Clinical Factors Associated with Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Male Patients with Infertility

Objective. The clinical factors associated with sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) were investigated in male patients with infertility. Materials and Methods. Fifty-four ejaculates from infertile Japanese males were used. Thirty-three and twenty-one were from the patients with varicoceles and idiopathic causes of infertility, respectively. We performed blood tests, including the serum sex hormone levels, and conventional and computer-assisted semen analyses. The sperm nuclear vacuolization (SNV) was evaluated using a high-magnification microscope. The SDF was evaluated using the sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCDt) to determine the SDF index (SDFI). The SDFI was compared with semen parameters and other clinical variables, including lifestyle factors. Results. The SDFI was 41.3 ± 22.2% (mean ± standard deviation) and did not depend on the cause of infertility. Chronic alcohol use increased the SDFI to 49.6 ± 23.3% compared with 33.9 ± 18.0% in nondrinkers. The SDFI was related to adverse conventional semen parameters and sperm motion characteristics and correlated with the serum FSH level. The SNV showed a tendency to increase with the SDFI. The multivariate analysis revealed that the sperm progressive motility and chronic alcohol use were significant predictors of the SDF. Conclusion. The SCDt should be offered to chronic alcohol users and those with decreased sperm progressive motility

Simple method for large-scale production of macrophage activating factor GcMAF

Human group-specific component protein (Gc protein) is a multifunctional serum protein which has three common allelic variants, Gc1F, Gc1S and Gc2 in humans. Gc1 contains an O-linked trisaccharide [sialic acid-galactose-N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)] on the threonine420 (Thr420) residue and can be converted to a potent macrophage activating factor (GcMAF) by selective removal of sialic acid and galactose, leaving GalNAc at Thr420. In contrast, Gc2 is not glycosylated. GcMAF is considered a promising candidate for immunotherapy and antiangiogenic therapy of cancers and has attracted great interest, but it remains difficult to compare findings among research groups because different procedures have been used to prepare GcMAF. Here, we present a simple, practical method to prepare high-quality GcMAF by overexpressing Gc-protein in a serum-free suspension culture of ExpiCHO-S cells, without the need for a de-glycosylation step. We believe this protocol is suitable for large-scale production of GcMAF for functional analysis and clinical testing

The present status related to substance abuse and future intervention in Niigata Prefecture

A symposium related to substance abuse in Niigata Prefecture was held in 2010, in which a questionnaire was distributed to 42 participants. The result showed that 38.1 percent of them have met illegal drug users at work. Furthermore, about three quarters of the participants (76.2%) believed it was important to expand measures against illigal drug abuse. Especially important issues concerned; substance abuse prevention for adolescents (78.6%), family intervention(78.6%), rehabilitation service(76.2%), and medical services (71.4%). It seemed that most professionals feel a deep need to enhance treatment and support for substance abusers and their families in addition to substance abuse prevention for adolescents.新潟県内において、薬物問題に関する理解を深めることを目的としたシンポジウムを開催し、参加者のうち42名を対象としたアンケート調査を実施した。調査の結果、38.1％が「患者、利用者、生徒など、職業上関わった人の中に違法薬物の使用経験者がいた（いる）」と回答するなど、薬物問題の身近さが示唆された。また、県内で今後薬物乱用・依存症対策の充実をはかることの重要性については、76.2％が「極めて重要である」と回答した。今後充実すべき対策としては、「青少年に対する薬物乱用予防教育」（78.6％）、「薬物乱用者をもつ家族に対する相談支援」（78.6％）、「薬物乱用者の社会復帰支援」（76.2％）、「薬物乱用者に対する医療」（71.4％）などが多く、関係者の多くが、青少年に対する予防教育の充実に加え、薬物依存症者及びその家族に対する医療・支援を充実させることの重要性を強く感じていることがうかがえた

In vivo Cell Biology of Cerebral Cortical Development and Its Related Neurological Disorders: Cellular Insights into Neurogenesis and Neuronal Migration

The brain consists of a complex but precisely organized neural network, which provides the structural basis of higher order functions. Such a complex structure originates from a simple pseudostratified neuroepithelium. During the developing mammalian cerebral cortex, a cohort of neural progenitors, located near the ventricle, differentiates into neurons and exhibits multi-step modes of migration toward the pial surface. Tight regulation of neurogenesis and neuronal migration is essential for the determination of the neuron number in adult brains and the proper positioning of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in a specific layer, respectively. In addition, defects in neurogenesis and neuronal migration can cause several neurological disorders, such as microcephaly, periventricular heterotopia and lissencephaly. Recent advances in genetic approaches to study the developing cerebral cortex, as well as the use of a number of novel techniques, particularly in vivo electroporation and time-lapse analyses using explant slice cultures, have significantly increased our understanding of cortical development. These novel techniques have allowed for cell biological analyses of cerebral cortical development in vivo or ex vivo, showing that many cellular events, including endocytosis, cell adhesion, microtubule and actin cytoskeletal regulation, neurotransmitter release, stress response, the consequence of cellular crowding (physical force), dynamics of transcription factors, midbody release and polarity transition are required for neurogenesis and/or neuronal migration. The aim of this research topic is to highlight molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cerebral cortical development and its related neurological disorders from the cell biological point of views, such as cell division, cell-cycle regulation, cytoskeletal organization, cell adhesion and membrane trafficking. The topic has been organized into three chapters: 1) neurogenesis and cell fate determination, 2) neuronal migration and 3) cortical development-related neurological disorders. We hope that the results and discussions contributed by all authors in this research topic will be broadly useful for further advances in basic research, as well as improvements in the etiology and care of patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric disorders

A prospective study of magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography (MRI/US)-fusion targeted biopsy and concurrent systematic transperineal biopsy with the average of 18-cores to detect clinically significant prostate cancer

Abstract Background This study compared the detection rates for clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPC) between magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography (MRI/US)-fusion-targeted biopsy (TB), systematic biopsy (SB) and combination of TB and SB. Methods This prospective study evaluated simultaneous TB and SB for consecutive patients with suspicious lesions that were detected using pre-biopsy multiparametric MRI. A commercially available real-time virtual sonography system was used to perform the MRI/US-fusion TB with the transperineal technique. The prostate imaging reporting and data system version 2 (PI-RADS v2) was assigned to categorize the suspicious lesions. Results A total of 177 patients were included in this study. The detection rate for CSPC was higher using SB, compared to TB (57.1% vs 48.0%, p = 0.0886). The detection rate for CSPC was higher using the combination of TB and SB, compared to only SB (63.3% vs 57.1%, p = 0.2324). Multivariate analysis revealed that PIRADS v2 category 4 and an age of <65 years were independent predictors for TB upgrading (vs. the SB result). Conclusions PI-RADS v2 category 4 and an age of <65 years were predictive factors of upgrading the Gleason score by MRI/US-fusion TB. Thus, MRI/US-fusion TB may be appropriate for patients with those characteristics. Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network ( UMINID000025911 ) in Jan 30, 2017