Effects of medical therapy, alcohol, smoking, and endocrine disruptors on male infertility

Infertility affects up to 15% of the sexually active population, and in 50% of cases, a male factor is involved, either as a primary problem or in combination with a problem in the female partner. Because many commonly encountered drugs and medications can have a detrimental effect on male fertility, the medical evaluation should include a discussion regarding the use of recreational and illicit drugs, medications, and other substances that may impair fertility. With the knowledge of which drugs and medications may be detrimental to fertility, it may be possible to modify medication regimens or convince a patient to modify habits to decrease adverse effects on fertility and improve the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy. Concern is growing that male sexual development and reproduction have changed for the worse over the past 30 to 50 years. Although some reports find no changes, others suggest that sperm counts appear to be decreasing and that the incidence of developmental abnormalities such as hypospadias and cryptorchidism appears to be increasing, as is the incidence of testicular cancer. These concerns center around the possibility that our environment is contaminated with chemicals - both natural and synthetic - that can interact with the endocrine system.

Tolerance to temperature, pH, ammonia and nitrite in cardinal tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi, an amazonian ornamental fish

Poor water quality condition has been pointed out as one of the major causes for the high mortality of ornamental fishes exported from the state of Amazonas, Brazil. The purpose of the current study was to define water quality standards for cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi), by establishing the lower and higher for lethal temperature (LT50), lethal concentration (LC50) for total ammonia and nitrite and LC50 for acid and alkaline pH. According to the findings, cardinal tetra is rather tolerant to high temperature (33.3 ºC), to a wide pH range (acid pH=2.9 and alkaline pH=8.8) and to high total ammonia concentration (23.7 mg/L). However, temperatures below 19.6 ºC and nitrite concentrations above 1.1 mg/L NO2- may compromise fish survival especially during long shipment abroad.

Alcohol-dependent patients receiving specialised outpatient care: an overview of gender issues

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study, with focus on gender, was aimed at evaluating alcohol-dependent individual in terms of socio-demographic variables related to alcohol consumption and therapeutic interventions. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of 1,051 patients (833 men and 218 women), with diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome, according to ICD-10 criteria, who had sought treatment for the first time at a specialised health centre between 2000 and 2006. RESULTS: The results showed that women, compared to men, are more likely to be unemployed and without partner, in addition to having higher educational level, latter age of alcohol initiation, needing less outpatient alcohol detoxification program, consuming more fermented beverage, presenting less psychiatric comorbidities, and using less coadjutant medications during treatment. CONCLUSION: We can state that some peculiarities exist permeating both gender and alcohol consumption. A further focus on the characteristics of each population is needed to facilitate the adequate use of therapeutic interventions according to gender specificities.

Association study of the Ile349val polymorphism of the gene ADH1C and alcohol dependence

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the polymorphism Ile349Val of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase ADH1C gene among individuals with alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. METHODS: A total of 120 subjects residing in Rio de Janeiro city participated in this study. Subjects were divided into two groups: a group consisting of 54 individuals from the ADS group and 66 individuals that declared not having any alcohol dependence (control group). DNA was extracted from mouth epithelial cells by phenol-chloroform method and further submitted to amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Our results did not show differences between the genotypes of control individuals and ADS subjects. Nevertheless, we found increased rates of alcoholism in families of ADS subjects as compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results did not show any genotype difference on the ADH1C gene when control and AA genotypes are compared.

Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT): explorando seus parâmetros psicométricos

OBJETIVO: O presente estudo teve como objetivo conhecer evidências de validade e precisão do Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). MÉTODOS: Contou-se com uma amostra de conveniência (não probabilística) de 547 estudantes universitários de Fortaleza (CE), com idade média de 21,6 anos (dp = 4,86; amplitude de 18 a 53), a maioria do sexo masculino (51,5%), solteira (91,4%) e católica (62,5%). Os participantes responderam ao AUDIT e a perguntas demográficas. Procurando conhecer a estrutura fatorial, além de estatísticas descritivas, realizou-se uma Análise de Componentes Principais. Adicionalmente, a fim de avaliar a precisão do instrumento, efetuaram-se cálculos de alfa de Cronbach (consistência interna), correlações de r de Pearson e coeficiente de correlação intraclasse - ICC (precisão teste-reteste). RESULTADOS: De acordo com a análise de componentes principais com rotação oblimin, a estrutura bifatorial do AUDIT mostrou-se coerente, com todos os itens apresentando saturações satisfatórias, superior a |0,40|, tendo o Fator 1 explicado 47,5% da variância total com alfa de 0,84 e o Fator 2 explicado 11,6% da variância total com alfa de 0,69. Os resultados do teste-reteste indicaram correlação forte entre os dados obtidos na primeira (t1) e segunda (t2) aplicação (r tt = 0,94, p < 0,01), sem diferença significativa de médias nos dois tempos (m t1 = 0,37, dp = 0,49; m t2 = 0,34, dp2= 0,47; p > 0,05), com ICC satisfatório (0,96). CONCLUSÕES: Os achados apoiaram a adequação psicométrica do AUDIT, com as análises fatoriais exploratórias apontando como mais satisfatória a estrutura com dois fatores, bem como atestaram sua boa estabilidade temporal.

