu RZ, Li X, Godbout R. A novel fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) gene resulting from tandem gene duplication in mammals: transcription in rat retina and testis. Genomics. 2008;92(6):436-45.##Kido T, Namiki H. Expression of testicular fatty acid-binding protein PERF 15 during germ cell apoptosis. Dev Growth Differ. 2000;42(4):359-66.##Grogan WM, Farnham WF, Szopiak BA. Long chain polyenoic acid levels in viably sorted, highly en-riched mouse testis cells. Lipids. 1981;16(6):401-10.##Kido T, Arata S, Suzuki R, Hosono T, Nakanishi Y, Miyazaki J, et al. The testicular fatty acid binding protein PERF15 regulates the fate of germ cells in PERF15 transgenic mice. Dev Growth Differ. 2005;47(1):15-24.##Chomczynski P, Sacchi N. Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction. Anal Biochem. 1987;162(1):156-9.##Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Maniatis T. Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual. 2nd ed. New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; c1989. Chapter 30, Nucleic Acids Research.##Sambrook J, Russell DW. Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual. 3rd ed. Michigan: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; c2001. p. 6.28-6.30.##Steven A. Williams, Barton E. Slatko, John R. McCarrey. Laboratory investigations in molecular biology.1st ed. Canada: Jones & Bartlett Publishers; c2006. p. 213.##Zalata AA, Christophe AB, Depuydt CE, Schoonjans F, Comhaire FH. The fatty acid com-position of phospholipids of spermatozoa from infertile patients. Mol Hum Reprod. 1998;4(2): 111-8.##Oko R, Morales CR. A novel testicular protein, with sequence similarities to a family of lipid binding proteins, is a major component of the rat sperm perinuclear theca. Dev Biol. 1994;166(1): 235-45.##Oko R, Maravei D. Distribution and possible role of perinuclear theca proteins during bovine sperm-iogenesis. Microsc Res Tech. 1995;32(6):520-32.##Korley R, Pouresmaeili F, Oko R. Analysis of the protein composition of the mouse sperm peri-nuclear theca and characterization of its major protein constituent. Biol Reprod. 1997;57(6):1426-32.##Schmitt MC, Jamison RS, Orgebin-Crist MC, Ong DE. A novel, testis-specific member of the cellular lipophilic transport protein superfamily, deduced from a complimentary deoxyribonucleic acid clone. Biol Reprod. 1994;51(2):239-45.##

Correlation of Prolactin and Thyroid Hormone Concentration with Menstrual Patterns in Infertile Women 2 1 2 Introduction: The increased prevalence of upper normal limit of TSH and raised anti-thyroperoxidase antibody titer indicate, relatively more frequent occurrence of compensated thyroid function in infertile women. This finding necessitates considering such cases for a thorough investigation of pituitary-thyroid axis. In addition, as some patients may exhibit the clinical picture of hypothyroidism despite normal TSH and free thyroxin (FT4) concentrations, this hospital-based study was undertaken to review the impact of thyroid status on the menstrual function and fertility of the subjects.Materials and Methods: In this study, we investigated 160 women with primary infertility who attended the Biochemistry department, Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), New Delhi for hormonal evaluations. Eighty fertile women with similar age and socioeconomic status were enrolled as the controls. The association between thyroid dysfunction and levels of serum prolactin, LH and FSH as their menstrual status were reviewed.Results: The majority of the infertile and fertile women were euthyroid. In infertile group, the crude prevalence of hypothyroidism was slightly higher in the infertile group in comparison with that of the general population. There was a positive correlation between serum TSH and prolactin levels in the infertile subjects. Menstrual disorders (mainly oligomenorrhea), were reported by about 60% of the infertile women. Hyperprolactinemia was depicted in 41% of the infertile women while it was only 15% in the control group. The infertile women with hypothyroidism had significantly higher prolactin levels when compared to the subjects with hyper- or euthyroidism. There was a significant association between abnormal menstrual patterns and anovulatory cycles, as observed on endometrial examination of infertile subjects with raised serum prolactin levels.Conclusions: There is a greater propensity for thyroid disorder in infertile women than the fertile ones. There is also a higher prevalence of hyperprolactinemia in infertile patients. 