The choices we make as teachers.

"She wasn't like you...wasn't like any politician I've ever known." Ethan Kanin, Secretary of State about US president Allison Taylor in the US serial, 24. When an ethical dilemma arises, the choices we make decide our ethical concerns and moral position in a given situation. In the TV serial, 24, the US president faces such an ethical dilemma when she has to either cover up for her daughter's crime or get her arrested. She is torn between the role of a mother and that of a President. She chooses her sworn duty to protect the country and has her daughter arrested. She gives precedence to her duty as the President of a country over her mother's role.

Oxidative and antioxidative defense system in testicular torsion/detorsion.

AIM: The present study was aimed to assess the early effects of ischemia/reperfusion injury on the oxidants and anti-oxidant defense status in rat testicular tissue by measuring MDA, glucose-6-phosphte dehydrogenase activity and reduced glutathione levels in a designated time frame sequel to reperfusion. Animals were divided randomly into six groups (12 animals per group) in the following order: Group I: Sham-operated control group (Cso) without the application of the torsion. Group 2: Torsion-induced ischemia group (T30 m): Ischemia was induced through the torsion of spermatic cord for a period of 30 min. Group 3: One hour reperfusion group after detorsion (T30 mR1 h). Group 4: Twenty-four hour reperfusion group after detorsion (T30 mR24 h). Group 5: Forty-eight hours reperfusion group after detorsion (T30mR48h). Group 6: One week reperfusion group after detorsion (T30mR1wk). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The oxidant-antioxidant system of the testicular tissue is altered during torsion as well as detorsion which results in the altered activities involved in the key enzyme of hexose monophosphate shunt pathway, glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase activity along with a reduction of glutathione (G.SH) content. The increase in G6PDH activity during torsion and followed by an increase in detorsion indicates the tissue's response to counter the oxidant stress caused by reduced blood supply. Continued exposure to such oxidant stressed physiological state of a tissue may lead to decreased capacity of the tissue to perform its physiological function such as testicular steroidogenesis and spermiogenesis shown in the present study.

Interventions in reproduction.

Assisted reproductive technology has helped many childless couples. It has also raised questions about how appropriate the technology might be in different situations. How we understand parenthood is crucial in taking a stand on such scientific intervention. It is suggested that physicians should decide on offering artificial insemination, surrogacy and in-vitro fertilisation only after considering if the child will have good parents and if there will be legal complications from the use of the technology.

Analysis of semen in a constantly changing social context of medicine.

Semen analysis is one of the most valuable diagnostic methods that play a critical role in andrology. The introduction of computer-assisted methods of human semen analysis [6], in vitro fertilization, and other auxiliary methodologies [4] has greatly enhanced the expectations of infertile couples in having a baby. However, routine semen analysis plays a significant role in an infertility clinic, particularly in developing countries. Standardization of routine semen analysis therefore becomes the key issue in laboratories involved in such analysis. Apart from that, semen analyses carried out in different populations bring out the changing pattern of semen quality due possibly to the influences of factors like lifestyle, race, population dynamics, and culture. It also helps to set standards of semen quality in the changing context of medicine.

Libyan family with hypercholesterolemia and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma.

Genetic deficiencies of cholesteryl ester transport protein (CETP) and hepatic lipase activities have been associated with hyperalpha-lipoproteinemias. Here we present a family of 11 members, of which 9, including the father, mother, 5 sons, and 2 daughters, show a marked increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol alone with low plasma concentrations of triglycerides. Analyses of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity, cholesteryl ester transfer between HDL fractions, hepatic lipase (HL) activity, and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in these cases showed that a decrease in the heparin-releasable HL activity was the possible cause of the marked increase of HDL2 fractions observed in nine of them. Such a defect in HL activity could significantly affect HDL metabolism in particular and lipoprotein metabolism in general. Evidently, a marked increase in serum total cholesterol due to abnormal metabolism of HDL cholesterol, separate from known causes of altered low-density lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism, e.g., a clearance or a receptor defect, is not uncommon. The coordinated action of HL, LCAT, LPL, and CETP may be essential for normal metabolism of plasma lipoproteins.

Effect of gossypol on tissue levels of glutathione and thiobarbituric acid reactive products in rats.

Gossypol was administered in pubertal and adult rats and lipid peroxide formation and GSH levels were estimated in different tissues like liver, testis, heart and kidney. Gossypol caused low generation of lipid peroxides, measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive products (TBAR), without causing significant changes in tissue glutathione (GSH) levels. This effect was more pronounced in liver and testis as compared to other tissues. In vitro effect of gossypol to inhibit lipid peroxidation as observed in vivo suggested that binding of gossypol to plasma membranes may result in inhibition of lipid peroxide generation.

Evaluation of semen quality in a local Libyan population.

Semen analyses was carried out in a population of 1250 randomly selected Libyan males. Two semen samples collected from each volunteer were subjected to the routine analyses following the World Health Organization recommendations. The Libyan population had a higher percentage of men with sperm density in the range of 40-60 millions/ml. The percentage of men with sperm counts above 100 millions/ml is comparatively lower than that is reported by MacLeod and Gold (9). The seminal plasma transferrin levels showed a positive correlation with sperm density and alpha-glucosidase activity with sperm motility.

The effect of gossypol on serum lipoproteins of adult rats.

It has been shown that gossypol treatment brings about marked changes in plasma lipoproteins of certain species causing a marked fall in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels. Using Helena electrophoretic system the lipoprotein pattern in serum of adult rats treated with gossypol was studied. Gossypol treatment for 1 day and 7 days continuously did bring about changes in serum lipoprotein profile. A marked increase in VLDL-cholesterol and fall in LDL-cholesterol was observed in rats treated with gossypol which was more pronounced in the 7 days treated group. It did not bring about any marked change in total cholesterol level. It did cause an increase in serum triglyceride level. Heparin injection which brought about a fall in VLDL-cholesterol with a concomitant increase in HDL-cholesterol in control rats did not elicit changes in gossypol-treated rats. Thus, gossypol treatment appears to alter serum lipoprotein metabolism in rats also.