Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-mycoplasma) infection: does it have a role in male infertility?

Ureplasma urealyticum (T-mycoplasma) has been related to male infertility by some observers. To assess further this question 150 couples who presented for fertility had semen and cervical mucus cultures for mycoplasma. Positive cultures were obtained from 69 couples. There were no significant differences in the semen analyses among patients with positive or negative cultures. The presence of mycoplasma in the semen is probably the result of contamination at the time of ejaculation. Routine investigation for the presence of mycoplasma in subfertile men is unjustified. The routine use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in subfertile patients with positive mycoplasma culture is unnecessary.

Seminal fructose, citric acid and phosphatase levels and their relation to the sperm count in man

Seminal fructose, citric acid and phosphatase levels were estimated in 60 normal adults and compared with 60 oligospermic and 24 azoospermic Indian subjects. In normal group, the seminal plasma fructose level and acid phosphatase activity showed a fall as the sperm count increased. As compared to normals, significantly higher mean values for fructose and acid phosphatase activity were observed in oligospermic and azoospermic groups. Seminal alkaline phosphatase activity did not show any relationship with sperm count. Similarity in changes observed in seminal fructose and acid phosphatase levels with respect to seminal citric acid content and sperm concentration suggests that both these parameters are probably regulated by similar physiological mechanism.

Vitamin B12 and potential fertility in male lactovegetarians

Semen and serum vitamin B12levels in Indian lactovegetarian and non-vegetarian subjects were estimated along with routine semen examination. Lactovegetarians had distinctly lower serum and semen vitamin B12levels than the non-vegetarians. However, in normal and oligospermic subjects the ratio of semen vitamin B12to serum vitamin B12in the various diet groups was not significantly different and was always greater than one. In azoospermic subjects the serum vitamin B12levels were always higher than the corresponding semen vitamin B12values. Although semen vitamin B12content was related to serum vitamin B12level and sperm concentration in the normal and oligospermic groups. Further, in healthy lactovegetarians with low serum and semen vitamin B12content and oligospermia, treatment with hydroxocobalamin produced no significant improvement in semen quality.

Effect of age and menopausal status on estimates of oestrogen binding by human malignant breast tumours

The uptake of oestradiol by human breast-tumour tissue estimated by in-vivo and in-vitro techniques has been examined in relation to patients' ages and menopausal status. Results from in-vivo studies showed no convincing correlations, while in-vitro results were significantly correlated with menopausal status. There was a significant correlation between results obtained by the two techniques.

Intraperitoneal noxytiolin as an experimental chemotherapeutic agent

The effect of intraperitoneal noxytiolin on the growth of Ehrlich's ascites tumour in mice has been studied. A dose of 1 g. per kg. body-weight produced a significant slowing of the growth of ascites tumours. However, systemic administration (subcutaneous) had no significant chemotherapeutic effect in this tumour model.

Electrolytes and water in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of the foetal sheep and guinea-pig

1. Samples of cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (c.s.f.) and blood plasma have been obtained nearly simultaneously from foetal sheep of different ages, the foetus having been exteriorized and maintained in a normal state with respect to its blood gases and arterial pH. The brains were removed from these foetuses and also from foetal guinea-pigs after exsanguination.2. A comprehensive study has been made of the concentrations of water, chloride, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium in blood plasma, c.s.f. and brain from foetal sheep and in brain from foetal guinea-pigs during development in utero. Maternal arterial blood plasma, cisternal c.s.f. and brain from the sheep and brain from the guinea-pig have been analysed for comparison.3. Concentrations of the ions analysed in foetal blood plasma are similar to those found by others in the sheep and other species. In the case of calcium, the results suggest an active maintenance of the concentration of this ion in foetal plasma by the placenta.4. The chloride concentration in c.s.f. at ages between 65 days and term (147 days) averaged 1.19 times that in foetal plasma, but only 1.08 at 45-50 days; the sodium concentration in c.s.f. was also slightly reduced at this time. The increase in the c.s.f./plasma ratios for chloride and sodium appears to coincide with the first development of the blood-brain and blood-c.s.f. barriers to non-electrolytes.5. Magnesium was at a slightly higher concentration in c.s.f. than in plasma at all foetal ages and did not vary with age. The concentrations of potassium and calcium in c.s.f. were high at early ages and fell to reach adult concentrations after birth: the mechanisms determining the concentrations of the various ions in c.s.f. develop at very different, largely independent, rates.6. The water content of the cerebral hemispheres of the foetal sheep was stable at 90% of the wet weight till 105 days and fell thereafter. The contents of chloride, sodium and potassium followed paraboloid relations with age. Chloride and sodium reached a peak of 62 and 81 m-equiv/kg respectively between 89 and 105 days in the sheep. Potassium was at a minimum of 65 m-equiv/kg at the same time. The content of water and these electrolytes in the cerebral hemispheres of the foetal guinea-pig underwent similar changes, the maxima and minimum occurring as in the sheep at two-thirds of the total length of the pregnancy, namely 65 days in the guinea-pig. At 46 days in the guinea-pig, chloride in brain reached 53 m-equiv/kg, sodium was 68 m-equiv/kg and potassium was 75 m-equiv/kg. In contrast to the sheep, no reversal of the sodium-potassium ratio occurred. These changes in water and electrolytes probably represent a rise, a peak and a decrease in the volume of the extracellular space of cerebral cortex, but changes in the volume occupied by a cell-type, containing much intracellular chloride and sodium, could also contribute to this phenomenon.7. The calcium content in the cerebral hemispheres of the foetal sheep remained at about 3.0 m-equiv/kg throughout pregnancy. Magnesium in the cerebral hemispheres of both the foetal sheep and the guinea-pig showed a trough in concentration during pregnancy which corresponded approximately in position to the minimum in potassium content and the maxima in chloride and sodium contents. Lowest values were 9.6 m-equiv/kg at 105 days in the sheep and 9.5 m-equiv/kg at 51 days in the guinea-pig.