Effects of Genotype on Testis, Semen Quality, and Mineral Composition of Semen in Various Ram Breeds

This study was carried out on nine 3–5-year-old rams of different species: four Norduz, two Karakas, and three Ile de France?×?Akkaraman rams. Sperm of each ram was collected by means of an artificial vagina once per month from June to October 2007. In each case, the sperm volume, pH, viscosity, mass activity, motility, concentration, abnormal spermatozoa ratio, and the sperm death/live ratio were recorder along with the animals’ testis diameter and scrotum circumferences. The concentrations of calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium, iron, and zinc levels in seminal plasma were determined. There were changes in the measured parameters according to genotype and time of sampling, which can be useful for better planning of anestrous mating programs for these ram species.     

GSPE is superior to NAC in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy: Might this superiority be related to caspase 1 and calpain 1?

Aims

Our study was intended to evaluate the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), caspases 1 and 3 and calpain 1 in the pathogenesis of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and to compare the protective effects of N acetyl cysteine (NAC) and grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) against the development of CIN.

Main methods

32 rats were divided into four groups; control, contrast media (CM), CM + NAC and CM + GSPE. CIN was induced by administration of 7 ml/kg diatrizoate. The experiment was discontinued on the ninth day. Blood was collected for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine measurement. Rat kidney tissues were removed for histopathological evaluation and the investigation of caspases 1 and 3, iNOS, eNOS, TUNEL and calpain 1.

Key findings

A significant increase in BUN, creatinine, renal histopathological injury, TUNEL, caspases 1, 3, calpain 1, iNOS and eNOS was observed in the CM group compared to the control group. There was amelioration in all these parameters in the CM + GSPE group, while there was no significant amelioration in BUN, creatinine and renal histopathological injury in the CM + NAC group. In addition, calpain 1 staining and creatinine were significantly lower in the CM + GSPE group compared to the CM + NAC group.

Significance

Our study showed, for the first time in the literature, that GSPE has a greater renoprotective effect compared with NAC and that this effective protection may be related to decrease in calpain 1 levels.     

Differentiation of neuronal from non-neuronal Substance P

Substance P (SP) originally found as a neuropeptide in capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons, had more recently been identified in non-neuronal cells, especially under pathological conditions. Neuronal and non-neuronal SP may perform distinct functions. A simple technique to differentiate different SP sources is currently unavailable. Herein, we describe a two-step sequential acetic acid extraction to differentiate SP source. The efficiency of this two-step extraction in differentiating SP in capsaicin-sensitive neurons was verified by using capsaicin as a tool to deplete SP in sensory neurons. Specifically, Balb-c mice were treated with high dose capsaicin (200 mg/kg). Skin was removed two weeks after treatment. In a separate experiment, lung and skin tissues from control animals (untreated) were incubated in-vitro with capsaicin, and sequential acetic acid extraction was performed. Following capsaicin treatment, both in-vivo and in-vitro, SP recovered in first extraction decreased significantly in lung and skin. Lastly, presence of capsaicin solvent (10% methanol and 10% Tween 80) or protease inhibitor cocktail in solution altered SP EIA test, yielding false positive results. These results demonstrated that SP in capsaicin sensitive sensory neurons was extracted in initial extraction of 15 min while non-neuronal SP was present in second extraction. Because SP in non-neuronal tissues may possibly be more important in pathological conditions, this technique could be useful in determining effects of various treatments on neuronal and non-neuronal SP levels and their consequences.     

X-linked megalocornea caused by mutations in CHRDL1 identifies an essential role for ventroptin in anterior segment development

X-linked megalocornea (MGC1) is an ocular anterior segment disorder characterized by an increased cornea diameter and deep anterior chamber evident at birth and later onset of mosaic corneal degeneration (shagreen), arcus juvenilis, and presenile cataracts. We identified copy-number variation, frameshift, missense, splice-site and nonsense mutations in the Chordin-like 1 gene (CHRDL1) on Xq23 as the cause of the condition in seven MGC1 families. CHRDL1 encodes ventroptin, a bone morphogenic protein antagonist with a proposed role in specification of topographic retinotectal projections. Electrophysiological evaluation revealed mild generalized cone system dysfunction and, in one patient, an interhemispheric asymmetry in visual evoked potentials. We show that CHRDL1 is expressed in the developing human cornea and anterior segment in addition to the retina. We explored the impact of loss of ventroptin function on brain function and morphology in vivo. CHRDL1 is differentially expressed in the human fetal brain, and there is high expression in cerebellum and neocortex. We show that MGC1 patients have a superior cognitive ability despite a striking focal loss of myelination of white matter. Our findings reveal an unexpected requirement for ventroptin during anterior segment development and the consequences of a lack of function in the retina and brain.     

