Siglec expression on the surface of human, bull and ram sperm.

Sialic acid (Sia) is a major constituent of both the sperm glycocalyx and female reproductive mucosal surface and is involved in regulating sperm migration, uterotubal reservoir formation and oocyte binding. Siglecs (sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin - like lectins) commonly found on immune cells, bind to Sia in a linkage- and sugar-specific manner and often mediate cell-to-cell interactions and signalling. Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of human and bovine sperm have listed Siglecs, but to date, their presence and/or localisation on sperm has not been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterise the presence of Siglecs on the surface of bovine, human and ovine sperm using both immunostaining and Western blotting. Siglec 1, 2, 5, 6, 10 and 14 were identified and displayed both species- and regional-specific expression on sperm. Almost universal expression across Siglecs and species was evident in the sperm neck and midpiece region while variable expression among Siglecs, similar among species, was detected in the head and tail regions of the sperm. The possible role for these proteins on sperm is discussed.

Improving bovine semen diluents: insights from the male and female reproductive tracts, and the potential relevance of cervical mucins.

The commercial applicability of bovine artificial insemination (AI) depends on the effectiveness of diluents for maintaining sperm fertility. Challenges faced by the AI industry due to recent advances in assisted reproduction, and the limitations inherent in using fresh and frozen-thawed sperm for AI, could be overcome with the development of better semen diluents. Research into the different microenvironments of bovine sperm as they progress towards maturity, capacitation and fertilisation is revealing various mechanisms that could be exploited to improve the formulation of semen diluents. These are reviewed here. A rationale for a more detailed investigation of bovine cervical mucus for factors that may allow further progress towards this goal are also discussed.

A search for lymphatic drainage of the monkey orbit.

Colloid solutions of technetium Tc 99m and india ink injected into the retrobulbar space of the cynomolgus monkey outside the extraocular muscle cone were removed from the orbit by the lymphatic vessels of the conjunctiva and eyelids and were then concentrated within the lymph nodes that drained the conjunctival and eyelid areas. Colloid solutions injected into the retrobulbar space inside the extraocular muscle cone did not reach the conjunctiva and did not collect in any lymph nodes over a 24-hour period. Within the orbit, the injected colloids spread along the planes of the connective-tissue septa. No lymphatic vessels were identified within the orbits posterior to the conjunctiva. Small amounts of india ink left the posterior orbit and ultimately entered the contralateral orbit. This posterior pathway did not lead to lymphatic vessels or lymph nodes and therefore does not appear to represent a prelymphatic pathway.

Aminocaproic acid decreases secondary hemorrhage after traumatic hyphema.

Forty-eight patients (49 eyes) had nonperforating traumatic hyphema. Twenty-eight patients (28 eyes with hyphema) received oral aminocaproic acid, an antifibrinolytic agent, in a dosage of 100 mg/kg every four hours for five days, up to a maximum daily dose of 30 g. Twenty patients (21 eyes with hyphema) received placebo in an identical regimen. One eye treated with aminocaproic acid rebled; seven eyes receiving the placebo rebled. The results of this study show a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of secondary hemorrhage in the patients receiving aminocaproic acid.

Amphotericin B methyl ester: evaluation for intravitreous use in experimental fungal endophthalmitis.

Amphotericin B methyl ester, a water-soluble derivative of amphotericin B, is an experimental antifungal agent. Intravitreous injection of 5 and 10 micrograms of amphotericin B methyl ester in the normal rabbit eye does not cause toxic changes that can be detected clinically, microscopically, or by electroretinography. A single intravitreous injection of 5 micrograms was effective in reversing the course of exogenous Candida fungal endophthalmitis when administered within five days after inoculation of the infecting organism.

Vitrectomy in experimental endophthalmitis: Part I-Fungal infection.

In studying the dose-related ocular toxicity of amphotericin B in vitrectomized eyes, up to 5 micrograms/0.1 ml concentration of amphotericin C was nontoxic to the ocular structure when injected in the anterior part of the vitreous cavity. Intravitreal injection of 2.5 micrograms of amphotericin B halted fungal endophthalmitis, which was experimentally induced in rabbit eyes, even after 16 days of infection. Combined treatment of vitrectomy and intravitreal injection of amphotericin B not only cured the fungal endophthalmitis but it also cleared the ocular media from opacities.

Vitrectomy in experimental endophthalmitis: Part II--Bacterial endophthalmitis.

Three methods of treatment for Staphylococcus aureus endophthalmitis were compared: subconjunctival injection with intramuscular gentamicin, intravitreal injection with intramuscular gentamicin, and vitrectomy using infusion solution containing gentamicin along with intramuscular gentamicin. Subconjunctival injection with intramuscular gentamicin was not successful in treating infection. Intravitreal injection with intramuscular gentamicin and vitrectomy with intramuscular gentamicin were equally effective in eradicating infection; however, the combination of vitrectomy and intramuscular gentamicin provided clearer vitreous with greater fundus detail.

Indomethacin inhibition of prostaglandin-mediated inflammation following intraocular surgery.

Indomethacin treatment before lens extraction and vitrectomy-lensectomy reduces postoperative inflammation as measured by protein determination of the ocular fluid.