Lipid peroxidation and vitamin E in serum and follicular fluid of infertile women with peritoneal endometriosis submitted to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation: a pilot study

Objective: To assess the level of lipid peroxidation (LP) and vitamin E in the follicular fluid and serum of infertile patients, with or without endometriosis. who were submitted to ovulation induction for assisted reproduction procedures. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Assisted conception unit, university hospital. Patient(s): Infertile patients 20 to 38 years of age were selected prospectively and consecutively and were divided into the endometriosis group (17 patients with pelvic endometriosis) and the control group (19 patients with previous tubal ligation or male factor and without endometriosis). Intervention(s): Peripheral blood samples were collected on D1 (before the beginning of the use of gonadotropins), D2 (day of hCG administration), and D3 (day of oocyte retrieval). On D3, follicular-fluid samples free from blood contamination also were collected and stored. Main Outcome Measure(S): Lipid peroxidation was assessed by malondialdehyde quantification by spectrophotometry, and measurement of vitamin E was performed by HLPC. Result(s): On D1, no significant difference in LP was observed between groups. However, vitamin E levels were significantly higher in the control group. On D2, LP levels were significantly higher in the endometriosis group compared with in the control group, and vitamin E levels continued to be significantly higher in the control group. On D3, there was no significant difference in serum and follicular-fluid levels of LP and vitamin E between groups. However, on D3, vitamin E levels were found to be significantly higher in serum than in follicular fluid in both groups, whereas malondialdchyde levels were significantly lower in follicular fluid than in serum only in the control group. Conclusion(s): Before the beginning of ovulation induction, a significant decrease in vitamin E was observed in patients with endometriosis, perhaps because antioxidants are consumed during oxidation reactions. After ovulation induction with exogenous gonadotropins, the group of patients with endometriosis not only presented increased lipid peroxidation but also maintained lower vitamin E levels than the control group, a fact that hypothetically could compromise oocyte quality in endometriotic patients. However, on the day of oocyte retrieval, both serum LP potential and vitamin E levels were found to be similar in the two groups. (Fertil Steril(R) 2008; 90:2080-5. (C) 2008 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)

High CO(2)/H(+) dialysis in the caudal ventrolateral medulla (Loeschcke`s area) increases ventilation in wakefulness

Central chemoreception, the detection of CO(2)/H(+) within the brain and the resultant effect on ventilation, was initially localized at two areas on the ventrolateral medulla, one rostral (rVLM-Mitchell`s) the other caudal (cVLM-Loeschcke`s), by surface application of acidic solutions in anesthetized animals. Focal dialysis of a high CO(2)/H(+) artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) that produced a milder local pH change in unanesthetized rats (like that with a similar to 6.6 mm Hg increase in arterial P(CO2)) delineated putative chemoreceptor regions for the rVLM at the retrotrapezoid nucleus and the rostral medullary raphe that function predominantly in wakefulness and sleep, respectively. Here we ask if chemoreception in the cVLM can be detected by mild focal stimulation and if it functions in a state dependent manner. At responsive sites just beneath Loeschcke`s area, ventilation was increased by, on average, 17% (P < 0.01) only in wakefulness. These data support our hypothesis that central chemoreception is a distributed property with some sites functioning in a state dependent manner. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrocephalus in posterior fossa tumors in children. Are there factors that determine a need for permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion?

We searched for factors that could predispose towards persistent hydrocephalus in children with posterior fossa (PF) tumors in order to determine the need for permanent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. The clinical records of 64 children who underwent surgery for PF tumors in the Pediatric Neurosurgery division of the Hospital of Clinics, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, from 1990 to 2006, were retrospectively reviewed. The patients` ages ranged from 3 months to 18 years. The factors evaluated included age at surgery, severity of hydrocephalus (ventricular index), tumor location, size of the tumor, extent of tumor resection, and histology. Ventricular index, measured from the initial neuroradiological image, age at surgery, and location of the tumor were significantly associated with definitive postoperative CSF diversion (shunt or endoscopic third ventriculostomy), which was necessary for 34% of the patients. Young children with severe preoperative hydrocephalus and a midline tumor should be considered at risk when preoperative treatment decisions are made.