A possible contribution to improving the therapeutic potentials of Babor's Typology of Alcohol Dependent Patients

ABSTRACT Objective The objective of this study was to replicate Babor's Typology and to explore clinical features related to personality traits that may underlie this classification, in order to improve its therapeutic possibilities. Methods Observational prospective study on a group of 273 male alcoholics. After a replication of Babor's variables, Cluster Analysis, Chi-Square – applied on clinical variables related to a Lappda Tipology – and Kappa tests were performed. Results The study identified two distinct clusters that held similar features to those described for the Type A/Type B classification. Besides presenting a lower socio-economic situation, Cluster 2 patients were associated with higher vulnerability and severe clinical features and also differed from Cluster 1 in their response to treatment. These replicated clusters retained connections and also differences in relation to the variables derived from the Lappda Typology. Conclusion Considering that each of the two replicated clusters seem to be associated to different personality traits – according to their correlations to the affective, cognitive and behavioral dimensions brought forward by the Lappda Typology – it is acceptable that this study may contribute to the development of more comprehensive and effective therapeutic strategies specifically tailored to target more specific personality traits of these subgroups of alcoholic patients.

Alcohol and atherosclerosis

Observational studies have attributed a protective effect to alcohol consumption on the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Alcohol intake in the amount of one to two drinks per day results in an estimated 20-40% reduction in cardiovascular events. An additional protective effect, according to major cohort studies, has been attributed to wine, probably due to antioxidant effects and platelet antiaggregation agents. On the other hand, the influence of different patterns of alcohol consumption and environmental factors may explain a great part of the additional effect of wine. Protection may be mediated by modulation of other risk factors, because alcohol increases HDL-C, produces a biphasic response on blood pressure, and modulates the endothelial function, while it neither increases body weight nor impairs glucose-insulin homeostasis. Alcohol may also have a direct effect on atherogenesis. Despite these favorable effects, the current evidence is not enough to justify prescribing alcohol to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Post-Acute Coronary Syndrome Alcohol Abuse: Prospective Evaluation in the ERICO Study

Background:Some studies have indicated alcohol abuse as one of the contributors to the development of cardiovascular disease, particularly coronary heart disease. However, this relationship is controversial.Objective:To investigate the relationship between post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) alcohol abuse in the Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry Strategy (ERICO Study).Methods:146 participants from the ERICO Study answered structured questionnaires and underwent laboratory evaluations at baseline, 30 days and 180 days after ACS. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was applied to assess harmful alcohol consumption in the 12 months preceding ACS (30 day-interview) and six months after that.Results:The frequencies of alcohol abuse were 24.7% and 21.1% in the 12 months preceding ACS and six months after that, respectively. The most significant cardiovascular risk factors associated with high-risk for alcohol abuse 30 days after the acute event were: male sex (88.9%), current smoking (52.8%) and hypertension (58.3%). Six months after the acute event, the most significant results were replicated in our logistic regression, for the association between alcohol abuse among younger individuals [35-44 year-old multivariate OR: 38.30 (95% CI: 1.44-1012.56) and 45-54 year-old multivariate OR: 10.10 (95% CI: 1.06-96.46)] and for smokers [current smokers multivariate OR: 51.09 (95% CI: 3.49-748.01) and past smokers multivariate OR: 40.29 (95% CI: 2.37-685.93)].Conclusion:Individuals younger than 54 years and smokers showed a significant relation with harmful alcohol consumption, regardless of the ACS subtype.

