Seroprevalencia de enfermedad celiaca en pacientes con infertilidad. Un estudio de casos y controles / Celiac disease seroprevalence in patients with infertility. A case-control study

Resumen Antecedentes: Aunque los pacientes con enfermedad celiaca (EC) tienen en su mayoría manifestaciones digestivas, algunos pueden presentarlas de índole extraintestinal (atípicas), como anemia crónica, ataxia y trastornos de la fertilidad. Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de anticuerpos relacionados con EC en mujeres mexicanas con trastornos de la fertilidad. Material y métodos: Estudio de casos y controles de mujeres que acudieron a valoración por trastornos de la fertilidad en un centro especializado. Se cuantificó h-tTG IgA, gliadina IgA II y gliadina IgG II; los títulos > 30 UI fueron considerados como positivos. Resultados: Se incluyeron 171 casos y 171 controles; 137 pacientes (80.1 %) tuvieron infertilidad y 34 (19.9 %), esterilidad. Ocho pacientes (4.6 %, IC 95 % = 2.3-8.9) tuvieron al menos un marcador positivo para EC comparadas con una mujer del grupo control (0.5 %, IC 95 % = 0.01-3, p = 0.04, razón de momios = 8.3). Seis de las ocho pacientes presentaron infertilidad inexplicable. Conclusiones: Hasta 4.6 % de las mujeres con infertilidad presentó al menos un marcador positivo para EC. Al igual que en otras partes del mundo, podría recomendarse el escrutinio para EC en mujeres con infertilidad, en especial en quienes padecen infertilidad inexplicable.

Abstract Background: Although most patients with celiac disease (CD) have digestive manifestations, in some of them they may be of extraintestinal (atypical) nature, such as chronic anemia, ataxia, and fertility disorders. Objective: To determine the prevalence of CD-related antibodies in Mexican women with fertility disorders. Material and methods: Case-control study of women who attended evaluation for fertility disorders in a specialized center. h-tTG-IgA, gliadin IgA II and gliadin IgG II were quantified; titers > 30 IU were considered positive. Results: One-hundred and seventy-one cases and 171 controls were included; 137 patients (80.1%) had infertility, and 34 (19.9%), sterility. Eight patients (4.6%, 95% CI = 2.3-8.9) had at least one positive marker for CD in comparison with one woman in the control group (0.5%, 95% CI = 0.01-3, p = 0.04, odds ratio = 8.3). Six of the eight patients had unexplained infertility. Conclusions: Up to 4.6% of women with infertility had at least one positive marker for CD. As in other parts of the world, screening for CD could be recommended in women with infertility, especially in those with unexplained infertility.

Expression of TUBB4B in mouse primary spermatocyte GC-2 cells and its regulatory effect on NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the interaction between Tubulin beta 4B class IVb (TUBB4B) and Agtpbp1/cytosolic carboxypeptidase- like1 (CCP1) in mouse primary spermatocytes (GC-2 cells) and the role of TUBB4B in regulating the development of GC-2 cells.@*METHODS@#Lentiviral vectors were used to infect GC-2 cells to construct TUBB4B knockdown and negative control (NC-KD) cells. The stable cell lines with TUBB4B overexpression (Tubb4b-OE) and the negative control (NC-OE) cells were screened using purinomycin. RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to verify successful cell modeling and explore the relationship between TUBB4B and CCP1 expressions in GC-2 cells. The effects of TUBB4B silencing and overexpression on the proliferation and cell cycle of GC-2 cells were evaluated using CCK8 assay and flow cytometry. The signaling pathway proteins showing significant changes in response to TUBB4B silencing or overexpression were identified using Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay and then labeled for verification at the cellular level.@*RESULTS@#Both TUBB4B silencing and overexpression in GC-2 cells caused consistent changes in the mRNA and protein expressions of CCP1 (P < 0.05). Similarly, TUBB4B expression also showed consistent changes at the mRNA and protein after CCP1 knockdown and restoration (P < 0.05). TUBB4B knockdown and overexpression had no significant effect on proliferation rate or cell cycle of GC-2 cells, but caused significant changes in the key proteins of the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway (p65 and p-p65) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway (ErK1/2 and p-Erk1/2) (P < 0.05); CCP1 knockdown induced significant changes in PolyE expression in GC-2 cells (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#TUBB4B and CCP1 interact via a mutual positive regulation mechanism in GC-2 cells. CCP-1 can deglutamize TUBB4B, and the latter is involved in the regulation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in primary spermatocytes.

