New lymphogranuloma venereum Chlamydia trachomatis variant, Amsterdam

We retrospectively conducted a study of men who have sex with men who visited the Amsterdam, the Netherlands, sexually transmitted diseases clinic from January 2002 to December 2003 and had rectal Chlamydia trachomatis infections. We found that symptomatic (73%) as well as asymptomatic (43%) patients were infected with a new C. trachomatis LGV variant.     

Co-incubation of human spermatozoa with Chlamydia trachomatis serovar E causes premature sperm death

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of elementary bodies (EB) of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E and LGV on sperm motility, viability and acrosomal status. Highly motile preparations of spermatozoa from normozoospermic patients were co-incubated for 6 h with 0.54x10(6) EB per ml. At 1, 3 and 6 h of incubation, sperm motility was determined by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) and the proportion of dead cells determined by the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test. Acrosomal status was also examined using a standard monoclonal antibody assay. In the absence of EB, the percentage of motile spermatozoa remained >69% over the 6h incubation and the proportion of dead spermatozoa at <12%. However, during the incubation with EB of serovar E there was a significant decline in the percentage of motile spermatozoa (P < 0.05), and a corresponding increase in the proportion of dead spermatozoa (P < 0.05) at all time-points. However, following incubation with serovar LGV, only the percentage of dead spermatozoa after 6 h incubation was significantly different from the control (P < 0.05). The amount of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa remained unchanged (<16%) in all incubations at all time-points. Dose-response experiments indicated that increasing the concentration of EB to 2.5x10(6) per ml did not significantly alter the results. Furthermore, co-incubation of spermatozoa with dead EB (killed by heat treatment) abolished the chlamydia-mediated response, indicating that the effect is a result of the live organism and not soluble components or membrane elements. These data suggest that a detrimental effect on sperm function by some serovars may be an as yet unrecognized component of infertility problems.     

Lymphogranuloma venereum variant L2b-specific polymerase chain reaction: insertion used to close an epidemiological gap

The management of the ongoing lymphogranuloma venereum epidemic in industrialized Western countries caused by Chlamydia trachomatis variant L2b still needs improvements in diagnosis, therapy and prevention. We therefore developed the first rapid C. trachomatis variant L2b-specific polymerase chain reaction to circumvent laborious ompA gene sequencing.     

Light microscopic and ultrastructural localization of immunoreactive substance P in the dorsal horn of monkey spinal cord

Light- and electron-microscopic localization of substance P in the monkey spinal cord was studied by the peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique with the particular aim of examining types of interactions made by substance P-positive boutons with other neuronal elements in the dorsal horn. By light-microscopy dense labeling for immunoreactive substance P was found in laminae I, II (outer zone) and V (lateral region), consistent with findings in other mammalian species. By electron-microscopy, substance P-positive staining was mostly in unmyelinated and in some thinly myelinated small diameter fibers. Substance P-positive terminals contained both large granular vesicles (80-120 nm diameter), which were filled with reaction product, and clear round vesicles (40-60 nm). Substance P-positive large granular vesicles were sometimes observed near presynaptic sites and in contact with dense projection there. Immunoreactive substance P boutons were small to large in size (1-4 micron), formed synapses with somata and large dendrites and were the central axons of synaptic glomeruli where they were in synaptic contact with numerous small dendrites and spines. Substance P-labeled axons frequently formed synapses with dorsal horn neurons which were also postsynaptic to other types of axons. Substance P-positive profiles participated in numerous puncta adhaerentia with unlabeled cell bodies, dendrites and axons. Only rarely, some suggestive evidence was obtained indicating that axons might synapse onto substance P-containing boutons. Biochemical analysis of monkey spinal cord tissue extracts, undertaken to characterize more precisely the immunoreactive substances, indicated that only substance P and its oxide derivative were detected with the antiserum used in the immunocytochemistry. These morphological findings show that substance P is contained within a class of axon terminals, many of which have been shown previously in the monkey to originate from the dorsal root. The results suggest that modulation of substance P primary afferents terminating in the outer dorsal laminae of the monkey spinal cord occurs in part via axonal inputs onto dorsal horn neurons postsynaptic to the primary afferent.     

