Significance of intracellular calcium and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in the mechanisms by which prostaglandins influence human sperm function

The selective ability of PGE-1 and PGE-2 to enhance the capacity of human spermatozoa for hamster oocyte penetration was dependent upon high concentrations (1.7 mM) of extracellular Ca2+ and a prolonged (4 h) duration of exposure, and insensitive to the Ca2+ channel antagonist, verapamil. Studies with the intracellular calcium indicator Quin-2 indicated that exposure to PGE-1 and PGE-2, but not PGF-2 alpha, induced a significant rise in the levels of cytoplasmic Ca2+, suggesting that an ionophore-like action might be responsible for the ability of the E-series prostaglandins to influence sperm function. Stimulation of oocyte penetration with PGE-1 and PGE-2 was significantly enhanced when these compounds were presented to the spermatozoa in medium of high osmolarity (410 mosmol). A combination of PGE-1 in hyperosmotic medium did not significantly influence sperm function in cases of oligozoospermia, although it was effective with patients exhibiting idiopathic infertility. Exposure to high doses of PGE-1 and PGE-2, but not 19-hydroxy PGE or PGF-2 alpha, also induced a significant rise in the cyclic AMP content of human spermatozoa. This effect did not appear to be involved in the enhancement of fertilization rates because it did not exhibit the same absolute dependence on high levels of extracellular Ca2+ as did the fertilization responses and the enhancement of oocyte penetration and the elevation of cAMP were independent of each other within the patient population.     

Differential binding of PGE-1 and PGF-2alpha to the human spermatozoa membrane

Using the quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence and the modifications of the ANS-dependent fluorescence of human sperm suspensions, evidence has been found that supports the presence of two different receptors for prostaglandins in human spermatozoa membrane. These receptors may bind selectively E or F type prostaglandins since: First, quenching efficiency and binding constants are different for PGE-1 (n = 0.36 nmoles/10⁶ cells, Ka = 1.69 × 10⁷ M^?1) than for PGF-2 (n = 0.14 nmoles/10⁶ cells, Ka = 0.16 × 10⁷ M^?1). Second, PGE-1 and PGF-2α show no competitions in their quenching properties. Third, PGE-1 changes the emission spectra of the sperm suspension increasing the contribution of the membrane tyrosine, while PGF-2α tends to decrease this contribution, and Fourth, PGF-2α induced a shift to the red in the emission maxima of the sperm bound ANS and decreases energy transfer from the membrane amino acids to the ANS, while PGE-1 increase this last phenomenon without modifying the normally induced ANS-fluorescence.     

Effects of prostaglandins E-2 and F-2 alpha on the metabolism of [U-14C]glucose by mouse morulae-early blastocysts in vitro

During 5-h culture in the presence of radioactive glucose, PGE-2 (10 micrograms/ml) significantly inhibited incorporation of glucose into the acid-soluble glycogen pool. PGE-2 at 1 and 10 micrograms/ml and PGF-2 alpha at 1 microgram but not 10 micrograms/ml stimulated incorporation of glucose into non-glycogen macromolecules during culture. However, the utilization of acid-soluble glycogen and other biochemical pools was not affected by the presence of PGs in the medium during 24-h chase culture of pulse-labelled embryos. Carbon dioxide production was significantly suppressed in the presence of PGs but accumulation of lactate was not affected. The results indicate that PGE-2 and PGF-2 alpha, in physiological concentrations, directly influence the metabolism of glucose by preimplantation embryos.     

Effects on fertilization of rabbits of insemination with ejaculates treated with PG-dehydrogenase and antisera to PGE-2 and PGF-2 alpha

PGE-2 and PGF-2 alpha in rabbit semen were selectively inactivated by incubation with antisera, or most of the seminal prostaglandins were transformed into biologically inactive 15-keto-prostaglandins by prostaglandin-15-hydroxydehydrogenase(PG-15-HDH). These treated ejaculates were vaginally inseminated. Compared to the controls (738 eggs of which 94% were fertilized) a dose-dependent reduction of the fertilization rate was observed with the anti-PGF-2 alpha-treated ejaculates. A non-uniformly, but statistically significantly reduced fertility was found in the other 2 treatment groups. After incubation with higher doses of PG-15-HDH, some fertilization was accomplished with ejaculates showing an extremely weak forward progression or immotile spermatozoa. An improvement in sperm motility, however, was observed in ejaculates treated with antiserum to PGF-2 alpha. Seminal prostaglandins may not exclusively affect sperm motility. The observed influences on the fertilization rate after treatment of spermatozoa with antisera to PGE-2 and PGF-2 alpha or PG-15-HDH suggest that these are local effects in the female genital tract.     

