A soy lecithin nanoparticles-based extender effectively cryopreserves Holstein bull sperm.

Plant-based semen extenders, typically derived from soybean lecithin, are easier to modulate more and consistent in their composition than animal-based extenders. As large lecithin particles can, however, reduce effectiveness and solubility in bull semen extenders, sonication was used to create nano-lecithin (NL) particles of soybean lecithin. The objective was to determine the effects of lecithin type and concentration on the quality of frozen-thawed bovine sperm. We hypothesized that reducing the size of lecithin improves its interactions with the sperm and enhances the parameters that favor its motility, viability and fertility. Semen was collected from six mature Holstein bulls and ejaculates meeting minimum standards were pooled. Eight Tris-based extenders that contained 1, 2, 3, or 4 % of either conventional lecithin (L1-L4) or NL (NL1-NL4), plus two control extenders (one animal-based extender containing 20 % egg yolk [EY] and a commercial lecithin-based extender [BioXcell®]) were compared. Among soybean lecithin-based extenders, NL3 had the highest total and progressive sperm motility, and average path, straight-line and curvilinear sperm velocity, and was comparable to EY. Additionally, sperm mitochondrial activity was the highest in NL3, whereas sperm viability was highest in EY, NL3, and L4. Following in vitro fertilization of in vitro-matured bovine oocyes, NL3 had cleavage and hatching rates comparable to BioXcell®, but a lower blastocyst rate than EY. Overall, NL3 performed better than the other extenders for most end points, with efficiency comparable to EY. We, therefore, concluded that reducing lecithin particle size to a nano level improves sperm cryopreservation with optimal performance with 3 % NL.

The frequency of using herbal medicines among patients with hypertension in Kerman, Iran, 2012-2013.

INTRODUCTION: The use of medicinal plants has dramatically increased in recent years. Given the increasing rate of hypertension and medical plants usage by these patients and considering drug interactions due to concomitant use with drugs, the present study aims to evaluate the rate of medicinal plants usage in hypertensive patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study (descriptive-analytical) in which 650 hypertensive patients referring to the subspecialty clinic of Kerman were questioned about medicinal plants usage by a medicinal plants questionnaire. Among these patients, there were 612 who consented to participate. After the variables were described, the data were finally analyzed using Stata 12. RESULTS: The average age of those using these drugs in the past year was 58.8 ± 10 years. Of the total number of participants using medicinal plants, there were 58 males (23.5%) and 122 females (33.4%). There were 129 participants (72.5%) using medicinal plants through self-administration, 17 participants (9.5%) on experienced users' advice, 16 participants (9%) as administered by herbalists, and 11 participants (6%) as administered by doctors. However, the most important resources for using a drug that prevents hypertension were family and friends (74 participants; 41.5%) and doctors (13 participants; 7.3%). According to the results, there was no significant difference between the level of education and medicinal plants usage (P = .95); however, there was a significant difference between gender and medicinal plants usage (P = .009). DISCUSSION: According to the results indicating the relatively high prevalence of medicinal plants usage and their arbitrary use by hypertensive patients without consulting a specialist, it seems necessary to plan for more effective and secure public education and train people to provide herbal drug services for various diseases with hypertension being the most common one.

Predictors of local venous complications resulting from electrophysiological procedures.

BACKGROUND: Thromboembolic complications resulting from radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) have an overall incidence of 0.6%. Multiple intracardiac catheters are often necessary for electrophysiological study and RFCA therapy. Therefore, the placement of multiple venous sheaths in one femoral vein is always required for multiple intracardiac catheter insertion. The safety of the placement of multiple separate venous sheaths has been studied previously in a non-randomized study, but the placement of multiple sheaths via one venous line has not been fully studied. METHODS AND RESULTS: A randomized clinical trial was conducted with a total of 200 patients. We studied the safety of placing multiple sheaths via one venous line, and the effect of heparin on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and on in situ thrombosis. DVT was not seen in our patients. We observed a significant decrease in the rate of in situ thrombosis in patients who received heparin during the procedure (28% vs 11%, p = 0.04). The type of cannulation changed the in situ thrombosis rate independently of the heparinization protocol. The rate of in situ thrombosis was higher when placing sheaths via one venous line regardless of the heparinization protocol used (16% vs 6%, p = 0.1 for the group on heparin, and 38% vs 18%, p = 0.04 for the other group). In the group cannulated with only one venous line (100 patients), heparinization significantly decreased the rate of in situ thrombosis (16% vs 38%, p = 0.023), but there was an insignificant decrease in the separate cannulation group (6% vs 18%, p = 0.12). Advanced age had no effect on thrombosis. Surprisingly, there was a significantly greater rate of in situ thrombosis (not DVT) among women than among men (26% vs 11%, p = 0.01), regardless of the heparinization protocolor the type of cannulation. CONCLUSIONS: Given the local venous complications and DVT after electrophysiological procedures, heparinization is not necessary for right-sided electrophysiological procedures. In situ thrombosis is a minor complication that can be reduced by heparinization in patients undergoing one-line cannulation and in women during longer procedures.

Electrocardiographic, electrophysiologic, and anatomical features of ventricular tachycardia originating from noncoronary cusp.

In this article, we report 2 young patients (a 15-year-old adolescent girl and a 25-year-old man) with drug-refractory palpitations. Admission electrocardiograms showed runs of ventricular tachycardia with left bundle-branch block morphology, left inferior axis, early precordial QRS transition, and positive QRS complex in lead I. In right ventricular mapping, the earliest activation site was found in the His bundle region. Aortic root mapping showed a very early fractionated ventricular signal with large atrial potential and no His potential in the noncoronary cusp region. Radiofrequency energy application in this region resulted in tachycardia termination within 5 to 10 seconds. During a 3- to 6-month follow-up period, the patients remained asymptomatic, and the electrocardiogram showed no ventricular arrhythmias.