Physical activity reduces oxidative stress and improves lipid profile made by smoking - Effectiveness of irregular and continuous training programs.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify the possible benefits of physical activity program in improving the antioxidant enzymes activity and lipid profile among smokers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen cigarette smokers (CS), 14 hookah smokers (HS), and 14 non-smokers (NS) participated in the low-intensity continuous training (LCT). Eleven CS, 12 HS, and 12 NS participated in the moderate-intensity intermittent training (MIT). The LCT groups performed a 20 to 30-minute continuous exercise at 40% of the VO2max. The MIT groups performed 6 to 10 sets of 2-minute sprint at 70% of the VO2max interspersed by a 1-min recovery period. At baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention, the antioxidant defense activity and lipid profile were assessed. RESULTS: The improvement in antioxidant capacity under the effect of MIT program is statistically more significant than after LCT. The increase of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), malondialdehyde (MDA) and α-tocopherol was higher in smoker subjects participating in the MIT program compared to those participating in the LCT. In contrast, the LCT program has favorably altered lipid and lipoprotein profile of smokers and thus reduced their cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the two training methods may have major implications in both defense and prevention programs.

Decrease of spermatozoa with an unbalanced chromosome content after cell sorting in men carrying a structural chromosomal abnormality.

BACKGROUND: We showed that in men with a constitutional chromosomal abnormality, DNA fragmentation was significantly higher in chromosomally unbalanced spermatozoa than in spermatozoa with a normal or balanced chromosomal content. These results could be explained by a phenomenon already described in infertile men: abortive apoptosis. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether magnetic-activated cell separation could select spermatozoa with lower levels of DNA fragmentation and unbalanced chromosome content in men carrying a structural chromosomal abnormality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The spermatozoa of ten males with a chromosomal rearrangement were separated into two populations using magnetic-activated cell separation (annexin V (-) and annexin V (+) fractions), in order to study meiotic segregation by fluorescence in situ hybridization, the percentage of spermatozoa with an externalization of phosphatidylserine by annexin V staining and DNA fragmentation by TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling on the whole ejaculate and on selected spermatozoa in the same patient. RESULTS: For all patients, the percentage of spermatozoa with externalization of phosphatidylserine decreased in the annexin V (-) fraction and increased in the annexin V (+) fraction as compared to the frozen-thawed semen sample. The rates of DNA fragmentation were statistically much lower in the annexin V (-) fraction when compared to the rate before magnetic-activated cell separation for all but one patient. Conversely, we observed a statistically significantly higher rate of DNA fragmentation in the annexin V (+) fraction for six patients. After magnetic-activated cell separation, there was a significant increase of normal/balanced spermatozoa in the fraction of annexin V (-) for all patients. Conversely, we observed a significant decrease in the fraction of annexin V (+) for seven patients. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic-activated cell separation is a promising tool for increasing the selection of healthy spermatozoa, with a decrease in the number of spermatozoa with externalization of phosphatidylserine, DNA fragmentation, and chromosome unbalance, for use in assisted reproductive technologies such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection for males with a chromosomal structural abnormality.

Apoptotic sperm biomarkers and the correlation between conventional sperm parameters and clinical characteristics.

The principal aim of this retrospective study was to examine the relationship between sperm apoptotic biomarkers and the patient's biclinical characteristics, the conventional sperm parameters and the results of assisted reproductive technology. Sperm analysis, activated caspases, annexin V staining for phosphatidylserine (PS) externalisation and labelling assay for DNA fragmentation were assessed in 122 males of infertile couples. Fifty-seven couples were allocated to the natural conception group, and 65 couples underwent IVF or ICSI. Semen of IVF/ICSI patients showed a higher proportion of apoptotic spermatozoa in their spermatozoa when compared with a natural conception group (p < .05). Sperm apoptotic biomarkers correlated with age, FSH, and conventional sperm parameters. DNA fragmentation correlated positively with the percentage of semen having externalised PS (r = .78, p = 0) and activated caspases (r = .71, p = 0). Patients without clinical pregnancy had higher frequency of DNA fragmentation, externalised PS and activated caspases compared to patients with clinical pregnancy (p < .001). The best specificity and greater sensitivity were obtained with the test of the DNA fragmentation compared to the other biomarkers. Among the apoptotic biomarkers, only DNA fragmentation was found to predict natural or assisted pregnancy better than conventional sperm parameters.

Sperm RNA preparation for transcriptomic analysis: Review of the techniques and personal experience.

In the last 10 years, several approaches, including microarrays, have been applied to investigate sperm transcript levels. However, success using microarray profiling is highly dependent of the quality of the RNA obtained. Therefore, the development of methods that deliver highly purified and intact RNA is of utmost importance. The three steps used to achieve this goal, purification of spermatozoa, RNA extraction and evaluation of RNA quality, are reviewed. Following that review and preliminary experiments, we processed sperm samples from seven normozoospermic men with a combination of gradient centrifugation and somatic cell lysis. RNA was extracted using the NucleoSpin RNA XS kit (Macherey-Nagel) and its purity checked using the BioAnalyzer. Hybridisation was done on Agilent SurePrint G3 Human GE 8 × 60K V2 microarrays. We identified 900 transcripts among the 1000 high abundance sperm transcripts reported in the literature. These genes are known to be involved in several biological processes, notably spermatogenesis, transcription regulation, cell growth and differentiation, sperm motility and capacitation, fertilisation, and embryogenesis. Therefore, our methodology is highly suitable for sperm transcriptomic analyses and can be used, notably, to compare mRNA profiles between fertile and infertile males.