207 213 Binita B Goswami بینیتا گوسوامی Department of Biochemistry, G. B. Pant Hospital Department of Biochemistry, G. B. Pant Hospital India binita.dr@gmail.com Suprava S Patel سوپراوا پاتل Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College India Mainak M Chatterjee مایناک چاترجی Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Bhubhaneswar Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Bhubhaneswar India B.C BC Koner Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College India Alpana A Saxena آلپانا ساکینا Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College India Anovulatory cyclesHyperprolactinemiaInfertilityMenstrual disturbances 386.pdf Williams C, Giannopoulos T, Sherriff EA. Investi-gation of infertility with the emphasis on laboratory testing and with reference to radiological imaging. J Clin Pathol. 2003;56:261-7.##Cramer DW, Sluss PM, Powers RD, McShane P, Ginsburgs ES, Hornstein MD, et al. Serum prolactin and TSH in an in vitro fertilization population: is there a link between fertilization and thyroid func-tion? J Assist Reprod Genet. 2003;20(6):210-5.##Poppe K, Velkeniers B. Thyroid disorders in infertile women. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2003;64 (1):45-50.##Doufas AG, Mastorakos G. The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and the female reproductive system. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000;900:65-76.##Poppe K, Velkeniers B, Glinoer D. Thyroid disease and female reproduction. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007;66(3):309-21. Review.##Elahi S, Tasneem A, Nazir I, Nagra SA, Hyder SW. Thyroid dysfunction in infertile women. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2007;17(4):191-4.##Micińsk P, Wielgus E, Wojcieszyn M, Pawlicki K. Abnormal ovarian reserve test reflects thyroid dysfunction. Pol J Gyn Invest. 2006;9(1):30-4.##Zollner U, Lanig K, Steck T, Dietl J. Assessment of endocrine status in patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatment. Is it necessary? Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2001;265(1):16-20.##Mishra R, Baveja R, Gupta V. Prolactin level in infertility with menstrual irregularities. J Obstet Gynecol India. 2002;52:40-3.##del Pozo E, Wyss H, Tollis G, Alcañiz J, Campana A, Naftolin F. Prolactin and deficient luteal func-tion. Obstet Gynecol. 1979;53(3):282-6.##Armada-Dias L, Carvalho JJ, Breitenbach MM, Franci CR, Moura EG. Is the infertility in hypothyroidism mainly due to ovarian or pituitary functional changes? Braz J Med Biol Res. 2001;34 (9):1209-15.##Stoffer SS, McKeel DW Jr, Randall RV, Laws ER Jr. Pituitary prolactin cell hyperplasia with autonomous prolactin secretion and primary hypothy-roidism. Fertil Steril. 1981;36(5):682-5.##Wakim AN, Polizotto SL, Burholt DR. Influence of thyroxine on human granulosa cell steroidogen-esis in vitro. J Assist Reprod Genet. 1995;12(4): 274-7.##Zimmermann MB, Jooste PL, Pandav CS. Iodine-deficiency disorders. Lancet. 2008;372(9645): 1251-62.##Akhter N, Hassan SA. Sub-clinical hypothyroidism and hyperprolactinemia in infertile women: Bangladesh perspective after universal salt iodina-tion. Internet J Endocrinol. 2009;5(1).##Bülow Pedersen I, Knudsen N, Jørgensen T, Perrild H, Ovesen L, Laurberg P. Large differences in incidences of overt hyper- and hypothyroidism associated with a small difference in iodine intake: a prospective comparative register-based popula-tion survey. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002;87(10): 4462-9.##Aghini-Lombardi F, Antonangeli L, Martino E, Vitti P, Maccherini D, Leoli F, et al. The spectrum of thyroid disorders in an iodine-deficient commu-nity: the Pescopagano survey. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999;84(2):561-6.##Wang C, Crapo LM. The epidemiology of thyroid disease and implications for screening. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1997;26(1):189-218.##Bjoro T, Holmen J, Krüger O, Midthjell K, Hunstad K, Schreiner T, et al. Prevalence of thyroid disease, thyroid dysfunction and thyroid peroxidase antibodies in a large, unselected population. The Health Study of Nord-Trondelag (HUNT). Eur J Endocrinol. 2000;143(5):639-47.##Kumkum A, Jasmine K, Shweta G, Pal Ajeshwar N. Hyperprolactinema and its coorelation with hypothyroidism in infertile women. J Obstet Gynecol India. 2006;56(1):68-71.##Choudhury SD, Goswami A. Hyperprolactinemia and reproductive disorders--a profile from north east. J Assoc Physicians India. 1995;3(9):617-8.##Singh L, Agarwai CG, Chowdhary SR, Mehra P, Khare R. Thyroid profile in infertile women. J Obstet Gynecol India. 1990;40:248-53.##Rajan R. Prolactin metabolism in infertility. J Obstet Gynecol India. 1990;40:243-7.##Krassas GE, Pontikides N, Kaltsas T, Papadopou-lou P, Paunkovic J, Paunkovic N, et al. Disturb-ances of menstruation in hypothyroidism. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1999;50(5):655-9.##Joshi JV, Bhandarkar SD, Chadha M, Balaiah D, Shah R. Menstrual irregularities and lactation failure may precede thyroid dysfunction or goitre. J Postgrad Med. 1993;39(3):137-41.##Krassas GE, Pontikides N, Kaltsas T, Papadopou-lou P, Batrinos M. Menstrual disturbances in thyrotoxicosis. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1994;40(5): 641-4.##Krassas GE. Thyroid disease and female reproduc-tion. Fertil Steril. 2000;74(6):1063-70.##