Complement component C1q and its receptor are involved in the interaction of human sperm with zona-free hamster eggs

C1q is a component of the classical complement pathway that can react with the Fc-fragment of immunoglobulins and with other proteins, such as fibronectin, laminin, and a specific C1q receptor present on several cell types. Given its role in many adhesion systems, mainly related to phagocytosis, we tested the effects of C1q on the interaction between human spermatozoa and zona-free hamster eggs. The presence of C1q in the medium used for gamete coincubation resulted in promotion of sperm-oolemma adhesion and an inhibition of penetration. The number of adherent sperm per egg at 5 micrograms/ml concentration was 90 +/- 35 vs. 29 +/- 7 for the control (P less than 0.001). At 1 microgram/ml, the lower concentration at which C1q had an effect, the number of penetrating sperm/egg was 0.6 vs. 1.7 for the control without C1q (P less than 0.01), and the percent of penetrated eggs was 28% vs. 85%. At 50 micrograms/ml, the percent of penetrated eggs was 7%, with a penetration index of 0.07. The addition of C1q to the medium resulted in sperm agglutination, which varied between sperm donors. The presence of C1q receptors, as detected by anti-C1qR monoclonal antibodies (Mabs), was demonstrated both on zona-free hamster eggs by immunobead rosetting and on human spermatozoa by immunobead binding and indirect immunofluorescence. Mabs directed against different epitopes of C1qR had different effects on gamete interaction, with a partial inhibition of penetration mediated by some of them. The binding of C1q to antibody-free human spermatozoa was also demonstrated both by means of indirect immunofluorescence and utilizing 125I-C1q.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Enzymatic alteration of the ability of mouse egg plasma membrane to interact with sperm

The effect of a variety of proteolytic, glycosidic and lipid hydrolyzing enzymes on the ability of mouse egg plasma membrane to interact with sperm was evaluated in this study. Zona-free mouse eggs were exposed to enzymes at various concentrations, washed, and inseminated; the number of sperm attached to or having penetrated the egg plasma membrane was determined at 20 and 180 min post-insemination, respectively. The proteases trypsin and chymotrypsin caused concentration-dependent reductions in both sperm attachment and sperm penetration levels when eggs were incubated at enzyme concentrations ranging from 1- to 1000 micrograms/ml for 30 min prior to insemination. Time-course studies revealed significant inhibition of both sperm attachment and sperm penetration levels after treating zona-free eggs for 5 min at 1000 micrograms/ml of either trypsin or chymotrypsin. Several of the phospholipases tested, including phospholipases C, D, and A2, had no inhibitory effect on sperm penetration levels, with phospholipase C and A2 (100 micrograms/ml) causing inhibition of sperm attachment. Of the glycosidic enzymes evaluated, glucuronidase (1000 micrograms/ml) caused significant inhibition of sperm binding but not sperm penetration, and glucosidase, galactosidase, and neuraminidase had no effect on either sperm attachment or sperm penetration. These findings indicate that the ability of the mouse egg plasma membrane to fuse with sperm can be preferentially altered by treatment with proteases.     

In-vitro penetration of pig oocytes matured in culture by frozen-thawed ejaculated spermatozoa.

Pig oocytes matured in culture were inseminated with frozen-thawed ejaculated spermatozoa without preincubation in modified tissue culture medium (TCM) 199. High penetration rates (85-89%) and increased incidence of polyspermy were obtained at 25-100 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml. Wide variation in penetration rates (16-89%) was observed in oocytes inseminated in medium containing 5mM caffeine and at 25-50 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml obtained from 6 boars, regardless of sperm motility. At 25-50 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml, penetration rates of oocytes were dependent upon the concentration of caffeine in the medium: there was no penetration without caffeine, but penetration was highest (89%) with 5mM caffeine. None of the oocytes was penetrated in the medium supplemented with heparin at 5-40 micrograms/ml. When heparin was included in the medium with 5mM caffeine, it inhibited the efficacy of caffeine to promote sperm penetration of oocytes.     