Evaluación citogenética en parejas con esterilidad e infertilidad que concurren al Departamento de Genética del Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción en el periodo septiembre 2021- febrero 2022

La prevalencia de la infertilidad no posee datos muy exactos y varía en cada región, pero se estima que aproximadamente entre un 10 a 20% de las parejas experimentan algún problema de fertilidad durante su vida reproductiva. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), entre 48 millones de parejas y 186 millones de personas padecen de trastornos reproductivos en todo el mundo. El objetivo de este estudio fue la evaluación citogenética en parejas con esterilidad e infertilidad que concurrieron al Departamento de Genética del Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción (IICS-UNA) en el periodo septiembre 2021 a febrero 2022. Dicha evaluación citogenética fue realizada en muestras de 19 parejas mediante el análisis microscópico de 30 metafases por paciente. Se identificaron anomalías cromosómicas en algunas parejas estudiadas, se encontraron tres anomalías cromosómicas estructurales y varios polimorfismos o variantes cromosómicas. En el 63% de los individuos estudiados se observó un cariotipo normal, en el 8% alteraciones cromosómicas y en el 29% variantes cromosómicas. De las anomalías cromosómicas encontradas, las deleciones y translocaciones observadas se relacionan con una producción de gametos desequilibrados, dando lugar a abortos espontáneos y a la imposibilidad de concebir; en las parejas con cariotipo normal, se identificaron factores de riesgo como la edad, hábitos tóxicos como el consumo de tabaco, y enfermedades de base.

The prevalence of infertility does not have very exact data and varies in each region, but it is estimated that approximately 10 to 20% of couples experience some fertility problem during their reproductive life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 48 million couples and 186 million people suffer from reproductive disorders worldwide. The objective of this study was the cytogenetic evaluation in couples with sterility and infertility who attended the Genetics Department of the Health Sciences Research Institute of the National University of Asunción (IICS-UNA) from September 2021 to February 2022. The cytogenetic evaluation was carried out in samples from 19 couples, through the microscopic analysis of 30 metaphases per patient. Chromosomal abnormalities were identified in some couples studied, three structural chromosomal abnormalities and several polymorphisms or chromosomal variants were found. A normal karyotype was found in 63% of the couples studied, chromosomal abnormalities in 8%, and chromosomal variants in 29%. Of the chromosomal abnormalities found, the deletions and translocations observed are related to unbalanced gamete production, leading to spontaneous abortions; in couples with a normal karyotype, risk factors such as age, toxic habits such as consumption of tobacco, and underlying diseases were identified.

