Male subfertility as a chronic illness: the role of adaptive challenges

Male factor infertility (MFI) is extremely common, often with several associated chronic health conditions. Because a man’s fertility assessment may be their first contact with health services, the health care team has a responsibility to act as male health advocates to ensure comprehensive care. The diagnosis of subfertility allows a broader view of these men as patients with a chronic illness who have complex health needs. Because of the associated complexity of care following evaluation, there needs to be new approach in how men affected by MFI should be managed long term. In this commentary, we propose that the Adaptive Leadership Framework model for Chronic Illness is a suitable vehicle to use for management of the MFI patient’s journey towards optimized health.     

Protective effects of exogenous gangliosides on ROS-induced changes in human spermatozoa

This article summarizes the available evidence on the efficacy of gangliosides to reduce the degree of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated damage. The antioxidative efficacy of exogenous gangliosides in protecting different cells encouraged us to examine their ability to protect human spermatozoa. Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids with strong amphiphilic character due to the bulky headgroup made of several sugar rings with sialic acid residues and the double-tailed hydrophobic lipid moiety. The amphiphilicity of gangliosides allows them to exist as micelles in aqueous media when they are present at a concentration above their critical micellar concentration. The protective effect of ganglioside micelles on spermatozoa is believed to stem from their ability to scavenge free radicals and prevent their damaging effects. In our study, we particularly focused our attention on the protective effect of ganglioside micelles on DNA in human spermatozoa exposed to cryopreservation. The results indicate that ganglioside micelles can modulate the hydrophobic properties of the sperm membrane to increase tolerance to DNA fragmentation, thus protecting the DNA from cryopreservation-induced damage. Further actions of ganglioside micelles, which were documented by biochemical and biophysical studies, included (i) the modulation of superoxide anion generation by increasing the diffusion barrier for membrane events responsible for signal translocation to the interior of the cell; (ii) the inhibition of iron-catalysed hydroxyl radical formation due to the iron chelation potential of gangliosides; and (iii) inhibition of hydrogen peroxide diffusion across the sperm membrane.     

龟鹿二仙胶对糖尿病大鼠生殖损伤的保护作用及机制

目的 探索龟鹿二仙胶改善糖尿病大鼠生殖损伤的疗效及可能作用机制。方法 将53只SD雄鼠随机分成5组，选取其中1组作为正常组，剩余4组合并成造模组用高脂饲料喂养联合30 mg·kg^-1链脲佐菌素（STZ）腹腔注射建立糖尿病模型，以连续3次随机血糖均>16.7 mmol·L^-1作为纳入糖尿病生殖损伤模型标准。将成模的大鼠按血糖高低随机分成模型组、龟鹿二仙胶组（2 g·kg^-1）、维生素E组（0.03 g·kg^-1）、五子衍宗丸组（0.6 g·kg^-1），给予相应药物剂量灌胃，每天1次，连续治疗4周，每周测体质量和血糖。4周后取材进行指标检测，苏木素-伊红（HE）染色观察睾丸及附睾组织形态学变化，原位末端标记法（TUNEL）染色观察睾丸细胞凋亡情况；精液分析仪检测精子浓度和精子活力；酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA）检测血清卵泡刺激素（FSH）、黄体生成素（LH）、睾酮（T）水平；ELISA检测睾丸组织超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、丙二醇（MDA）、活性氧（ROS）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-Px）含量；蛋白免疫印迹法（Western blot）检测睾丸组织Nrf2、HO-1、Bax、Bcl-2蛋白表达。结果 与正常组比较，模型组大鼠睾丸组织萎缩，生精小管数量减少，附睾管壁增生，管腔狭窄；精子浓度和活力下降（P<0.01）；血清T、FSH和LH水平降低（P<0.01）；睾丸中ROS和MDA含量增加（P<0.01），SOD和GSH-Px水平减少（P<0.01）；Bax表达增加（P<0.01），Nrf2、HO-1、Bcl-2表达降低（P<0.01）。与模型组比较，龟鹿二仙胶组睾丸及附睾组织病变得到一定改善；精子浓度和活力提升（P<0.05，P<0.01）；血清T和LH含量上升（P<0.05，P<0.01），FSH含量差异无统计学意义；睾丸中ROS和MDA含量降低（P<0.01），SOD和GSH-Px水平增加（P<0.01）；Bax表达下降（P<0.01），Nrf2、HO-1、Bcl-2表达上升（P<0.05，P<0.01）。结论 龟鹿二仙胶能在一定程度上改善糖尿病大鼠生殖损伤，提升精子质量，其机制可能与改善氧化应激，抗凋亡作用有关。     

Persistent Behavioural Changes in Rats Following Inescapable Shock Stress: a Potential Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Behavioural changes in rats two weeks after inescapable shock stress were studied using a shuttle-box task (active avoidance/escape). Rats exposed to inescapable shock stress two weeks beforehand showed more frequent avoidance responses and greater within-group variation in both avoidance response and general activity during the test than rats in a control group. General activity during an unstressful period (before starting the test) did not differ significantly between groups. This relatively prolonged increase in responsiveness to external stimuli in the stressful context may be a useful experimental model of posttraumatic stress disorder, especially in relation to hypervigilance.     

