Use of fluorescent dyes in readily recognizing sperm damage

Sperm is produced by the testis and mature in the epididymis. For having a successful conception, the fertilizing sperm should have functional competent membranes, intact acrosome, functional mitochondria and an intact haploid genome. The effects of genetic and environmental factors result in sperm vulnerability to damage in the process of spermatogenesis and maturation. In recent years, the feasibility of detecting sperm damage is enhanced through the advances in technologies like fluoscerent staining techniques assisted with fluorescence microscope, flow cytometry and computer analysis systems. Fluoscerent staining techniques involve the use of fluorescent dyes, either directly or indirectly for binding them with some ingredients of sperm and evaluating the damage of the structure or function of the sperm, i.e. membrane, acrosome, mitochondria, chromosome or DNA

Morphology of Rat Testis Preserved in Three Different Fixatives / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Histopathological examination of testes is important in assessing spermatogenesis and testicular function.Modified Davidson's fluid (mDF) has been proposed as a superior substitute for Bouin's fluid (BF) for fixation of adult animal testes.Besides,4％ paraformaldehyde (PFA) has been commonly used to fix testes with convenience.We compared the morphology of the rat testis fixed in 4％ PFA,mDF,or BF using hematoxylin and eosin (HE)-stained sections.Fixation in 4％ PFA resulted in obvious tissue shrinkage artifacts,especially between seminiferous epithelium cells.Shrinkage artifacts were also observed in the central area of the testes fixed in BF.Use of mDF did not cause shrinkage artifacts between seminiferous tubules,though a small amount can be observed in seminiferous tubules between germ cells.Clarity of nuclear detail in testes fixed in mDF and BF is better compared to 4％ PFA.Our study demonstrated that fixation in mDF provided better morphologic details in the rat testis as compared with 4％ PFA and BF.

Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Small cell carcinoma of cervix (SCCC) is a rare disease with highly aggressive behaviour and is pathologically hard to diagnose. In this study, the clinicopathological features, diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of the condition were examined. Clinical records and follow-up data of 7 cases of SCCC were retrospectively studied. Our results showed that five non-recurrent cases initially presented irregular vaginal bleeding or increased apocenosis of varying degrees. Pathological examination revealed that the stroma was diffusely infiltrated with small monomorphous cells ranging from round to oval shape. Three cases were immunohistochemically confirmed. One case was accompanied with squamous cell cancer. Of the 7 cases, one case was classified as stage Ⅰ bl, two stage Ⅰ b2,one stage Ⅱ a, one stage Ⅱ b, and one stage Ⅲb. On the basis of their stages of condition, one subject with stage Ⅲ b underwent chemotherapy, and one with stage Ib2 received extensive hysterectomy plus pelvic lymphadenectomy, while the other 5 cases were treated by extensive hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy in combination with pre- and/or post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Of the 7 patients, 4 had relapse-free survival of 14, 14, 16 and 28 months respectively.It is concluded that SCCC is an aggressive tumor with propensity for early pelvis lymph node metastases. Early-stage patients should be treated by extensive hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy in combination with pre- and/or post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy.