ABSTRACT
Objective@#Studies of the effects of estrogens on the male reproductive system have emphasized the role of these hormones in male fertility. Sesame oil has many phytoestrogenic compounds and may improve male fertility. This study investigated the effects of sesame oil and different concentrations of estrogen on sperm parameters and DNA integrity in male mice. @*Methods@#Twenty old NMRI (The Naval Medical Research Institute) male mice (40 weeks; weight, 30–35 g) were treated with sesame oil or different concentrations of estrogen (estradiol, 1 and 10 μL/kg/ day) or received no treatment (controls). After 35 days, sperm parameters and DNA integrity were assessed and analyzed. @*Results@#Sperm count, progressive motility, and morphology were decreased in the group that received 10 μL/kg of estradiol. A remarkably lower percentage of DNA fragmentation and protamine deficiency were detected in the group that received 1 μL/kg of estradiol. In the groups that received sesame oil and 1 μL/kg of estradiol, the numbers of spermatogonia and Leydig cells were higher than in controls. The combination of sesame oil and 1 μL/kg of estradiol led to improved sperm parameters and chromatin and testicular structure. @*Conclusion@#Based on this study, consumption of sesame oil and a low concentration of estradiol may improve testicular function in older mice.
ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: Learning and memory defect occurs following chronic diabetes with uncontrolled blood glucose. Ginkgo leaf extract improves brain blood flow. Also it contains antioxidant components and has shown beneficial effects in neurological diseases. In this study we investigated the effects of Ginkgo leaf extract on spatial memory impairment and hippocampal neuronal loss caused by diabetes
Material andmethods: This experimental study included 28 adult male Sparague-Dawley rats. The rats were made diabetic by injection of streptozotocin [STZ: 60 mg/kg]. Ginkgo leaf extract [40 mg/kg] was administrated orally every day for two weeks and its effects on memory impairment and hippocampal tissue damage were investigated. Spatial memory was assessed in Morris water maze for four days. Then, the brains of the animals were extracted and after tissue staining hippocampal tissue damage were evaluated by neuronal count
Results: Latency to find the platform in water maze were significantly increased in STZ group compared to that in the control group [p<0.05]. While, administration of the Ginkgo extract in STZ injected animals significantly reduced the latency to find the platform [p<0.05]. In addition, STZ reduced hippocampal neuronal count [p<0.001] and administration of the Ginkgo extract in STZ injected animals significantly improved hippocampal neuronal loss [p<0.01]
Conclusion: Ginkgo leaf extract significantly improved spatial memory impairment and hippocampal neuronal loss, induced by diabetes
ABSTRACT
Background: Signaling molecules such as cytokines regulate spermatogenesis during the maturation of germ cells and sperm apoptosis. Tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF alpha] is one of the most-documented cytokines that is involved in spermatogenesis. We investigated the association of the TNF alpha -308 G/A single nucleotide polymorphism with sperm abnormalities in Iranian males
Materials and Methods: This case-control study included 180 infertile men who referred to Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility and 100 healthy normospermic controls. Infertile men were classified into four groups of azoospermia [n=91], oligospermia [n=26], teratospermia [n=30] and asthenoteratospermia [n=33]. After sperm analysis, DNA was extracted from blood and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] was carried out for the genotyping of TNF alpha-308 G/A
Results: The A allele was significantly associated with sperm abnormality in our population [[P<0.001, odds ratios [OR] 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.31]. In addition, the A allele was also associated with azoospermia [P<0.001, OR [95% CI]=2.484], oligospermia [P=0.005, OR [95% CI]=2.51] and teratospemia [P<0.001, OR [95% CI]=3.385] but not with asthenoteratospermia [P=0.623]
Conclusion: Our data suggest that this single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] maybe associated with the risk of sperm abnormality in infertile men of Iranian origin
ABSTRACT
Background: methamphetamine [MA] was shown to have harmful effects on male reproductive system
Objective: to investigate probable effects of daily administration of MA on sperm parameters and chromatin/DNA integrity in mouse
Material and Methods: thirty-five NMRI male mice were divided into five groups including low, medium, and high dosage groups which were injected intraperitoneally with 4, 8 and 15 mg/kg/day for 35 days, respectively. Normal saline was injected in sham group and no medications were used in control group. Then, the mice were killed and caudal epididymis of each animal was cut and placed in Ham's F10 medium for sperm retrieval. To evaluate sperm chromatin abnormalities, the aniline blue, toluidine blue and chromomycine A3 were used. For sperm DNA integrity and apoptosis, the acridine orange, sperm chromatin dispersion, and TUNEL assay were applied. For sperm morphology, Papanicolaou staining was done
