Comparative study on gonad development in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in fresh and brackish water in the Yazd Province

Rainbow trout (Oncorhylichus mikiss) weidting 200±5 grams were used in this study to compare their gonad development in fresh and brackish water in Yazd Province. The culture period lasted 140 days from October to March 2003 during which time the temperature 03.8+0.6), pH (8.18±0.12) and dissolved oxygen (6.2+0.11) of fresh and brackish water were kept nearly constant. The salinity of fresh and brackish water was 0.4 -0.5 and 14.3-14.7ppt respectively. The fish were fed common commercial trout food (Chineh GFT2) based on temperature and biomass. Histological studies indicated that the gonad development is accelerated in brackish water where the males mature two month eal her than those reared in freshwater. The gonadosomatic index (G51) also affirmed the gonad development (P<0.05)

Effects of Chlamydia trachomatis infection on sperm chromatin condensation and DNA integrity

The present study was performed to investigate the relation of Chlamydia trachomatis infection to sperm chromatin/DNA integrity in a population of infertile men (male partner of infertile couples) from Iran. Blood, semen and first-void urine samples were obtained from 250 infertile men. Data were analysed with regard to the results of (i) serological analysis for specific antibodies to C. trachomatis in serum; (ii) the presence of C. trachomatis and DNA in first-void urine; and (iii) in the semen sample of the male partner, in addition to sperm analysis, four different tests (aniline blue, chromomycin A3, acridine orange and TUNEL) were used to detect sperm chromatin and DNA abnormalities. The main conclusions of the results were: (i) no evidence of C. trachomatis infection in semen samples was found; (ii) sperm DNA fragmentation and chromatin studies were not correlated with C. trachomatis diagnosis; (iii) the percentage of DNA fragmentation is positively correlated with the percentage of immotile sperm but negatively with semen volume, normal morphology; and (iv) in sperm chromatin evaluations, only the percentage of chromatin protamination was related to male age

A randomized placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effect of lactolycopene on semen quality in healthy males

Purpose Poor sperm quality is a major contributor to infertility in heterosexual couples, but at present there are few empirical therapies. Several studies have examined the role of dietary factors and data from randomized controlled trials suggest that oral antioxidant therapy can improve some sperm parameters. Health benefits of lycopene supplementation have been proposed for a variety of health conditions and here we examine whether it can help improve sperm quality. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 14 mg daily lactolycopene for 12 weeks on semen quality in healthy men. Methods Sixty healthy male participants were recruited and randomized to this double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study and received either 14 mg/d lactolycopene or a placebo for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was a change in motile sperm concentration. Secondary endpoints were all other aspects of sperm quality, including the level of sperm DNA damage. Results Fifty-six men completed the intervention and the level of plasma lycopene was significantly increased in the men randomized to receive lycopene supplementation. There was no significant change in the primary endpoint (motile sperm concentration) post-intervention (p = 0.058). However, the proportion of fast progressive sperm (p = 0.006) and sperm with normal morphology (p < 0.001) did improve significantly in response to lactolycopene intervention. Conclusions Supplementation with 14 mg/d lactolycopene improves sperm motility and morphology in young healthy men

Evaluation of RGP contact lens fitting in keratoconus patients using hierarchical fuzzy model and genetic algorithms

Keratoconus is a progressive non-inflammatory disease of the cornea. Rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGPs) are prescribed when the disease progresses. Contact lens fitting and assessment is very difficult in these patients and is a concern of ophthalmologists and optometrists. In this study, a hierarchical fuzzy system is used to capture the expertise of experienced ophthalmologists during the lens evaluation phase of prescription. The system is fine-tuned using genetic algorithms. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the final system are 88.9, 94.4 and 92.6 respectively. © 2016 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved