Effects of semen processing on the generation of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential of human spermatozoa

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of semen processing on the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in spermatozoa, and to develop reliable indexes for the evaluation of sperm quality during sperm preparation. Swim-up and density gradient centrifugation methods were used to separate semen in oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT), leucocytospermia (LC) and normozoospermia groups. Levels of ROS and MMP were measured by flow cytometry. Before preparation, the patients with abnormal semen parameters had a lower MMP and higher ROS, and there was a negative correlation between MMP and ROS. The levels of MMP and ROS increased significantly, especially ROS produced by swim-up. A significant difference was found between the correlation of MMP and total normal motile sperm count after preparation in the OAT group. The level of ROS was associated with the amount of white blood cells in the LC group. The MMP can be used as an objective index to evaluate the sperm quality of OAT patients, and the combination of MMP and ROS can be used to assess the efficiency of sperm preparation in LC patients. These findings can guide selection of the ideal sperm separation technique for different sperm samples.

Involvement of fatty acid metabolism in the hepatotoxicity induced by divalproex sodium

Divalproex sodium is an antiepileptic drug. Hepatotoxicity is one of the most common side effects induced by divalproex sodium. Impaired fatty acid metabolism is considered to play an important role in the drug-induced hepatotoxicity. The sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) are two key transcription factors involved, respectively, in fatty acid synthesis and degradation in liver. In the present study, we investigated the hepatotoxicity induced by divalproex sodium and its potential mechanism. The results indicated that divalproex sodium significantly decreased the cell viability and increased lactate dehydrogenase leakage in hepatocytes. The activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase were increased in hepatocytes treated with divalproex sodium. Furthermore, divalproex sodium activated SREBP-1c and increased the mRNA expressions of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1. Divalproex sodium also inhibited PPARα and decreased the messenger RNA expressions of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A. These results suggest that the hepatotoxicity induced by divalproex sodium may be related with fatty acid synthesis and degradation mediated by SREBP-1c and PPARα in hepatocytes.

Effects of ozone on sciatic nerve in rat

This study evaluated the influence of ozone on rat sciatic nerve structure and function. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 5). In groups I to IV, 1ml of ozone (O(3)) 10 μg/ml, 30 μg/ml, 50 μg/ml, 8 0 μg/ml was injected at the junction of gluteus maximus margin and lateral edge of the long head of biceps femoris respectively, in group V, 1 ml of pure O(2) was injected at the same point, and group V had puncture without any injection. Ozone was manufactured by an ozone generator (Ozone Line Co, Italy). The rats were investigated by both gross measurement and behavioral changes. One day, one week and three weeks after injection, rat hindlimb footprints were measured and the sciatic nerve function index (SFI) was calculated, and after three weeks, all right sciatic nerves were exposed under anesthesia. Near neural stimulation of the rat sciatic nerve was calculated and nerve conduction velocity, latency and maximum amplitude recorded. Animals were sacrificed for pathology, and ipsilateral triceps surae were taken for wet weight. No serious behavioral abnormalities were observed in any animal. SFI comparison in the various times and various groups showed no significant differences (p<0.05), and nerve conduction velocity, latency and maximum amplitude difference amongst the groups was not significant (p<0.05). There were no abnormalities in peripheral nerves pathologically after injection. Our initial study suggests that ozone concentrations from 10 μg/ml to 80 μg/ml injected around rat's peripheral nerve will not cause serious sequelae or serious damage to the structure and function of peripheral nerve. This finding provides evidence of the safety of ozone injected around the peripheral nerve.

Experimental study on the atlanto-axial joint and related structures with regional anatomy and medical imaging

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the anatomy and medical imaging characteristics in a study observing the atlanto-axial joint (AAJ) and related structures.

METHODS

Eight cadaveric specimens of the AAJ segment were studied with both anatomical and imaging methods. The vertebral arteries of the AAJ segment (VA-A), the first and second cervical nerves (CN1, CN2) and synovial fold (SF) of the AAJ were observed and measured.

RESULT

After extending from the vertebral canal, the CN1 goes between the posterior arch of the atlas and VA-A, and the CN2 passes between the posterior arch of the atlas and axis, and is posterior to VA-A. Among the eight cases, six were found in the SF in the central anterior AAJ and five in lateral. The vertebral arteries of the AAJ segment go along the AAJ with four curves, of which the second and fourth are away from the bone structure of the AAJ. The distance from CN1, CN2 to VA-A and that from the second, fourth curve of VA-A to AAJ is 0.0-2.2 mm, 0.0-3.6 mm and 0.0-4.8 mm, 2.0-7.9 mm respectively. There is no significant difference between the measurements made anatomically and those by the imaging method (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The anatomical method has advantages in observing the CN and SF, while the imaging method shows clearly and directly the VA-A and AAJ. Both are mutually complementary with consistent measurements. The combined use of the two provides a new way to study the complicated anatomy in this region.

