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Nassir M, Levi M, Wiser A, Shaked NT. Evaluation of women's aging influence on sperm passage inside the fallopian tube using 3D dynamic mechanical modeling. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1324802. [PMID: 38712332 PMCID: PMC11070836 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1324802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The fallopian tubes play an important role in human fertility by facilitating the spermatozoa passage to the oocyte as well as later actively facilitating the fertilized oocyte transportation to the uterus cavity. The fallopian tubes undergo changes involving biological, physical, and morphological processes due to women aging, which may impair fertility. Here, we have modelled fallopian tubes of women at different ages and evaluated the chances of normal and pathological sperm cells reaching the fertilization site, the ampulla. By utilizing a unique combination of simulative tools, we implemented dynamic three-dimensional (3D) detailed geometrical models of many normal and pathological sperm cells swimming together in 3D geometrical models of three fallopian tubes associated with different women's age groups. By tracking the sperm cell swim, we found that for all age groups, the number of normal sperm cells in the ampulla is the largest, compared with the pathological sperm cells. On the other hand, the number of normal sperm cells in the fertilization site decreases due to the morphological and mechanical changes that occur in the fallopian tube with age. Moreover, in older ages, the normal sperm cells swim with lower velocities and for shorter distances inside the ampulla toward the ovary. Thus, the changes that the human fallopian tube undergoes due to women's aging have a significant influence on the human sperm cell motility. Our model of sperm cell motility through the fallopian tube in relation to the woman's age morphological changes provides a new scope for the investigation and treatment of diseases and infertility cases associated with aging, as well as a potential personalized medicine tool for evaluating the chances of a natural fertilization per specific features of a man's sperm and a woman's reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayssam Nassir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mattan Levi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amir Wiser
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Natan T. Shaked
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Vinod A, Tadmor R, Katoshevski D, Gutmark EJ. Gels That Serve as Mucus Simulants: A Review. Gels 2023; 9:555. [PMID: 37504435 PMCID: PMC10379079 DOI: 10.3390/gels9070555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucus is a critical part of the human body's immune system that traps and carries away various particulates such as anthropogenic pollutants, pollen, viruses, etc. Various synthetic hydrogels have been developed to mimic mucus, using different polymers as their backbones. Common to these simulants is a three-dimensional gel network that is physically crosslinked and is capable of loosely entrapping water within. Two of the challenges in mimicking mucus using synthetic hydrogels include the need to mimic the rheological properties of the mucus and its ability to capture particulates (its adhesion mechanism). In this paper, we review the existing mucus simulants and discuss their rheological, adhesive, and tribological properties. We show that most, but not all, simulants indeed mimic the rheological properties of the mucus; like mucus, most hydrogel mucus simulants reviewed here demonstrated a higher storage modulus than its loss modulus, and their values are in the range of that found in mucus. However, only one mimics the adhesive properties of the mucus (which are critical for the ability of mucus to capture particulates), Polyvinyl alcohol-Borax hydrogel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Appu Vinod
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Rafael Tadmor
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - David Katoshevski
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Ephraim J Gutmark
- Department of Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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Żak M, Gauchez H, Boberski M, Stangret A, Kempinska-Podhorodecka A. Effectiveness of Autogenic Drainage in Improving Pulmonary Function in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3822. [PMID: 36900829 PMCID: PMC10001450 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The use of autogenic drainage (AD) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been officially approved; therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of the leading therapeutic techniques based on AD in patients with CF; Among patients with CF assessments were made of spirometric parameters, percent blood oxygen saturation, and the general feeling of the patients (Borg, VAS, and mMRC dyspnea scale) before and after therapy using AD, using AD in connection with a belt or a Simeox device and AD in combination with both a belt and Simeox device simultaneously. The best therapeutic effects were generated by the combination of AD with the belt and with the Simeox device. The greatest improvements were observed for FEV1, FVC, PEF, FET, saturation, and patient comfort. In patients <10.5 years of age, the increase in the level of FEV3 and FEV6 was significant in comparison to older patients. Due to their efficacy, therapies connected with AD should be applied not only in hospital departments but also during daily patient care. Given the particular benefits observed in patients <10.5 years of age, it is important to guarantee real accessibility to this form of physiotherapy, especially in this age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Żak
- Physiotherapist’s Office Children’s Therapy in Szczecin, 71-502 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Hugues Gauchez
- Centre de Kinésithérapie Respiratoire et Fonctionnelle du Nord in Marcq en Baroeul, 59700 Marcq-en-Barœul, France
| | - Marek Boberski
- Institute of Respiratory and Neurodevelopmental Support for Children in Szczecin, 71-502 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Anna Stangret
- Department of Medical Biology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland
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Dynamic 3D Modeling for Human Sperm Motility through the Female Cervical Canal and Uterine Cavity to Predict Sperm Chance of Reaching the Oocyte. Cells 2023; 12:cells12010203. [PMID: 36611996 PMCID: PMC9818231 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm motility in the female genital tract is a key factor in the natural selection of competent cells that will produce a healthy offspring. We created a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) mechanical model of human sperm cells swimming inside cervical canal and uterine cavity dynamic 3D models, all generated based on experimental studies. Using these simulations, we described the sperm cells' behaviors during swimming inside the 3D tract model as a function of 3D displacement and time. We evaluated normal- and abnormal-morphology sperm cells according to their chances of reaching the oocyte site. As expected, we verified that the number of normal sperm cells that succeeded in reaching the fallopian tube sites is greater than the number of abnormal sperm cells. However, interestingly, after inspecting various abnormal sperm cells, we found out that their scores changed compared to swimming in an infinite medium, as is the case with in vitro fertilization. Thus, the interactions of abnormal sperm cells and the complicated geometry and dynamics of the uterus are significant factors in the filtering of abnormal sperm cells until they reach the oocyte site. Our study provides an advanced tool for sperm analysis and selection criteria for fertility treatments.