An Overview of the Epidemiology of Primary Infertility in Iran 2 1 2 Introduction: This article compares the prevalence of primary infertility in Iran estimates provided by different studies. No other study had provided a review about the researches related to epidemiology of infertility in the country. Materials and Methods: A literature review was undertaken using the scientific resources on the internet and the list of national projects obtained from Deputy of Research and Technology, of Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOH & ME) and relevant research centers. These resources were attentively reviewed to find about national studies on the epidemiology of primary infertility in Iran during the last decade. Based on their design quality, the National Infertility Study (NIS) (2004-2005), National Health Survey (NHS) (2001) and Tehran Study (1997) were considered for the research. Results: Current primary infertility estimated by National Health Survey (NHS) was 2.8% and by National Infertility Survey (NIS) 3.4%. Tehran study and NIS estimated the prevalence of lifetime primary infertility to be 21.9% and 24.9%, respectively. The minimum prevalence of lifetime primary infertility was found to be 15.8% for the marriage age of 19-27 by Tehran study and 17.2% for the marriage age of 21-26 by NIS. Conclusion: On the average, 21-22% of women experience primary infertility during their marital life. The best age of marriage for women in Iran seems to be 20-27 years. At this age group, the lowest number of women (16-18%) would experience primary infertility. 213 217 Kazem K Mohammad کاظم محمد Epidemiology Department, Faculty of Publi Health, Tehran Medical Sciences University Epidemiology Department, Faculty of Publi Health, Tehran Medical Sciences University Iran mohamadk@tums.ac.ir Ali A Ardalan علی اردلان National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iran InfertilityIranPrimary infertility 387.pdf Vayena E, Rowe PJ, Griffin PD. Current practices and controversies in assisted reproduction: Report of a meeting on "Medical, Ethical and Social Aspects of Assisted Reproduction" held at WHO. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2002. 369 p.##Schmidt L, Munster K, Helm P. Infertility and the seeking of infertility treatment in a representative population. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1995;102(12): 978-84.##Noorbala AA, Mohammad K. [Health survey in Iran]. Tehran: Deputy of research, Ministry of Health & Medical Education; 2001. Persian.##Barouti E, Ramezani Tehrani F, Heydari Seradj M,Khalajabadi Farahani F, Mohammad K. [Primary infertility based on marriage age in Tehran]. Hakim. 1999;2:88-93. Persian.##Vahidi S, Ardalan A, Mohammad K. Prevalence of primary infertility in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2004-5. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2009;21(3):287-93.##Rutstein SO, SHah IH. Infecundity, infertility, and childlessness in developing countries. DHS com-parative reports No.9. Calverton, Maryland, USA: ORC Macro and the World Health Organization. 2004.##Habbema JD, Collins J, Leridon H, Evers JL, Lunenfeld B, te Velde ER.Towards less confusing terminology in reproductive medicine: a proposal. Hum Reprod. 2004;19(7):1497-501.##Larsen U. Research on infertility: which definition should we use? Fertil Steril. 2005;83(4):846-52.##Rowe PJ. WHO manual for the standardized investi-gation and diagnosis of the infertile couple. 1st ed. Geneva: Cambridge University Press; 1993. 83 p.##Che Y, Cleland J. Infertility in Shanghai: preva-lence, treatment seeking and impact. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2002;22(6):643-8.##Thonneau P, Spira A. Prevalence of infertility: international data and problems of measurement. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1991;38(1):43-52.##