Dark matter results from 100 live days of XENON100 data

We present results from the direct search for dark matter with the XENON100 detector, installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN, Italy. XENON100 is a two-phase time-projection chamber with a 62 kg liquid xenon target. Interaction vertex reconstruction in three dimensions with millimeter precision allows the selection of only the innermost 48 kg as the ultralow background fiducial target. In 100.9 live days of data, acquired between January and June 2010, no evidence for dark matter is found. Three candidate events were observed in the signal region with an expected background of (1.8 ± 0.6) events. This leads to the most stringent limit on dark matter interactions today, excluding spin-independent elastic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) nucleon scattering cross sections above 7.0 × 10(-45) cm(2) for a WIMP mass of 50 GeV/c(2) at 90% confidence level.

Characterization of Baylisascaris schroederi from Qinling subspecies of giant panda in China by the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) of nuclear ribosomal DNA

In the present study, a total of 20 nematode isolates, (including 10 male and 10 female worms) representing Baylisascaris schroederi from 5 Qinling subspecies of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in Shaanxi Province of China, were characterized and grouped genetically by the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The rDNA fragment spanning 3' end of 18S rDNA, complete ITS-1 rDNA, and 5' end of 5.8S rDNA were amplified and sequenced. The sequence variability in ITS-1 rDNA was examined within B. schroederi and among parasites in order Ascaridata available in GenBank™, and their phylogenetic relationships were also reconstructed. The sequences of ITS-1 rDNA for all the B. schroederi isolates were 427 bp in length, with no genetic variation detected among these isolates. Phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS-1 rDNA sequences revealed that all the male and female B. schroederi isolates sequenced in the present study were posited into the clade of genus Baylisascaris, sistered to zoonotic nematodes in genus Ascaris, and the ITS-1 rDNA sequence could distinguish different species in order Ascaridata. These results showed that the ITS-1 rDNA provides a suitable molecular marker for the inter-species phylogenetic analysis and differential identification of nematodes in order Ascaridata.

Effect of DEM mesh size on AnnAGNPS simulation and slope correction

The objective of this paper is to study the impact of the mesh size of the digital elevation model (DEM) on terrain attributes within an Annualized AGricultural NonPoint Source pollution (AnnAGNPS) Model simulation at watershed scale and provide a correction of slope gradient for low resolution DEMs. The effect of different grid sizes of DEMs on terrain attributes was examined by comparing eight DEMs (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 m). The accuracy of the AnnAGNPS stimulation on runoff, sediments, and nutrient loads is evaluated. The results are as follows: (1) Rnoff does not vary much with decrease of DEM resolution whereas soil erosion and total nitrogen (TN) load change prominently. There is little effect on runoff simulation of AnnAGNPS modeling by the amended slope using an adjusted 50 m DEM. (2) A decrease of sediment yield and TN load is observed with an increase of DEM mesh size from 30 to 60 m; a slight decrease of sediment and TN load with the DEM mesh size bigger than 60 m. There is similar trend for total phosphorus (TP) variation, but with less range of variation, the simulation of sediment, TN, and TP increase, in which sediment increase up to 1.75 times compared to the model using unadjusted 50 m DEM. In all, the amended simulation still has a large difference relative to the results using 30 m DEM. AnnAGNPS is less reliable for sediment loading prediction in a small hilly watershed. (3) Resolution of DEM has significant impact on slope gradient. The average, minimum, maximum of slope from the various DEMs reduced obviously with the decrease of DEM precision. For the grade of 0∼15°, the slopes at lower resolution DEM are generally bigger than those at higher resolution DEM. But for the grade bigger than 15°, the slopes at lower resolution DEM are generally smaller than those at higher resolution DEM. So it is necessary to adjust the slope with a fitting equation. A cubic model is used for correction of slope gradient from lower resolution to that from higher resolution. Results for Dage watershed showed that fine meshes are desired to avoid large underestimates of sediment and total nitrogen loads and moderate underestimates of total phosphorus loads even with the slopes for the 50 m DEM adjusted to be more similar to the slopes from the 30 m DEM. Decreasing the mesh size beyond this threshold does not substantially affect the computed runoff flux but generated prediction errors for nitrogen and sediment yields. So the appropriate DEM will control error and make simulation at acceptable level.