Effect of peritoneal fluid from patients with minimal/mild endometriosis on progesterone release by human granulosa-lutein cells obtained from infertile patients without endometriosis: A pilot study

Objective: To evaluate the effect of peritoneal fluid (PF) from women without and with minimal/mild endometriosis on progesterone (P) release by cultured human granulosa-lutein cells obtained from infertile patients without endometriosis submitted to ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Study design: A pilot study was performed. Human granulosa-lutein cells, obtained from 11 infertile patients without endometriosis (tubal or male factors of infertility) submitted to ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF, were cultured without PF (basal production) and with increasing volumes of steroid-extracted PF samples from 11 patients with endometriosis and 11 patients without endometriosis. Progesterone (P) levels in the media after 72 h culture were measured by chemoluminescence assay. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: PF from patients without endometriosis stimulated P release in a dose-dependent manner up to the dose of 100 mu l/ml (10% concentration) when compared with basal production (without adding PF). P release was similar in cultures stimulated with PF from patients with or without endometriosis at 1% (10 mu l/ml) and 5% (50 ml/ml) concentrations. At 10% concentration, there was a non-statistically significant reduction in progesterone release by granulosa cells stimulated with PF from patients with endometriosis. PF from patients with endometriosis significantly reduced P release at 30% concentration (300 mu l/ml). Conclusions: PF stimulates P release by human granulosa-lutein cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, higher concentrations of PF from patients with minimal/mild endometriosis reduce P release, suggesting it contains factors that may compromise ovarian steroidogenesis. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clonal Complex Chromosome Aberration in Non-Ossifying Fibroma

Cytogenetic information of non-ossifying fibromas (NOFs) is exceptionally limited. This fact relies, in part, on their benign nature but mainly because most cases evolve undetected or there is no need for surgical intervention. We report the case of a NOF arising in the left tibia of a 14-year-old male with an invariable clonal translocation. The karyotype was denoted as 42-46,XY,t(11;3;14)(q23;p21;p11). There are only two previous reported cases of clonally aberrant NOF. Records from additional cases will be essential to assess whether consistent karyotypic aberrations define this lesion. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:764 767. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cryptic SYT/SXX1 fusion gene in high-grade biphasic synovial sarcoma with unique complex rearrangement and extensive BCL2 overexpression

Synovial sarcomas are high-grade malignant mesenchymal tumors that account for 10% of all soft-tissue sarcomas. Almost 95% of these tumors are characterized by a nonrandom chromosomal abnormality, t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2), that is observed in both biphasic and monophasic variants. In this article, we present the case of a 57-year-old woman diagnosed with high-grade biphasic synovial sarcoma in which conventional cytogenetic analysis revealed the constant presence of a unique t(18;22)(q12;q13), in addition to trisomy 8. The rearrangement was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The use of the whole chromosome painting probes WCPX did not detect any rearrangements involving chromosome X, although reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated the conspicuous presence of a SYT/SXX1 fusion gene. Spectral karyotyping (SKY) was also performed and revealed an insertion of material from chromosome 18 into one of the X chromosomes at position Xp11.2. Thus, the karyotype was subsequently interpreted as 47,X,der(X)ins(X;18) (p11.2;q11.2q11.2),der(18)del(18)(q11.2q11.2)t(18;22)(q12;q13),der(22)t(18;22). Real-time PCR analysis of BCL2 expression in the tumor sample showed a 433-fold increase. This rare finding exemplifies that thorough molecular-cytogenetic analyses are required to elucidate complex and/or cryptic tumor-specific translocations. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling the Competition Between Viruses in a Complex Plant-Pathogen System

In this article, we propose a mathematical model that describes the competition between two plant virus strains (MAV and PAV) for both the host plant (oat) and their aphid vectors. We found that although PAV is transmitted by two aphids and MAV by only one, this fact, by itself, does not explain the complete replacement of MAV by PAV in New York State during the period from 1961 through 1976; an interpretation that is in agreement with the theories of A. G. Power. Also, although MAV wins the competition within aphids, we assumed that, in 1961, PAV mutated into a new variant such that this new variant was able to overcome MAV within the plants during a latent period. As shown below, this is sufficient to explain the swap of strains; that is, the dominant MAV was replaced by PAV, also in agreement with Power`s expectations.

Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Brazil: A Highly Complex Virus Meets a Highly Susceptible Host Population

Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly aggressive disease for poultry in terms of symptoms and economic losses, and the control of this disease is difficult if flocks are not protected against type-specific challenges by the Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). This article summarizes data presented by the author at the Workshop on Infectious Bronchitis 2009 on IB and IBV, including future developments on the field.