Tuberculoma simulador de cáncer de ovario / Tuberculoma mimicking ovarian cancer

Resumen INTRODUCCIÓN: La tuberculosis sigue siendo un problema de salud pública global: alrededor de un cuarto de la población mundial está infectada con el bacilo de la tuberculosis, pero solo 5 a 15% realmente resultarán con la enfermedad. Pese a los esfuerzos por controlar la infección, hoy en día es la principal causa de muerte producida por un único agente infeccioso. La forma extrapulmonar es rara, y la genital suele manifestarse con esterilidad, en otros simula un cáncer de ovario avanzado, incluidas la masa anexial y la ascitis, pérdida de peso y elevación del marcador tumoral Ca125. El diagnóstico diferencial prequirúrgico es complejo, de ahí que a la mayoría de las pacientes se les indique una intervención quirúrgica innecesaria. CASO CLÍNICO: Paciente de 29 años con diagnóstico de formación anexial sospechosa de malignidad que se trató de manera conservadora hasta conseguir su regresión total. Además, se efectuó una revisión de la bibliografía relacionada con esta infrecuente entidad. CONCLUSIÓN: La conjunción de ascitis, masa pélvica y elevación del marcador Ca125 puede corresponder al diagnóstico de cáncer de ovario avanzado, ello sin olvidar la posibilidad de tuberculosis extraperitoneal en pacientes con antecedente de tuberculosis o procedentes de zonas endémicas. El diagnóstico es complejo, sobre todo por la baja incidencia en nuestro medio, que a menudo requiere laparoscopias exploradoras para confirmar el origen de las lesiones.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis remains a global public health problem: about a quarter of the world's population is infected with the tuberculosis bacillus, but only 5-15% will actually develop the disease. Despite efforts to control the infection, today it is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. The extrapulmonary form is rare, and the genital form usually manifests with sterility, in others it simulates advanced ovarian cancer, including adnexal mass and ascites, weight loss and elevation of the tumor marker Ca125. The pre-surgical differential diagnosis is complex, hence most patients are indicated for unnecessary surgery. CLINICAL CASE: A 29-year-old patient with a diagnosis of adnexal formation suspicious for malignancy was treated conservatively until complete regression was achieved. In addition, a review of the existing literature related to this rare entity was performed. CONCLUSION: The conjunction of ascites, pelvic mass and elevated Ca125 marker may correspond to the diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer, without forgetting the possibility of extraperitoneal tuberculosis in patients with a history of tuberculosis or from endemic areas. Diagnosis is complex, especially due to the low incidence in our environment, which often requires exploratory laparoscopy to confirm the origin of the lesions.

Trombofilias, esterilidad, infertilidad y tratamiento de reproducción asistida / Thrombophilias, sterility, infertility and assisted reproductive treatment / Trombofilias, esterilidade, infertilidade e tratamento reprodutivo assistido

Resumen: La esterilidad se define como la no obtención del embarazo luego de un año de relaciones sexuales sin protección en parejas heterosexuales. Puede afectar hasta un 15 a 20% de las parejas en edad reproductiva en algún momento de la vida. Las causas de esterilidad se dividen en: factor masculino, factor femenino, causa mixta y esterilidad sin causa aparente. Se ha planteado que las trombofilias hereditarias y adquiridas, podrían estar involucradas en su etiología; y que las distintas estrategias de tratamiento de éstas (ácido acetil salicílico, heparina de bajo peso molecular, corticoides, hidroxicloroquina, entre otros) podrían mejorar los resultados de las técnicas de reproducción asistida.

Abstract: Sterility is defined as failure to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse in heterosexual couples. It can affect up to 15-20% of couples of reproductive age at some point in life. The causes of sterility are divided into: male factor, female factor, mixed cause and sterility with no apparent cause. It has been suggested that hereditary and acquired thrombophilias could be involved in its etiology; and that the different treatment strategies for these (acetylsalicylic acid, low molecular weight heparin, corticosteroids, hydroxychloroquine, among others) could improve the results of assisted reproductive techniques.

Resumo: Esterilidade é definida como o fracasso em engravidar após um ano de relação sexual desprotegida em casais heterossexuais. Pode afetar até 15-20% dos casais em idade reprodutiva em algum momento da vida. As causas da esterilidade são divididas em: fator masculino, fator feminino, causa mista e esterilidade sem causa aparente. Foi sugerido que trombofilias hereditárias e adquiridas podem estar envolvidas em sua etiologia; e que as diferentes estratégias de tratamento para estes (ácido acetilsalicílico, heparina de baixo peso molecular, corticosteroides, hidroxicloroquina, entre outros) poderiam melhorar os resultados das técnicas de reprodução assistida.

