[Measurement of sperm DNA integrity by sperm chromatin dispersion test and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay in assessing the DNA fragmentation in human sperm. METHODS: Motile sperms were isolated from the semen samples obtained from 20 healthy fertile men and 32 clinically infertile patients by swim-up technique, and underwent SCD and TUNEL to analyze the DNA fragmentation. RESULTS: The rate of sperm with DNA damage of the infertile patients was 12.8% +/- 5.8% tested by SCD, significantly higher than that of the healthy fertile men (7.6% +/- 3.3%, t = 3.576, P = 0.001), and the rate of sperm with DNA damage of the infertile patients was 11.1% +/- 5.1% tested by TUNEL assay, significantly higher than that of the healthy fertile men (6.8% +/- 2.8%, t = 3.467, P = 0.001). The proportion of sperm cell with abnormal DNA integrity measured by SCD test was correlated strongly with that determined by TUNEL for the infertile men (r = 0.841, P = 0.000) and for the fertile men too (r = 0.823, P = 0.000). The rate of sperm with DNA damage measured by SCD were not significantly different from those of TUNEL-positive sperm in fertile men (t = 1.996, P = 0.060). The rate of sperm with DNA damage measured by SCD was significantly higher than that measured by TUNEL among infertile patients (t = 3.023, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The presence of sperm DNA damage may lead to male infertility. SCD is simpler, cheaper and more reliable than TUNEL in testing the sperm DNA damage.

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 induces breast cancer proliferation and invasion through upregulating HER2/neu expression.

BACKGROUND: Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), primarily identified as a late response gene induced by HIV-1 infection, plays multiple roles in the process of oncogenesis. This novel gene has been demonstrated to be involved in the several potent carcinogenic pathways, including PI3K/Akt pathway, nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway, and Wnt/κ-catenin pathway. Although the function of AEG-1 has been intensively investigated in recent years, the molecular mechanism underlying its oncogenic role is largely unknown. The aim of this research was to explore the potential function of AEG-1 in breast cancer development and progression. METHODS: AEG-1 was ectopically overexpressed in breast cancer MCF-7 cells and its biological effects on the proliferation and invasion of MCF-7 cells were studied by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and invasion assays. The expression of HER2/neu, a crucial oncogene involving in breast cancer carcinogenesis, was also determined. RESULTS: Overexpression of the AEG-1 promoted the proliferation and invasion ability of breast cancer cells, and upregulated the expression of HER2/neu, a crucial oncogene involving in breast cancer carcinogenesis. CONCLUSION: AEG-1 might facilitate the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells by upregulating HER2/neu expression, which provides a potential target for breast cancer therapy.