Association of Functional Genetic Variations in Uric Acid Transporters with the Risk of Idiopathic Male Infertility: A Genetic Association Study and Bioinformatic Analysis.

Uric acid plays an important role in sustaining and improving sperm morphology, viability, and motility. It is known that SLC2A9 and ABCG2 protein are the main urate transporter and genetic variations in these genes could be associated with the levels of serum uric acid. This study aimed to investigate the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) SLC2A9-rs16890979, SLC2A9-rs3733591, ABCG2-rs2231142, and ABCG2-rs2231137 with male infertility. Additionally, the correlation of these SNPs with the uric acid level in seminal plasma of infertile men was examined. Subsequently, an in silico analysis was performed. In a case-control study, 193 infertile and 154 healthy controls were recruited. After semen sample collection, the uric acid level of seminal plasma was measured by a commercial kit. After genomic DNA extraction from sperm samples, SNPs genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP method. Lastly, the effects of SNPs on the SLC2A9 and ABCG2 gene function were evaluated by bioinformatics tools. The genetic association study revealed that there are significant associations between rs16890979, rs3733591, rs2231142, and rs2231137 genetic variations and increased risk of male infertility. Also, these variations were associated with oligozoospermia and teratozoospermia, and sometimes with asthenozoospermia. Also, we found that four studied SNPs could be associated with a decreased level of uric acid of seminal plasma in teratozoospermia and asthenozoospermia. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the mentioned polymorphisms could affect molecular aspects of SLC2A9 and ABCG2 genes. In this preliminary study, the rs16890979, rs3733591, rs2231142, and rs2231137 genetic variations could be considered as genetic risk factors for male infertility by interfering with the uric acid level of seminal plasma.

Trace and essential elements as vital components to improve the performance of the male reproductive system: Implications in cell signaling pathways.

Successful male fertilization requires the main processes such as normal spermatogenesis, sperm capacitation, hyperactivation, and acrosome reaction. The progress of these processes depends on some endogenous and exogenous factors. So, the optimal level of ions and essential and rare elements such as selenium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, calcium, and so on in various types of cells of the reproductive system could affect conception and male fertility rates. The function of trace elements in the male reproductive system could be exerted through some cellular and molecular processes, such as the management of active oxygen species, involvement in the action of membrane channels, regulation of enzyme activity, regulation of gene expression and hormone levels, and modulation of signaling cascades. In this review, we aim to summarize the available evidence on the role of trace elements in improving male reproductive performance. Also, special attention is paid to the cellular aspects and the involved molecular signaling cascades.

Stem cell therapy as a promising approach for ischemic stroke treatment.

Ischemia as the most common type of stroke is the main cause of death and disability in the world. However, there are few therapeutic approaches to treat ischemic stroke. The common approach to the treatment of ischemia includes surgery-cum-chemical drugs. Surgery and chemical drugs are used to remove blood clots to prevent the deterioration of the nervous system. Given the surgical hazards and the challenges associated with chemical drugs, these cannot be considered safe approaches to the treatment of brain ischemia. Besides surgery-cum-chemical drugs, different types of stem cells including mesenchymal stem cells and neurological stem cells have been considered to treat ischemic stroke. Therapeutic approaches utilizing stem cells to treat strokes are promising because of their neuroprotective and regenerative benefits. However, the mechanisms by which the transplanted stem cells perform their precisely actions are unknown. The purpose of this study is to critically review stem cell-based therapeutic approaches for ischemia along with related challenges.

The Oxidative Status and Na+/K+-ATPase Activity in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Case Control Study.

Background: Oxidative stress is involved in pathogenesis of some psychiatric disorders. To examine the role of oxidative stress in the etiopathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), we aimed to determine oxidative stress indices, including malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum and red blood cells (RBC) membrane, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), serum glutathione (GSH) levels, serum antioxidant vitamins (A and E), and Na+/K+-ATPase activity, in patients with the mentioned disorder vs. healthy controls. Method: 39 OCD patients diagnosed based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and 39 volunteer healthy subjects were included in this study. MDA levels in serum and RBC membrane were measured using fluorometric method. Serum TAC level, serum GSH level, and Na+/K+-ATPase activity were also measured using spectrophotometric methods. Serum levels of vitamins were calculated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Result: There was a significantly higher MDA level in serum (p < 0.0001) and RBC membrane (p = 0.002) of OCD patients compared with those in controls. A significant reduction in vitamin A (p = 0.001) and vitamin E (p = 0.024) levels was found in OCD patients vs. controls. There was significantly lower activity of erythrocyte membrane Na+/K+-ATPase in RBC membrane of OCD patients vs. controls (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our findings indicate significantly higher levels MDA in both serum and RBC membrane, lower levels of serum vitamins A and E, and lower activity of membrane Na+/K+-ATPase in OCD patients compared to controls. These suggest an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant factors in OCD patients that might play a fundamental role in the etiopathogenesis of OCD.

Neuroprotective effects of alpha-pinene against behavioral deficits in ketamine-induced mice model of schizophrenia: Focusing on oxidative stress status.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a profound neurological disorder that affects approximately 1% of the global population. Alpha-pinene (α-pinene) is a natural and active monoterpene found in coniferous tree oil, primarily pine, with diverse pharmacological characteristics, including antioxidative, anxiolytic, and antidepressant properties. This research study delves into the neuroprotective effects of α-pinene on oxidative stress, memory deficits, and depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in a ketamine-induced mice model of SCZ using male mice. The mice were randomly divided into six groups: vehicle, control, positive control, ketamine, α-pinene at 50 mg/kg, and α-pinene at 100 mg/kg. Treatment of the ketamine-induced mice model of SCZ with α-pinene yielded significant improvements in depressive and anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive impairments. Furthermore, it significantly elevated glutathione (GSH) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), dopamine levels, catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities while markedly reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The current study establishes that α-pinene treatment effectively mitigates oxidative damage, cognitive deficits, and depressive and anxiogenic-like behaviors in the brains of ketamine-treated mice. Therefore, α-pinene treatment is an efficacious approach to forestall the neurobehavioral and neurobiochemical adverse effects of the ketamine-induced SCZ model of mice.