Amifostine exerts anti-angiogenic activity and suppresses vascular endothelial growth factor secreted by hemopoietic stem/progenitor cells

To assess, in vitro, the effect of Amifostine [AMF, WR-2721] on angiogenesis and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] secreted from hemopoietic stem/progenitor cell populations. We conducted the study in the research laboratories of the Hashemite University, Jordan between September 2003 and January 2005 where we took samples were from Myelodysplastic syndrome [MDS] patients and healthy donors attending Al-Hussein Cancer Center and We determined the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells [HUVECs] in cultures supplemented with media conditioned with AMF-treated and AMF-untreated pure hemopoietic cells [CD34+ cells, and erythroid, myeloid and megakaryocytic progenitors]. Furthermore, in the same conditioned media, we evaluated levels of elaborated VEGF by a sensitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Biologically, media conditioned with AMF-treated cells reduced proliferation of HUVECs compared to media conditioned with untreated control cells [p<0.05]. In cultures of AMF-untreated cells, elaboration of VEGF was higher [p<0.05] in media conditioned with cells from MDS patients compared to healthy donors. A 30 minutes pre-exposure of cells to AMF [500 mM] suppressed levels of VEGF secreted within 24 hours in 63 of 89 evaluated cultures. The percentage of reduction of VEGF in AMF-sensitive cultures was comparable in cultures of MDS cells [18%, 2-37%; median, range] and normal cells [12%, 2-45%]. The results showed that AMF exerts an anti-angiogenic activity and suppresses the secretion of VEGF in hemopoietic stem/progenitor cells obtained from both healthy individuals and patients with MDS

Zinc, magnesium and gamma glutamyltransferase levels in human seminal fluid

The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of Zn, Mg and Gamma- GT in seminal fluids as an indirect method for the evaluation of the excretory function of the prostate gland. Seminal fluid specimens were collected from 167 Jordanian males referred for infertility investigation. Descriptive seminal fluid analyses were performed on all samples according to WHO standards, and were divided into four groups: normospermia [n=70]; oligospermia [n=50], azoospermia [n=22] and asthenospermia [n=25]. Zn and Mg were determined in the seminal plasma of each group by atomic absorption spectrophotometery and Gamma-GT was determined by enzymatic method. Compared with the other groups, oligospermic group had the highest proportion of specimens with abnormal liquefaction [26.0%] and leukocyte counts [32.0%]. Both oligospermic and asthenospermic groups had comparable sperm motility, which was lower than that in normospermia [p < 0.05]. The mean levels of Gamma-GT and Mg in oligospermia were significantly lower than that in all other groups. The mean Zn levels in oligospermia and azoospermia were lower than that in the other two groups. Significant positive correlation was observed between Gamma-GT, Zn and Mg in all four groups. The mean levels of Gamma-GT, Zn and Mg correlated positively with sperm count and motility only in the normospermic group. The presence of a high ratio of leukocytes in association with decreased levels of Zn, Mg and Gamma-GT in oligospermia, suggests disturbed function of the prostate gland, most probably due to infection. Measurement of these parameters may shed some light on the treatment and management of oligospermic infertile men