Dose-dependent effect of heparin on fertilizing ability of goat spermatozoa

Intact bovine oocytes were used to study the effect of heparin on goat IVF. Oocytes were matured in Medium 199 plus estrous sheep serum. Fresh semen was incubated for 4 h at room temperature, and spermatozoa were then resuspended in medium Talp plus serum and incubated further for 1 h at 39 degrees C in 5% CO(2) in air. Later, spermatozoa were resuspended in Talp plus serum and heparin and were then incubated in microdrops until the oocytes were matured. In Experiment 1, the effect of heparin on spermatozoa from individual males was studied by a dose-response curve. In Experiment 2, the timing of sperm penetration in matured oocytes was studied to assess the stage at which the action of heparin could be expressed in the fertilization process. In Experiment 3, heparin from the same source but at different grades of bioactivity was adjusted for bioactivity and its effect on spermatozoa was compared in terms of penetration rates in order to identify heparin-dependent variations on goat IVF. In Experiment 4, the influence of calcium on the effect of heparin at different levels of bioactivity on the fertilizing ability spermatozoa was assessed as in Experiment 3. In Experiment 5, different batches of heparin from the same source and grade of bioactivity were compared as above. The results suggest that 1) heparin stimulates fertilization rates following a comparable pattern between males; 2) the most probable site of action is at the stage of sperm capacitation; and 3) provided that the source and grade of bioactivity is preserved, heparin maintains the efficiency of sperm penetration into matured oocytes.     

Expression of recombinant human zona pellucida protein 2 and its binding capacity to spermatozoa

The human zona pellucida (ZP) is composed of three major glycoproteins: ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of ZP2 by focusing on the polypeptide structure. We produced in Escherichia coli a recombinant human ZP2 protein (rec-hZP2) corresponding to amino acid sequence 1-206 of the mature protein. The final yield of rec-hZP2 protein was 80 microg/ml Luria Broth medium. After 2-h incubation of human spermatozoa with rec-hZP2 in vitro, an immunofluorescent study indicated that rec-hZP2 bound only to acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. The binding site migrated from the acrosome to the midpiece of the spermatozoa. Rabbit and mouse antisera produced against rec-hZP2 stained native human ZP in the immunofluorescent study, and significantly blocked human sperm binding and penetration into human ZP as compared to control values. The N-terminal polypeptide portion of human ZP2 was shown to contain a binding site for acrosome-reacted spermatozoa and to play an important role in secondary sperm binding and penetration into the ZP.     

Secretion of prostaglandins and progesterone by cells from corpora lutea of mares

Corpora lutea (CL) were collected from mares during early (Day 4-5), mid- (Day 8-9), and late (Day 12-13) dioestrus. Dispersed cell suspensions were obtained by enzymic digestion of tissue. Two distinct luteal cell populations (large and small) were observed. The proportion of small luteal cells significantly increased as age of CL advanced. Cells (2 x 10(6)) from CL which were incubated for 24 h secreted prostaglandin (PG) F, PGE-2 and 6-keto-PGF-1 alpha (the stable metabolite of prostacyclin). Higher concentrations of all PGs were produced by cells from CL at early dioestrus than from those at mid- or late dioestrus. The ratio of PGF:PGE-2 increased from 0.33 in CL of early dioestrus to 1.34 in CL of mid-dioestrus, whereas ratios of PGF:6-keto-PGF-1 alpha remained relatively constant (approximately 0.6). The ratio of PGE-2:6-keto-PGF-1 alpha from CL decreased between early (3.27) and mid-dioestrus (0.43). Addition of LH, dbcAMP, or ionophore to cell cultures did not consistently affect secretion of progesterone or PGs by luteal cells. It is suggested that prostaglandins produced by luteal cells of mares may contribute to control of luteal function and that the changing ratios of prostaglandins may be more important in controlling the lifespan of the CL than absolute concentrations of each.     