Construction of a training evaluation index system of sterility concept for nursing interns in the operating room based on Kirkpatrick model / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:Based on the Kirkpatrick model, construct an evaluation index system for the teaching effect of aseptic concept for interns in operating room.Methods:Based on the Kirkpatrick model as the theoretical framework, combined with literature review and group discussion, the first draft of the indicator system was drawn up, and the expert consultation questionnaire was compiled. 30 experts with nursing teaching experience from several tertiary hospitals and medical undergraduate colleges in Chengdu were selected for research. Delphi conducts 2 rounds of consultation with experts. The collected data were input by Excel, and analyzed by SPSS 23.0.Results:The positive coefficients of the two rounds of consulting experts were l00.00% and 93.33%; the expert authority coefficients were both>0.7; the overall coordination coefficient of expert opinions Kendall's W was 0.321 and 0.427, respectively, with statistical significance ( P<0.05). The final result index system for training nurses in operating room aseptic concept includes 4 first-level indicators, 11 second-level indicators, and 45 third-level indicators. Conclusion:The construction method of aseptic concept assessment index system for nursing students in operating room is scientific and reasonable, and the content is set appropriately, which can provide a basis for the evaluation of aseptic concept training for nursing students in operating room.

Anther Transcriptomics and Expression Analysis of Genes Related to Anthocyanin Synthesis in Blue Labeled Genic Male Sterile Wheat / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

In order to reveal the molecular mechanism of blue labeled genic male sterility (BM-type GMS) and utilize the heterosis of BM-type GMS, we used the anthers of white-seed plants WS (sterile) and light blue seed plants WF (normal fertility) as experimental materials to analyze the differences in gene expression between them by transcriptome technology. And we also verified the genes expressed in anthocyanin synthesis in this study. Compared with WF, a total of 2352 differentially expressed genes were detected in WS. According to GO functional annotation, these genes could be divided into 3 categories and 43 subgroups. They are mainly involved in biosynthesis, phenylpropane metabolism, L-phenylalanine catabolism, membrane components, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ATP binding, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, etc. KEGG pathway analysis showed that there were 159 genes enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, followed by the phenylalanine pathway, including 136 differentially expressed genes. Other genes are also involved a variety of amino acid metabolism, purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism and sugar metabolism pathway. Related to anthocyanin metabolism, several structural genes of key enzymes were differentially expressed, and most of them were up-regulated in WF, while only Flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) and colorless anthocyanin dioxygenase (ANS) were down-regulated. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that the expression of 10 genes related to anthocyanin metabolism had the same trend as that in transcriptome sequencing data. Sequence homology analysis showed that the two selected transcription factors (DN48762c2g1 and DN25944c0g1) are clustered into the same cluster as the transcription factors regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize, rice and Arabidopsis thaliana, which might be candidate genes for the blue aleurone layer of light blue seed plants in wheat. And fluorescence quantitative analysis showed that the expression level of DN48762c2g1 and DN25944c0g1 in WF was significantly higher than that in WS. In conclusion, the genes related to the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway are not only related to the blue grain trait, but also may be involved in the anther abortion of BM-type GMS.

Endometritis granulomatosa por tuberculosis en mujer postmenopaúsica / Granulomatous tuberculosis endometritis in a posmenopausal woman

INTRODUCCIÓN: La tuberculosis (TBC) genital es una infección relativamente poco frecuente en la mujer. Afecta principalmente a mujeres menores de 40 años, y el motivo de consulta más usual es la esterilidad, de ahí la importancia de su diagnóstico precoz. CASO CLÍNICO clínico: Se presenta el caso de una paciente con dolor pélvico crónico que acude a nuestras consultas para valoración. Durante el estudio se toma biopsia dirigida de la cavidad endometrial diagnosticándose la presencia de granulomas no necrotizantes. Posteriormente se realiza un cultivo microbiológico que resulta positivo para micobacterias y se determina el DNA, mediante reacción en cadena de la polimerasa, de mycobacterium tuberculosis, como causante del cuadro. DISCUSIÓN: El diagnóstico definitivo de TBC requiere el aislamiento en cultivo del bacilo de Koch, aunque en los casos de TBC genital, al ser una entidad paucibacilar, puede no resultar positivo. En éste caso, sería suficiente el diagnóstico de presunción basado en la sospecha clínica y el hallazgo histológico de granulomas. CONCLUSIÓN: La tuberculosis genital es una entidad poco frecuente en nuestro medio, aunque es una causa importante de infertilidad femenina y su predominio generalmente se subestima debido a la naturaleza paucisintomática de la misma. El diagnóstico temprano y el tratamiento multidisciplinar son fundamentales.

