Prenylbicyclogermacrane diterpenoids from the formosan soft coral Nephthea pacifica.

Ten new prenylbicyclogermacrane diterpenoids, pacificins A-J (1-10), were isolated from the methylene chloride solubles of the Formosan soft coral Nephthea pacifica. The structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis, and their cytotoxicity against selected cancer cells was measured in vitro.

Less NO production and better motion parameter in human sperm by swim-up processing.

Fifteen semen specimens were obtained from men for semen analysis; each was divided into two aliquots for prepararation. The motile sperm recovery rate, percentage motility, and motion parameters were measured for each semen specimen (n = 15) before and after preparation with the use of the two methods, and cultured with different time courses (1 hr, 3 hr, and 6 hr). Nitric oxide (NO) was measured using the chemiluminscence method after centrifugation. Recovery rate of motile cell was significantly higher in direct swim-up method (69.5 +/- 42.4% versus 49.3 +/- 29.3%, p < 0.05). In motility, direct swim-up method in the different time courses was significantly better than IxaPrep method. (1 hr: 91.1 +/- 5.2% vs 65.6 +/- 16.4%, 3 hr: 87.2 +/- 7.9% vs 65.2 +/- 16.5%, 6 hr: 86.1 +/- 7.5% vs 60.8 +/- 17.6% and prewash: 61.6 +/- 16.2%, p < 0.05). In VAP and VSL, the sperm prepared by the above two methods all improved compared to pre-wash sperm (p < 0.05), but there was no statistical significance between the two methods. NO production in the direct swim-up group was significantly lower than IxaPrep group in the first hour of culture (0.09 +/- 0.09 uM vs 0.15 +/- 0.09 uM, p < 0.05). NO production increased as the culture time increased in swim-up group, but conversed in IxaPrep group. The lower level of NO produced in the swim-up group may suggest that better sperm quality achieved is due to the decreased NO production.