Selection of Immunogenic Peptide Mimics of Male Worm Origin of Schistosoma Japonicum using Phage Display Peptide Library

Phagepeptidedisplaytechniquehasbecomeaverypopu larmethodofstudyinawidevarietyofresearchworkson accountofitsversatility,simplicityandcosteffectiveness. Ithasbeenwidelyusedforidentificationofproteinsand hasprovidedaconvenientmethodologytoobtainligands fors…     

Rostral midbrain lesions and copulatory behavior in male rats

Discrete electrolytic lesions were placed in the mesencephalic dorsal noradrenergic (DNE) bundle of 22 male Sprague-Dawley rats, and sham operations were performed on 14 control animals. Eight components of copulatory behavior were compared in 2 preoperative and 2 postoperative heterosexual mating tests. A significant postlesion decrease in the postejaculatory interval (PEI), number of intromissions, number of incomplete mounts and the ejaculation latency from the first intromission (ELI) occurred. Norepinephrine levels were significantly reduced in the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus, but not in the preoptic area. The only statistically significant correlations between NE concentrations and behavior in the lesioned animals were negative (hippocampal NE with PEI and ELI). The results support the hypothesis that rostral midbrain lesions disinhibit some components of male rodent copulatory behavior, but suggest that a system or systems other than the DNE bundle may be responsible for this disinhibition.     

男性抗精子抗体对体外受精一胚胎移植的影响

目的;评价男性抗精子抗体对体外受精-胚胎移植(IVF-ET)的影响。方法:以ELISA方法测定施行IVF-ET的150对不育夫妇中男方精浆抗精子抗体(AsAb)并分组:AsAb阳性组22例,AsAb阴性组128例。对比分析抗精子抗体及抗体类型对体外受精、卵裂和早期胚胎发育的影响,同时对移植后的妊娠率和流产率进行分析。结果:AsAb阳性组体外受精数明显低于AsAb阴性组(P<0.01),两组的卵裂数则无明显差异(P>0.05),而在阳性组中,不同抗体类型间体外受精、卵裂及胚胎质量无明显差异(P>0.05)。在移植日,AsAb阳性组的I级胚胎较阴性组低,而ⅢⅣ级胚胎和2原核受精细胞(2PN)明显增加(P<0.01)。两组移植后临床妊娠流产率无显著差异(P>0.05)。结论:AsAb能明显降低精子体外受精能力,对早期胚胎发育有损害。精子体处理不能完全清除AsAb对IVF影响。     

男性不育患者Y染色体微缺失的研究

目的研究无精子症和少精子症患者与Y染色体位点缺失的相关性，建立Y染色体微缺失的分子诊断方法。方法采用多重PCR技术对53例染色体核型正常的无精子症和少精子症患者以及5例正常男性的无精子因子（azoospermia factor，AZF）区域的6个STS位点进行检测。结果5例精液正常男性未检出Y染色体微缺失；53例患者中6例有AZF区域的微缺失，总缺失率为11．3％。结论Y染色体微缺失是严重生精障碍的重要原因之一，无精子因子（AZF）候选基因在精子发生过程中可能起重要作用。     

Effects of hormonal replacement with androgens and estrogens on male sexual behavior and plasma levels of these steroids in gonadectomized golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

Because the endocrine control of sexual behavior in male hamsters remains controversial, this study analyzed the influence of different androgens and estrogens in the regulation of masculine, sexual behavior (MBS). Aromatizable androgens: androstenedione (A) and testosterone (T), a non-aromatizable androgen: 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), as well as estrogens (E₂ and E₁) alone or in combination with DHT, were administered in gonadectomized, sexually experienced males, for 3 weeks. In addition, plasma levels of these steroids were determined. Gonadectomy completely suppressed masculine sexual behavior (MSB) after 4 weeks. Both A and T replacements restored all the sexual behavior parameters in castrated hamsters by the 3rd week of treatment, with A being more potent in restoring all copulatory series and maintaining all MSB parameters, including long intromissions. Castrated males treated with DHT showed little interest in the female and did not display any copulatory behavior. Gonadectomized males treated with estrogens alone showed active anogenital investigation and displayed some mounts, but did not ejaculate. Males treated with estrogens combined with DHT had longer latencies and less number of ejaculations than males treated with aromatizable androgens. Long intromissions were observed only in males treated with T or A. Plasma levels of A were significantly higher than T levels in intact males. In males treated with A both androgens and estrogens were present in plasma. These results support the notion that aromatizable androgens, mainly A, but not non-aromatizable androgens or even estrogens in combination with DHT, play a relevant role in the endocrine regulation of MSB in the golden hamster.     

