Characteristic of spermogram parameters in men with reproductive pathology in age-related aspect

Introduction. The prevalence of andrological diseases among adolescents and young adults resulting in lowered reproductive potential has been noted to progressively increase. At the same time, the number of couples starting to manage reproductive issues after 35–40 years of age highlighting the onset of male androgen deficiency continues to rise. Therefore, the analysis of spermogram as the key element in assessing male reproductive potential is better to conduct at different age periods of man's life.Aim: to compare spermogram parameters in different age groups of patients with reproductive pathology.Materials and Мethods. The analysis of spermograms in adolescents with left-sided grade II–III varicocele aged 17 years and in infertile males aged 22–48 years was performed. Semen analysis was conducted in accordance with the standards of the 5 th edition of the World Health Organization and included the following parameters: semen volume (ml), sperm concentration (million/ml), total sperm count (million), acidity, viscosity, progressive motility, total motility, viability, morphology, detected mucus, leukocytes, amyloid bodies, lecithin grains as well as sperm aggregation and agglutination. The stained preparations were used to assess the morphology of spermatozoa and spermatogenesis cells. According to the spermogram data obtained, the following conclusions were drawn: normozoospermia, oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia. Statistical analysis was performed by using Statistica 10.0 software (StatSoft Inc., USA). The normality distribution was assessed using the χ2 test. Quantitative parameters were presented as arithmetic means and standard deviations (M ± SD). Assessing significance of differences was performed by using the Student's t-test, whereas inter-parameter correlation relations were analyzed by using the linear Pearson's correlation coefficient. A significance level between inter-group parameters was set at p < 0.05.Results. It was found that adolescents with varicocele vs. adult men had significantly decreased ejaculate volume. In particular, the average ejaculate volume in adolescents and adult men was 2.32 ± 1.22 ml and 3.50 ± 1.44 ml, respectively, so that the larger number of young patients were noted to have ejaculate volume below 1.5 ml. Compared to young subjects, aged patients had decreased sperm concentration (35.88 ± 25.74 versus 72.20 ± 49.32 million/ml) and total sperm count (120.58 ± 91.72 versus 173.07 ± 163.92 million). Young patients were found to have significantly superior data in all categories of sperm motility, whereas infertile men were diagnosed with impaired sperm motility. In particular, adolescents were featured with the average number of spermatozoa displaying fast and slow translational movement comprising 17.12 ± 11.04 % and 29.30 ± 12.29 %, respectively, the proportion of progressive motility spermatozoa was 46.20 ± 19.82 %. In contrast, similar parameters in adult men were 5.10 ± 6.36 %, 19.80 ± 9.61 %, and 24.95 ± 11.23 %, respectively. In infertile men prevalence of lacked spermatozoa with rapid forward movement was 46 (46.0 %), in adolescents – 8 (8.6%), whereas rate of immotile spermatozoa in infertile men, on average, accounted for 53.10 ± 14.56 %, in adolescents – 34.40 ± 21.83 %. In addition, adolescents with varicocele had significantly fewer spermatozoa with normal morphology – 14.14 ± 8.06 % (in adult men – 30.08 ± 17.94 %), there were more abundant defects in the sperm head – 58.01 ± 12.43 % (in men – 48.83 ± 18.95 %) and flagella – 17.24 ± 6.31 % (in men – 10.29 ± 6.21 %). The data obtained showed that adolescents were more often diagnosed with normozoospermia – in 49 (52.7 %) cases, in infertile men – in 12 (12.0 %) cases, whereas in aged men asthenozoospermia was detected in 82 (82.0 %) cases, in adolescents – 5 (5.4 %) cases.Conclusion. The abnormalities in the spermogram revealed in adolescents may be associated with unestablished spermatogenesis. Normozoospermia more common in adolescents with varicocele may evidence about preserved reproductive potential. Impaired sperm motility in aged patients seems to be related to the formation of oxidative stress and damage to spermatozoa by reactive oxygen species due to combined age-related changes, cumulation of the negative effects of environmental and lifestyle factors, as well as comorbidities.