Prostaglandin synthesis by day-6 rabbit blastocysts in vitro

Day-6 rabbit blastocysts were recovered from superovulated donor animals, washed in ice-cold Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate (KRB) buffer, pooled and randomly allocated to polypropylene incubation tubes, usually 10 blastocysts in 1 ml KRB. The blastocysts were ruptured with a dissecting needle and incubated at 37 degrees C for periods of 1-3 h with 10 microCi [3H]arachidonic acid/tube. A control tube without blastocysts was run in each experiment. At the end of the incubation, the samples were acidified, extracted with ethyl acetate, dried down and resuspended in h.p.l.c., using a solvent system for prostaglandins (PGs), was subtracted from each experimental run in the same experiment. The remaining radioactivity constituted 0.14% of the original [3H]arachidonic acid added to each incubation tube. This was considered to have been the result of conversion of the radiolabelled arachidonic acid to prostanoids. In the absence of 10 mM-EDTA no conversion occurred, whereas in its presence peaks of radioactivity co-eluting with [3H]PGF-2 alpha and [3H]PGE-2 were seen. A third peak that eluted was either 15-keto metabolites of these PGs or PGD-2. These 3 peaks were always significantly above background, and usually did not differ from each other. No differences in amount of conversion could be related to incubation time. Addition of indomethacin (100 micrograms/ml) or radioinert arachidonic acid (10 micrograms/ml) inhibited production of [3H]PG, even in the presence of EDTA. Removal of calcium from the incubation medium was per se without effect. Addition of atropine (0.15 mM) or carbachol (0.15 mM) in the presence or absence of EDTA did not change the pattern of conversion of [3H]arachidonic acid to [3H]PGs. These experiments demonstrate that rabbit blastocysts have the capacity for de-novo synthesis of PGs from exogenous substrate, when utilization of endogenous substrate is inhibited. The extent of conversion observed may not be a true reflection of the capacity for conversion of endogenous substrate.     

Importance of glycolysable substrates for in vitro capacitation of human spermatozoa

To investigate the importance of glycolysable substrate for supporting the ability of human sperm to capacitate and penetrate oocytes in vitro, washed spermatozoa were incubated with or without various sugars in BWW culture medium containing pyruvate and lactate. Sperm penetration was assayed using zona-free hamster oocytes. After an 18-h preincubation, glucose (1 mg/ml) supported higher penetration of sperm into oocytes than either mannose or fructose (60.7% vs. 28.2% or 21.5%, respectively) at the same concentration. Penetration was even lower when medium contained the nonmetabolizable sugar galactose (2.1% at 1 mg/ml). On the other hand, higher concentrations (5 or 10 mg/ml) of glucose, but not fructose, suppressed penetration, provided the glucose was present throughout the 18-h preincubation. When caffeine, a stimulant of glycolysis in human sperm, was present along with glucose, sperm penetration was enhanced, but only after 6 h of sperm preincubation. This effect was not observed in glucose-free medium, however, where penetration remained low over a 10-h incubation period. In these experiments, the percentage of motile sperm was unaffected by treatment, but the quality of motility was diminished in the absence of glucose. We conclude that stimulation of glycolysis may promote capacitation of human spermatozoa in vitro and that optimization of penetrating ability of sperm is dependent upon both the type and concentration of glycolysable sugar present.     

Morphological events during in vitro fertilization of prepubertal goat oocytes matured in vitro

