Computer-assisted semen analysis: evaluation of method and assessment of the influence of sperm concentration on linear velocity determination

Semen samples from 77 men were used to estimate the accuracy and precision of measurements of sperm density, percent motility, and motion characteristics using a new, fully automated, computer-assisted semen analyzer (CASA). Results are compared with traditional semen analysis methodology. Acceptable precision for count and percent motility was obtained using three to nine random fields of observation when there were more than 10 cells per high-power microscopic field. A highly significant correlation (P less than 0.01) was found between the two methods in the assessment of sperm concentration and percent motility, but CASA overestimated concentration significantly (P less than 0.01) by about 30% when there were less than 60 cells per high power field. This overestimation seemed to be due to the number of nonsperm particles in semen that are confused with spermatozoa by the program. Linear velocity determination was influenced by the number of tracking points as well as by the concentration of cells present in the counting chamber. More representative linear velocity estimations in semen were obtained when sperm concentration was less than 40 x 10(6) cells/ml and 20 tracking points were used in the determination. For semen specimens containing higher cell density, sperm concentration needed to be reduced by diluting the semen with the patient's own sperm-free seminal plasma before measuring motion characteristics.     

Isoproterenol reduces ischemia-reperfusion lung injury despite beta-blockade

BACKGROUND: If lungs could be retrieved from non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs), the shortage of lungs for transplantation could be alleviated. The use of lungs from NHBDs is associated with a mandatory warm ischemic interval, which results in ischemia-reperfusion injury upon reperfusion. In an earlier study, rat lungs retrieved 2-h postmortem from NHBDs had reduced capillary leak measured by filtration coefficient (Kfc) when reperfused with isoproterenol (iso), associated with an increase in lung tissue levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP). The objective was to determine if this decrease in Kfc was because of beta-stimulation, or would persist despite beta-blockade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Donor rats were treated intraperitoneally with beta-blockade (propranolol or pindolol) or carrier, sacrificed, and lungs were retrieved immediately or 2 h postmortem. The lungs were reperfused with or without iso and the beta-blockers in the reperfusate. Outcome measures were Kfc, wet:dry weight ratio (W/D), lung levels of adenine nucleotides and cAMP. RESULTS: Lungs retrieved immediately after death had normal Kfc and W/D. After 2 h of ischemia, Kfc and W/D were markedly elevated in controls (no drug) and lungs reperfused with beta-blockers alone. Isoproterenol-reperfusion decreased Kfc and W/D significantly (P < 0.01) even in the presence of beta-blockade. Lung cAMP levels were increased only with iso in the absence of beta-blockade. CONCLUSIONS: The attenuation of ischemia-reperfusion injury because of iso occurs even in the presence of beta-blockade, and may not be a result of beta-stimulated increased cAMP.     

The pronase resistance of cholesterol-nucleating glycoproteins in human bile

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Many putative pronucleating proteins have been isolated from the biliary concanavalin A (con A)-binding fraction. The pronase resistance of the overall nucleating-promoting activity was almost never taken into consideration. The aim of this study was to identify the major pronase-resistant con A-binding glycoproteins. METHODS: Pronase-treated and -untreated con A-binding glycoproteins were separated on a Superose 12 gel permeation column (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden) and tested in a crystal growth assay. Proteins were identified by amino-terminal sequencing. RESULTS: Con A-binding pronucleating activity eluted in two peaks on the Superose column. This activity was unaltered after pronase treatment. Activity peak I contained too little protein to allow amino-terminal sequencing. In activity peak II, the major pronase-resistant con A-binding glycoproteins were identified as alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1- antichymotrypsin. The 130-kilodalton nucleation promoter was identified as aminopeptidase N, but the full pronase resistance of this protein, reported earlier, was not confirmed. Immunoabsorptive removal of alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and immunopurification showed that only alpha 1-antichymotrypsin had pronucleating activity. CONCLUSIONS: The pronase resistance of the nucleating-promoting activity of the con A-binding glycoprotein fraction was confirmed. An important part of this activity could be attributed to alpha 1- antichymotrypsin. It is an acute-phase protein, as are many other pronucleating proteins, which might indicate a general mechanism of action in gallstone formation. (Gastroenterology 1996 Jun;110(6):1926-35)     

水体污染中常见致病菌的多重PCR分子检测研究

[目的]建立同时检测沙门氏菌、志贺氏菌、绿脓杆菌、肠出血型大肠杆菌和副溶血弧菌等5种水体常见致病菌的多重PCR检测技术,为这些致病菌感染的快速诊断提供实验依据。[方法]筛选设计5对特异引物,建立优化的多重PCR扩增体系和条件。[结果]对5种致病菌的检测,多重PCR灵敏度分别为：肠出血型大肠杆菌O157102 cfu、志贺氏菌102 cfu、副溶血弧菌102 cfu、绿脓杆菌101 cfu、沙门氏菌102 cfu。应用于人工污染水样及天然水样的检测,均有清晰、特异的预期条带产生,并与传统检测结果一致,每个样品所需时间为6～8 h,相对于传统检测方法,极大地缩短了检测时间,提高了检测灵敏度。[结论]该方法适用于大通量样品的检测研究,可推广应用于食品检测、环境监测等领域。     

Metabolic control of diabetes is associated with an improved response of diabetic retinopathy to panretinal photocoagulation