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Jory M, Donnarumma D, Blanc C, Bellouma K, Fort A, Vachier I, Casanellas L, Bourdin A, Massiera G. Mucus from human bronchial epithelial cultures: rheology and adhesion across length scales. Interface Focus 2022; 12:20220028. [PMID: 36330325 PMCID: PMC9560788 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucus is a viscoelastic aqueous fluid that participates in the protective barrier of many mammals' epithelia. In the airways, together with cilia beating, mucus rheological properties are crucial for lung mucociliary function, and, when impaired, potentially participate in the onset and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Samples of human mucus collected in vivo are inherently contaminated and are thus poorly characterized. Human bronchial epithelium (HBE) cultures, differentiated from primary cells at an air-liquid interface, are highly reliable models to assess non-contaminated mucus. In this paper, the viscoelastic properties of HBE mucus derived from healthy subjects, patients with COPD and from smokers are measured. Hallmarks of shear-thinning and elasticity are obtained at the macroscale, whereas at the microscale mucus appears as a heterogeneous medium showing an almost Newtonian behaviour in some extended regions and an elastic behaviour close to boundaries. In addition, we developed an original method to probe mucus adhesion at the microscopic scale using optical tweezers. The measured adhesion forces and the comparison with mucus-simulants rheology as well as mucus imaging collectively support a structure composed of a network of elastic adhesive filaments with a large mesh size, embedded in a very soft gel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Jory
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, Université de Montpellier and CNRS UMR 5221, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Dario Donnarumma
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, Université de Montpellier and CNRS UMR 5221, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe Blanc
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, Université de Montpellier and CNRS UMR 5221, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Karim Bellouma
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, Université de Montpellier and CNRS UMR 5221, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélie Fort
- Inserm U1046, Université de Montpellier, Respiratory Disease, CHU Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier, France
- Médecine Biologie Méditerranée, Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Vachier
- Inserm U1046, Université de Montpellier, Respiratory Disease, CHU Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier, France
- Médecine Biologie Méditerranée, Montpellier, France
| | - Laura Casanellas
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, Université de Montpellier and CNRS UMR 5221, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Arnaud Bourdin
- Inserm U1046, Université de Montpellier, Respiratory Disease, CHU Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier, France
| | - Gladys Massiera
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, Université de Montpellier and CNRS UMR 5221, 34095 Montpellier, France
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Detwiler RE, Kramer JR. Preparation and applications of artificial mucins in biomedicine. CURRENT OPINION IN SOLID STATE & MATERIALS SCIENCE 2022; 26:101031. [PMID: 37283850 PMCID: PMC10243510 DOI: 10.1016/j.cossms.2022.101031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Mucus is an essential barrier material that separates organisms from the outside world. This slippery material regulates the transport of nutrients, drugs, gases, and pathogens toward the cell surface. The surface of the cell itself is coated in a mucus-like barrier of glycoproteins and glycolipids. Mucin glycoproteins are the primary component of mucus and the epithelial glycocalyx. Aberrant mucin production is implicated in diverse disease states from cancer and inflammation to pre-term birth and infection. Biological mucins are inherently heterogenous in structure, which has challenged understanding their molecular functions as a barrier and as biochemically active proteins. Therefore, many synthetic materials have been developed as artificial mucins with precisely tunable structures. This review highlights advances in design and synthesis of artificial mucins and their application in biomedical studies of mucin chemistry, biology, and physics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Detwiler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 36 S. Wasatch
Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jessica R. Kramer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 36 S. Wasatch
Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Kohout VR, Wardzala CL, Kramer JR. Synthesis and biomedical applications of mucin mimic materials. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 191:114540. [PMID: 36228896 PMCID: PMC10066857 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Mucin glycoproteins are the major component of mucus and coat epithelial cell surfaces forming the glycocalyx. The glycocalyx and mucus are involved in the transport of nutrients, drugs, gases, and pathogens toward the cell surface. Mucins are also involved in diverse diseases such as cystic fibrosis and cancer. Due to inherent heterogeneity in native mucin structure, many synthetic materials have been designed to probe mucin chemistry, biology, and physics. Such materials include various glycopolymers, low molecular weight glycopeptides, glycopolypeptides, polysaccharides, and polysaccharide-protein conjugates. This review highlights advances in the area of design and synthesis of mucin mimic materials, and their biomedical applications in glycan binding, epithelial models of infection, therapeutic delivery, vaccine formulation, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R Kohout
