Decrease of the DNA damage levels after sperm preparation by layering method

The aim of this prospective study was to determine the DNA fragmentation levels before and after sperm preparation by layering method. A total of 78 patients submitted to assisted reproduction technology (ART) for infertility treatment were evaluated. Ejaculated spermatozoa were obtained by masturbation on the day of ART procedure. The evaluation of DNA fragmentation was performed in the fresh semen and after preparation by a layering method, respectively. After washing with PBS, the sperm pellets were smears and then processed for the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay that was performed using a Cell Death Detection Kit with tetramethylrhodamine-labelled dUTP. For quantitative evaluation, 200 spermatozoa in randomly selected areas on microscope slides were evaluated and the percentage of TUNEL positive spermatozoa was determined. If ≥20% of selected sperm were TUNEL positive, the exam was considered abnormal. The mean percentage of DNA sperm fragmentation before sperm preparation was 17±8.3% and after 7.8±6.5% (p<0.0001). The exam was considered normal in 49 patients before preparation and in 73 patients after (p<0.0001). The sperm preparation with a layering method for the ART procedure is effective to select sperm with a significant decrease of the DNA damage.

Propagação de Dovyalis sp. pelo processo de mergulhia aérea

Com objetivo de avaliar a capacidade de propagação vegetativa de Dovyalis sp. pelo método da alporquia, realizou-se o presente trabalho. Foram utilizados ramos com cerca de 50 centímetros, os quais receberam os tratamentos: 0; 1.000; 3.000; 5.000 e 7.000 mg/kg de ácido indolbutírico (AIB) diluídos em lanolina, em duas épocas do ano: outono e primavera. No outono, considerou-se como subparcelas as localizações dos alporques por toda a planta, analisando-as como alporques da parte superior e inferior da copa e das faces norte e sul da planta. Na primavera, por insuficiência de ramos, apenas foram consideradas as doses com AIB. Nas épocas estudadas, o outono foi a que demonstrou maior percentagem de enraizamento e número de raízes (93,93 e 10,26 %, respectivamente). Obteve-se que o enraizamento independe da posição do ramo na planta, para esta época. O maior comprimento de raízes foi obtido na primavera.

AC Biosusceptometry Technique to Evaluate the Gastrointestinal Transit of Pellets under Influence of Prandial State

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)