Effects of 1.84 GHz radio-frequency electromagnetic field on sperm maturation in epididymis microenvironment

In recent years, intense interest has been drawn to the effects of radio-frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) on reproduction. To explore the effects of RF-EMF on sperm maturation in epididymis microenvironment, 24 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three exposed groups (SAR 1, 2 and 4 W/kg) and one sham group. The rats in exposed group were exposed to 1.84 GHz RFEMF for 5 days (1 h/day). After that, the rats were anaesthetized immediately and epididymis were taken out. Half of them were fixed in 4% formalin and the others were placed in tissue homogenate. The morphology of sperm and microstructure of epididymis were observed under microscope after hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining. Expression of Bin1b protein was detected by immunohistochemistry; the level of glutathione (GSH) and enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), acid  phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and disaccharidase were determined by commercial kits. It was found that,  compared with sham group, the sperm morphology and microstructure of epididymis did not change obviously; similarly, there was no significant change in Bin1b protein expression and the levels of GSH, SOD, ACP and ALP in exposure group. These results  suggest that 1.84 GHz RF-EMF under this experimental condition could not affect the sperm maturation in epididymis  microenvironment of SD rats.Keywords: 1.84 GHz, radio-frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF), epididymis, sperm maturation, Bin1

Intestinal Absorption and First-Pass Metabolism of Polyphenol Compounds in Rat and Their Transport Dynamics in Caco-2 Cells

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Polyphenols, a group of complex naturally occurring compounds, are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom and are therefore readily consumed by humans. The relationship between their chemical structure and intestinal absorption, transport, and first-pass metabolism remains unresolved, however.</p> <h3>Methods</h3><p>Here, we investigated the intestinal absorption and first-pass metabolism of four polyphenol compounds, apigenin, resveratrol, emodin and chrysophanol, using the <em>in vitro</em> Caco-2 cell monolayer model system and <em>in situ</em> intestinal perfusion and <em>in vivo</em> pharmacokinetic studies in rats, so as to better understand the relationship between the chemical structure and biological fate of the dietary polyphenols.</p> <h3>Conclusion</h3><p>After oral administration, emodin and chrysophanol exhibited different absorptive and metabolic behaviours compared to apigenin and resveratrol. The differences in their chemical structures presumably resulted in differing affinities for drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as glucuronidase and sulphatase, and transporters, such as MRP2, SGLT1, and P-glycoprotein, which are found in intestinal epithelial cells.</p> </div

Alterations of Hematologic and Hematopoietic Parameters in Mice Exposed to Pulsed Electromagnetic Field

Effects of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on hematology and hematopoiesis might vary with different PEMF parameters. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of PEMF exposure at different pulses on hematologic and hematopoietic parameters in mice. Groups of male BALB/c mice were whole body exposed or were sham exposed (control) to PEMF at 100, 1000, and 10000 pulses. After PEMF exposure, blood samples and bone marrow cells of mice were collected for hematologic examinations, bone marrow nucleated cell counting, colony-forming units of granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) colony assay, and serum granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) assay. Compared with the control group, white blood cells (WBC) and lymphocytes (LYM) in the 100 and 1000 pulses exposed groups were significantly increased but not changed in the 10000 pulses exposed group. Red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), and platelets (PLT) were not changed in all exposed groups. There was no significant difference in mouse bone marrow nucleated cell number between the control group and each exposed group 7 days after PEMF exposure. The CFU-GM clone number of bone marrow cells and serum GM-CSF level were significantly increased in the 100 and 1000 pulses exposed group but not changed in the 10000 pulses exposed group. Our results indicated that the PEMF exposure at fewer pulses may induce statistically significant alterations in some hematologic and hematopoietic parameters of mice but no changes can be found in the more pulses PEMF-exposed groups

Time-dependent appearance of polyphenols and their metabolites in the luminal and vascular compartments after perfusion experiments with rat small intestine.

<p>(A) Apigenin, (C) chrysophanol, (E) resveratrol and their derivatives in the vascular compartments after perfusion experiments of chrysophanol with rat small intestine. (B) Apigenin, (D) chrysophanol, (F) resveratrol derivatives in the luminal compartments after perfusion experiments, (mean ± SD, n = 3). (•) Parent polyphenols, (▪) glucuronidated polyphenols, (▴) sulphated polyphenols.</p

Transport and metabolism in Caco-2 cells.

<p>Intracellular accumulation of polyphenol compounds and their metabolites, (a₁) apigenin and metabolites, (a₂) resveratrol and metabolites, (a₃) emodin and metabolites, (a₄) chrysophanol and metabolites. Transport of glucuronides and sulphates from different directions in Caco-2 cells (nmol/L• mg • protein), (b₁) glucuronides from AP to BL, (b₂) sulphates from AP to BL, (b₃) glucuronides from BL to AP, (b₄) sulphates from BL to AP. The effect of different inhibitors (100 µM verapamil,100 µM cyclosporine A, 50 µM phloridzin) on the transport of polyphenol compounds in Caco-2 cells; (c₁) apigenin, (c₂) resveratrol, (c₃) emodin, (c₄) chrysophanol. (mean ± SD, n = 6).</p

Permeability (Papp) of polyphenol compounds.

1<p><i>mean</i> ± SD (all such values); <i>n</i> = 6.</p>2<p>Student's <i>t</i> test. Significantly different from the AP to BL direction, <i>p</i><0.01.</p>3<p>Student's <i>t</i> test. Significantly different from the AP to BL direction, <i>p</i><0.05.</p

Time-dependent appearance of the polyphenol compounds and their metabolites in plasma after oral administration to rat.

<p>(A) apigenin, glucuronidated apigenin and sulphated apigenin, (B) resveratrol, glucuronidated resveratrol and sulphated resveratrol, (C) emodin, glucuronidated emodin and sulphated emodin, (D) chrysophanol, glucuronidated chrysophanol and sulphated chrysophanol, (mean ± SD, n = 6). (•) Parent polyphenols, (▪) glucuronidated polyphenols, (▴) sulphated polyphenols.</p

Pharmacokinetic parameters of polyphenol compounds and their metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration.

1<p><i>mean</i> ± SD (all such values); <i>n</i> = 6.</p

Chemical structures of the polyphenol compounds.

<p>Chemical structures of the polyphenol compounds.</p