European 1: A globally important clonal complex of Mycobacterium bovis

We have identified a globally important clonal complex of Mycobacterium bovis by deletion analysis of over one thousand strains from over 30 countries. We initially show that over 99% of the strains of M. bovis, the cause of bovine tuberculosis, isolated from cattle in the Republic of Ireland and the UK are closely related and are members of a single clonal complex marked by the deletion of chromosomal region RDEu1 and we named this clonal complex European 1 (Eu1). Eu1 strains were present at less than 14% of French, Portuguese and Spanish isolates of M. bovis but are rare in other mainland European countries and Iran. However, strains of the Eu1 clonal complex were found at high frequency in former trading partners of the UK (USA, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Canada). The Americas, with the exception of Brazil, are dominated by the Eu1 clonal complex which was at high frequency in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico as well as North America. Eu1 was rare or absent in the African countries surveyed except South Africa. A small sample of strains from Taiwan were non-Eu1 but, surprisingly, isolates from Korea and Kazakhstan were members of the Eu1 clonal complex. The simplest explanation for much of the current distribution of the Eu1 clonal complex is that it was spread in infected cattle, such as Herefords, from the UK to former trading partners, although there is evidence of secondary dispersion since. This is the first identification of a globally dispersed clonal complex M. bovis and indicates that much of the current global distribution of this important veterinary pathogen has resulted from relatively recent International trade in cattle. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synergistic Effect of Porcine Follicular Fluid and Dibutyryl Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate on Development of Parthenogenetically Activated Oocytes from Pre-Pubertal Gilts

This study investigated the effect of porcine follicular fluid (PFF) and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP) during in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes on meiotic maturation, fertilization and embryo development, and compared the effect of supplementing the embryo culture media with PFF or foetal bovine serum (FBS) on embryo development. Oocytes from pre-pubertal gilts were IVM for 44 h, and parthenogenetically activated or in vitro-fertilized. Embryos were cultured in porcine zygote medium (PZM3) for 7 days. Cleavage and blastocyst rates were evaluated at 48 h and 7 days of culture. The supplementation of the IVM medium with 25% PFF and 1 mm dbcAMP for the first 22 h resulted in more (p < 0.05) embryos developing to the blastocyst stage as compared with the inclusion of dbcAMP alone. The dbcAMP + PFF combination increased (p < 0.05) the average number of nuclei per blastocyst as compared with either of these components alone or in its absence. A synergistic effect of dbcAMP + PFF during IVM was also reflected in the capacity of oocytes to regulate sperm penetration and prevent polyspermy, as twice as many oocytes from the control group were penetrated by more than one sperm as compared with those matured in the presence of both dbcAMP and PFF. The supplementation of PZM3 with 10% FBS from days 5 to 7 of culture significantly improved the total cell quantity in embryos derived either from control or dbcAMP + PFF matured oocytes. There was no effect on the total cell quantity when FBS was replaced by the same concentration of PFF. These studies showed that dbcAMP, PFF and FBS can improve both the quantity (57.3% vs 41.5%) and quality (74.8 vs 33.3 nuclei) of porcine blastocysts derived from oocytes recovered of pre-pubertal gilts.

Influence of Osteopontin in Bovine Uterine Tube Fluid on Sperm Binding and Fertilization in RCA-1 Lectin-treated Oocytes

This study was conducted to determine the effect of pre-exposure of oocytes to Ricinus communis (RCA-1) lectin and osteopontin (OPN) in uterine tube fluid (UTF) on in vitro sperm-egg binding and fertilization. In vitro-matured bovine oocytes were incubated (39 degrees C, 5% CO(2) in air) for 2 h in the following treatments: (i) 500 mu l of fertilization medium (FM); (ii) 250 mu l of FM with 0.25 ml of non-luteal ampullary uterine tube fluid (NLAUTF); (iii) 250 mu l of FM with 250 mu l of NLAUTF and 4 mu l of RCA-1 lectin; (iv) 250 mu l of FM with 250 mu l of NLAUTF, a rabbit polyclonal antibody (1:200) against purified bovine milk OPN, and RCA-1 lectin; (v) 500 mu l of FM and RCA-1 lectin. Following incubation, oocytes were washed, placed in FM with 2 mu g heparin, and incubated with 1 x 10(5) frozen-thawed spermatozoa per 10 oocytes. Oocytes used to assess sperm binding were stained with Hoescht 33342, and the number of sperm bound per zona pellucida counted. The remaining oocytes were fixed in acid alcohol, stained with 1% acetate-orcein and observed to determine the presence of pronuclei. More sperm bound to the zona pellucida (mean +/- SEM) when oocytes were incubated in treatment 3 (59.0 +/- 5.5) than in treatments 2 (46.4 +/- 5.6), 4 (18.1 +/- 5.4), 5 (33.4 +/- 5.6) or 1 (32.5 +/- 5.6). More oocytes were fertilized when incubated in treatment 3 (91% +/- 3.0) than in 2 (84% +/- 3.0), 4 (40% +/- 3.0), 5 (77% +/- 3.0) or 1 (76% +/- 3.0). As in previous studies, this study suggests that RCA-1 lectin enhances binding of UTF-derived OPN to bovine oocytes, resulting in increased sperm-egg binding and fertilization in vitro and a possible role in fertilization.