Abstract P4-06-23: KLF8 Is Regulated by Its Novel Interacting Protein PARP-1

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) plays an important role in the progression of breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Using mass spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation, we identified PARP-1, a chromatin-associated enzyme that catalyzes protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation), as a novel KLF8 interacting protein. Co-IP and western blotting indicated that KLF8 is a PARylation substrate. Mutation of the cystein residues in the first and second zinc-finger motifs of KLF8 abolishes its interaction with PARP-1. Luciferase assays showed KLF8 activation on the cyclin D1 promoter was significantly reduced when PARP-1 was physically deleted or functionally inhibited or when KLF8-PARP-1 interaction was disrupted. Surprisingly, immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that KLF8 was localized in the nuclei of wide type MEFs, but was mislocalized in the perinuclear cytoplasm of the PARP-1-/- cells, which could be rescued by re-expression of PARP-1. The detection of γH2A.X, comet assay and clonogenic assay indicated KLF8 play a DNA repair role in a PARP-1- dependent matter. Cychloheximade-chase assay revealed the stability of KLF8 dramatically reduced by loss of PARP-1 or when KLF8-PARP-1 interaction was disrupted, meanwhile ubiquitination assay showed heavier ubiquitin chains of KLF8. This work has identified PARP-1 as a novel binding partner and post-translational modifier of KLF8 and a critical regulator of KLF8 localization, functions and stability in the cells and suggested a critical role of the interaction between KLF8 and PARP1 during metastatic progression of breast cancer. Support by: NIH, ACS and Komen grants to J.Z.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-06-23.

Over-expression of talin 1 and integrin-linked kinase in PBMCs of patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a proteomic study

OBJECTIVES

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is difficult to diagnose in its early stage due to the lack of simple and specific diagnostic indicators. This study was performed to screen candidate AS-associated proteins from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of AS patients by combining a two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) technique with mass spectrometry (MS) analysis.

METHODS

Twelve subjects consisting of 6 AS patients and 6 healthy volunteers (HVs) were enrolled in the 2-DE experiments. The protein expression patterns of PBMCs from different groups were analysed by PDQuest software, and the protein spots over/under-expressed by more than 2-fold between the two groups were identified by MS analysis. Western blot analyses were used to verify the differentially expressed proteins in 32 AS patients and 32 HVs.

RESULTS

Six proteins including pyruvate kinase (PK), profilin 1 (PFN1), talin 1 (TLN1), Chain A of cyclophilin A (CyPA), unknown protein (gi|16306948) and integrin-linked kinase (ILK) were identified from 10 over-expressed protein spots found by 2-DE in the AS group. Western blot experiments confirmed a higher expression of both TLN1 and ILK in AS group compared to the HV group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

TLN1 and ILK expressed higher in PBMCs of AS patients compared to healthy controls, which were involved in the integrin signalling pathway. The two proteins are likely novel disease-associated proteins and potential disease markers of AS.

Human adipose tissue-derived adult stem cells can lead to multiorgan engraftment

Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of a population of adipose tissue-derived adult stem cells that can undergo multilineage differentiation in vitro; however, it is unclear whether these cells maintain their multilineage differentiation in vivo. The objective of the present study was to examine the in vivo characteristics and behavior of a potential population of human adipose tissue-derived adult stem cells. Herein, we demonstrate that human adipose tissue-derived adult stem cells differentiate into the epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and bronchi, and an endothelial lineage after transplantation into irradiated nonobese mice with diabetes or severe combined immunodeficiency. These findings may contribute to clinical tissue repair after injury.

Spin polarization induced by in-plane electric and magnetic fields in two-dimensional heavy-hole systems

Using a nonequilibrium Green function approach, we systematically investigate the current induced spin polarization (CISP) in a two-dimensional heavy-hole system with cubic Rashba spin-orbit coupling, driven by in-plane electric and magnetic fields. We find that when a magnetic field is applied along the direction of electric field, the longitudinal conductivity drops monotonously with an increase of magnetic-field strength or of hole density. The spin polarization along the electric-field direction is just the Pauli paramagnetism and it quadratically increases with an increase of hole density. The nonvanishing out-of-plane component of spin polarization emerges for both short-range and long-range disorders, and it changes sign with the variation of magnetic field, especially for long-range hole-impurity scattering. In the magnetic-field dependences of this out-of-plane CISP and of the in-plane CISP perpendicular to the electric field, there are singular magnetic fields, below or above which the effects of magnetic field are completely different.

A numerical investigation of the effect of vertex geometry on localized surface plasmon resonance of nanostructures

Advances in nanofabrication and nano-scale measurement methods now allow for fabrication of highly detailed nanometer-scale topographic features. As geometric features greatly impact the formation of an electromagnetic field in response to incident light, this in turn calls for the study of the effects of new features of nanostructures on their performance in applications such as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensing. This paper studies the effects of vertex features of a single nanostructure on its LSPR properties. A general relationship between the LSPR spectra and the vertex features of a nanoparticle is established. The results of electrodynamics calculations show that a delta-star with a relatively small vertex angle exhibits a bigger resonant wavelength than one with a large vertex angle. Moreover, the sensing performance initially increases, and then decreases as angular size of the vertices increases, with a turning point of 30 degrees. It is also shown that for nanostars with different numbers of vertices, the resonant wavelength undergoes a blue shift and the sensing performance grows poorer as the number of vertices increases. A regular vertex angle of 30 degrees displays the greatest figure of merit (FOM) value for LSPR applications, approximately 9.5 RIU(-1).