Improving native human sperm freezing protection by using a modified vitrification method / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Slow freezing is the most commonly used technique for the cryopreservation of spermatozoa in clinical practice. However, it has been shown to have a negative impact on sperm function and structure. Vitrification as a successful alternative method has been proved to have better protective effects on human embryos, but vitrification of spermatozoa is still subject to low recovery rates. In this study, a modified vitrification method for native spermatozoa was developed. A total of 28 semen samples were included; each sample was divided into three equal parts and assigned to fresh, slow freezing, and vitrification groups. Sperm vitality, motility, morphology, DNA integrity, and acrosome reaction were assessed for each of the groups. The results showed that vitrification achieves better results for several sperm protection parameters than slow freezing; vitrification achieves a higher recovery rate (P < 0.05), motility (P <0.05), morphology (P <0.05), and curve line velocity (P <0.05) than slow freezing. Furthermore, DNA fragmentation was decreased (P <0.05) and better acrosome protection (P <0.05) was exhibited in the spermatozoa after vitrification. Principal component analysis of all sperm parameters revealed that the vitrification cluster was closer to the fresh cluster, indicating that spermatozoa are better preserved through vitrification. In conclusion, while both slow freezing and vitrification have negative effects on sperm function and structure, the vitrification protocol described here had a relatively better recovery rate (65.8%) and showed improved preservation of several sperm quality parameters compared with slow freezing.

Effect of ozone on oxidative stress and energy metabolism change of blood from aortic dissection patients in vitro / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the effect of ozone on oxidative stress and energy metabolism change of blood from aortic dissection (AD) patients for providing preliminary evidence of application of ozonated autohemotherapy (ozone-AHT) in AD patients. Methods    Twenty AD patients (16 males and 4 females with a mean age of 48.51±10.21 years) were consecutively included in the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from March 2016 to August 2016, and blood samples were collected from all participants and ozonized in vitro at different ozone concentrations (0 μg/ml, 40 μg/ml, 60 μg/ml, 80 μg/ml, 160 μg/ml). Malondialdehyde (MDA), red blood cells (RBCs) superoxide dismutase (SOD), Na+-K+-ATP, 2,3-bisphosphoglyceric acid (2,3-DPG) at different ozone concentrations were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results    In the control group (0 μg/ml), the content of postoperative MDA was significantly higher than that of preoperation (P<0.05). The contents of postoperative SOD, Na+-K+-ATP and 2,3-DPG were significantly lower than that of preoperation (P<0.05). The content of MDA at the concentrations of 40 μg/ml, 60 μg/ml, 80 μg/ml group increased after the operation (P>0.05), and the SOD, Na+-K+-ATP, 2,3-DPG decreased compared with the preoperation (P>0.05). But all the values were not statistically significant at the concentrations of 40 μg/ml, 80 μg/ml and 160 μg/ml respectively between preoperation and postoperation (P>0.05). Compared with other concentration groups, the content of preoperative and postoperative MDA   increased in the ozone group (160 μg/ml), and oppositely, the contents of preoperative and postoperative SOD, Na+-K+- ATP and 2,3-DPG decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion     The concentrations of 40 to 80 μg/ml of ozone can improve the antioxidant capacity of erythrocyte membrane, reduce oxidative stress in blood samples of AD patients and improve the energy metabolism of erythrocyte membranes, so the concentration range of ozone is safe and feasible for the ozone-AHT of perioperative AD.

TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway regulates inflammatory response involved in pathophysiological mechanisms of type A aortic dissection / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To investigate activated toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) signaling pathway involved in pathophysiological mechanisms of type A aortic dissection (TAAD). Methods     Specimens of full-thickness ascending aorta wall from the TAAD patients (n=12) and the controlled donors (n=12) were collected. Western blotting was used to examine the associated proteins' expression of TLR4 signaling pathway. Blood samples from TAAD (n=43) and controlled patients (n=50) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the circulating plasma cytokines levels of interleukin-1β (L-1β). Results     In the aortic wall of TAAD, expression levels of TLR4 and protein expression of major molecule significantly elevated, and activated macrophages increased. Furthermore, elevated IL-1β levels were observed in the TAAD patients’ plasma compared with the control plasma. Multiple logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that elevated IL-1β could be a novel and promising biomarker with important diagnostic and predictive value in the identification of TAAD. Conclusion     Activated TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway regulates inflammatory response to involve in pathophysiological mechanisms of type A aortic dissection and its regulated inflammatory products have important predictive value for patients with TAAD.

