Arsenic, Oxidative Stress and Reproductive System.

Infertility is a severe medical problem and is considered a serious global public health issue affecting a large proportion of humanity. Oxidative stress is one of the most crucial factors involved in infertility. Recent studies indicate that the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) may cause damage to the male and female reproductive systems leading to infertility. Low amounts of ROS and RNS are essential for the normal functioning of the male and female reproductive systems, such as sperm motility, acrosome reaction, interactions with oocytes, ovulation, and the maturation of follicles. Environmental factors such as heavy metals can cause reproductive dysfunction in men and women through the overproduction of ROS and RNS. It is suggested that oxidative stress caused by arsenic is associated with male and female reproductive disorders such as through the alteration in sperm counts and motility, decreased sex hormones, dysfunction of the testis and ovary, as well as damage to the processes of spermatogenesis and oogenesis. This review paper highlights the relationship between arsenic-induced oxidative stress and the prevalence of infertility, with detailed explanations of potential underlying mechanisms.

Evaluation of the clinical significance of RNase III enzyme DROSHA in pediatrics acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is one of the subtypes of leukemia; it is one of the leading causes of malignancy and morbidity and childhood mortality. This study examined the dysregulation of DROSHA and its clinical implications in ALL. In the case-control investigation, we have included 140 samples, consisting of 70 peripheral whole blood samples diagnosed with ALL and 70 age and sex-matched healthy children, to assess the level of expression of DROSHA mRNA between two groups. Quantitative Real-Time PCR was used to establish the level of DROSHA gene expression in the patients and controls. The results revealed that DROSHA was overexpressed in patients compared with controls (p < 0.001). There were no major differences between DROSHA expression and demographic factors and clinicopathological parameters (p > 0.001). The finding of the study revealed that DROSHA expression in ALL patients is significantly up-regulated; which is suggesting that may be served as a critical role in the pathogenesis of ALL. Also, DROSHA will possibly be utilized as a novel therapeutic target for ALL patients within the future.