Characterization of membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3, meiosis expressed gene 1 binding partner,in mouse male germ cells

Mammalian spermatogenesis is a well-organized process of cell development and differentiation. Meiosis expressed gene 1 (MEIG1) plays an essential role in the regulation of spermiogenesis. To explore potential mechanisms of MEIG1''s action, a yeast two-hybrid screen was conducted, and several potential binding partners were identified; one of them was membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3 (MORN3). MORN3 mRNA is only abundant in mouse testis. In the testis, Morn3 mRNA is highly expressed in the spermiogenesis stage. Specific anti-MORN3 polyclonal antibody was generated against N-terminus of the full-length MORN3 protein, and MORN3 expression and localization was examined in vitro and in vivo. In transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells, the antibody specifically crossed-reacted the full-length MORN3 protein, and immunofluorescence staining revealed that MORN3 was localized throughout the cytoplasm. Among multiple mouse tissues, about 25 kDa protein, was identified only in the testis. The protein was highly expressed after day 20 of birth. Immunofluorescence staining on mixed testicular cells isolated from adult wild-type mice demonstrated that MORN3 was expressed in the acrosome in germ cells throughout spermiogenesis. The protein was also present in the manchette of elongating spermatids. The total MORN3 expression and acrosome localization were not changed in the Meig 1-deficient mice. However, its expression in manchette was dramatically reduced in the mutant mice. Our studies suggest that MORN3 is another regulator for spermatogenesis, probably together with MEIG1.     

Effect of a Condom Cover on Vaginal Photoplethysmographic Responses

IntroductionThe vaginal photoplethysmograph (VPP) is a reusable intravaginal device often employed in sexual psychophysiology studies to assess changes in vaginal blood flow, an indicator of sexual arousal.AimTo test whether placing a disposable cover on the VPP probe impacts the acquired data. A condom cover would reduce risk of disease transmission and likely increase participant comfort but may negatively impact the VPP signal.MethodThe genital responses of 25 cisgender women (mean age = 21.3 years, standard deviation = 2.6) were assessed with VPP in a within-subjects design with 2 conditions—with and without a polyisoprene condom cover. Sexual responses were elicited by audiovisual film clips that varied in erotic intensity: nonsexual (nonsexual male-female interaction), low-intensity sexual (nude exercise), and high-intensity sexual (male-female intercourse). Women continuously rated their sexual arousal during stimulus presentations.Main Outcome MeasureChange in vaginal pulse amplitude and also self-reported sexual arousal.ResultsThe magnitude of sexual response to each stimulus category and the overall pattern of results were found to be highly similar in the cover-off and cover-on conditions. The high-intensity sexual stimulus category elicited a greater sexual response than all other categories. The low-intensity sexual category elicited a (small) genital response in only the cover-on condition, although we suspect this is a spurious finding. There was no difference in the average number of edited movement artifacts across conditions.Clinical ImplicationsPotential benefits of encasing the VPP probe with a protective cover include enhanced participant safety and comfort, especially if assessing genital responses of high-risk or immunocompromised samples. The use of a cover complies with current guidelines for reprocessing semi-critical medical devices (eg, vaginal ultrasound probes) in many regions.Strengths & LimitationsAlthough the idea of a VPP probe cover had been discussed among sexual psychophysiology researchers, this is the first study to empirically test whether a cover could jeopardize VPP data. Potential limitations include the use of a 10-Hz VPP sampling rate and a cover that was not tailored to the size of the VPP probe.ConclusionPlacing a protective cover on the VPP probe did not appear to meaningfully impact sexual arousal or the VPP data. Based on these results and the potential advantages of a protective cover, researchers may wish to integrate the use a condom cover in their experiment protocols and clinical applications.Sawatsky ML, Lalumière ML. Effect of a Condom Cover on Vaginal Photoplethysmographic Responses. J Sex Med 2020; 17:702–715.     

Cellular targets of regulatory B cell-mediated suppression

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) are defined by their ability to restrain inflammatory responses both in vivo and in vitro. Interleukin 10 (IL-10) production by Bregs is thought to be central to their ability to regulate inflammation, largely due to IL-10s’ ability to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine production by effector lymphocytes and to maintain the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, with an increase in available published data, it has become evident that Bregs utilize a number of suppressive mechanisms in order to alter the activation of a variety of different lymphocytes. Here, we summarize the multiplicity of cellular targets of Breg-mediated suppression and describe the mechanisms employed by Bregs to suppress chronic inflammatory responses.     

