LDH isozymes with anomalous bands in semen of leprosy patients.

Activity of LDH isozymes was evaluated electrophoretically on 7% acrylamide gel in semen of 37 leprosy patients (15 with borderline, 12 with borderline tuberculoid and ten with lepromatous leprosy) and ten fertile men of 30-45 years of age. Significantly lower activities were recorded of LDH1 in all categories of leprosy patients. Similarly, lowering of LDH2 activity was noticed in borderline and lepromatous cases only, lowering of LDH4 activity in lepromatous cases only and LDH5 activity was lowered in borderline leprosy patients. Lowest activity of LDH3 and absence of LDHx were found in lepromatous leprosy. However, in borderline tuberculoid patients, LDH3 and LDHx were significantly higher. This exceptional increase in activity was found to be due to presence of additional (anomalous) isozymes bands of LDH3, LDHx and LDH4 in 25% of borderline tuberculoid patients. Additional bands of LDH3 have also been located in 40% of the borderline leprosy patients.

Semen biochemistry of leprosy patients.

Studies have been made on the semen of three categories (borderline, borderline tuberculoid and lepromatous) of leprosy patients to evaluate the seminal biochemical constituents viz. fructose, glycerylphosphorylcholine and acid phosphatase besides the physical properties viz. volume, pH, liquefaction time, sperm density and sperm motility. In all categories of leprosy patients, seminal pH, liquefaction time and sperm density underwent significant decline. The decline in the seminal volume and sperm motility was significant only in borderline leprosy. It was observed that seminal glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC) concentration and acid phosphatase activity declined in all categories of leprosy patients but GPC showed a significant decline only in borderline tuberculoid and acid phosphatase declined significantly only in borderline and lepromatous leprosy.

LDH-x in azoospermia: a new diagnostic alternative to vasography and testicular biopsy.

Activities of different isozymes of lactate dehydrogenase were studied in semen samples from fertile, and different groups of infertile men. No isozyme except the sperm specific LDH-x or C4 showed any difference in activity with changes in sperm density. Activity of LDH-x exhibited a trend positive to changes in sperm density and became absent in obstructive and vasectomized azoospermia. Among other types of azoospermia, the activity became very high in maturation arrest but very low in patients with testicular biopsy showing germ cell aplasia, such as in SCOS and ghostlike tubules. Diagnostic usefulness of the estimation of LDH-x activity in semen is discussed.

Modifications in the seminal protein pattern and concentration among infertile men.

Lower concentrations of protein observed in semen of infertile men were mostly due to absence of vesicular proteins with higher isoelectric pH above pH 8.3. Two to four proteins with lower isoelectric pH showing electrophoretic mobility and originating both from seminal vesicle and prostate were absent in infertile semen samples. Concentrations of such proteins among oligozoospermic and azoospermic samples with complete maturation arrest and Sertoli cell only syndrome decreased mainly towards cathode, whereas, in vasectomized azoospermia the number of protein bands decreased both towards cathode and anode, though the concentration decreased mainly in the anodic proteins.

Antifertility effects of leaf extracts of some plants in male rats.

Ethanolic leaf extracts of different local folklore plants (Azadirachta indica, Beaumontia grandiflora, Chordia dichotoma, Casiarea tomentosa, Diospyros embryopteris, Milletia auriculata and Melia azedarach) were investigated for antifertility effects on male rats in oral doses of 100 mg/kg daily for 21 days. Though, none of these extracts interfered with spermatogenesis, anti-implantational and abortifacient effects were observed in females mated by the males fed with leaf extracts of A. indica and C. dichotoma. Leaf extract of B. grandiflora besides having anti-implantational and abortifacient effects, had luteolytic effects. Abolition of libido in 100% males by leaf extracts of D. embryopteris and M. azedarach and in 60% of males by extract of C. tomentosa preclude these plants for antifertility use.

Blood bioamines, cortisol and aminoacid levels in leukemic patients.

In patients of chronic myeloid leukemia blood adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine and glutamate level were significantly elevated. The GABA levels were decreased along with no significant alterations in aspartate levels in these patients. In cases of acute myeloid leukemia only adrenaline and glutamate levels were enhanced with decreased GABA levels. However, plasma cortisol levels were significantly enhanced in both chronic and acute myeloid leukemia patients. These observations suggest that the circulating bioamines, cortisol and certain aminoacids level are considerably altered in chronic and acute myeloid leukemia. All these changes may possibly be attributed to the stress induced by the disease.

Free estrogens and progestogens in benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Studies on the presence of free estrogens and progestogens in human prostates clearly differentiate the benign hypertrophied prostates from normals. Both contained 17 alpha-hydroxypregnenolone 5 beta-pregnane-3, 20-dione, 5 alpha-pregnane-3, 20-dione and 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone. However, presence of 11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone 20 beta-hydroxypregnenolone, pregnenolone, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, as well as estrone and estriol exclusively in BPH samples pointed to their possible involvement in the development of benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Spermicidal activity of some halides.

Though most of the metallic ions are spermicidal in action, the present investigation emphasises the spermicidal activity of anions. Among the inorganic compounds screened at 4 concentrations (0.01%, 0.1%, 1% and 5%) halides are mainly spermicidal, except NaCl, KCl & CsCl which are spermiostatic; sulphates and nitrates are mainly spermiostatic except ZnSO4 at 1% concentration and above; CuSO4, Al2 (SO4)3, Uo2(NO3)2.6H2O and AgNO3 at 5% concentration where they become spermicidal.