The influence of social environmental condition on the production of stress-induced 22 kHz calls in adult male Wistar rats

Adult rats emit 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to aversive stimuli, and these sounds are suggested to have communicative information among conspecifics. It is conceivable that social environment during development of rats has relevance to the emission of 22 kHz USVs. To examine the effects of social environment after weaning on production of stress-induced USVs, we compared the amount of emission of USVs among three groups of rats reared under different conditions after weaning. One group of rats was housed individually, and the other two groups were housed in pairs, in which social hierarchy of the pair was determined by social dominance-subordination relationships. The USVs were induced by acute mild somatic stimuli on the back and neck. Individually reared rats emitted much fewer USVs than pair-reared rats. In addition, socially subordinate rats emitted more USVs compared with socially dominant ones. These results suggest that not only social interaction but also the status in social hierarchy may play an important role in the process of the development of USVs induced by somatic stimuli.     

前列腺液白细胞含量与男性不育的相关性分析

目的探讨前列腺液白细胞含量与精液主要参数和指标的关系。方法对入选的260例男性不育患者进行前列腺液（EPS）常规检查计数白细胞和解脲支原体培养,按照WHO人类精液实验室手册要求检测精液主要参数、精子形态分析、精子顶体酶活性、精浆抗体（AsAb）等,分析前列腺白细胞与男性不育相关因素的关系。结果260例中炎症组93例（EPS中WBC≥10个/HP）：非炎症组（EPS中WBC〈10个/HP）167例。炎症组精液的精子密度、精子活动率、a＋b级活力精子率、精子顶体酶阳性率均低于非炎症组（P〈0.05）;而精液液化时间、精子畸形率、精浆抗体（AsAb）、前列腺液解脲支原体阳性率高于非炎症组（P〈0.05）。两组的精液量及pH值差异无显著性。结论前列腺液中白细胞含量对精液质量有一定的影响,慢性前列腺炎是导致男性不育的原因之一。     

Behavioral and neurochemical effects induced by subchronic combined exposure to toluene at 40 ppm and noise at 80 dB-A in rats

We investigated whether exposure to noise, in addition to its well-known potentiating effect on toluene-induced ototoxicity, may also exacerbate behavioral disturbances and brain neurochemical alterations produced by subchronic exposure to low toluene concentration. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated whether subchronic combined exposure (16 weeks, 104 h per week) to noise at 80 dB-A and toluene at 40 ppm potentiates the recently reported neurotoxic effects of subchronic exposure to 40 ppm toluene. Locomotor and rearing activities, sensitization to narcosis induced by acute toluene at high concentration, and tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylase activities in the caudate-putamen and hippocampus were investigated in both male and female rats. Our results confirm that subchronic exposure to 40 ppm toluene significantly decreases rearing activity and leads to a sensitization to toluene-induced narcosis, as evaluated by loss of righting reflex, but fails to demonstrate any adverse effect of noise, alone or in combination with toluene. Given that toluene has addictive properties, the lack of potentiating behavioral and neurochemical effect of noise is discussed with regards to a recent study that has shown that methamphetamine neurotoxicity is potentiated by exposure to loud noise.     

Review article: Structure and function of the epididymis

Summary Testicular spermatozoa are functionally immature in that they cannot fertilize ova. It was first demonstrated by Young [171, 172] that spermatozoa undergo certain changes as they migrate through the epididymis. He proposed that spermatozoa ripen during epididymal transit. It is now known that specific maturational changes occur in spermatozoa during epididymal transit which result in their developing the ability to fertilize ova. Concomitant with this functional maturity are changes in spermatozoal morphology, motility, chemistry, permeability, density and metabolism. It is apparent that in some way not understood these changes are necessary for sperm to achieve the ability to complete the fertilization process. When these mechanisms are understood, we may be able to effectively treat conditions such as necrospermia or abnormally low sperm motility. Furthermore, with the development of the hamster-egg penetration test a new type of male infertility has become evident in recent years; the inability of otherwise normal sperm to penetrate an ovum. It is during epididymal transit that this ability is normally acquired. Thus, any insight into how sperm attain the capacity to penetrate an ovum could lead to an effective treatment of patients whose sperm do not have this ability. In addition, the epididymis holds significant promise as the site of action for a male contraceptive. Thus, it is the purpose of this review to describe the structure and function of the mammalian epididymis with particular emphasis on the factors regulating sperm maturation.