Vitreoretinal lymphomas misdiagnosed as uveitis: Lessons learned from a case series.

Purpose: To present challenging cases of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) that was misdiagnosed as uveitis because of the apparent intraocular inflammation. At the light of the new classification of intraocular lymphomas, we detail the characteristics that masqueraded the tumors and the clinical aspects that guided us to the correct diagnosis. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients referred to our uveitis service between January 2006 and December 2014. Results: Seven patients referred with a presumptive diagnosis of idiopathic uveitis received a final diagnosis of VRL. The median time between the onset of symptoms and definitive diagnosis was 25 months for these complex cases. The median time from presentation at our clinic to final diagnosis was 1 month. The described clinical features including dense vitreous cells and subretinal infiltrates were characteristic and tend to be present in all these chronically ill patients. Vitreous samples were collected, and all demonstrated the pathognomonic tumor cells, the specific immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements, and an interleukin (IL)‑10 to IL‑6 ratio >1. Conclusion: VRLs are severe diseases with a poor prognosis that may be misdiagnosed as idiopathic inflammatory conditions of the eye. Treatment with steroids may occult the tumors and delay the correct diagnosis. Appropriate evaluation may prompt to a timely vitreous sampling and therefore to a faster diagnosis in these peculiar cases where the correct diagnosis was delayed by several months.

Retinal lesions and potential confounders in mouse models / 中华实验眼科杂志

During the application of spontaneous or genetically engineered mouse models for retinal diseases,some phenotypes of the models might not be related to the gene (s) of interest or intentional manipulation.This problem often arises from founder effect of inbreed mouse strains.The most impact experiences in vision research community are mouse models incorporated with mutations in Crb1 (rd8),phosphodiesterase 6 beta (Pde6b) (rd1),Gnat2 and RPE65 genes.This paper reviewed the most relevant articles on this matter.We encourage that vision researchers who apply or develop mouse lines to study retinal diseases should carefully track and check the genetic background of their stains and/or choose proper controls in the study design.

Molecular Epidemiology of Integron-Associated Antimicrobial Gene Cassettes in the Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from Northern Taiwan

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to understand the molecular epidemiology of integron-associated gene cassettes in Acinetobacter baumannii across four hospitals in northern Taiwan and to clarify the relationship between the presence of integrons and antibiotic-resistant phenotypes. METHODS: Sixty-five A. baumannii isolates, collected from the patients of four regional hospitals in northern Taiwan in 2009, were tested for the presence of integrons and their associated gene cassettes. The susceptibility difference between integron-positive and integron-negative A. baumannii strains was analyzed. Antibiotic-resistant phenotypes among A. baumannii with different types of gene cassette array combinations were also compared. RESULTS: Around 72% of the A. baumannii isolates carried class 1 integrase genes. Despite this, only three gene cassette arrays were found in the integrons. Integron-positive strains were significantly more resistant to all the tested antibiotics than the integrase-negative strains. All the four types of A. baumannii with different gene cassette array combinations were multidrug-resistant in nature. Gene cassette array aacA4-catB8-aadA1 existed in all the integron-positive A. baumannii isolates. Repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) results revealed the prevalence of one major cluster of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii strains (84%) in the four regional hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of integrons with associated antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes can be used as a representative marker of multidrug resistance in A. baumannii. Some prevalent gene cassette arrays may exist among epidemiologically unrelated A. baumannii strains.

Mycobacterium-related ocular inflammatory disease: diagnosis and management

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Worldwide, there are approximately 8 million new cases and 3 million deaths from tuberculosis (TB) each year. TB affects the entire body and the eye. Although ocular TB is considered rare, its incidence has varied widely across time, patient populations, and geography. We report 2 patients with unique presentations of ocular TB and detail the treatment and outcome of the disease.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>Two cases of ocular inflammation, one with a medical history of systemic TB and the other, with that of presumed systemic TB, were examined. Choroidal granuloma developed in one, and scleritis developed in the other. The literature on ocular TB was comprehensively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both patients were diagnosed with ocular TB. The histology of the systemic TB lesions was also illustrated. They responded to aggressive anti- TB and anti-inflammatory therapies.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The diagnosis and management of ocular TB can pose a significant challenge. Physicians and ophthalmologists must include TB among the differential diagnoses of patients with ocular inflammatory diseases and treat ocular TB with a combination of anti-TB and immunosuppressive medications as needed. Immunosuppressive medications applied in this setting must be cautioned and only prescribed by ophthalmologists who are familiar with these agents.</p>