Sperm tendency to agglutinate in motile bundles in relation to sperm competition and fertility duration in chickens.

A unique sperm behavior was observed in Egyptian chickens. Sperm showed a tendency to agglutinate forming motile thread-like bundles. Sperm agglutination behavior, kinematics, and some morphometric measures were studied in relation to sperm competition and fertility duration in Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sperm tendency to agglutinate was assessed by examining sperm morphology using scanning electron microscopy, Acridine orange-stained semen smears using fluorescence microscopy, and recording videos of sperm under phase contrast microscope. Sperm velocity and morphometric measures were evaluated using image-J software. To assess sperm competition, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were artificially inseminated by semen pools possessing equal number of Sharaksi and Dandarawi sperm. Artificial insemination was repeated ten times. The eggs obtained were incubated, and the hatchlings were discriminated as descending from Sharkasi or Dandarawi fathers according to their phenotype. To assess the fertility duration, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were inseminated by semen collected from roosters of the same strain. Eggs were collected for a period of 28 days post-insemination and incubated. Sharkasi spermatozoa showed higher tendency to agglutinate forming longer and thicker motile bundles. No significant differences were observed in sperm curvilinear and straight line velocity and in sperm morphometric measures between Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sharkasi roosters fathered 81.6% and 67.7% of the hatchlings produced by Sharkasi and Dandarawi mothers, respectively. The fertility period in Sharkasi and Dandarawi was 22 and 14 days, respectively. We suggest that the differences seen in sperm competitiveness and fertility duration can be attributed to sperm agglutination behavior.

Centralized Pan-Middle East Survey on the Under-Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia: Results from the CEPHEUS Study in Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality; however, the risks associated with this disease can be reduced by targeting circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with lipid-lowering drugs, as recommended in many treatment guidelines. Their effectiveness for hypercholesterolemia management depends on appropriate use in at-risk patients. Observational studies have shown varying adherence to national and international guidelines on reaching LDL-C treatment goals. METHODS: The Centralized Pan-Middle East Survey on the under-treatment of hypercholesterolemia (CEPHEUS) study observed the current management of hypercholesterolemia in patients on lipid-lowering drugs in seven Middle Eastern countries, and results from 1,043 patients in Egypt are presented here. RESULTS: Overall, less than 50% of patients achieved their LDL-C treatment goal, with patients at higher risk of a cardiovascular event being less likely to attain their target. Nearly, three-quarters of patients in this study were considered high or very high risk, with only 10% of high-risk patients reaching their treatment goal. CONCLUSIONS: Management of hypercholesterolemia in Egypt is comparatively worse than the average for similar countries in the region, and many patients with high risk of CVD are not being effectively treated. Initiatives to improve physicians' management of these patients and patient compliance to treatment are urgently needed. FUNDING: AstraZeneca, Cairo, Egypt.