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 36 S. Wasatch Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Casia L Wardzala
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 36 S. Wasatch Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jessica R Kramer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 36 S. Wasatch Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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Mann AB, Shaheen S, Maqbool K, Poncet S. Fractional Burgers Fluid Flow Due to Metachronal Ciliary Motion in an Inclined Tube. Front Physiol 2019; 10:588. [PMID: 31156463 PMCID: PMC6532758 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cilia-induced flow of fractional Burgers fluid is studied in an inclined tube for both symplectic and antiplectic wave patterns. The solution of the problem is persued under the long wave length limitation. The fractional Adomian decomposition method is employed to evaluate the pressure gradient. Mathematical expressions for the axial velocity, frictional force, pressure gradient, and stream function are obtained and the influence of the main operating parameters is discussed in detail. It is noted that the velocity profile is more dominant in the case of antiplectic metachronal waves compared to symplectic ones, which confirms former results on the better capability of antiplectic waves to transport mucus, obtained with more complex numerical solvers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amer Bilal Mann
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Federal Urdu University of Arts Science & Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sidra Shaheen
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Khadija Maqbool
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sébastien Poncet
- Département de Génie Mécanique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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Chateau S, D'Ortona U, Poncet S, Favier J. Transport and Mixing Induced by Beating Cilia in Human Airways. Front Physiol 2018; 9:161. [PMID: 29559920 PMCID: PMC5845650 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The fluid transport and mixing induced by beating cilia, present in the bronchial airways, are studied using a coupled lattice Boltzmann-Immersed Boundary solver. This solver allows the simulation of both single and multi-component fluid flows around moving solid boundaries. The cilia are modeled by a set of Lagrangian points, and Immersed Boundary forces are computed onto these points in order to ensure the no-slip velocity conditions between the cilia and the fluids. The cilia are immersed in a two-layer environment: the periciliary layer (PCL) and the mucus above it. The motion of the cilia is prescribed, as well as the phase lag between two cilia in order to obtain a typical collective motion of cilia, known as metachronal waves. The results obtained from a parametric study show that antiplectic metachronal waves are the most efficient regarding the fluid transport. A specific value of phase lag, which generates the larger mucus transport, is identified. The mixing is studied using several populations of tracers initially seeded into the pericilary liquid, in the mucus just above the PCL-mucus interface, and in the mucus far away from the interface. We observe that each zone exhibits different chaotic mixing properties. The larger mixing is obtained in the PCL layer where only a few beating cycles of the cilia are required to obtain a full mixing, while above the interface, the mixing is weaker and takes more time. Almost no mixing is observed within the mucus, and almost all the tracers do not penetrate the PCL layer. Lyapunov exponents are also computed for specific locations to assess how the mixing is performed locally. Two time scales are introduced to allow a comparison between mixing induced by fluid advection and by molecular diffusion. These results are relevant in the context of respiratory flows to investigate the transport of drugs for patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Chateau
- Aix Marseille Univ, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centrale Marseille, M2P2, Marseille, France
- Département de Génie Mécanique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Umberto D'Ortona
- Aix Marseille Univ, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centrale Marseille, M2P2, Marseille, France
| | - Sébastien Poncet
- Aix Marseille Univ, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centrale Marseille, M2P2, Marseille, France
- Département de Génie Mécanique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Favier
- Aix Marseille Univ, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centrale Marseille, M2P2, Marseille, France
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Lafforgue O, Seyssiecq I, Poncet S, Favier J. Rheological properties of synthetic mucus for airway clearance. J Biomed Mater Res A 2017; 106:386-396. [DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.36251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Lafforgue
- Laboratoire M2P2 UMR 7340, CNRS, Ecole Centrale de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, 38 rue F. Joliot-Curie, Technopôle de Château-Gombert; Marseille 13451 France
| | - Isabelle Seyssiecq
- Laboratoire M2P2 UMR 7340, CNRS, Ecole Centrale de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, 38 rue F. Joliot-Curie, Technopôle de Château-Gombert; Marseille 13451 France
| | - Sébastien Poncet
- Laboratoire M2P2 UMR 7340, CNRS, Ecole Centrale de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, 38 rue F. Joliot-Curie, Technopôle de Château-Gombert; Marseille 13451 France
- Faculté de génie, Département de génie mécanique, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université; Sherbrooke Quebec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - Julien Favier
- Laboratoire M2P2 UMR 7340, CNRS, Ecole Centrale de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, 38 rue F. Joliot-Curie, Technopôle de Château-Gombert; Marseille 13451 France
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