Oviductal Fluid Proteins Associated with the Bovine Zona Pellucida and the Effect on In Vitro Sperm-Egg Binding, Fertilization and Embryo Development

Studies have demonstrated that oviductal fluid (ODF) proteins associate with eggs of numerous species including the bovine. In this study, the association of three ODF proteins, the bovine oestrus-associated protein, osteopontin (OPN), lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS), with the bovine zona pellucida (ZP) was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and western blot. The biological function of ODF derived egg-associated OPN and L-PGDS in sperm binding, fertilization and embryonic development was also explored. In vitro matured bovine oocytes were pre-incubated with ODF collected by cannula from cows in oestrus, or ODF with antibodies to OPN, L-PGDS and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Following incubation, oocytes were inseminated with 1 x 10(5) frozen-thawed spermatozoa, and they were evaluated for sperm binding, fertilization and embryonic development in vitro. Pre-treatment of ODF with antibodies to all of proteins reduced sperm binding to the ZP and fertilization in vitro. Cleavage rates were not significantly different among incubations, but rates of embryo development were significantly decreased. We conclude that antibodies to OPN, L-PGDS and BSA react with oocytes incubated with ODF and inhibit sperm binding, fertilization and embryonic development in vitro, suggesting a potential role of these proteins in these events.

Cysteine Cathepsins in Human Dentin-Pulp Complex

Introduction: Collagen-degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are expressed by odontoblasts and present in dentin. We hypothesized that odontoblasts express other collagen-degrading enzymes such as cysteine cathepsins, and their activity would be present in dentin, because odontoblasts are known to express at least cathepsin D. Effect of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) on cathepsin expression was also analyzed. Methods: Human odontoblasts and pulp tissue were cultured with and without TGF-beta, and cathepsin gene expression was analyzed with DNA microarrays. Dentin cathepsin and MMP activities were analyzed by degradation of respective specific fluorogenic substrates. Results: Both odontoblasts and pulp tissue demonstrated a wide range of cysteine cathepsin expression that gave minor responses to TGF-beta. Cathepsin and MMP activities were observed in all dentin samples, with significant negative correlations in their activities with tooth age. Conclusions: These results demonstrate for the first time the presence of cysteine cathepsins in dentin and suggest their role, along with MMPs, in dentin modification with aging. (J Endod 2010;36:475-481)

Complex odontoma associated with dentigerous cyst in maxillary sinus: case report and computed tomography features

Tumoural and cystic lesions are common findings in the daily practice of dental professionals and maxillofacial radiologists. However, simultaneous lesions are rare and represent a diagnostic challenge to overcome. Among tumoural pathologies, odontomas are the most common odontogenic tumour of the jaws. Cystic transformation or development from the tumoural capsule are well recognized in situations such as ameloblastomas originated from a dentigerous cyst. Otherwise, despite literature reports, dentigerous cysts arising from odontomas are very rare and could lead to misdiagnosis. Here, we report a case of a complex odontoma associated with a dentigerous cyst in the maxillary sinus, focussing on the tomographic features and a differential imaging approach to the diagnosis of these lesions.

A Role for the Substance P/NK-1 Receptor Complex in Cell Proliferation in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the presence and distribution of substance P (SP) and neurokinin I receptor (NK-IR) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and their relationship with proliferation. Patients and Methods: Ninety OSCCs from 73 patients were immunohistochemically analyzed using monoclonal antibodies against SP, NK-IR and Ki-67 in a case and control study. Results: Seventy-one percent (n=49) of cases expressed SP on tumour cell membrane, 81.3% (n=69) in cytoplasm, 39.4% (n=28) in nucleus, 81.6% (n=71) in infiltrating lymphocytes, and 58.1% (n=43) in peritumoural or intratumoural blood vessels; 14% (n=12) of cases expressed NK-1R on tumour cell membrane, 50% (n=43) in cytoplasm, 48.3% (n=42) in infiltrating lymphocytes and 22.5% (n=18) in tumour blood vessels. All cases expressed Ki-67, which was expressed in >25% of tumour cells in 79.8% of cases (n=63). Direct significant associations were observed in SP expression between different tissue levels (p<0.01), between SP and NK-IR tumour cell membrane expression (p<0.01), and between joint,SP and NK-IR expression in tumour cell cytoplasm and a higher expression of Ki-67 (p<0.05). Conclusion: The ubiquitous presence of SP strongly suggests a role for SP/NK-1R complex in tumour development and progression and possibly for NK-IR antagonists, such as L-773060, in the management of patients with oral cancer.