INTRODUCTION: Genital tuberculosis (TB) is a relatively rare afection in women. It mainly affects women younger than 40 years, and the most frequent reason for consultation is sterility, therefore early diagnosis is important. CLINICAL CASE: We presented the case of a patient with chronic pelvic pain who comes to our consultations. During the study, we take an endometrial biopsy diagnosing the presence of non-necrotizing granulomas. Finally, we determined the mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA through the polymerase chain reaction and positive microbiological culture, as the cause of pathology. DISCUSSION: The definitive diagnosis of TB requires the isolation in culture of the Koch bacillus, although in genital TB cases, as it is a paucibacillary entity, it may not be positive. In this case, the presumptive diagnosis based on clinical suspicion and the histological granulomas would be enough. CONCLUSIONS: Genital tuberculosis is a rare entity in our environment, although it is an important cause of female infertility and its prevalence is generally underestimated due to its paucisymptomatic nature. Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment are essential.

Evaluation of Drosophila chromosomal segments proposed by means of simulations of possessing hybrid sterility genes from reproductive isolation

In heterozygote state, we interogressed three chromosomal segments of Drosophila koepferae in D. buzzatii. The effect of each introgression was evaluated in the fertility of the segmental males, quantifying the amount of offspring produced. Through specific crosses method, we generated Drosophila segmental isolines carrying specific chromosomal introgression segments. The introgressions were monitored cytogenetically by the method of molecular markers of chromosomal asynapsis. The statistical analysis showed that none of the three segments evaluated, introgressed individually or in pairs, as well as cis or trans, do not produce sterility in the segmental males, as determined by the normal productions of offspring. Additional introgressions using other larger segments show that when the introgressions reach a minimum size of 31.15%, they produce sterility. It is concluded that the hybrid sterility genes present in the three segments evaluated did not act in strong epistasis, but show a pattern of gradual additive behaviour by requiring a minimum threshold size to produce sterility. Finally, we also isolated the smallest introgressing segment that has been reported for these species (2.19%), and for the first time we have managed to place it in homozygous state (data not shown), so we are now in the process of evaluating the ability to these segments in homozygous state.

Ubiquitinome Profiling Reveals the Landscape of Ubiquitination Regulation in Rice Young Panicles / 基因组蛋白质组与生物信息学报·英文版

Ubiquitination, an essential post-transcriptional modification (PTM), plays a vital role in nearly every biological process, including development and growth. Despite its functions in plant reproductive development, its targets in rice panicles remain unclear. In this study, we used proteome-wide profiling of lysine ubiquitination in rice (O. sativa ssp. indica) young panicles. We created the largest ubiquitinome dataset in rice to date, identifying 1638 lysine ubiquitination sites on 916 unique proteins. We detected three conserved ubiquitination motifs, noting that acidic glutamic acid (E) and aspartic acid (D) were most frequently present around ubiquitinated lysine. Enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) annotations and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways of these ubiquitinated proteins revealed that ubiquitination plays an important role in fundamental cellular processes in rice young panicles. Interestingly, enrichment analysis of protein domains indicated that ubiquitination was enriched on a variety of receptor-like kinases and cytoplasmic tyrosine and serine-threonine kinases. Furthermore, we analyzed the crosstalk between ubiquitination, acetylation, and succinylation, and constructed a potential protein interaction network within our rice ubiquitinome. Moreover, we identified ubiquitinated proteins related to pollen and grain development, indicating that ubiquitination may play a critical role in the physiological functions in young panicles. Taken together, we reported the most comprehensive lysine ubiquitinome in rice so far, and used it to reveal the functional role of lysine ubiquitination in rice young panicles.