8种寄生虫病例分析

本文报道并分析8例寄生虫病例,其中包括脑裂头蚴病、眼部裂头蚴病、肺吸虫幼虫移行症、肺吸虫病、钩虫病、肝吸虫病、包虫病和广州管圆线虫病各1例。8例寄生虫病均有不同程度的误诊,其中6例在寄生虫抗体筛查检测阳性后得以确诊。因此,寄生虫病应引起临床医生的重视,抗体筛查有助于发现寄生虫病例。     

Monitoring Hepatocyte Dysfunction and Biliary Complication After Liver Transplantation Using Quantitative Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy

The significance of hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) for hepatic graft function assessment was established mostly on retrospective studies and was not widely recognized due to the lack of quantitative data and variation in accuracy. This prospective study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of quantitative HBS for assessing hepatocyte dysfunction and biliary complication in liver transplant recipients.In 57 recipients who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation, a total of 67 dynamic ^99mTc-EHIDA scans were performed and quantitative parameters including the hepatocyte extraction fraction (HEF), time to maximum hepatic radioactivity (T_max), and time for peak activity to decrease by 50% (T_1/2) were calculated. The scintigraphic results based on the 3 parameters were compared against the final diagnosis. A ROC curve analysis was carried out to identify the cutoff value of T_max for diagnosis of biliary stricture. Correlation between the parameters of postoperative HBS and conventional biochemical liver function indices were also analyzed.Quantitative ^99mTc-EHIDA HBS had an overall sensitivity of 94.12% (16/17), specificity of 93.33% (42/45), and diagnostic accuracy of 93.55% (58/62) for detecting hepatocyte dysfunction and biliary complication in liver transplant recipients. The recommended cutoff value of T_max for diagnosis of post-transplant biliary stricture was set at 15.75 min with a sensitivity of 100.0% and a specificity of 94.0%. The scintigraphic parameters (HEF, T_max) were statistically significantly associated with the conventional liver function parameters.Quantitative ^99mTc-EHIDA HBS offers a noninvasive imaging modality with high sensitivity and specificity to diagnose hepatocyte dysfunction as well as distinguish between patients with or without biliary stricture following liver transplantation. Furthermore, HEF and T_max values obtained from dynamic HBS show good correlation with conventional liver function parameters.     

Host MyD88 signaling protects against acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Recent experimental strategies to reduce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) have focused largely on modifying innate immunity. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-driven myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88)-dependent signalling pathways that initiate adaptive immune function are also critical for the pathogenesis of GVHD. This study aimed to delineate the role of host MyD88 in the development of acute GVHD following fully major histocompatibility complex-mismatched allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). When myeloablated BALB/c MyD88 knock-out recipients were transplanted with C57BL/6 (B6) donor cells, they developed significantly more severe GVHD than wild-type (WT) BALB/c hosts. The increased morbidity and mortality in MyD88^–/– mice correlated with increased serum levels of lipopolysaccharide and elevated inflammatory cytokines in GVHD target organs. Additionally, MyD88 deficiency in BMT recipients led to increased donor T cell expansion and more donor CD11c⁺ cell intestinal infiltration with apoptotic cells but reduced proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells compared with that in WT BMT recipients. Decreased expression of tight junction mRNA in epithelial cells of MyD88^–/– mice suggested that MyD88 contributes to intestinal integrity. Cox-2 expression in the GVHD-targeted organs of WT mice is increased upon GVHD induction, but this enhanced expression was obviously inhibited by MyD88 deficiency. The present findings demonstrate an unexpected role for host MyD88 in preventing GVHD after allogeneic BMT.     

Free Water Loss–induced Heterogeneous Residual Strain and Reduced Fatigue Resistance in Root Dentin: A 3-dimensional Digital Image Correlation Analysis

IntroductionThis study evaluated free water loss–induced residual strain with and without axial compressive loading and assessed the mechanical effect of cyclic loading in fully hydrated and partially dehydrated root dentin.MethodsRoot dentin sections prepared from freshly extracted human premolars were used. Customized 3-dimensional digital image correlation was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the residual strain induced by 2 hours of free water loss in different regions of root dentin. Residual strain in partially dehydrated root dentin during axial compressive loading was also analyzed using 3-dimensional digital image correlation. The effect of cyclic loading on load to fracture in fully hydrated and partially dehydrated dentin and their fractography were analyzed using micro–computed tomographic imaging.ResultsFree water loss resulted in a heterogeneous distribution of residual strain and an overall formation of residual compressive strain with areas of tensile strain localized to the root canal and outer dentin. More residual compressive strain was observed in the apical dentin compared with the cervical dentin (P < .05), and more residual shear strain was observed in outer dentin compared with inner dentin (P < .05). Axial loading resulted in an increase in the load-induced compressive strain in the direction perpendicular to dentinal tubules (P < .05). Fully hydrated roots displayed a higher mean (P < .05) and median (P < .05) number of cycles to fracture with microcracks characteristic of toughness.ConclusionsAfter free water loss, root dentin displayed an increased formation of heterogenous residual strain, which resulted in increased axial compressive load-induced strain and a decreased resistance to fatigue failure. The effect of free water loss in the loss of mechanical integrity of root-filled teeth needs further investigation.