Function of Follicular Cytokines: Roles Played during Maturation, Development and Implantation of Embryo

A balance within the immune system is necessary for the proper development of ovarian follicles. Numerous cytokines were detected in follicular fluid, the role of which in reproductive physiology seems crucial. They influence the development and maturation of the follicle, ovulation, and corpus luteum formation, as well as embryo implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. The analysis of follicular fluid requires its collection by puncturing of the ovary, which is usually executed in connection with various gynaecological procedures. When interpreting such test results, clinical indications for a given procedure and the method of patient preparation should be taken into account. This review revealed the results of currently available studies on the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines in follicular fluid in various forms of infertility. Additionally, it presented cytokines, whose concentration has a significant impact on the size of ovarian follicles, their number, the effectiveness of in vitro fertilisation, development of the embryo, and chances of correct implantation. Despite the many recent publications, the knowledge of follicular fluid immunology in the context of reproductive pathology is superficial and further research is required to extensively understand the roles of individual cytokines in reproductive pathology. In the future, this knowledge may enable patients’ individual qualifications to individual methods of infertility treatment, as well as the possible adjustment of the treatment regimen to the patient’s immune profile.

First person – Viju Vijayan Pillai and Prasanthi Koganti

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Viju Vijayan Pillai and Prasanthi Koganti are co-first authors on ‘ Efficient induction and sustenance of pluripotent stem cells from bovine somatic cells’, published in BIO. Viju conducted the research described within this article while a PhD student in the lab of Vimal Selvaraj at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, and is now a resident veterinary anatomic pathologist at Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA, investigating reproductive pathology and early embryonic development. Prasanthi is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Vimal Selvaraj at Cornell University, investigating molecular mechanisms that regulate cellular functions.

Men's Reproductive Health: Oxidative Stress and the Effectiveness of Antioxidant Therapy

This review article surveys and summarizes the literature data concerning the problems of deterioration of the main indicators of men's reproductive health and the effectiveness of therapy with drugs with antioxidant properties. The analysis of domestic and foreign literature confirms that oxidative stress (OS) accompanies and/or is one of the pathogenetic links in the development of many types of reproductive pathology in men. The health status of the male population is influenced by the following factors: lifestyle, existing diseases, the state of the environment, and the genotype of the population. The interaction of several weak, but unidirectional, factors creates a high risk of developing male reproductive pathology. The polyetiological nature of fertility disorders in men causes certain difficulties in creating adequate methods of treating this pathology and causes multicomponent biocomplexes to appear on the pharmaceutical market that contain active substances that can affect the quality of the ejaculate.

Prevalence of Reproductive Disorders including Mammary Tumors and Associated Mortality in Female Dogs

Female dogs, especially intact or neutered lately, are at increased risk for reproductive disorders including mammary tumors (MTs). This retrospective study evaluated the prevalence of reproductive pathology and associated mortality in a cohort of female dogs presented at a single veterinary clinic. The medical records of female dogs born in 2000–2003 were reviewed. The study included 599 cases, of which 293 were followed up until death. Causes of death were analyzed according to the spaying status. Among the 599 female dogs, 306 were intact (51%), 50 (8%) had been spayed before 2 years of age (ES, early spaying), and 243 (41%) after 2 years (LS, late spaying). During their lifetime, 79 dogs (13.2%) developed pyometra, and 160 (26.7%) a mammary tumor. Among the 293 dogs with complete follow-up, 103 (35.1%) had at least one MT during their lifetime, of which 53 (51.5%) died of their mammary cancer. Spayed (ES + LS) female dogs had a 4-fold decreased risk of dying from mammary cancer (OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.11–0.47, p < 0.0001) compared to intact females. In this low-sterilization rate population, MTs developed in 35.1% of female dogs over their lifetime and was the cause of death in half of them.

