Sleep deprivation induces structural changes in the adult rat testis: The protective effects of olive oil / 대한생식의학회지

Objective@#Sleep deprivation (SD) is a common problem in today’s stressful lifestyle and have physiological consequences, including reproductive dysfunction and infertility. As an antioxidant, olive oil may be effective in reducing testicular and spermatological damage by decreasing the production of free radicals. @*Methods@#This study investigated the effects of olive oil on sperm quality and testicular structure using stereological methods to assess rats with SD. @*Results@#When comparing SD group to grid floor+distilled water (GR) group, we found that the sperm count and motility, as well as the percentage of slow progressive sperm was significantly lower in SD group (p<0.05), but the percentage of immotile sperm was higher (p<0.01). However, no improvement was observed in sperm count or motility after concomitant treatment of SD group with olive oil. Stereological examinations revealed no significant change in the total volumes of the seminiferous tubules, interstitial tissue, and germinal epithelium in the study groups. Conversely, the total number of testicular cell types was significantly lower in SD group than in GR group. Although the total number of Sertoli and Leydig cells was significantly higher in the SD+olive oil group than in the untreated SD group, no significant difference in the total number of other testicular cell types was observed between the two groups. @*Conclusion@#SD potentially induced structural changes in testis that affected sperm count and motility. However, olive oil only improved the total number of Sertoli and Leydig cells in the animals with SD and did not improve sperm count and motility.

Methodological aspects of REM sleep- deprivation and stereological protocols in the brain-stem respiratory nuclei

Sleep deprivation [SD] is known to result in a range of neurological, cognitive and physical consequences in chronically-afflicted subjects. The respiratory nuclei of brain-stem tend to play a pivotal part in the regulating sleep function, hence hypothesized to be affected in various types of sleep-related dysfunctions. The purpose of this methodological report is to explain the techniques of REM sleep deprivation and stereology which can be used to consider changes of the quantitative properties of the respiratory nuclei in sleep-deprived rats

Diosmin Reduces Calcium Oxalate Deposition and Tissue Degeneration in Nephrolithiasis in Rats: A Stereological Study

PURPOSE: Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) are a widespread disease. Thus, blocking stone formation and finding new therapeutic methods is an important area of study. Diosmin (a major component of the bile) is known to have antioxidant as well as renoprotective effects. The present investigation aimed to evaluate the effect of diosmin on renal tissue protection in rats with ethylene glycol-induced nephrolithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group one (control) did not receive any treatments. In groups two and three, nephrolithiasis was induced by 2.5% (V/V) ethylene glycol + 2.5% (W/V) ammonium chloride (2 mL/d). The second and the third groups received distilled water or diosmin (80 mg/kg/d) by gavage for 21 days. RESULTS: Stereological estimation of the renal structures revealed that the average volume of calcium oxalate (CaOx) in the nephrolithiasis+diosmin rats was -63% less than in the rats with untreated nephrolithiasis (p<0.01). The volume of the glomeruli, proximal and distal convoluted tubules, Henle's loop, collecting ducts, and vessels was reduced -32% to 58% after the induction of nephrolithiasis (p<0.001). In the nephrolithiasis+diosmin rats, on average, -70% to 96% of the glomeruli, proximal convoluted tubules, Henle's loop collecting ducts, and vessels remained intact (p<0.01). Degeneration of the cortical tissue was 5-fold that of the medulla. In the nephrolithiasis+diosmin rats, degeneration in the renal cortical tissue and medulla was reduced -70% and 44%, respectively, compared with that in the untreated nephrolithiasis group (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Diosmin reduces CaOx deposition and the degeneration of glomeruli and tubules in a rat model of nephrolithiasis.

Effects of L-Carnitine and Pentoxifylline on carbohydrate distribution of mouse testicular sperm membrane

Background: The glycoconjugate content of sperms indicates their physiological and fertility properties. Lectin reactivity is indicative of intact, capacitated, and acrosome-reacted sperms. In the epididymis, sperms experience maturation, glycoconjugate modification, and simultaneously, higher L-carnitine [LC] concentrations. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effects of LC and Pentoxifylline [PF] on the integrity, capacitation, and acrosomal reaction of sperms by studying their lectin reactivity

Methods: Mouse testicular sperm samples were divided into three parts. Each sample was added Ham's F10 [control] or media containing 1.76 mM LC or PF. At 30 and 90 minutes after incubation, sperm motility was assessed. Peanut agglutinin [PNA], wheat germ agglutinin [WGA], and Concanavalin A [Con A] were used to detect non-acrosome-reacted, non-capacitated, and acrosome-reacted sperms, respectively and the frequency was evaluated by flow cytometry. Statistical analysis was performed using the ANOVA

Results: Sperm motility increased after 30 and 90 minutes of incubation in the LC- and PF-treated cultures [P=0.001]. LC administration created a significant increase in the percentage of the non-acrosome-reacted sperms compared to the control sperms after 30 and 90 minutes [P=0.02 and P=0.03, respectively]. The frequency of the non-capacitated sperms in the LC-treated group increased compared to the control sperms after 30 minutes significantly [P=0.01]

Conclusion: Although the administration of LC and PF enhanced sperm motility, LC also impacted glycoconjugates on the sperm surface. Glycoconjugates are involved in the interaction between the sperm and the zona pellucida and subsequently fertilization, thereby probably influencing the male fertility state

Effects of L-carnitine and pentoxifylline on the activity of lactate dehydrogenase C[4] isozyme and motility of testicular spermatozoa in mice