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of glycemic control and the presence of microalbuminuria on the initial response to panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in patients with a high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study with a two-by-two factorial design. We used full-scattered PRP to treat 115 eyes of type 2 diabetic patients who have high-risk PDR. HbA1c (A1C) and albumin levels in 24-h urine were constantly monitored during the pre-enrollment, treatment, and posttreatment periods. At a follow-up visit 12 weeks after the last PRP session, the fundus was examined for characteristics of regression from high-risk PDR and the response to PRP was determined to be successful or unsuccessful. The eyes were categorized into four groups based on average A1C levels and the presence or absence of microalbuminuria. The data were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Our statistical analysis determined the probability of achieving a satisfactory response to PRP in association with A1C levels and the presence or absence of microalbuminuria. RESULTS: Of the 115 eyes examined, 65 (56.5%) had a successful initial response to PRP and 50 (43.5%) did not. The probability of a satisfactory response to PRP was related to A1C levels (P < 0.05) but not to microalbuminuria and its interaction with hemoglobin glycosylation (P > or = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of hemoglobin glycosylation (A1C <8%) during the pretreatment, treatment, and posttreatment periods are associated with a regression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy after PRP.     

急性心肌梗死大鼠梗死区血管内皮生长因子和缺氧诱导因子1αmRNA表达及人参皂苷Rg1的干预效应

目的:观察人参皂苷Rg1对急性心肌梗死后血管新生及梗死区血管内皮生长因子和缺氧诱导因子1αmRNA表达的影响及其机制。方法:实验于2005-10/2006-01在中国医科大学附属第一医院循环内科实验室完成。实验分组:健康雄性Wistar大鼠104只,体质量180～220g,随机抽签法分为假手术组8只,对照组、Rg1低剂量治疗组和Rg1高剂量治疗组各32只。实验方法:建立Wistar大鼠急性心肌梗死模型,假手术组开胸不结扎冠状动脉,3d后处死取材;对照组、Rg1低剂量治疗组和Rg1高剂量治疗组分别于术后即刻及术后每天腹腔注射生理盐水1mL、人参皂苷Rg11mg/kg和5mg/kg,术后3,7,10,14d分别取材,每组8只。实验评估:测定血清心肌酶、心肌梗死面积、梗死区微血管密度,逆转录-聚合酶链反应检测梗死区心肌组织血管内皮生长因子和缺氧诱导因子1α的mRNA表达。结果:纳入大鼠104只,均进入结果分析。①人参皂苷Rg1对大鼠心肌酶及心肌梗死面积的影响:Rg1低剂量治疗组、Rg1高剂量治疗组心肌酶较对照组明显降低[(62.25±10.79),(57.64±9.36),(78.63±11.34)μg/L;P<0.05],心肌梗死面积亦明显降低[14d:(12.15±3.68)%,(10.10±3.12)%,(13.94±3.54)%;P<0.05]。②人参皂苷Rg1对大鼠心肌梗死区微血管密度的影响:各组梗死区血管生成数量随着时间的延长呈持续增加的趋势,与对照组比较,差异有显著性意义[Rg1低剂量治疗组14d:(17.29±3.21)个/视野;Rg1高剂量治疗组14d:(23.27±3.42)个/视野;对照组14d:(9.36±3.54)个/视野;P<0.01]。③大鼠心肌梗死区血管内皮生长因子、缺氧诱导因子1αmRNA的表达:心肌梗死后血管内皮生长因子、缺氧诱导因子1αmRNA表达随缺血时间的延长有增高趋势,Rg1低剂量治疗组与Rg1高剂量治疗组明显升高,14d时血管内皮生长因子的增长出现停止或下降[Rg1低剂量治疗组14d:(1.1637±0.1786);Rg1高剂量治疗组14d:(1.7230±0.3102)];而缺氧诱导因子1α继续升高[Rg1低剂量治疗组14d:(1.7263±0.3417);Rg1高剂量治疗组14d:(2.7725±0.3219)]。结论:严重缺血可刺激心肌组织产生大量的血管内皮生长因子、缺氧诱导因子1α,人参皂苷Rg1增加其表达进而刺激心肌梗死区的血管生成,减轻缺血对心肌的损伤。     

A case of membranous nephropathy associated with Sjögren syndrome, polymyositis and autoimmune hepatitis

Sj?gren syndrome (SS) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands, especially lacrimal and salivary. The immunologic process which occurs in this syndrome is B cell hyperactivity, which results in production of autoantibodies and immune complexes. SS can exist as a primary disorder or in association with other autoimmune processes. A usually mild, proximal and insidious inflammatory myopathy can occur in patients with SS with a broad clinical and pathological spectrum. Interstitial nephritis with mild proteinuria and tubular dysfunction is the most common renal manifestation of SS, but glomerular involvement due to immune complex deposition may also rarely occur [Goules et al. 2000]. There is an association of SS with hepatic abnormalities, as evidenced by abnormal liver biochemical tests or histological characteristics of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), portal tract fibrosis, or autoimmune hepatitis [Abraham et al. 2004]. The pathogenetic mechanism of liver involvement in SS is not clear, but it is possible that hepatic and salivary gland damage share a similar pathology. The combination of Sj?gren syndrome with kidney, liver and muscle involvement in one entity is extremely rare and data in the literature are remarkably sparse. We present a case of a 43-year-old female patient suffering from SS accompanied by polymyositis, membranous nephropathy and autoimmune hepatitis.