Evaluation of coagulation factor activity and sterility of thawed fresh frozen plasma during storage up to 5 days at 4°C

@#Introduction: Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is a blood component containing functional quantities of all coagulation factors stored at -18°C or below. FFP has to be thawed and transfused as soon as possible to prevent the loss of certain coagulation factor activities and to minimise microbial contamination. Materials and Methods: Thirty units of FFP kept at -20°C were thawed using a 37°C water bath and immediately sampled for baseline Factor II (FII), Factor VIII (FVIII) and fibrinogen activity levels and sterility testing. Each unit was then divided into two smaller bags (i.e. Bag I and Bag II) and kept at 4°C. At 6 hours and Day 3, representative samples were taken from Bag I for coagulation factor activity assays, while at Day 5 representative samples were taken from Bag II for coagulation factor activity assays and sterility testing. Results: FII activities at the four time points were 73.43%, 73.73%, 71% and 69.8%, respectively, while FVIII activities were 177.63%, 144.37%, 80.8% and 70.97%, respectively. Fibrinogen levels at the four time points were 3.24 g/L, 3.24 g/L, 3.21 g/L and 3.20 g/L, respectively. All samples were free from microbial contamination even at Day 5. Conclusion: The mean reduction in FII and fibrinogen activities on Day 5 was 5% and 1%, respectively. However, FVIII activity declined significantly by approximately 60% at Day 5. Despite these reductions, thawed plasma stored for up to 5 days at 4°C is still suitable for use as the coagulation factor activity levels still exceed the minimum release criteria recommended in quality assurance regulations.

Development of KASP marker for cytoplasmic male sterility in Nicotiana tabacum and utilization in trait introgression

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is an important trait for large-scale hybrid seed production which avoids manual emasculation and undesired horizontal spread of pollen.Rearrangements in mitochondrial genome in terms of deletions and insertions are frequent causes leading to CMS. Mitochondrial ATP synthase is a multisubunit molecular machine which is involved in synthesis of ATP. In this study, three mutations in ATPase subunit 6 were identified and their cosegregation with male sterility was established using tobacco male sterile hybrids and Nicotiana suvaolensis. A breeder friendly Kompetitive allele specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) SNP marker was developed for high throughput and quick genotyping. Introgression of this trait into selected germplasm lines (n = 9) was achieved based on foreground for CMS and background selection for recurrent parent using KASP marker and 50K custom tobacco SNP array, respectively. Analysis of genotyping data from SNP array revealed the presence of 88–99% of recurrent parent genome in BC3F1 plants. The selected BC3F1 plants exhibit CMS and are indistinguishable from the fertile recurrent parent (germplasm) in terms of plant morphology.

Nucleotide sequence polymorphism in the RFL-PPR genes of potato

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is widely used for hybrid seed production in cultivated Solanaceae species. However, there is very limited information about CMS-Rf genetic systems in potato (Solanum tuberosum). Studying the CMS-Rf systems in potato is both of theoretical and practical significance due to the emergence of a new revolutionary strategy of reinventing potato as adiploid inbred line-based crop to develop F1 hybrid seed potato breeding (Lindhout et al. 2011; Jansky et al. 2016). To search for potato Rf gene candidates, the comparative genetic approach was applied. Based on similarity to petunia Rf-PPR592 gene, 38 fragments were identified in five loci of the whole-genome nucleotide sequence of the accession DM 1-3 516 R44 S. tuberosum Phureja group (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi). The putative encoded mitochondrial proteins have 589–597 amino acid residues, similarto RF-PPR proteins of petunia and chili pepper and contain 14 or 15 PPR motifs. Primers have been developed flanking the most variable 782–865 bp regions of the selected loci, and polymorphism of the cloned fragments has been investigated in a subset of nine potato genotypes. The amplified fragments included seven or eight PPR motifs and lacked introns. The SNP frequencies ranged from 7.0 to 19.8% depending on the locus, while the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions varied between 0.9 and 2.1.Positions 1, 3 and 6 were the most variable in the studied PPR motifs. Our results demonstrated that the analysed sequences belong to the RFL-PPR gene subfamily and may be considered as Rf gene candidates in potato.

