Reinke’s crystals in perivascular and peritubular Leydig cells of men with nonobstructive and obstructive azoospermia: a retrospective case-control study

Aim To analyze the differences in the population of perivascular and peritubular Leydig cells (LC) and the number of Reinke’s crystals (RCs) in the testicles of infertile men with non-obstructive and obstructive azoospermia. Methods This retrospective case-control study was conducted on the testicle tissue of infertile men with obstructive (n = 10) and those with non-obstructive azoospermia (n = 100). Stereological analysis was performed on 7-μm paraffin sections. Measurements were carried out by using the Weibel multipurpose test system. Results Patients with non-obstructive azoospermia had a higher total/absolute number of LCs in the perivascular space (P = 0.034). In these patients, no significant difference was found in the total and absolute number of RCs between the peritubular and perivascular space. Patients with obstructive azoospermia had around three times higher absolute number of RCs in both the peritubular and perivascular spaces (P = 0.002; P < 0.001) than non-obstructive group. Conclusion Our results suggest that in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia LCs migrated or had different densities in the peritubular and perivascular space compared with patients with obstructive azoospermia. Moreover, the lower number of RCs could imply their utilization by LCs in testosterone production

Protein Kinase C Activation Modulates α-Calmodulin Kinase II Binding to NR2A Subunit of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Complex

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits NR2 possess extended intracellular C-terminal domains by which they can directly interact with a large number of postsynaptic density (PSD) proteins involved in synaptic clustering and signaling. We have previously shown that PSD-associated alpha-calmodulin kinase II (alphaCaMKII) binds with high affinity to the C-terminal domain of the NR2A subunit. Here, we show that residues 1412-1419 of the cytosolic tail of NR2A are critical for alphaCaMKII binding, and we identify, by site directed mutagenesis, PKC-dependent phosphorylation of NR2A(Ser(1416)) as a key mechanism in inhibiting alphaCaMKII-binding and promoting dissociation of alphaCaMKII.NR2A complex. In addition, we show that stimulation of PKC activity in hippocampal slices either with phorbol esters or with the mGluRs specific agonist trans-1-amino-1,3- cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (t-ACPD) decreases alphaCaMKII binding to NMDA receptor complex. Thus, our data provide clues on understanding the molecular basis of a direct cross-talk between alphaCaMKII and PKC pathways in the postsynaptic compartment

Effect of pre-weaning solid feed and milk intake on caecal content characteristics and performance of rabbits around weaning

The aim of this study is to know the effect of different solid feed and milk intake during suckling on performance around weaning and on caecal content characteristics at weaning. In order to obtain different intakes of milk and solid feed, 13 litters of pregnant females (PF) inseminated the day after delivery and 14 litters of non-pregnant females (NPF) were compared. At birth the litters were equalized at eight pups and during lactation dead pups were replaced by pups of the same age from nursing does. Compared to the PF group, rabbits in the NPF group had a higher milk intake (26.0 versus 21.4 g/day; P &lt; 0.01) and lower solid feed intake (9.1 versus 11.5 g/day; P &lt; 0.01) between 20 and 28 days of age. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in weight gain before and post-weaning (28-49 days). At weaning, the rabbits in group PF showed higher values in caecal content (g 26.3 versus 22.6; P &lt; 0.05) and volatile fatty acids (mmol/l 52.2 versus 43.6; P &lt; 0.01) and lower values in empty caecal weight (g 7.18 versus 7.78; P &lt; 0.05), C3 (6.4 versus 9.3%; P &lt; 0.01) and C3/C4 ratio (0.39 versus 0.63; P &lt; 0.01) than the group NPF. On the basis of the above results, it may be concluded that the quantity of solid feed and milk intake before weaning influenced the charac- teristics of the caecal content, but not the performance of rabbits around weaning

Dopamine Transmission Imbalance in Neuroinflammation: Perspectives on Long-Term COVID-19

Dopamine (DA) is a key neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia, implicated in the control of movement and motivation. Alteration of DA levels is central in Parkinson's disease (PD), a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor manifestations and deposition of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) aggregates. Previous studies have hypothesized a link between PD and viral infections. Indeed, different cases of parkinsonism have been reported following COVID-19. However, whether SARS-CoV-2 may trigger a neurodegenerative process is still a matter of debate. Interestingly, evidence of brain inflammation has been described in postmortem samples of patients infected by SARS-CoV-2, which suggests immune-mediated mechanisms triggering the neurological sequelae. In this review, we discuss the role of proinflammatory molecules such as cytokines, chemokines, and oxygen reactive species in modulating DA homeostasis. Moreover, we review the existing literature on the possible mechanistic interplay between SARS-CoV-2-mediated neuroinflammation and nigrostriatal DAergic impairment, and the cross-talk with aberrant alpha-syn metabolism