Extracted sperm from the testis have poor motility. Moreover, their motility changes during their journey through epidydimis. Meanwhile, they face high concentration of L-carnitine. In addition, lactate dehydrogenase C[4] [LDH-C[4]] gene disorders has been shown to cause impaired sperm motility, leading to infertility in male mice. The aim of this study was to evaluate sperm motility and LDH-C[4] enzyme activity upon L-carnitine [LC] and Pentoxifylline [PTX] administrations in mice. We extracted testicular sperm of 48 mice and divided them into three equal parts. One part was incubated with Ham's F10 medium [control], the other parts were treated with Ham's F10 containing LC and PTX with a final concentration of 1.76 mM, for 30 min at room temperature. Sperm motility was assessed according to the World Health Organization [WHO] criteria. Sperm LDH-C[4] enzyme activity was measured by spectrophotometery method. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Fisher's LSD test, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered as a statistically significant difference. Sperm motility increased after 30 min of incubation in LC- and PTX-treated group [p<0.001]. LC and PTX administrations showed a significant increase in the LDHC[4] enzyme activity of sperm compared to that of the controls after 30 min [P=0.04 and 0.01, respectively]. The effects of LC and PTX on motility of sperm can be explained by an increase in LDH-C[4] enzyme activity that may influence male fertility status. We suggest that LC as a non-toxic antioxidant is more suitable for use in assisted reproductive technique protocols than PTX

[Sealing ability assessment of pure ZOE, Roth 801 and AH26 sealers in the presence versus absence of smear layer]

Various root canal filling materials have been introduced in endodontic therapy, of which gutta-percha is the most common. Sealer is an essential component for obturation with gutta-percha. The aim of this study was to assess sealing ability of three sealers [pure ZOE, Roth 801, and AH26] using bacterial penetration method in an innovative system of flowing saliva in the presence or absence of the smear layer. The canals were prepared in 188 extracted human teeth. In half of the samples the smear layer was removed using 17% EDTA [ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid] and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. The specimens were randomly divided into three subgroups. The experimental groups were obturated with a single-cone of gutta-percha and one of the above-mentioned sealers [half without and half with the smear layer]. Then the teeth were placed in vials containing sterile TSB [Tripticase Soy Broth] culture media. All the samples were exposed to artificial flowing saliva with bacterial suspensions for 90 days. The turbidity of the culture media was checked and recorded daily. Data were analyzed using Factorial Analysis Variance and ANOVA. The longest and shortest mean periods of culture media turbidity were seen in the AH26 group without the smear layer [67.85 days] and in the pure ZOE sealer group with the smear layer [31.3 days], respectively. The results showed that removal of the smear layer enhances the sealing ability of sealers, especially in resin sealers such as AH26

Genetic fingerprinting and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from eye infections

As Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known the most common etiologic agent in microbial keratitis associated with contact lens use, this study was designed to study the distribution and patterns of resistance to antimicrobial agents of keratitis isolates in Iran. In this study, also the suitability of enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus [ERIC]-PCR to rapidly type P. aeruginosa strains isolated from patients with keratitis was examined. For this purpose, 57 clinically isolates of P. aeruginosa from keratitis patients referred to Farabi hospital were analyzed by antimicrobial susceptibility test using the disc diffusion method. Polymerase chain reaction with enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus primers [ERIC-PCR] was used to establish clonal relationship between the different isolates. All the strains showed resistance to at least 4 antibiotics, but all were susceptible to fluoroquinolones. Multidrug resistance was found in two isolates [3.5%] which were resistant to more than one category of antibiotics including aminoglycoside [gentamicin] and beta -lactam [cefazoline]. ERIC-PCR produced 53 different ERIC fingerprints, 49 of which contained only 1 strain. Eight of the isolates had 100% similarity, forming four real clones but considering 85% similarity cut off between isolates, 8 clones containing 25 isolates [43.8%] could be considered. Fluoroquinolones appeared to be the most effective agent against ocular P. aeruginosa isolates. Comparison of ERIC-PCR profiles revealed a low level of similarity among the strains analyzed. ERIC-PCR seems to be an inexpensive, fast, reproducible, and discriminatory DNA typing tool for effective epidemiologic surveillance of P. aeruginosa isolates potentially transmissible between patients with ocular infections

[ Antioxidative effect of alpha-lipoic acid on blood glucose concentration and HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients]

There is growing evidence that excess generation of highly reactive free radicals, largely due to hyperglycemia, causes oxidative stress, which followed by further exacerbating the development and progression of diabetes and its complications. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of alpha-lipoic acid [ALA] on blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients. In this clinical trial study, fifty-seven type 2 diabetic patients [14 male and 43 female] with the mean age of 53.5 years old were involved in this study. Upon arrival, subjects were randomly divided into either experimental [n=29] or control [n=28] groups. Experimental group received 300 mg alpha-lipoic acid daily for eight weeks where control group received placebo for eight weeks. After an overnight fast patients' blood samples, were drawn and analyzed for fasting blood glucose, 2 hours post-prandial glucose and HbA1c. In addition, antropometric indeces for each subject was measured at the beginning and at the end of the study. There is no significant differences regarding weight and BMI in two groups before and after intervention. Also our findings indicated significant decrease in fasting and post-prandial glucose level, in experimental group, after intervention [p<0.05], but no significant change was seen in HbA1c level. There were no significant changes in parameters measured in control group. There was also a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose in experimental group when compared to control group [p<0.05], but there is no significant changes in HbA1c level. This study showed that alpha-lipoic acid supplement as an important antioxidant reduce blood glucose concentration in type 2 diabetes