Pyrethroids Exposure: Implications For Testicular Dysfunction In Rats

Pyrethroids are synthetic pesticides which at low dose of exposure are harmless to humans but at environmentallyhigh concentrations they cause debilitating effects in humans and animals alike. Lack of regulation of theinsecticide applications in agriculture and among Nigerian households is therefore a cause for health concern.The reproductive effects of these chemicals are not precisely known. Twenty healthy, sexually active male Wistarrats were randomly divided into four groups. Three groups were exposed to the insecticide in sprayed puffs fromthe aerosolized insecticide for 15, 30 and 45 seconds/day respectively in air – tight plastic housing for 60 dayswhile one group served as the untreated control. All animals were euthanized via cervical dislocation; the testeswere excised and fixed in Bouin’s fluid for routine histological studies using haematoxylin and eosin. The caudaepididymis was also excised for semen quality evaluation. Reduced body weight, alteration of testicularmicrostructure and significant increase in the proportion of abnormal and non-motile sperm cells were observedin animals exposed to pyrethroid. Exposure to pyrethroid insecticide may lead to body weight loss accompaniedwith testicular dysfunction possibly leading to sterility in the rats.

RNA editing analysis of ATP synthase genes in the cotton cytoplasmic male sterile line H276A

BACKGROUND: Pollen development is an energy-consuming process that particularly occurs during meiosis. Low levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) may cause cell death, resulting in CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility). DNA sequence differences in ATP synthase genes have been revealed between the N- and S-cytoplasms in the cotton CMS system. However, very few data are available at the RNA level. In this study, we compared five ATP synthase genes in the H276A, H276B and fertile F1 (H276A/H268) lines using RNA editing, RNA blotting and quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR) to explore their contribution to CMS. A molecular marker for identifying male sterile cytoplasm (MSC) was also developed. RESULTS: RNA blotting revealed the absence of any novel orf for the ATP synthase gene sequence in the three lines. Forty-one RNA editing sites were identified in the coding sequences. RNA editing showed that proteins had 32.43% higher hydrophobicity and that 39.02% of RNA editing sites had proline converted to leucine. Two new stop codons were detected in atp6 and atp9 by RNA editing. Real-time qRT-PCR data showed that the atp1, atp6, atp8, and atp9 genes had substantially lower expression levels in H276A compared with those in H276B. By contrast, the expression levels of all five genes were increased in F1 (H276A/H268). Moreover, a molecular marker based on a 6-bp deletion upstream of atp8 in H276A was developed to identify male sterile cytoplasm (MSC) in cotton. CONCLUSIONS: Our data substantially contributes to the understanding of the function of ATP synthase genes in cotton CMS. Therefore, we suggest that ATP synthase genes might be an indirect cause of cotton CMS. Further research is needed to investigate the relationship among ATP synthase genes in cotton CMS.

Recuperación de la fertilidad en una paciente estéril,mediante microcirugía de trompa uterina, y la aproximación al ovario contralateral / Fertility recovery in a sterile patient, by means of uterine tube microsurgery, and the approach to the contralateral ovary

Para que ocurra un embarazo exitoso, se requiere la integridad del tracto genital femenino, destacando como elementos importantes las trompas uterinas (TU) que transportan gametos y al óvulo fecundado a la cavidad uterina. La enfermedad de las TU por varias causas, como el embarazo ectópico, constituyen un 20% de causas de infertilidad. Gracias al desarrollo de técnicas de reproducción asistida (TRA) como la fecundación in vitro (FIV), en un alto porcentaje de pacientes que tienen un daño permanente y severo en estas estructuras, la cirugía para reparar o recanalizar las trompas uterinas ha sido desplazada por esta técnica de reproducción asistida. La reanastomosis tubárica tiene una tasa de éxito y de embarazos naturales después de la cirugía del 9% en mujeres con enfermedad tubárica severa al 69% en casos de enfermedad tubárica leve. Se presenta el caso de una paciente joven diagnosticada de infertilidad postquirúrgica por antecedentes de dos embarazos ectópicos accidentados previos que afectaron ambas trompas uterinas y ooforectomía izquierda; luego de realizado el procedimiento microquirúrgico, recuperó la posibilidad de ser madre.