Undergoing head and neck cancer surgery: A grounded theory

Surgery is the treatment of choice in most head and neck cancers. Very often, the surgery is radical with high impact on the psychosocial, functional and aesthetic fields. The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the patient's, clinician's and key informant's point of view when surgery is proposed, to improve the quality of pathways in terms of patients' practical, psychological and relational needs. We followed a Grounded Theory approach with semi-structured interviews. Seventeen participants (six patients, nine healthcare professionals and two volunteers) were interviewed immediately before surgery. The study generated a process of "persuading the patient of an obligation" as the core category. The other principal categories that emerged highlighted the patients' doubts and fears regarding the surgery consequences and, in parallel, strategies employed by the healthcare professionals to rebut hindering issues impeding surgery. In particular, healthcare professionals involved patients in an affiliation process through simplified communication to sustain the choice of surgery; the family plays a supportive role in this process. The interplay between the organisational process and patients' experience results in "I will let you convince me" at the end of the decision-making process, where the main aim was to save and be saved

Differential translocation of protein kinase C isozymes in rats characterized by a chronic lack of LTP induction and cognitive impairment

AbstractThe translocation of protein kinase C isozymes was investigated in an animal model of cognitive deficit and lack of induction of long-term potentiation (LTP). In MAM rats, presynaptic α, β, ϵ PKC showed enhanced translocation, while postsynaptic γ PKC displayed decreased translocation when compared to control levels. This imbalance of PKC isozyme translocation between the pre- and post-synaptic compartment might therefore represent a possible molecular cause for the lack of synaptic plasticity observed in these animals

On disclosing the role of mesoporous alumina in the ozonation of sulfamethoxazole: Adsorption vs. Catalysis

Ordered mesoporous alumina (MA) and Fe-doped MA were synthesized by evaporation-induced self-assembly and tested for the ozonation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The synthesis methodology produced MA whose surface and structural properties exceeded those of commercial types displaying a BET surface area of 263 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.8 cm3/g and aligned cylindrical pores of c.a. 10 nm. The ozonation of SMX (20 mg/L) was performed in a semibatch stirred tank reactor at: T = 22 °C, [O3]gas = 10 mg/L, Qgas = 42 L/h NTP, [solid] ≈ 1 g/L, t = 120 min. Single ozonation achieved fast and complete SMX removal and mineralized up to 35% of the organics at neutral pH. The addition of MA or Fe-doped MA did not affect the removal rate of SMX, but did achieve a remarkable TOC removal up to 86% at acid pH. However, under the selected operating conditions, ferric species did not improve the removal of organic matter. Then, the adsorption and catalytic contribution of MA was evaluated in specifically-designed experiments. While SMX adsorption was low, its oxidation intermediates did adsorb onto MA surface. Despite the high ability of the materials to decompose ozone, the results revealed that the by-products adsorption is the prevailing process for the TOC removal. After four successive reuses, MA reduced its adsorption performance due to chemisorption of carboxylates. Nevertheless, the worn material was regenerated by direct ozonation in gas phase. In addition, primary transformation products were identified by LC–ESI–TOF–MS and the scavenging effect of the water matrix was assessed using bottled water and a real secondary wastewater.Fil: Di Luca, Carla. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Inchaurrondo, Natalia Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Marcé, Mireia. Universidad Central de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Parra, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Esplugas, Santiago. Universidad Central de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Haure, Patricia Monica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; Argentin

Artificial Diuresis: animal studies on efficacy and safety of a new miniaturized device for extracorporeal ultrafiltration

Introduction. We have recently developed a new miniaturized device for extracorporeal ultrafiltration to be used in patients with fluid overload: Artificial Diuresis-1, or AD1 (Medica S.p.A., Medolla, Italy). The device has a reduced priming volume and operates at very low pressure and flow regimes and is designed to perform extracorporeal UF at bedside. After accurate experiments carried out in vitro, we report in this paper the results of in vivo tests ultrafiltration session carried out in selected animals according to veterinary best practice. Materials and methods. The AD1 kit is pre-filled with sterile isotonic solution and operates with a polysulfone mini-filter MediSulfone (Polysulfone at 50000 Dalton). A collection bag with a volumetric scale is connected to the UF line and the ultrafiltrate is obtained by gravity based on the height at which the ultrafiltrate collection bag is placed. Animals were prepared and anesthetized. Jugular vein was cannulated with a double lumen catheter. Three six hours sessions of ultrafiltration were scheduled with a target fluid removal of 1500 ml. Heparin was used as anticoagulant.Results. In all treatments the target value of ultrafiltration was obtained in the absence of major clinical or technical problems with a maximum deviation from the scheduled ultrafiltration rate lower than 10%. The device resulted safe, reliable, accurate and easily usable thanks to a user friendly interface and the very small dimensions. Conclusions. This study opens the way for clinical trials in different settings including departments with low intensity of care and even in ambulatory centers or patient's home