ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the changes of neutral alpha-glucoside activity in the epididymis of heroin-dependent and heroin-withdrawal rats, and to investigate the effects of intervention with purine nucleotide (AMP and GMP). METHODS: Eighty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups of equal number, control, nucleotide, heroin, heroin + nucleotide, 3 d withdrawal, 9 d withdrawal, 3 d nucleotide (nucleotide administrated for 3 days after heroin withdrawal) and 9 d nucleotide (nucleotide administrated for 9 days after heroin withdrawal). Neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in the epididymis was detected in each group of rats. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, neutral alpha-glucoside activity was markedly decreased in the heroin group (P < 0.05), and also in the 3 d and 9 d withdrawal groups, although with no significant differences (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Heroin reduces neutral alpha-glucoside activity in the epididymis of rats, and this effect may continue for some time after drug withdrawal, while purine nucleotide can keep neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in a relatively stable state.
Subject(s)
Epididymis/chemistry , Heroin Dependence/metabolism , Heroin/adverse effects , Purine Nucleotides/pharmacology , alpha-Glucosidases/metabolism , Animals , Male , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of male infertility with single nucleotide polymorphisms of the autosomal DAZL gene. METHODS: Semen samples were collected from infertile men (infertility group, n=144) and healthy fathers (fertility group, n=53) in the northeast of China, and the former was further divided into 5 subgroups according to the WHO diagnostic criteria for oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (1999) i.e., oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, asthenozoospermia and non-oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. PCR-RFLP analysis was used to detect the polymorphism of SNP260. The SNP386 polymorphism of the DAZL gene was analysed with a PCR-SSCP based method. Sequencing and statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: The SNP260 polymorphism of the DAZL gene was found in both the infertility and the control groups, with no significant difference in between (P > 0.05). There was a larger percentage of SNP260AG in the subgroup of oligoasthenoteratozoospermia than in others, and the SNP386 polymorphism of the DAZL gene was not found in any of the subgroups. CONCLUSION: The SNP260 and SNP386 polymorphisms of the DAZL gene are not associated with male infertility in the northeast of China. Further research needs to be done to clarify the association between SNP260AG and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. SNP386 polymorphism may be restricted in some small area in Taiwan only. Therefore neither of them can be used as a molecular marker for the genetic diagnosis of male infertility in the northeast of China.
Subject(s)
Infertility, Male/genetics , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , Adult , Base Sequence , China , DNA Mutational Analysis , Humans , Male , Oligospermia/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length , Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational , TaiwanABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of antisperm antibody(AsAb) on human sperm acrosin activity. METHODS: AsAb and sperm acrosin activity were measured and analyzed in 3,432 infertile men and 65 fertile volunteers. RESULTS: AsAb positive rate was 10.20% in 3,432 case of male infertility, and 9.37% in 2,882 infertile males who received tests of sperm acrosin activity. Acrosin activity of infertility cases were lower than those of fertile cases(P < 0.001). The comparison between AsAb positive group and AsAb negative group infertility cases showed no significant differences of acrosin activity (P > 0.05). Between normal acrosin activity group and abnormal acrosin activity group, there was no significant difference of AsAb positive rate (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Antisperm antibody could not affect acrosin activity.