Сell death and its significance in reproductive pathology

Since the middle of the last century, scientists have been interested in the mechanisms of regulation of cell division, differentiation and aging of cells. The first objects of study were insects, helminths and other living organisms. From the very beginning, in the biology of cell development and regulation, scientists have attached leading importance to genetic factors. Later, more and more experience was gained on the influence of intracellular factors, metabolic changes and exogenous pathogens on the programmed cell death. Recent research on cell biology and pathology has focused on the study of apoptosis. The first described phenomenon of programmed cell death was apoptosis. Subsequent studies were aimed at the study programmed cell death. This review will provide an opportunity to consider the biological mechanisms of programmed cell death, differences and species characteristics. The author described the clinical aspects of apoptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis and their importance in the formation of cellular homeostasis. In the present review article simple classification system, where the cell death entities are primarily categorized into programmed cell death. Multiple mechanisms and phenotypes compose programmed non-apoptotic cell death, including: autophagy, entosis, methuosis and paraptosis, mitoptosis and parthanatos, ferroptosis, pyroptosis NETosis and necroptosis. Changes of cellular regulation at development of pathologies at people and animals are considered. Cell biology includes a variety of mechanisms of programmed aging and death. Modern research is aimed at deepening the study multiple mechanisms and phenotypes compose programmed. Cells. will certainly be taken into account by the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death. Cellular regulation is associated with a variety of physiological mechanisms of development, and is also important in processes such as inflammation, immune response, embryogenesis maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Study of factors of influence and mechanisms of regulation of aging of cells opens a curtain for development of the newest means of diagnostics of pathologies and development of pharmacological means for correction of cellular mechanisms at development of pathologies.

Noscapine Acts as a Protease Inhibitor of In Vitro Elastase-Induced Collagen Deposition in Equine Endometrium

Endometrosis is a reproductive pathology that is responsible for mare infertility. Our recent studies have focused on the involvement of neutrophil extracellular traps enzymes, such as elastase (ELA), in the development of equine endometrosis. Noscapine (NOSC) is an alkaloid derived from poppy opium with anticough, antistroke, anticancer, and antifibrotic properties. The present work investigates the putative inhibitory in vitro effect of NOSC on collagen type I alpha 2 chain (COL1A2) mRNA and COL1 protein relative abundance induced by ELA in endometrial explants of mares in the follicular or mid-luteal phases at 24 or 48 h of treatment. The COL1A2 mRNA was evaluated by qPCR and COL1 protein relative abundance by Western blot. In equine endometrial explants, ELA increased COL 1 expression, while NOSC inhibited it at both estrous cycle phases and treatment times. These findings contribute to the future development of new endometrosis treatment approaches. Noscapine could be a drug capable of preventing collagen synthesis in mare’s endometrium and facilitate the therapeutic approach.

Features of the health status of women with genital prolapse

Introduction. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the issues of genital prolapse. This is largely due to the increase in women life expectancy and the need to provide them with a decent quality of life, as prolapse is quite often accompanied by dysfunction of the pelvic organs. In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of literature on undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD). However, most of these studies consider therapeutic or vertebro-neurological problems, while the high prevalence rates of this pathology call for additional research on the pathogenetic mechanisms of the effect of UCTD on pelvic organ prolapse, which will allow us to decide on the choice of subsequent treatment.The purpose and objectives. Asess the effect of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (UCTD) on the formation of disorders of the somatic, gynecological and reproductive health status in women with genital prolapse.Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, we examined 204 women with genital prolapse in the POP-Q classification of stage 2–3, of which 97 were diagnosed with UCTD (the main group), and the remaining 107 patients made up the comparison group.Results. To evaluate the influence of UCTD on the formation of somatic, gynecological and reproductive health disorders in women with genital prolapse. We analyzed anamnestic indications for somatic, gynecological and reproductive pathology of women, as well as assessed the current state of health of patients with genital prolapse. It was found that it is UCTD that determines the development of a particular form of gynecological pathology and affects the formation of genital prolapse.Conclusion. UCTD manifests as various forms of somatic and gynecological health disorders throughout the life of women with genital prolapse.

Opportunities of genetic diagnostics of reproduction disorders in a married couple

Приведена информация о необходимости использования современных генетических методов диагностики у пациентов с нарушением репродукции. There is high relevance of medical genetics examination and genetic counseling in patients with reproductive pathology.