Polymorphism of the testis-specific serine/threonine kinase 2 gene and risk of asthenozoospermia in Côte d'Ivoire

Background: The testis-specific serine/threonine protein kinase (TSSK2) is an indispensable protein responsible for the mobility of spermatozoa expressed specifically in the germ cells during spermatogenesis and present in the mature spermatozoa. Its gene mutation could constitute a risk of infertility. The aim of this study is to investigate the polymorphism of this TSSK2 gene in men with asthenozoospermia.Methods: The ejaculates were obtained from patients attending the reproductive biology unit of Institut Pasteur of Côte d’Ivoire for their spermiological evaluations. The semen analyses are performed with the automatic sperm analyzer SQA-Vision. 30 sperms, including 20 asthenozoosperms and 10 normosperms, were selected from their spermiological results and the spermatozoa DNA was extracted by the phenol/chloroform method. Direct Sequencing of the spermatozoa DNA fragments was done using the Sanger method. The frequencies of mutation were analysis with the Fisher and Mann-Whitney tests.   Results: It was revealed 17 mutations in 22 ejaculates. The frequent mutations are c.839C>T (T280M), c.816G>C (L372L), c.1026G>A (R342R), c.785A>C (H262P) and c.80A>G (K27R) with respectively frequencies of 50.0%, 26.67%, 16.67%, 13.33% and 10.0%. The analysis of these mutations indicated a significant difference in the frequency of occurrence of mutations between normosperms and asthenozoosperms (p-value = 0.01).Conclusions: This study shows that mutations in the TSSK2 gene are more common in asthenozoosperm ejaculates than normosperm ejaculates. This fact suggests the probable association of mutations in the TSSK2 gene with asthenozoospermia.

Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Hibiscus sabdariffa petal extracts in Wistar rats.

Background: Hibiscus sabdariffa is a medicinal plant rich in phytochemical compounds, which is the source of its biological properties. This study on the aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa (AEHS) was conducted to assess its hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties. Methods: It was carried out with 25 Wistar rats divided into five groups. Two groups were treated with a solution of NaCl 0.9%. One group was treated with silymarin at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight (BW). Two other groups were treated with the AEHS at different doses (100 and 200 mg/kg BW). The treatments were carried out via oral route and at single dose for 7 days. After injection of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), blood samples were collected for the carrying out of biochemical analyses of oxidative stress markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, ferric reduction antioxidant parameter, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and hepatotoxicity (albumin, total and direct bilirubin, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase). Results: Three major results were obtained. The hepatotoxicity of DNPH expressed by the rats of Group 1 was significantly different (p<0.05) from those of the other groups (control, 2-4) for both hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress markers. The hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties of the AEHS and confirmation of those of silymarin through the rats of Groups 2-4 were statistically identical (p<0.05) to the control group for markers of hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress. Conclusion: These results confirm and reinforce certain therapeutic virtues of H sabdariffa.

Immunosuppression reversible; marqueurs du foie; des reins et metabolisme phosphocalcique chez le lapin sain

But : Le but de cette etude a ete de determiner la ou les doses de Methylprednisolone qui induit une immunodepression reversible dans un temps long sans perturber les marqueurs du foie; des reins et du metabolisme phosphocalcique chez le lapin sain. Materiel et methodes : Cette etude a ete effectuee chez quinze lapins. Ils ont constitue cinq lots selon l'administration de Nacl et du Methylpredmisolone. Lot control (Nacl 0; 9); Lot I (2;5mg/kg MP); Lot II (5mg/kg MP); Lot III (10mg/kg MP) et Lot IV (15 mg/kg MP). Les marqueurs biochimiques ont ete doses par des methodes chimique et enzymatique. Resultats : Les resultats ont montre une immunodepression pendant 7 jours avec les doses de 10 et 15 mg/kg de MP (P0;05). Les perturbations biochimiques ont ete observees avec 15 mg/kg ou le calcium a ete abaisse a J15 et la TGO augmentee a J3 par rapport a J0 (P0;05). Conclusion : Cette etude a montre que les doses qui induisent une longue immunodepression (7 jours) sont 10 et 15 mg/kg de MP. Elle suggere que la dose qui ne perturbe pas les parametres biochimiques induisant une immunodepression longue reversible est 10 mg /kg de MP

Effet des malnutritions mineure et moderee sur les proteines immunitaires; Inflammatoire et nutritionnelles chez l'enfant en Cote d'Ivoire

But : le but de cette etude a ete de determiner les perturbations des proteines immunitaire; inflammatoires et nutritionnelles chez 142 enfants dont 42 ont presente une malnutrition (30 malnutris mineurs et 12 moderes). Materiel et methodes : Cette etude a ete realisee en Cote d'Ivoire chez les enfants de 5 a 15 ans. L'etat nutritionnel ou l'etat de malnutrition a ete apprecie par le rapport Poids/Taille qui est de loin le plus utilise. Les proteines immunitaires; inflammatoires et nutritionnelles ont ete dosees par immuno- diffusion radiale de Mancini. Resultats : Les resultats de cette etude ont montre que l'Albumine a ete abaissee (p0;05) au cours de la malnutrition moderee et mineure en comparaison aux sujets normonutris. En revanche; il a ete observe une elevation de la CRP dans les deux formes de malnutrition (p0;01). De meme ; l'index pronostique nutritionnel et inflammatoire qui permet d'apprecier simultanement l'etat inflammatoire et nutritionnel (PNI) a ete augmente dans la malnutrition moderee par rapport a la malnutrition mineure (p0;05) et aux sujets normonutris (p0;01). Par ailleurs; les proteines immunitaires restent inchangees dans les deux formes de malnutrition en comparaison aux sujet normonutris (p0;05). Conclusion : Cette etude a montre que les malnutritions moderee et mineure chez les enfants de plus de 5 ans sont accompagnes toujours de processus inflammatoire et d'une consommation proteique notamment l'Albumine. Enfin; ces observations suggerent que la determination du statut nutritionnel avec les parametres anthropometriques (Poids/Taille) necessite l'utilisation des examens biologiques