Properties of nerve endings with small granular vesicles in the distal colon and rectum of the guinea-pig

The appearance and distribution of nerve endings (varicosities) containing small granular vesicles have been studied in the distal colon and rectum of the guinea-pig with the electron microscope. Two types of varicosity were recognised. They were distinguished by differences in their synaptic vesicles and in their distribution in the layers of the gut wall. The first type resembled noradrenergic nerves in having predominantly (92%) small vesicles and few (8%) large granular vesicles (90 nm diameter). This type was common in the plexuses and at the medial-adventitial border of arteries and arterioles but was sparsely distributed in the muscle coat. The second type had a lower proportion of small vesicles (69%) and a higher proportion (31%) of large granular vesicles (132 nm diameter). This type was absent in Auerbach's plexus, well represented in the muscle coat and Meissner's plexus and not associated with blood vessels. The first type was labelled with 5-hydroxydopamine, a specific marker for noradrenergic nerves, and disappeared after extrinsic denervation. a procedure which causes degeneration of noradrenergic nerves in the gut. The second type was unaffected by 5-hydroxydopamine and extrinsic denervation.It is concluded that the two types of small granular vesicle-containing varicosities belong to different axons and that the first type is noradrenergic. The second type of nerve axon has not been described in the gut before and is intrinsic to it. From the distribution and numbers of these axons in the circular muscle it would seem that they play an important role in gut motility.     

美国疾病控制中心最新性传播疾病诊断标准与治疗方法介绍

介绍美国疾病控制中心2002年性传播疾病中以生殖器溃疡为特征的梅毒、软下疳、生殖器疱疹、性病性琳巴肉芽肿和腹股沟肉芽肿的诊断标准及治疗方案，以供临在医生在STD诊治中参考。     

An ultrastructural study of nerve profiles in the myenteric plexus of the rabbit colon

The ultrastructure of the myenteric plexus from the rabbit colon was examined in both conventionally fixed tissue and also material fixed with the chromaffin method. Montages of the ganglia were analysed semi-quantitatively. Six main types of axon profile are described and classified on a morphological consideration of the vesicle population. Most axon types formed synapses with myenteric neurons. Two kinds of chromaffin-positive nerve fibre were seen, one containing a predominance of small granular vesicles, the other containing many flattened vesicles. The difficulties in relating axon profile types to putative transmitters are discussed.     

Retrograde–Antegrade Accelerated Trap Obliteration: A Modified Approach to Transvenous Eradication of Gastric Varices

This series presents a hybrid technique for obliteration of gastric varices (GVs) termed retrograde–antegrade accelerated trap obliteration that employs sclerosant agent instillation under concurrent inflow and outflow vessel occlusion with coils or plugs. Six patients (mean age, 56 y) with GVs were treated in 2014 and 2015. Technical success rate was 100%. Five patients completed 30-day follow-up. There were no procedure-related complications, and clinical success rate was 100%, with no bleeding recurrence over a mean follow-up of 298 days ± 178. GV obliteration rate was 100% (n = 4) at a mean of 157 days ± 158. This limited experience suggests that the described technique represents a viable approach to GV obliteration.     

Apoptosis of ejaculated human sperm is induced by co-incubation with Chlamydia trachomatis lipopolysaccharide

BACKGROUND: Previous work has shown that co-incubation of human sperm with Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E and LGV leads to premature sperm death and that this is due primarily to chlamydial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here, we investigated the possible involvement of apoptosis in this premature sperm death. METHODS: Highly motile preparations of sperm from normozoospermic patients were co-incubated for 6 h with extracted LPS from C. trachomatis serovars E and LGV. Three different methods were used to determine if LPS-treated sperm underwent apoptosis, including: (i) flow cytometry; (ii) measurement of ADP:ATP ratios; and (iii) measurement of mono- and oligonucleosomal DNA fragments. Caspase activity was also investigated by fluorimetry and by use of a pan-caspase inhibitor and caspase-3 inhibitor. RESULTS: All three methods used for detection indicated that C. trachomatis LPS induced some apoptosis in sperm after 6 h when compared with a staurosporine (apoptosis-positive) control. Moreover, a greater degree of apoptosis was seen with C. trachomatis serovar E than with serovar LGV. It was also shown that C. trachomatis LPS-induced apoptosis of sperm could be blocked with a pan-caspase inhibitor and a caspase-3 inhibitor. Moreover, by using a fluorogenic substrate, apoptosis was shown to be caspase-mediated. CONCLUSIONS: In general it is believed that apoptosis does not occur in C. trachomatis-infected host cells. However, using three different methods, our findings clearly indicate that co-incubation of sperm with C. trachomatis LPS results in cellular death which is in part due to apoptosis and is caspase-mediated. These findings provide an explanation as to how C. trachomatis can mediate premature death in human sperm.