Perceived Environmental Stressors and Pain Perception During Labor Among Primiparous and Multiparous Women 2 1 2 Introduction: Pain experienced during labor is probably the most painful event in the lives of women. Environment itself influences a mother's experience of pain. Tension and stress resulting from pregnancy crisis and labor increase when the mother is hospitalized, which is concomitant with stressful situations and factors that affect pain perception during labor. The purpose of this study was to explore selected aspects of labor stress and specifically study the relationship between environmental factors and pain perception among parturient women. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was carried out in Tabriz Alzahra Hospital during 2005-2006. In this study, 300 primiparous and 300 multiparous women who were candidates for vaginal delivery, were randomly selected and interviewed. The data were collected by a questionnaire and the intensity of pain was determined by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).Results: Significant positive correlations were found between pain and tension from environmental factors in primiparous (r=0.16, p<0.01) and in multiparous (r=0.22, p<0.05) women. Furthermore, primiparous women believed that a crowded delivery room (70%) and restriction of movement and mobility (67%) contributed to their environmental stresses. Multiparas women believed that noise in the delivery ward (84%) and restrict of fluid intake (78%) increased their stresses. Conclusion: Performance of routine diagnostic tests in hospitalized pregnant woman, provision of invasive medical care during labor process and a noisy and crowded environment all influence the mother's experience and perception of pain. Therefore, the medical staffs seem to play a great role in alleviating labor pain by reducing stressors, especially the objective ones that are more stressful. 217 224 Manizheh M Pirdel منیژه پیردل Department of Midwifery, Islamic Azad University, Astara Branch Department of Midwifery, Islamic Azad University, Astara Branch Iran pirdelm@yahoo.com Leila L Pirdel لیلا پیردل Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch Iran StressLabor painPain PerceptionPrimiparousMultiparousEnvironmental factors 389.pdf von Borell E, Dobson H, Prunier A. Stress, behavior and reproductive performance in female cattle and pigs. Horm Behav. 2007;52(1):130-8.##Monat A, Lazarus RS. Stress and Coping: An Anthology. 3rd ed. New York: Columbia University Press; c1991. Chapter 1, History and present status of the stress concept; p. 1-17.##Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. 2nd ed. New York: Springer Publishing Company; c1984. Chapter 1, The stress concept in the life sciences; p. 1-21.##Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. 2nd ed. New York: Springer Publishing Company; c1984. Chapter 7, Appraisal, coping and adaptation and outcomes; p. 207-27.##Younger JB. A model of parenting stress. Res Nurs Health. 1991;14(3):197-204.##Alehagen S , Wijma K, Lundberg U, Melin B, Wijma B. Catecholamine and cortisol reaction to childbirth . Int J Behav Med. 2001;8(1):50-65.##Alehagen S, Wijma B, Lundberg U, Wijma K. Fear, pain and stress hormones during childbirth. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2005;26(3):153-65.##Baron SR, Cusumano MA, Evans DC, Hodne CJ, Logan H. The Effect of Desired Control and Anticipated Control on the Stress of Childbirth. Basic Appl Soc Psych. 2004;26(4):249-61.##Wijma K, Wijma B, Zar M. Psychometric aspects of the W-DEQ; a new questionnaire for the measure-ment of fear of childbirth. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 1998;19(2):84-97.##MaClean LI, McDermott MR, May CP. Method of delivery and subjective distress: women's emotion-al responses to childbirth practices. Reprod Infant Psychol. 2000;18(2):153-62.##McNiven PS, Williams JI, Hodnett E, Kaufman K, Hannah ME. An early labor assessment program: a randomized, controlled trial. Birth. 1998;25(1):5-10.##Sadler LC, Davison T, McCowan LM. Maternal satisfaction with active management of labor: a randomized controlled trial. Birth. 2001;28(4):225-35.##Lowe NK. The pain and discomfort of labor and birth. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 1996;25(1): 82-92. Review.##Lowe NK. The nature of labor pain. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002;186(5 Suppl Nature):S16-24. Review.##Lugina H, Mlay R, Smith H. Mobility and maternal position during childbirth in Tanzania: an explora-tory study at four government hospitals. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2004;4(1):3.##Rhudy JL, Meagher MW. Noise stress and human pain thresholds: divergent effects in men and women. J Pain. 2001;2(1):57-64.##Delaram M, Aein F. [Survey of delivery room Stressors in Hajar hospital, 2000]. J Shahrekord Univ Med Sci. 2000;2(2):28-33. Persian.##Hodnett ED. Pain and women's satisfaction with the experience of childbirth: a systematic review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002;186(5):160-72.##Odent M. New reasons and new ways to study birth physiology. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2001;75 Suppl 1:S39-45.##Lothian JA. Do not disturb: the importance of privacy in labor. J Perinat Educ. 2004;13(3):4-6.##McCrea BH, Wright ME. Satisfaction in childbirth and perceptions of personal control in pain relief during labour. J Adv Nurs. 1999;29(4):877-84.