Results: normal morphology and progressive motility of spermatozoa decreased in medium and high dosage groups in comparison with the control group [p=0.035]. There was a significant increase in rate of aniline blue, toluidine blue, and chromomycine A3 positive spermatozoa in high dosage group. In a similar manner, there was an increase in rates of acridine orange, TUNEL and sperm chromatin dispersion positive sperm cells in high dosage group with respect to others
Conclusion: MA abuse in a dose-dependent manner could have detrimental effects on male reproductive indices including sperm parameters and sperm chromatin/DNA integrity in mice
ABSTRACT
Background: tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates different cellular activities related to spermatogenesis. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 1 [TNFR1] mediates TNF-alpha activity and polymorphism in TNFR1 could lead to gene dysfunction and male infertility
Objective: the aim of this study is to determine the association of TNFR1 36 A/G polymorphism with the idiopathic azoospermia in Iranian population
Materials and Methods: this case-control study included 108 azoospermic and 119 fertile men. This research investigated the frequency of TNFR1 36 A/G polymorphism in cases who were idiopathic azoospermic men referred to Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Iran in comparison with controls. polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] method was used to investigate the polymorphism in both case and control groups. PCR fragments were digested by Mspa1I enzyme and products were appeared by gel electrophoresis. The abundance of A?G was calculated in the azoospermic and healthy men
Results: according to the present study, GG and AG genotypes frequency in the azoospermic men group were higher than the control group [OR= 2.298 [1.248-4.229], p=0.007], [OR=1.47 [0.869-2.498, p=0.149]. Our findings also showed that G allele frequency in azoospermic men had significant difference compared to the control group [OR=2.302 [1.580-3.355], p<0.001]
Conclusion: it seems that the GG genotype and G allele have an association with increased risk of non-obstructive azoospermia
ABSTRACT
Sulfatase 1 [SULF1] function is to remove the 6-O-sulphate group from heparan sulfate. This action changes the binding sites of extracellular growth factors. SULF1 expression has been reported to be changed in angiogenesis. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] of SULF1 would impact clinicopathologic characteristics. Study of SULF1 gene polymorphism with fetus failure in in vitro fertilization [IVF] technique. We studied one common [minor allele frequency >0.05] regulatory SNP, rs6990375, with polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism method, in 53 infertile women with fetus failure in IVF technique and 53 women with at least one healthy child as controls. We found that rs6990375 is significantly associated with an early failure in IVF and frequency of G allele is high in women with fetus failure in IVF technique [p<0.001]. These findings suggest that SULF1genetic variations may play a role in IVF technique fetus failure. Further studies with large sample sizes on SULF1 SNPs may be useful in support of this claim
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Fertilization in Vitro , Case-Control Studies , Aborted Fetus , Polymorphism, GeneticABSTRACT
The main goal was to evaluate the attitudes and knowledge of Zoroastrians living in Iran towards oocyte donation [OD] and embryo donation [ED] program. This cross sectional study consisted of 318 Zoroastrians [n=175 for OD and n=143 for ED] of both sexes. The questionnaire form comprised two parts of general demographic characteristics of the participants and twenty multiple-choice questions about attitude and knowledge of participants towards OD and ED. For statistical analysis, the chi-square test was applied for comparison of data generated from ED and OD groups. Majority of the participants supported OD [69.7%] and ED [71.3%] for infertile patients. In addition, 40% and 42% preferred donation program [OD and ED, respectively], compared to adoption. About 60% of the respondents believed that the donors have no right to find the child and claim it as their own. In addition, more than half of the respondents thought that the recipients of oocyte/embryo should never know the name and address of the donors. More than half of the participants did not know whether their religion accepts donation program or not. Approximately, 80% of respondents supported psychological counseling for both donors and recipients. Moreover, about 56% of the participants necessitated the advertisement on OD/ED program in the mass media. Our preliminary data showed that Zoroastrians supported both OD and ED program equally for infertile couples