Search results for "Sperm"
showing 10 items of 658 documents
Pharmacological Properties of Shikonin – A Review of Literature since 2002
2013
The naphthoquinone shikonin is the main active principle of Zicao, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine made from the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon. Studies carried out over the past 30 years have provided a scientific basis for the use of Zicao which has been long employed in folk medicine to treat a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases. In particular, shikonin has been shown to possess many diverse properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antimicrobial, and wound healing effects. The fact that shikonin shows so many beneficial properties has increased the interest in this molecule dramatically, especially in the past few years. The aim o…
First report of brown rot and wilt of fennel caused by Phytophthora megasperma in Italy
2019
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. var. azoricum (Mill.) Thell.) in the Apiaceae family is native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia. It is an economically important crop in Italy that produces approximately 85% of all fennel worldwide. The main producing regions are Apulia, Campania, Latium, and Calabria. During the late winter of 2004 in the Crotone Province of the Calabria Region, following heavy rains, patches of fennel plants with symptoms of brown, soft rot of the bulb-like structure formed by the thickened leaf bases, development of yellow leaves, stunting, and wilting of the entire plant were observed in fields. A homothallic Phytophthora sp. was isolated consistently from the …
Evaluation of DNA damage in human spermatozoa: a sperm quality assay.
2008
Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between gonadotrophine serum levels and the apoptosis rate in germinal cells. In human, lower FSH serum levels are associated with reduced Sperm Standard Parameters in term of concentration, motility and morphology and higher sperm DNA fragmentation. Hypogonadotrope hypogonadism is a clinical condition associated with male infertility, characterized by low serum levels of gonadotrophins. In this pilot study we investigated the spermatozoa quality of 11 patients with development of hypogonadotrope hypogonadism urdergoing in vitro fertilization programs. Recombinant-FSH administered to improve the sperm parameters, apoptosis rate, aiming to i…
Apoptosis in human sperm as a quality marker for a new diagnostic approach of infertile patients
2018
The quality of the sperm DNA is one of the most important molecular markers of male reproductive potential (Bosco, L et al., 2018, Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 58:243-249). The aim of this study was to evaluate sperm DNA fragmentation according to morphology, to predict the probability of selecting a sperm with normal morphology and intact DNA. An observational study was performed on 70 patients with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) and semen parameters such as sperm density, motility and morphology were evaluated in all patients. DFI was calculated using the in situ TUNEL assay. DFI can be determined and thus used as a marker of sperm quality for a diagnostic …
Chromogenic Chemodosimeter Based on Capped Silica Particles to Detect Spermine and Spermidine
2021
A new hybrid organic–inorganic material for sensing spermine (Spm) and spermidine (Spd) has been prepared and characterized. The material is based on MCM-41 particles functionalized with an N-hydroxysuccinimide derivative and loaded with Rhodamine 6G. The cargo is kept inside the porous material due to the formation of a double layer of organic matter. The inner layer is covalently bound to the silica particles, while the external layer is formed through hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. The limits of detection determined by fluorimetric titration are 27 µM and 45 µM for Spm and Spd, respectively. The sensor remains silent in the presence of other biologically important amines and is a…
Polyamines Impair Immunity to Helicobacter pylori by Inhibiting L-Arginine Uptake Required for Nitric Oxide Production
2010
International audience; BACKGROUND & AIMS: Helicobacter pylori-induced immune responses fail to eradicate the bacterium. Nitric oxide (NO) can kill H pylori. However, translation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and NO generation by H pylori-stimulated macrophages is inhibited by the polyamine spermine derived from ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and is dependent on availability of the iNOS substrate L-arginine (L-Arg). We determined if spermine inhibits iNOS-mediated immunity by reducing L-Arg uptake into macrophages. METHODS: Levels of the inducible cationic amino acid transporter (CAT) 2, ODC, and iNOS were measured in macrophages and H pylori gastritis tissues. L-Arg uptake, iNOS expressi…
Les fluides d'Aristote. Lait, sang et sperme dans l'Italie du Sud
2014
Le lait, le sang et le sperme maintiennent et reproduisent la vie, mais sont aussi les substances que toutes les cultures humaines manipulent, du point de vue symbolique, pour affirmer la domination masculine. Du lait d'épaule au lait de coeur, du miracle du sang de saint Janvier de Naples à la consommation des « os de morts » sous forme de biscuits en Sicile, de l'attribution des « cornes » aux époux trompés, au versement de sang des Vattienti de Calabre en l’honneur de la Vierge pendant la semaine sainte, ce livre aide à comprendre le rôle des fluides du corps dans les mythes, les croyances et les rites du Sud de l’Italie. Deux raisons justifient le titre, Les fluides d’Aristote : les rep…
Effects of tributyltin(IV) chloride on fertilization of Styela plicata (Ascidiacea: Tunicata): II. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy stud…
2003
The morphological aspects of Styela plicata fertilization after treatment with tributyltin(IV) chloride are described by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigations. Alterations have been shown both on female and male gametes; spermatozoa, all the egg envelopes and the mitochondria of the egg cortical cytoplasm are modified in relation to incubation time. As a consequence, the damage to gametes blocks sperm-egg interaction and fertilization does not occur. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of tributyltin(IV) chloride on the gametes and fertilization ofAscidia malaca (Ascidiacea: Tunicata)
2003
Ascidia malaca gametes before fertilization incubated in 10-5 or 10-7 M solutions of tributyltin(IV) chloride, TBTCl, for 3 h appear highly damaged under transmission electron microscopy observation. Also, the fertilization process is affected by the compound: the damaged spermatozoa are present in the vitelline coat and the egg does not cleave. An increase of microbodies, structurally similar to peroxisomes, have been detected in the egg peripheral cytoplasm, probably in relation to their role in alleviating damage to some cellular components. The results have shown that the reproduction of ascidians under unfavourable environmental conditions is prevented. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley &…
Facial attractiveness in men provides clues to semen quality
2003
Abstract Facial attractiveness has been related to health in both men and women. Certain psychological, physiological, and secondary sex characteristics have been used as accurate markers of hormonal and developmental health. The main objective of this study was to investigate the capacity of women to select males of high reproductive quality based on their facial attractiveness. A total of 66 males were included in the study. Each of them provides a semen sample, and frontal and lateral photographs were taken. Semen analysis was made according to standard WHO (1999) guidelines for morphology, motility, and concentration. Moreover, a Sperm Index (SI) was calculated as the principal componen…