ABSTRACT
Background: Bacterial infections on male infertility has always been in the field of debate due to scarce analysis tools to examine seminal fluid specimens as a result of which these infectious processes leads to deterioration of spermatogenesis, impairment of sperm function and/or obstruction of the seminal tract. Aims & Objective: In the current study we investigated the role of bacterial infections in male factor infertility in Al-Anbar Province, West of Iraq through detection of abnormal sperms and other factor pertains to male infertility. Material and Methods: Seminal fluid from six hundred volunteer males was investigated for infertility by the detection of abnormal sperms using the WLJY-9000 TYPE WEILI Color Sperm Analysis System and the Neubauer counting chamber. Results: From the six hundreds patients investigated for infertility, it was found that 408 (68%) patients had a positive culture for pathogenic bacteria, of different species. The results indicate that 32.0% had sperm density less than twenty million per millilitre. The oligospermic were 23.0%, severe oligospermic 0.17% and Azoospermia 8.83%. Asthenospermia was reported to be 76.33% and Teratospermia 86.16% respectively. Conclusion: Seminal fluid infection increases with decreasing sperm density, motility and morphology. The prevalence of abnormal sperm indices and bacterial infection is high with Klebsiella spp. infection. Hence, treatment measures should be taken properly in the management of male factor infertility.
ABSTRACT
The current treatment options for Candida albicans biofilm-device related infections are very scarce due to their intrinsic increased tolerance to antimycotics. The aim of this work was to study synergistic action of terpenes (eugenol, menthol and thymol) with fluconazole (FLA) on C. albicans biofilm inhibition. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assayed using CLSI M27-A3 broth micro-dilution method showed antifungal activity against C. albicans MTCC 227 at a concentration of 0.12 % (v/v) for both thymol and eugenol as compared to 0.25 % (v/v) for menthol. FLA was taken as positive control. The effect of these terpenes on metabolic activity of preformed C. albicans biofilm cells was evaluated using 2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) reduction assay in 96-well polystyrene microtiter plate. Thymol and eugenol were more effective at lower concentrations of ≥ 1.0 % (v/v) than menthol. Synergistic studies using checkerboard micro-dilution assay showed fractional inhibitory concentration index (Σ FIC=0.31) between thymol/FLA followed by eugenol/FLA (Σ FIC=0.37) and menthol/FLA (Σ FIC<0.5) against pre-formed C. albicans biofilms. Thymol with fluconazole showed highest synergy in reduction of biofilm formation than eugenol and menthol which was not observed when their activities were observed independently. Adherence assay showed 30% viability of C. albicans cells after 2 h of treatment with 0.05 % (v/v) thymol/FLA. Effect of thymol/FLA on C. albicans adhesion visualized by SEM micrographs showed disruption in number of candidal cells and alteration in structural design of C. albicans. Thus, the study demonstrated synergistic effect of terpenes with fluconazole on C. albicans biofilm, which could be future medications for biofilm infections.