##Phumdoung S, Rattanaparikonn A, Maneechot K. Pain during the first stage of labor. Songkla Med J. 2004;22(3):163-71.##Abushaikha L, Oweis A. Labour pain experience and intensity: a Jordanian perspective. Int J Nurs Pract. 2005;11(1):33-8.##Bloom SL, McIntire DD, Kelly MA, Beimer HL, Burpo RH, Garcia MA, et al. Lack of effect of walking on labor and delivery. N Engl J Med. 1998;339(2):76-9.##Beggs JA, Stainton MC. Eat, drink, and be labour-ing? J Perinat Educ. 2002;11(1):1-13.##Klassen FE. The effect of unrestricted fluid intake during labor on the multiparous woman and her perception of control and pain during childbirth [master’s thesis]. Winnipeg (Manitoba): Depart-ment of Nursing University of Manitoba; 1999. Results 4, primary hypotheses: control and pain; p. 49-51.##Maharaj D. Eating and drinking in labor: should it be allowed? Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2009;146(1):3-7.##McErleen KS, editor. The harvest is rich but the laborers are starved. The 23rd International Congress of Midwives; 1993 May 9-14; Vancou-ver, Canada, London: International Confederation of Midwives; c1993. 1257 p.##Fowles ER. Labor concerns of women two months after delivery. 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Successful Pregnancies in Two Orthotopic Liver Transplant (OLT) Recipients in Iran; Two Case Reports 2 1 2 Introduction: Pregnancy and parenting have been part of human life throughout history and liver transplant recipients are not any exception. This paper reports successful pregnancies in two liver transplant recipients in Iran.Case Presentation: The first case was a 34-year old woman who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) at Shiraz Namazi Educational Hospital in 2002. She decided to get pregnant seven years after the operation. During pregnancy, immunosuppressive therapy continued, except Mycophenolate Mofetil which has an absolute contra-indication in pregnancy. The patient was followed up during pregnancy by the transplant team as well as a gynecologist. She faced no significant complications and the liver function was stable during pregnancy. She later underwent a Cesarean section in the 38th week of gestation and the newborn was a healthy girl weighing 2480g with an Apgar score of 8 at the time of birth. There were no evidences of prematurity or structural abnormalities in the newborn. The second case was a 31-year old primipara who had received an orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) in Shiraz in 2002. She had a smooth pregnancy without any complications and the newborn was a boy weighing 3100g with Apgar scores of 8 and 10 at the time of birth and 5 minutes thereafter, respectively. Conclusion: As the number of transplant recipients is growing along with the number of recipients who are in their fertility years, it is vital to ensure a proper medical care by a coordinated multidisciplinary team during pregnancy. 225 230 Zahra Z Tayebi زهرا طیبی Namazi Educational Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Namazi Educational Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Iran t_268@hotmail.com Seyyed Alireza SA Taghavi سید علی‌رضا تقوی Department of Gastroenterology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Department of Gastroenterology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Iran Shirin Sh Shahbazi شیرین شهبازی Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Islamic Azad University of Varamin-Pishva Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Islamic Azad University of Varamin-Pishva Iran CyclosporineImmunosuppressionLiver transplantationMycophenolate MofetilPregnancy 390.pdf Kasper DL, Harrison TR. Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th ed .New York: McGraw-Hill, Medical Pub; c2001. Part 11, Liver trans-plantation; p. 1770.##Wachter RM, Goldman L, Hollander H. Hospital medicine. 1st ed. Michigan: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; c2000. Chapter 71, Liver transplantation; p. 663.##Schumacher L, Chernecky CC. Real world nursing survival guide: critical care and emergency nursing. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; c2004. Chapter 7, Gastrointestinal system; p. 233.##Busuttil RW, Klintmalm GB. Transplantation of the liver. 2nd ed. Michigan: Saunders; 2005. Chapter 25, Pregnancy after liver transplantation; p. 1329.##Dei Malatesta MF, Rossi M, Rocca B, Iappelli M, Giorno MP, Berloco P, et al. Pregnancy after liver transplantation: report of 8 new cases and review of the literature. Transpl Immunol. 2006;15(4):297-302.##Killenberg PG, Clavien PA. Medical care of the liver transplant patient. 2nd ed. Massachusett: Wiley-Blackwell; c2001. 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