Dried artichoke bracts in rabbits nutrition: effects on the carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty-acid composition.

In this study, the effects of the inclusion of artichoke bracts (AB) in rabbit diets on the carcass characteristics and rabbit meat quality were studied. A total of 120 rabbits aged 38 days were used and divided into three groups that were fed with different isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets supplemented with AB at 0%, 5% and 10%. The animals were single housed in wire cages at a temperature of 22±2°C and had free access to clean drinking water. At 96 days of age, 12 rabbits/group were slaughtered in an experimental slaughterhouse without fasting. The carcass was weighed and the weights of the skin and full gastrointestinal tract were recorded. Carcasses were chilled at +4°C for 24 h in a refrigerated room. The chilled carcass weight (CCW), dressing out percentage (CCW as percentage of slaughter weight), and the ratio of the head and liver were determined as a percentage of CCW. The reference carcass weight was also calculated. Carcasses were halved and the two longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles were excised. The left LD muscle was divided into two parts. The fore part was used to measure pH, colour and cooking losses. The hind part of the left LD was vacuum-packed, frozen at -20°C and then freeze-dried. Proximate composition, fatty-acid profile and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances values were determined on freeze-dried samples. Results showed that carcass characteristics, LD muscle traits and its oxidative status were not affected by the AB supplementation, except for the meat ether extract content that increased from 0.68% to 0.94% on fresh matter basis with the increase of the AB supplementation (P<0.01). The α-linolenic acid proportion decreased with the increase of the AB supplementation from 3.58% to 2.59% in the LD muscle and from 4.74% to 3.62% in the perirenal fat, whereas the n-6/n-3 ratio increased significantly with increasing AB inclusion from 7.15 to 10.20 in the LD muscle and from 6.68 to 9.35 in the perirenal fat (P<0.01). Furthermore, no significant difference was found in preference among meat samples from each group. The enrichment of the rabbit's diet with AB allows the production of rabbit meat with a good degree of unsaturation and low saturation, even if the n-6/n-3 ratio was slightly worse.

Identification of the translocation t(15;17) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) initially classified as FAB M1: case report and review of the literature.

We report a case of a patient aged about 53 years, who initially presented with hematological disorders (WBC: 44000/mm3, Hb: 11g/dl, Pit: 127000/mm3) without tumoral syndrome. The Wright-Giemsa stained bone marrow and peripheral blood smears showed a population of blast cells characterized by cells with high N/C and strongly basophilic cytoplasm without granules. The nuclei were predominantly round. Nuclear chromatin was fine and contained small nucleoli. Cytochemisty was positive for peroxidase activity. Immunophenotyping showed myeloid typical markers of granulocytic lineage (MP0+, CD13+, CD33+, CD117+, CD34-). The karyotype revealed the expression of t(15;17) chromosomal translocation. The diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) was then evoked initially. The cytological features corresponded closely to the M1 subtype as defined in the FAB classification. The patient was treated with induction therapy according to the 7/3 protocol. One month later, he was discharged from hospital on hematological and cytogenetic remission. He died at home because of a heart attack. From the biological findings the patient was retrospectively diagnosed as having promyelocytic leukemia (hyperbasophilic form).

[Clinical and therapeutic profile of broncho-pulmonary adenocarcinomas]. / Profil clinique et thérapeutique des adénocarcinomes broncho-pulmonaires.

Broncho-pulmonary adenocarcinoma get interest since many years because his increased prevalence. Between december 1998 and January 70 male patients, mean age 56 years, with broncho-pulmonary adenocarcinome were collected retrospectively. The epidémiologic, clinic, radiologic and evolutive data of this pathologic form of cancer was studied. The ratio increased from 10% in 1988 to 14% in 1996. Clinic manifestations was common. Radiologic features was represented essentially by a unique (82%) and péripheric (56%) opacity. The diagnosis, based on cytologic and histologic data, was assessed in 39% of cases by endoscopic biopsy. The investigation for the primitive neoplasic process was made in 18% of patients and found only 2 cases of extra-pulmonary neoplastic process. Curative treatment based on surgery is performed only in 28% of our patients regarding the advanced stage of disease explaining the low survival rates.

[NA, a specific system for polymorphonuclear neutrophils: localization, biochemistry, genetics, frequency role in pathology]. / Na, le système spécifique des polymorphonucléaires neutrophiles: localisation, biochimie, génétique, fréquence et rôle en pathologie.

Among the neutrophil polynuclear specific antigens (NA, NB, ND, NE, ...), NA antigen is the most common. It is a glycoprotein situated on the neutrophils FcRIIIb-receptor and presents 2 forms: NA1 and NA2. The epitope responsible of that polymorphism has got an amino acids composition that is unknown. The first techniques used for their analysis were the microagglutination and the granulocytotoxicity-later, the immunofluorescence, the chemiluminescence and the MAIGA (Monoclonal Antibody Immobilized granulocyte Antigen) were introduced. These last years, more efficient techniques appeared like Flow Cytometry and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) that allowed phenotyping and genotyping of neutrophil polymorphonuclear specific antigens. The studies indicated that NA antigen frequency varies according to the populations and the ethnics. NA2 allelic form is more frequent than NA1 in the caucasian population (88% VS 46%). In human pathology, NA antigen is implicated in the physiopathological mechanisms of the alloimmune and probably auto-immune neutropenies.