The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Cardiac Function and Tolerance to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Male Rats

Abstract Background: Sleep deprivation (SD) is strongly associated with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. Objective: To determine the effect of SD on basal hemodynamic functions and tolerance to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in male rats. Method: SD was induced by using the flowerpot method for 4 days. Isolated hearts were perfused with Langendorff setup, and the following parameters were measured at baseline and after IR: left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP); heart rate (HR); and the maximum rate of increase and decrease of left ventricular pressure (±dp/dt). Heart NOx level, infarct size and coronary flow CK-MB and LDH were measured after IR. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at start and end of study. Results: In the SD group, the baseline levels of LVDP (19%), +dp/dt (18%), and -dp/dt (21%) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower, and HR (32%) was significantly higher compared to the controls. After ischemia, hearts from SD group displayed a significant increase in HR together with a low hemodynamic function recovery compared to the controls. In the SD group, NOx level in heart, coronary flow CK-MB and LDH and infarct size significantly increased after IR; also SD rats had higher SBP after 4 days. Conclusion: Hearts from SD rats had lower basal cardiac function and less tolerance to IR injury, which may be linked to an increase in NO production following IR.

Tolerance to salinities shocks of the invasive mussel Limnoperma fortunei under experimental conditions

The golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857), has been found in the estuarine regions of South America, including the Patos Lagoon (Brazil), a huge choked lagoon with an estuarine region that is highly unstable chemically. Limnoperna fortunei space-temporal variability in the lagoon's estuarine region demonstrated the need to evaluate this species' ability to survive under salinity shocks. A set of experiments was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. Specimens were tested under salinities of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 ppt, and were exposed for periods of 24, 48, 72, 96 and 240 hours. The mussel can survive (90%) up to a salinity shock of 2 ppt for periods of at least 10 days. Considering the influence of climatic and stochastic events and the chemical instability of the Patos Lagoon estuarine region, it's unlikely that populations could survive for longer periods (more than a year) in this area.

Cross-suppression of specific immune responses after oral tolerance

Adult normal inbred mice rendered tolerant to OVA by previous oral exposure do not respond to intraperitonela immunization with DNP-OVA in adjuvant. These tolerant mice also form less DNP-specific antibodies to DNP-KLH when immunized with mixtures of DNP-KLH and DNP-OVA, or less HGG-specific antibodies when immunized with cross-linked conjugates of OVA and HGG. These same procedures increased DNP-specific or HGG-specific responses in non-tolerant control mice. The cross-supperssion was ineffective, however, to inhibit already ongoing antibody responses.

Induced tolerance to Schistosoma mansoni antigens modulates periovular granuloma

Immunological tolerance to Schistosoma mansoni antigens induced by oral exposure of neonatal and adult mice to adult worm, soluble egg and polysaccharide antigens conducted to modulated periovular granuloma of infected mice. However the tolerance do not interfere in the infection. The estimative population and subpopulation of lymphocytes in the spleen of tolerized (not infected) animals do not differ from normal animals but Lyt 2.2 reactive lymphocytes to Schistosoma antigens was demonstrated in the tolerized animals.

Penicillin tolerance among Beta-hemolytic streptococci and production of the group carbohydrates, hemolysins, hyaluronidases and deoxyribonucleases

Penicillin tolerance among 67 strains of beta-hemolytic streptococci was examined by determining the ratio of the minimal bactericidal concentration to the minimal inhibitory concentration as 32 or greater. Tolerance was demonstrated in 15 group A strains and in 11,7, and 4 of groups B, C and G, respectively. Thereafter the effects of a subminimal inhibitory concentration (1/2MIC) of penicillin on the bacterial products of four tolerant and four nontolerant strains (two of each Lancefield group) were analyzed and compared. The antibiotic caused a marked increase in the expression of the group carbo-hydrates for strains of group B. Penicillin was found to reduce the cell-bound hemolysin activities of the four tolerant strains and to increase the activity of the other (free) form of nontolerant groups A, C and G hemolysins. Penicillin caused an increase in the extracellular hyaluronidase activities of one group A and groups B, C and G streptococci. With added antibiotic the production of deoxyribonuclease by tolerant groups A, C and G was greatly enhanced and that of the group B streptococcus was arrested.

The use of polyvinyl alcohol glutaraldehyde as solid-phase in ELISA for plague

Discs of polyvinyl alcohol cross-linked with glutaraldehyde were synthesized under acid catalysis (H2SO4). Then, the antigen F1 purified from Yersinia pestis was covalently linked to this modified polymer. Afterwards, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was established for the diagnosis of plague in rabbit and human. The best conditions for the method were achieved by using 1.3 ¼g of F1 prepared in 0.067 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.2, containing 1 M NaCl (PBS); anti-IgG peroxidase conjugate diluted 6,000 times and as a blocking agent 3% w/v skim milk in PBS. The titration of positive rabbit serum according to this procedure detected antibody concentrations up to 1:12,800 times. The present method, the conventional ELISA and passive haemagglutination assay are compared.