Experiments were carried out to study morphological changes temporally associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) of prepubertal goat oocytes and to elucidate some of the abnormalities occurring during this process. The effects of different intervals of insemination on subsequent embryonic development were also studied. Prepubertal goat oocytes collected at slaughter were matured in TCM199 supplemented with estrous goat serum (20%), FSH (10 microg/ml), LH (10 microg/ml) and estradiol-17 beta (1 microg/ml) for 27 h at 38.5 degrees C. Matured oocytes were inseminated with freshly ejaculated spermatozoa following capacitation as described by Younis et al. (37) but with 100 microg/ml heparin. Representative oocytes were fixed every 2 to 4 h from 2 to 28 h after insemination for a study of sperm penetration, sperm head decondensation, meiotic activation, female chromosome decondensation, and male and female pronuclear formation. At the same intervals after insemination, some of the ova were co-cultured on granulosa cell monolayers for up to 9 d. Sperm penetration into the ooplasm was first observed at 4 h post insemination; decondensation of male and female chromatin and formation of male and female pronuclei occurred at 6 to 8 and 10 to 16 h after insemination, respectively. Highest proportions of oocytes were penetrated after exposure to spermatozoa for 8 h. There were no significant differences in ovum penetration after longer insemination intervals. Cleavage was first observed 24 h after insemination. Three types of abnormalities were observed. These were polyspermy, polygyny and asynchrony in the development of the female and male pronuclei, apparently due to a delay in the decondensation of the male pronucleus. Significantly higher proportions of oocytes cleaved (31.2 to 45.5%) after 20, 24 or 28 h insemination intervals than following shorter intervals of exposure to spermatozoa. However, the sperm exposure interval did not significantly affect subsequent embryonic development to the blastocyst stage. Embryos resulting from oocytes exposed to sperm cells for at least 12 h developed further than the 8-cell stage.     

In-vitro prostanoid production by the rat vas deferens

Prostaglandins (PGs), E-2, F-2 alpha, 6-keto-F-1 alpha and thromboxane B-2 (TXB-2), produced in vitro by the vas deferens of rats at different stages of sexual maturation (10, 35 and 100 days of age), were estimated by radioimmunoassay. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography was used to evaluate the RIA and to give a more complete profile, after incubation of the vas deferens with [14C]arachidonic acid. The amount of PGE-2 released into the medium after incubation at 37 degrees C for 5 min increased with age, and was the predominant prostanoid in the adult vas deferens. In prepubertal organs, 6-keto-PGF-1 alpha predominated. TXB-2 was always a minor product. The addition of exogenous arachidonic acid (10 micrograms/ml/20 mg tissue), provoked a higher production of the four compounds. PGE-2 and PGF-2 alpha levels were reduced after castration or hypophysectomy and were re-instated after treatment with testosterone propionate. PGE-2 was much more sensitive to hormonal deprivation than PGF-2 alpha. The production of 6-keto-PGF-1 alpha was not significantly affected by the above treatments.     

Thymic hormones and prostaglandins. I. Lack of stimulation of prostaglandin production by thymic hormones

Prostaglandins (PGs) have been implicated as possible mediators of the biological activity of thymic hormones. It has been shown that type E-PGs are able to mimic the action of several thymic hormones and that indomethacin prevents in vivo or in vitro the appearance of Thy-1+ antigen induced by some of these factors. We thus investigated a possible role for PGs in the mechanism of action of different thymic extracts and peptides. Attempts to modulate prostaglandin production showed that neither thymosin fraction 5 (0.01-100 micrograms/ml), nor thymosin alpha 1 (1-10 micrograms/ml), thymulin (0.001-100 ng/ml), thymopoietin II (10-1000 ng/ml) or TP5 (10-1000 ng/ml) affect PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha and TXB2 production by spleen cells from control and thymectomized mice. These results do not support the hypothesis that prostaglandins could act as mediators of thymic hormones.     

Prostaglandins in human semen during fish oil ingestion: evidence for in vivo cyclooxygenase inhibition and appearance of novel trienoic compounds

Marine oils may offer cardiovascular benefits, but inhibition of prostaglandin E and prostaglandin F synthesis by fish oil has been found in animal studies, and such effects could alter physiological responses in man to a clinically significant degree. Since greater amounts of E and F-type prostaglandins are made in human seminal vesicles than in the rest of the body combined, the influence of n-3 supplements upon semen prostaglandins was assessed in 10 subjects before and after one month of taking 50 ml menhaden oil daily. Prostaglandins E1, E2 and their 19-hydroxy derivatives were measured by HPLC-UV as PGB's, and prostaglandin E3, 19-OH PGE3, and analogous PGF's by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Fish oil ingestion reduced concentrations of one- and two series prostaglandins (mean reduction in PGE's = 37%, in PGF's = 20%, p less than 0.05), while more than doubling the low amounts of PGE3 and PGF3 alpha, and their previously undescribed 19-hydroxy derivatives. Semen phospholipids were enriched in eicosapentaenoic acid after dietary fish oil, but sperm counts and motility were not altered during the study. Since dietary fish oil reduces prostaglandin concentration in semen, clinical trials of n-3 fatty acids should also evaluate other possible results of in vivo cyclooxygenase inhibition.     

