ABSTRACT
Background: vitamin D has multifaceted function in human reproductive physiology. It has been revealed that vitamin D is involved in spermatogenesis, and semen quality can be linked to vitamin D status in men
Objective: evaluating the correlation of 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25-OHD] levels in serum with basic and advanced semen parameters and essential determinants of spermatozoa function
Materials and Methods: participants were categorized, based on semen parameters, into normozoospermic [NS] and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic [OAT] men. Serum level of 25-OHD was measured. Apoptotic status of spermatozoa, mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species content of semen were assessed
Results: difference of 25-OHD concentration in serum of NS men versus OAT ones did not meet significance threshold. DNA fragmentation, reactive oxygen species content of semen and mitochondrial membrane potential state revealed significant difference between NS and OAT subjects. There were no significant differences in basic and functional semen parameters when men were stratified based on serum 25-OHD level. Taking both 25-OHD and semen categories [NS and OAT] into consideration did not indicate any significant difference in studied parameters. Total motility of spermatozoa was positively correlated with serum concentration of 25-OHD in all studied subjects. In addition, normal morphology of spermatozoa in NS men revealed a positive and significant correlation with levels of 25-OHD in serum
Conclusion: vitamin D may affect motility and morphology of spermatozoa. Lower content of serum vitamin D may affect fertility of men and should be considered in examination of men with abnormal spermogram
ABSTRACT
Background: Teratoasthenozoospermia [TA] is a severe form of male infertility with no clear etiology
Objective: To compare the level of intracellular anion superoxide [O[2]-], heat shock protein A2 [HSPA2] and protamine deficiencies in ejaculated spermatozoa between teratoasthenozoospermic and normozoospermic men
Materials and Methods: In this case- control study, semen samples of 20 infertile men, with TA [with normal morphology lower than 4%_ and total motility lower than 40% ] as the case group and 20 normozoospermic fertile men as the control group were evaluated for intracellular O[2] - and HSPA2 by flow cytometry and protamine deficiency by Chromomycin A3 [CMA3] test
Results: The rate of CMA3+ spermatozoa in the case group was higher than controls [p=0.001]. The percentages of HSPA2[+] spermatozoa in the cases were significantly lower than controls [p=0.001]. Also, intracellular O[2] - levels in the case group were significantly higher than controls [p=0.001] and had positive correlations with sperm apoptosis [r=0.79, p=0.01] and CMA3 positive sperm [r=0.76, p=0.01], but negative correlations with normal morphology [r=-0.81, p=0.01] and motility [r=-0.81, p=0.01]. There was no significant correlation between intracellular O[2] - and HSPA2 in the case group [r=0.041, p=0.79]
Conclusion: We suggest that the increase in intracellular O[2] -, decrease in spermatozoa HSPA2[+], and high percentages of spermatozoa with immature chromatin might be considered as etiologies of infertility in TA patients
ABSTRACT
Several studies indicate that gender differences exist in tolerance of the kidney to ischemia reperfusion [IR] injury. Recently, postconditioning [POC], induction of brief repetitive periods of IR, has been introduced to reduce the extent of the damage to the kidney. This method was shown to attenuate renal IR injury by modifying oxidative stress and reducing lipid peroxidation. Considering the gender effect on the results of several treatment methods, in this study, we investigated the impact of gender on the protective effect of POC on the rat kidney. In this study, after right nephrectomy, 48 male and female rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 rats: In IR group, with the use of bulldog clamp, 45 minutes of left renal artery ischemia was induced followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. In the sham group, all of the above surgical procedures were applied except that IR was not induced. In the POC group, after the induction of 45 minutes ischemia, 4 cycles of 10 seconds of intermittent ischemia and reperfusion were applied before restoring of blood to the kidney. 24 hours later, serum and renal tissue samples were collected for renal functional monitoring and oxidative stress evaluation. Postconditioning attenuated renal dysfunction considering the significant decrease in plasma creatinine and BUN compared with IR group only in male rats [P<0.05]. Also, POC attenuated oxidative stress in male rats' kidney tissues as demonstrated by a significantly reduced malondialdehyde [MDA] level and increased superoxide dismutase [SOD] activity [P<0.05]. In female rats, there were no changes in functional markers and oxidative stress status in POC group compared to IR group. Considering gender difference, POC had protective effect against IR injury by attenuating functional and oxidative stress markers in male rat kidneys. This protective effect was not seen in female rats.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Female , Sex Factors , Kidney/blood supply , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Rats , Blood Urea Nitrogen , Random Allocation , Reperfusion Injury/pathologyABSTRACT
In a recent study, we were able to demonstrate a role for leukocyte transfer in the induction of liver damage in recipient mice after induction of IR [60 min of bilateral renal artery occlusion and 3 hrs reperfusion] injury in donors. The present study investigates the role of leukocyte transfer in the induction of kidney damage in recipient mice after induction of renal IR injury in donors. Mice were divided into two sham and renal IR groups. After anesthesia, leukocytes were isolated from blood and were transferred to the two recipient groups: the intact recipient mice received leukocytes from the sham donor group [Sham recipient] and the intact recipient mice that received leukocytes from IR donor group [IR recipient]. After 24 hrs, the recipient mice were anesthetized and blood samples and renal tissues were collected. Renal malondialdehyde [MDA] increased and glutathione and superoxide dismutase [SOD] decreased significantly in IR recipient group in comparison to sham recipient group. Although renal function tests, including BUN and plasma creatinine were significantly different between IR donor and sham donor groups, but they were not significantly different in two recipient groups. Renal tissues in IR donor group showed extensive damage compared to sham group, but in IR recipients' kidneys, they were different from IR donor tissues despite being different from their respective sham group. These findings are suggestive of implication of leukocytes in renal tissue damage and oxidative stress after renal IR injury
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the role of reactive oxygen species [ROS] in ischemia-reperfusion injury [IRI] is established and different methods including ischemic preconditioning and postconditioning [POC] are introduced to reduce the damage. One of the possible protective mechanisms of POC is a reduction in ROS formation. According to the significance and prevalence of renal IRI, in the present study, the protective effect of POC on the reduction of IR-induced renal injury was evaluated. After right nephrectomy, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups [n= 6]. In IR group, with the use of bulldog clamp 45 min of left renal artery was induced followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. In sham group, all of the above surgical procedures were applied except that IR was not induced. In POC group, after induction of 45 min ischemia, 4 cycles of 10 seconds of intermittent ischemia and reperfusion were applied before restoring of blood to the kidney. At the end of the experiments, serum and renal tissue samples were collected for renal functional monitoring and oxidative stress evaluation. POC prevented the IR-induced increase in blood urea Nitrogen and serum creatinine and improved the kidney oxidative status demonstrated by a decrease in malondialdehyde level and an increase in superoxide dismutase. POC has a protective role on renal function by a reduction in IR-induced oxidative stress