For a successful pregnancy to occur, the integrity of the female genital tract is required, highlighting as important elements the uterine tubes (TU) that transport gametes and the fertilized egg into the uterine cavity. The disease of TU due to several causes, such as ectopic preg- nancy, constitute 20% of infertility causes. Thanks to the development of assisted reproduction techniques (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), in a high percentage of patients who have permanent and severe damage to these structures, surgery to repair or recanalize the uterine tubes has been displaced by This assisted reproduction technique. Tubal reanastomosis has a success rate and natural pregnancies after surgery of 9% in women with severe tubal disease at 69% in cases of mild tubal disease. We present the case of a young patient diagnosed with post-surgical infertility due to a history of two previous injured ectopic pregnancies that affec- ted both uterine tubes and left oophorectomy; After performing the micro-surgical procedure, he recovered the possibility of being a mother.

Application of DNA-based electrochemical biosensor in rapid detection of Escherichia coli exist in licorice decoction / 中国中药杂志

A new method for detection of Escherichia coli exist in licorice decoction was developed by using DNA-based electrochemical biosensor. The thiolated capture probe was immobilized on a gold electrode at first. Then the aptamer for Escherichia coli was combined with the capture probe by hybridization. Due to the stronger interaction between the aptamer and the E. coli, the aptamer can dissociate from the capture probe in the presence of E. coli in licorice decoction. The biotinylated detection probe was hybridized with the single-strand capture probe. As a result, the electrochemical response to Escherichia coli can be measured by using differential pulse voltammetric in the presence of α-naphthyl phosphate. The plot of peak current vs. the logarithm of concentration in the range from 2.7×10² to 2.7×10⁸ CFU·mL⁻¹ displayed a linear relationship with a detection limit of 50 CFU·mL⁻¹. The relative standard deviation of 3 successive scans was 2.5%，2.1%，4.6% for 2×10²，2×10⁴，2×106：⁶ CFU·mL⁻¹ E. coli, respectively. The proposed procedure showed better specificity to E. coli in comparison to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. In the detection of the real extractum glycyrrhizae, the results between the proposed strategy and the GB assay showed high degree of agreement, demonstrating the designed biosensor could be utilized as a powerful tool for microbial examination for traditional Chinese medicine.

Study on the Application of Flow Cytometry in Drug Sterility Test / 中国药师

Objective: To establish a method for the rapid detection of sterile preparations. Methods: Microbes in the sterile preparations were labeled by fluorescent dye SYTO9,and detected by flow cytometry. Meanwhile,the results from the routine examina-tion method recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia and those from the flow cytometry were compared. Results:The detection limit of in-jection and injection of sterile powder using flow cytometry was less than 10 cfu. It could be directly detected when the microbial con-tamination of the test samples was greater than 105cfu. When the amount of pollution was <10 cfu-104cfu, the detection time was shortened by 40%-70% when compared with that of the routine method. Conclusion:Flow cytometry used for the detection of microbi-ological contamination can shorten the time for positive result,which can be an effective supplement to the routine method.

Effects of different gauze folding patterns on local hemostasis after peripherally inserted central catheters / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective To observe the effects of two different gauze folding patterns used in local hemostasis after peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC).Methods A total of 152 patients were selected and divided into two groups according to PICC date sequence as control group of 72 patients using 2.0 cm× 2.0 cm little gauze to oppress the puncture point and observation group of 80 patients using 1.0 cm× 1.5 cm gauze ball made by ourselves to oppress the puncture point.The oozing of the puncture point was observed in patients of the two groups.Results The hemostasis was better in the observation group than in the control group (x2=15.88,P＜0.01).No limb swelling happened to the patients in the observation group (x2=58.064,P＜0.01).There was statistically significant difference in hemostatic effect between the two groups.Conclusion The sterile gauze ball made by ourselves has a good effect on local hemostasis through oppressing the puncture point without any impact on blood circulation of limbs.