Effects of interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha on the fertilizing capacity of human sperm and their mechanisms / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-gamma) on the sperm acrosin activity and the rate of acrosome reaction and to probe into their mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-six nearly normal semen samples were treated with IFN-gamma and/or TNF-alpha after isolated by 75% Percoll. The sperm acrosin activity was tested by the method of BAEE/ADH Unity, the rate of acrosome reaction observed by Triple-stain technique, the NO concentration measured by HPLC and the activities of Na+ -K+ -ATPase, Ca2+ -ATPase and SOD assayed by kit method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both IFN-gamma and TNF-gamma could decrease sperm acrosin activity and acrosome reaction (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). TNF-alpha showed stronger inhibiting effect, IFN-gamma markedly reduced the activities of Na+ -K+ -ATPase, Ca2+ -ATPase and SOD in sperm (P < 0.01), and their synergistic action was weaker. However TNF-alpha produced hardly any effect on Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -ATPase. The NO concentration in sperm was significantly increased by IFN-gamma and/or TNF-alpha (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha have some inhibiting effect on sperm acrosin activity and the rate of acrosome reaction, which could be attributed to their influence on the activities of Na+ -K+ -ATPase, Ca2+ -ATPase and SOD, the NO concentration and so on.</p>

The changing trends of expression of VEGF and its relationship with the levels of NO in rat corpus luteum of pseudopregnant / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>The expression of VEGF in rat ovaries corpus luteum and its expression pattern were observed to investigate the effect of VEGF on luteal formation and regression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The model of immature rat of pseudopregnant was established using pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the expression of VEGF in corpus luteum was detected by immunohistochemistry, the levels of VEGF in corpus luteum was measured by ELISA, and the levels of NO in corpus luteum was measured by chemistry assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>VEGF expressed weakly in rat corpus luteum on the day 1, and enhanced gradually from day 3 to day 5, then went up to the peak on the day 7, and maintained to day 9. On the day 11, the expression of VEGF began to decrease. The levels of VEGF were similar to the expression of VEGF. The levels of NO appeared like double wave. The levels increased gradually from day 1 to day 5, and peaked on the day 7, then decreased on the day 9, while lightly increased on the day 11, and showed significant increase and reached the highest on the day 13, then decreased the lowest on the day 15.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There is a intimate temporal relationship between the expression of VEGF and angiogenesis in corpus luteum, VEGF may play a role in luteum formation by improving angiogenesis mediated by NO, NO may play a role in luteum regression as a luteolytic during the late luteal phase.</p>

Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid on the sperm acrosin activity / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To investigate the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the sperm acrosin activity in normal men and positive antisperm antibody (AsAb) men.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sperm acrosin activity was detected by BAEE/ADH method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>GABA could increase the sperm acrosin activity in normal and AsAb positive patients (P < 0.01). The results also indicated that GABA significantly increased Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity (P < 0.01), Ca(2+)-ATPase activity (P < 0.05) and SOD activity (P < 0.01) of sperm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The results demonstrated that GABA could influence the sperm acrosin activity.</p>