The senescence accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8): A novel murine model for cardiac aging

Because cardiovascular disease remains the major cause of mortality and morbidity world-wide, there remains a compelling need for new insights and novel therapeutic avenues. In this regard, the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) line is a particularly good model for studying the effects of aging on cardiovascular health. Accumulating evidence suggests that this model may shed light on age-associated cardiac and vascular dysfunction and disease. These animals manifest evidence of inflammation, oxidative stress and adverse cardiac remodeling that may recapitulate processes involved in human disease. Early alterations in oxidative damage promote endoplasmic reticulum stress to trigger apoptosis and cytokine production in this genetically susceptible mouse strain. Conversely, pharmacological treatments that reduce inflammation and oxidative stress improve cardiac function in these animals. Therefore, the SAMP8 mouse model provides an exciting opportunity to expand our knowledge of aging in cardiovascular disease and the potential identification of novel targets of treatment. Herein, we review the previous studies performed in SAMP8 mice that provide insight into age-related cardiovascular alterations.     

我国弓形虫Chinese 1优势基因型感染对小鼠脑组织铁代谢影响

目的　探讨我国弓形虫Chinese 1优势基因型感染对宿主脑组织铁代谢及脑损伤的影响。方法　将20只C57BL/6（体质量15～17 g）小鼠随机分为对照组和感染组，每组10只。感染组每只小鼠腹腔注射4 000个弓形虫Chinese 1优势基因型TgCtwh3虫株速殖子，对照组小鼠注射等量无菌PBS，饲养6 d后处死小鼠并取其脑组织。采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP⁃MS）检测小鼠脑组织铁元素水平；采用RNA芯片检测两组小鼠脑组织差异基因数目并对功能基因表达情况进行基因本体论（Gene Ontology, GO）功能富集；采用实时荧光定量PCR（fluorescent quantitative real⁃time PCR, qPCR）技术检测小鼠脑组织中弓形虫表面抗原1（Toxoplasma gondii surface antigen 1，TgSAG1）基因及部分锌铁调控蛋白（Zrt⁃ and Irt⁃like protein, ZIP）家族mRNA表达水平；采用光镜和电镜观察小鼠脑组织海马齿轮回（dentate gyrus, DG）超微结构；采用Western blotting检测谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶4（glutathione peroxidase 4, GPx4）蛋白表达水平；采用硫代巴比妥酸（TBA）法检测丙二醛（malondialdehyde, MDA）水平；采用免疫组化检测血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF）蛋白表达光密度（optical density, OD）值。结果　光镜下可见感染组小鼠脑组织海马DG区细胞坏死，电镜下见感染组小鼠脑组织海马区出现胞质空泡化、核皱缩坏死、线粒体嵴断裂消融、自噬小体增加等超微结构变化。与对照组相比，感染组小鼠脑组织中铁元素水平上调[（32.92 ± 0.90） µg/g vs.（37.72 ± 1.10） µg/g；t = 3.397, P < 0.01]；RNA芯片检测感染组小鼠脑组织发现721个基因上调、276个基因下调，差异表达基因在金属离子结合能力上有明显富集。与对照组相比，感染组小鼠脑组织金属元素转运体ZIP2 mRNA表达水平上调（t = 8.659，P < 0.05）、GPx4表达下降[（1.046 ± 0.025） vs. （0.720 ± 0.101）；t = 3.129，P < 0.01]）、MDA水平升高[（4.37 ± 0.33） nmol/mgprot vs.（5.93 ± 0.54） nmol/mgprot；t = 2.451，P < 0.05）]、VEGF蛋白平均OD值上调[（0.348 3 ± 0.017 8） vs. （0.490 6 ± 0.010 5）；t = 6.641，P < 0.01]。结论　Chinese 1优势基因型弓形虫感染后，小鼠脑组织中铁元素蓄积、抗氧化能力下调、氧化应激水平升高，提示弓形虫感染可影响宿主脑组织铁代谢而导致脑损伤。     

A review of the differing roles of dead and live osteocytes

BackgroundOsteocytes form a network through gap junction-coupled cell processes and canaliculi throughout bone; this network extends to the osteoblasts in the bone surface. The osteocyte network is considered to function in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. However, the lack of suitable animal models makes it difficult to clarify the function of osteocytes.HighlightAny kind of osteocyte death results in necrosis, whereby the intracellular contents, including immunostimulatory molecules, which activate osteoclastogenesis, are released through the canaliculi to the bone surface. This leads to enhanced bone resorption in the damaged region of the bone. Overexpression of Bcl2 in osteoblasts reduces the number of osteoblast processes, resulting in a reduction in the numbers of osteocyte processes and canaliculi. The osteocytes gradually die without enhancement of bone resorption because a severe reduction in the number of canaliculi interrupts the release of intracellular contents to the bone surface. Bcl2 transgenic mice at 4 months of age, in which the osteocyte network is disrupted, are an appropriate mouse model for the evaluation of osteocyte function. These mice show that the osteocyte network enhances bone resorption and inhibits bone formation under physiological conditions, and that these osteocyte functions are augmented under unloaded conditions. Under such conditions, Rankl upregulation in osteoblasts and Sost upregulation in osteocytes are, at least in part, responsible for enhanced bone resorption and suppressed bone formation, respectively.ConclusionDead osteocytes induce bone resorption, while live osteocytes enhance bone resorption and inhibit bone formation under physiological conditions, while their functions are augmented under unloaded conditions.