Highly Efficient Semiconductor-Based Metasurface for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Broadband Light Perfect Absorption with Dimensions Smaller than the Diffusion Length

Plasmonics - In this paper, we demonstrate a highly efficient light trapping design that is made of a metal-oxide-semiconductor-semiconductor (nanograting/nanopatch) (MOSSg/p) four-layer design to...     

Investigation of the Effects of 2.1 GHz Microwave Radiation on Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨ m), Apoptotic Activity and Cell Viability in Human Breast Fibroblast Cells

In the present study we aimed to investigate the effects of 2.1 GHz Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) modulated Microwave (MW) Radiation on cell survival and apoptotic activity of human breast fibroblast cells. The cell cultures were exposed to W-CDMA modulated MW at 2.1 GHz at a SAR level of 0.607 W/kg for 4 and 24 h. The cell viability was assessed by MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] method. The percentage of apoptotic cells was analyzed by Annexin V-FITC and PI staining. 5,5′,6,6′-Tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′- tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) was used to measure Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨ _m). sFasL and Fas/APO-1 protein levels were determined by ELISA method. 2.1 GHz MW radiation was shown to be able to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in human breast fibroblast cells. The cell viability of MW-exposed cells was decreased significantly. The percentages of Annexin V-FITC positive cells were higher in MW groups. ΔΨ _m was decreased significantly due to MW radiation exposure. However, neither sFas nor FasL level was significantly changed in MW-exposed fibroblast cells. The results of this study showed that 2.1 GHz W-CDMA modulated MW radiation-induced apoptotic cell death via the mitochondrial pathway.     

Occupational exposure to magnetic fields from transformer stations and electric enclosures in Turkey

We aimed to provide a systematic evaluation of magnetic field (MF) exposure of staff working in the offices located above or close to transformer stations (TS) and electric enclosures (EE). Occupational short-term "spot" measurements with Narda EFA-300 and isotropic magnetic field probe were carried out in two National Banks and one Industrial Company having more than 500 employees. Extremely low-frequency (ELF) MFs up to several tens of μT were measured in the mentioned working environments. 25% of the measured MFs were found less than 0.3?μT, the background exposure level that staff receive at home, 75% were above 0.3?μT with the highest value of 6.8?μT. The mean and median personal exposures were calculated to be 1.19?μT and 0.56?μT, respectively. Most of the staff (83%) is under risk based on epidemiological studies that reported a statistically significant association between risk of leukemia and averaged magnetic fields of 0.2?μT or over. Results showed that risk evaluation should be considered to minimize the possibility of the workers being harmed due to exposure to work-related electromagnetic sources.     

Tumor necrosis factor alpha and beta and interferon gamma gene polymorphisms in Turkish breast cancer patients

Cytokine genes are important for researching cancer predisposition to cancers that elicit anti-tumor immune response. In this study, we investigated the association between breast cancer and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) -308 (G>A), TNF-β +252 (A>G), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) +874 (T>A) gene polymorphisms in a Turkish population. This study involved 204 female breast cancer patients and 204 healthy female controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from EDTA-preserved peripheral venous blood of patients and controls by a salting-out method and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction, allele-specific oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction, and restriction fragment length polymorphism. TNF-α -308 genotype was found to have no effect on breast cancer susceptibility. However, there were statistically significant differences between the genotype frequencies of patients and controls for TNF-β polymorphism (p?=?0.016) and the allele and genotype frequencies for the IFN-γ polymorphism (p?=?0.0312 and p?=?0.001, respectively). In the composite genotype analysis, the TNF-α/β GAAG composite genotype (p?=?0.0424), the TNF-α/IFN-γ GGTT and GATT composite genotypes (p?=?0.0296 and p?=?0.0129, respectively), the TNF-β/IFN-γ AGTT composite genotype (p?=?0.0003), and the TNF-α/β/IFN-γ GGAGTT and GAAGTT composite genotypes (p?=?0.0437 and p?=?0.0038, respectively) were estimated to have a protective effect against breast cancer. However, the TNF-α/IFN-γ GGTA composite genotype is a risk factor for breast cancer (p?=?0.0156). In conclusion, TNF-β +252GG genotype was found more frequent in Turkish breast cancer patients than controls and IFN-γ TA+AA genotypes were estimated to increase breast cancer risk significantly in Turkish population.