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Biomedical subjects

A Agarwal

Publications and source records attributed to A Agarwal.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Importance of reactive oxygen species in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis or idiopathic infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether reactive oxygen species in peritoneal fluid might be a factor in infertility. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Andrology laboratory and gynecology clinic at a tertiary care facility. PATIENT(S): Women with endometriosis (n = 15) or idiopathic infertility (n = 11) who underwent laparoscopy for infertility. Patients undergoing tubal ligation served as controls (n = 13). INTERVENTION(S): Aspiration of peritoneal fluid. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Reactive oxygen species levels, presence of polymorphonuclear granulocytes, and leukocyte distribution in peritoneal fluid. RESULT(S): Reactive oxygen species were present in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis, idiopathic infertility, and tubal ligation. Levels of reactive oxygen species did not show a statistically significant difference between patients with endometriosis and the control group in either unprocessed or processed (cell-free) peritoneal fluid, but did differ significantly between patients with idiopathic infertility and controls in processed peritoneal fluid. Polymorphonuclear granulocytes (> 1 x 10(6)/mL) were not present in the peritoneal fluid of any patient. Macrophage concentrations of peritoneal fluid did not differ significantly between controls and patients with endometriosis or idiopathic infertility. CONCLUSION(S): Reactive oxygen species in the peritoneal fluid may not affect fertility directly in women with endometriosis; however, they may have a role in patients with idiopathic infertility.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Seminal reactive oxygen species and sperm motility and morphology in men with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the generation of reactive oxygen species and its relation to semen characteristics in men with spinal cord injury. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Andrology laboratory at a tertiary care facility and research laboratory at a major medical center. PATIENT(S): Men with spinal cord injury and normal men. INTERVENTION(S): Collecting ejaculates from men with spinal cord injury by electroejaculation and vibratory stimulation and from normal men by masturbation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Measurement of reactive oxygen species before and after stimulation with 50 microM N-formyl-methionyl-leucylphenylalanine (FMLP) and 100 nM 12-myristate 13-acetate phorbol ester (PMA), white blood cell (WBC) concentration, sperm motility and morphology, and ejaculation method. RESULT(S): Compared with controls, levels of reactive oxygen species in men with spinal cord injury were significantly higher in unstimulated, f-MLP-stimulated, and PMA-stimulated specimens. The WBC concentration was significantly elevated in patients with spinal cord injury. Sperm motility in men with spinal cord injury was inversely related to the level of reactive oxygen species. The percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa was significantly lower in men with spinal cord injury. Levels of seminal reactive oxygen species did not differ when comparing specimen type (antegrade versus retrograde) or method of ejaculation in men with spinal cord injury. CONCLUSION(S): Men with spinal cord injury had elevated levels of reactive oxygen species in their semen. Levels of reactive oxygen species were negatively correlated with sperm motility. Levels of reactive oxygen species were independent of the method of ejaculation or the type of specimen.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Effects of cancer on spermatozoa quality after cryopreservation: a 12-year experience.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether type of cancer and response to treatment was related to prefreeze or post-thaw semen quality and to predict post-thaw sperm motility from prefreeze motility. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Tertiary care institution. PATIENT(S): One hundred six cancer patients cryopreserving their semen specimens. INTERVENTION(S): Computer-assisted semen analysis was performed before and after cryopreservation on each patient specimen. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The relationship of sperm motility and motion characteristics to type of cancer and patient's response to treatment. RESULT(S): Prefreeze and post-thaw semen quality did not differ between patients presenting with testicular cancer and Hodgkin's disease. Patients with leukemia or advanced soft tissue cancer had a higher prefreeze and post-thaw motility and higher total and motile sperm count than testicular and Hodgkin's disease patients. A prefreeze sperm motility of > or = 15% could predict a post-thaw motility of > 10%. CONCLUSION(S): Prefreeze or post-thaw semen quality in cancer patients is not affected (except the prefreeze motile sperm count within the testicular cancer patients) by the type of disease. Prefreeze motility can predict post-thaw motility. Cryopreservation of semen should be offered to cancer patients irrespective of the type of disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Effect of lipid peroxidation on cryopreserved semen quality in patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Although pre-freeze and post-thaw semen quality in patients with cancer is poor, it is not clear whether lipid peroxidation affects semen quality. This study assessed (1) whether poor semen quality in patients with cancer is caused by lipid peroxidation, and (2) whether patient age or sperm motility is associated with lipid peroxidation. METHODS: Lipid peroxidation was measured by determining malonaldehyde levels using the thiobarbituric acid method. Malonaldehyde levels were measured in cryopreserved semen specimens from patients with testicular (n = 15) or nontesticular cancer (n = 16) and normal men (control subjects, n = 20). A computer-assisted semen analyzer was used to determine the sperm concentration and motility before and after cryopreservation. RESULTS: Malonaldehyde levels did not differ in frozen-thawed semen specimens among patients with testicular (25.90 +/- 1.00 nM/10(8) sperm/hr) or nontesticular cancer (24.48 +/- 1.66 nM/10(8) sperm/hr), and control subjects (24.86 +/- 1.43 nM/10(8) sperm/hr). Malonaldehyde levels did not correlate with post-thaw sperm motility or patient age in patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer. Post-thaw sperm motility from patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer was significantly lower than that in normal subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The poor post-thaw semen quality in patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer is not related to lipid peroxidation but may be caused by other factors such as sperm membrane stress induced during the freeze-thaw process.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Effect of cryopreservation and sperm concentration on lipid peroxidation in human semen.

