Suitability of semen stress tests for predicting fertilizing capacity of boar ejaculates.

Besides classical semen parameters, semen stress tests (SSTs) are helpful tools to assess the fertilizing capacity of sperm. However, valid studies on SSTs in relation to fertility are rare because several corrections of common fertility parameters for female and male effects are required. Therefore, over a one-year period, we analyzed semen parameters of 260 ejaculates obtained from 130 Pietrain boars aged between 8 and 9 months in one AI center as well as 1521 corresponding insemination records for these ejaculates. Two consecutive ejaculates (4th and 5th) were collected from each boar and extended in DiluPorc™ BTS. In addition to routine semen evaluation, sperm motility was assessed after heat-resistance test (300 min incubation at 38 °C after seven days storage at 16 °C, HRT) and cold-resistance test (10 min incubation at 38 °C after three days storage at 6 °C, CRT). Generalized linear models (GLMs) were applied to analyze effects for the following predictors of farrowing rate (FR), number of total born (NTB) and live born (NLB) piglets: farm (P = 0.013 [FR], P = 0.001 [NTB], P = 0.023 [NLB]), parity (P = 0.679, P = 0.01, P < 0.001), weekday (P = 0.012, P = 0.08, P = 0.009) and year × season (P < 0.001, P = 0.688, P = 0.574). On boar level, GLMs revealed significant effects on FR, NTB and NLB for the predictors sow (all P < 0.001), total sperm number per dose (P = 0.007, P = 0.002, P < 0.001), total sperm motility (P = 0.002, P = 0.2, P = 0.003) and mitochondrial activity (P = 0.004, P < 0.001, P = 0.002). Moreover, FR and NTB were influenced by membrane integrity (both P < 0.001), FR and NLB by cold-resistance (P < 0.001, P = 0.043), and NTB and NLB by sperm morphology (P = 0.001, P < 0.001) and boar (both P < 0.001). NLB was additionally influenced by heat-resistance (P = 0.004) and farm (P = 0.018) and solely NTB was influenced by sperm output (P = 0.03). Boar and semen related factors explained 9% of the total variation in NTB and 7% of the total variation in NLB. Only 14.2% (n = 37) of the samples were both cold- and heat-resistant (≥65% of motile sperm). Cold- and heat-resistance were dependent factors (Chi-square, P = 0.001) and sperm motility after CRT and HRT showed a moderate positive correlation (rs = 0.40, P < 0.001, Spearman's rho). Finally, ROC curves demonstrated that neither SST can be used as a sole test for predicting the fertilizing capacity of boar ejaculates.

[Colonic stenting: an opportunity with a risk : A critical evaluation]. / Stentimplantation beim Dickdarmileus - eine Chance mit Risiko : Kritische Wertung.

BACKGROUND: Frequently, the first clinical sign of colorectal cancer is complete obstruction, which has to be considered an emergency situation. The treatment goal is to overcome ileus including reduction of the associated high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, alternative therapeutic options to emergency surgery have been sought in order to allow adequate preparation for elective surgery or stabilization of palliative patients and avoid colostoma. Therapeutic results of the placement of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) are discussed in terms of a single-center, retrospective observational study. METHODS: In 35 patients with a clinically manifest stenosis of colonic cancer, it was attempted to insert SEMS to treat ileus as the first therapeutic step. Therapeutic results were investigated with regard to technical and clinical success, spectrum and rate of complications, and survival time, differentiating between a palliative and curative group of patients. RESULTS: Primary placement of a stent was achieved in 29 of 35 patients (82.9 %); 14 underwent the procedure with palliative and 15 with curative intention. Stent location was mainly the left hemicolon. In 2 of 15 patients (13.3 %), emergency surgery within 48 h was required because of complications, whereby in 13 patients (86.7 %), 6 patients (46.2 %) underwent elective open surgery and 7 patients (53.8 %) underwent a laparoscopic procedure. In all patients treated with curative intent, primary anastomosis was achieved, thus, avoiding a colostoma. Survival times of the palliative and curative patient groups were on average 7 and 28 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: In carefully selected cases, placement of SEMS in malignant stenosis of the left hemicolon with ileus can be considered a reasonable therapeutic alternative to emergency surgery since it allows surgical intervention with curative intention under more favorable conditions and also avoids a colostoma.