Interaction of vasopressin and prostaglandins in the nonpregnant human uterus

The interaction of vasopressin (VP) and prostaglandins (PG) on the nonpregnant human uterus was studied in vitro and in vivo. In organ baths arginine (A)- and lysine (L)-VP in concentrations of 0.6 to 100 ng/ml stimulated small human myometrial strips and uterine artery preparations to a similar degree. When these VPs were given in the presence of indomethacin or naproxen in concentrations of 1 microgram/ml and 5 micrograms/ml, respectively, the myometrial and arterial responses were not significantly influenced. PGF2 alpha in concentrations of 0.01-100 ng/ml stimulated the myometrial preparations but caused a slight relaxation of the arteries, with PGE2 the myometrial effects were insignificant and the relaxation of the arteries greater. When AVP was given together with either of the PGs to the bath the result was generally a summation of the individual effects of both types of substances.--In vivo during intrauterine pressure recordings in nonpregnant women 1-2 days before onset of menstruation LVP in single intravenous injection of 1.2 micrograms markedly stimulated uterine contractions. The response remained practically unaltered after pretreatment with 500 micrograms of naproxen given orally. The responses to LVP were also closely similar before, during and after intravenous infusion of PGF2 alpha at a rate of 5 micrograms/min.--It is concluded that the effect of VP on myometrium and uterine arteries is not to any great extent mediated by local synthesis of PG and that PGs do not cause potentiation or inhibition of the VP effects on the nonpregnant uterus.     

Nonbeneficial effects of glycerol on the oocyte penetrating capacity of cryopreserved and incubated human spermatozoa

The effect of cryopreservation on human spermatozoa in the presence or absence of glycerol was assessed by using sperm motility, functional integrity of sperm membrane, and denuded hamster oocyte penetration tests. Glycerol treated cryopreserved spermatozoa yielded a significantly higher (P less than 0.01) percentage of motile sperm and percentage of sperm with functionally intact membrane immediately after thawing than the spermatozoa not treated with glycerol but cryopreserved. However, no significant difference was observed between these cryopreserved spermatozoa (either treated or untreated with glycerol) on the percentage of motile sperm and the rate of oocyte penetration when the sperm were washed and incubated for 2 hr in a medium containing no glycerol. Thus, it appears glycerol may not be beneficial, since cryopreservation of spermatozoa either treated or untreated with glycerol essentially yields similar oocyte-penetrating capacity of sperm.     

The effect of 19-hydroxy prostaglandins on the human myometrium in vitro

Human semen contains high amounts of different prostaglandins of which the quantitatively dominating compounds are 19-hydroxy PGE and 19-hydroxy PGF. The effect of PGE and PGF on the contractility of the human uterus is well known whereas the corresponding 19-hydroxy derivatives have not previously been examined in detail. In the present investigation 19-hydroxy PGE1 was shown to dose-dependently decrease the frequency and the amplitude of the contractions in human myometrial tissue in vitro. The effect of seminal 19-hydroxy prostaglandins may thus be of importance for sperm transport through the female genital tract.     

Prostaglandins in maternal and fetal plasma and in allantoic fluid during the second half of gestation in the mare.

The concentrations of the primary prostaglandins (PG) F-2alpha and E-2 and the metabolite 13,14-dihydro-15-oxo-prostaglandin (PGFM) in maternal and fetal plasma and in allantoic fluid were measured in chronically catheterized mares and fetuses. A gradual rise in all 3 PGs occurred with increasing gestational age. PGE-2 and PGF-2 alpha levels were highest in the allantoic fluid and lowest in the maternal plasma, whereas PGFM concentrations were greatest in maternal plasma. Significant venous-arterial plasma differences in PGFM concentration were detected across the uterine circulation between 180 and 280 days gestation. The 3--5-fold rise in maternal PGFM associated with fasting or intrauterine surgery was virtually abolished by meclofenamic acid, a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor. Increases in PGE-2 and PGF-2 alpha in the fetal fluids preceded premature delivery of the foal, while PG changes in maternal plasma were minimal even 10--20 h before delivery.