OBJECTIVES: To assess (1) the effect of increased lipid peroxidation on sperm membrane damage that occurs during the freeze-thaw process of cryopreservation; (2) the effect of sperm concentration on lipid peroxidation in normal fertile men; and (3) the relation between sperm motility, morphology, and lipid peroxidation. METHODS: Lipid peroxidation was measured as levels of malonaldehyde by the thiobarbituric acid method. Malonaldehyde levels in fresh and frozen-thawed semen specimens from normal donors (n = 20) were compared at a sperm concentration of 20 x 10(6)/mL. Sperm concentrations of 5, 10, 20, and 40 x 10(6)/mL were used to assess the effect of sperm concentration on malonaldehyde levels in frozen specimens. A computer-assisted semen analyzer was used to analyze sperm concentrations and motility. Comparison of the effect of TEST-yolk buffer, glycerol, and Ham's F-10 buffer on lipid peroxidation was studied in fresh semen from normal fertile men (n = 5). RESULTS: Malonaldehyde levels did not differ between fresh and cryopreserved semen specimens (P = 0.99). There was no difference in malonaldehyde levels from TEST-yolk buffer, glycerol, and Ham's F-10 buffer. As sperm concentrations increased, so did malonaldehyde levels, from 1.21 +/- 0.05 nM/hr at 5 x 10(6)/mL to 3.50 +/- 0.46 nM/hr at 40 x 10(6)/mL (P = 0.000007). Sperm motility, morphology, and malonaldehyde levels in freeze-thaw specimens were not correlated before or after removal of the cryoprotective medium. CONCLUSIONS: Malonaldehyde levels do not differ between fresh and frozen semen in normal men. Cryopreservation-induced membrane damage is not related to lipid peroxidation but may be associated with stress induced during freezing and thawing. Malonaldehyde levels increase as sperm concentrations increase. There is no correlation between sperm motility, morphology, and malonaldehyde levels.

Cryopreservation↗
PubMed1997

Prevention of testicular damage by free-radical scavengers.

OBJECTIVES: The role of free radicals as mediators of ischemic injury to the testicle has been the subject of much investigation. We studied whether the testicular damage induced in the rat by cadmium chloride (CdCl2) can be prevented by administration of free-radical scavengers. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 45) were divided into 9 groups as follows: a negative control group; two positive control groups, one of which received injection of 1 mg/kg body weight of CdCl2 and the other 4 mg/kg body weight; and six cotreatment groups, each of which underwent one of these three procedures but was concurrently treated with heparin, oxypurinol, or superoxide dismutase (SOD). The damage was assessed by measurement of testicular weight, lactate dehydrogenase-X (LDH-X) activity, and histology. RESULTS: Testicular weight decreased significantly in the positive control groups (P < 0.05) compared to the negative control group, whereas testicular weight in oxypurinol or SOD cotreatment groups did not decrease significantly with the exception of those rats given the higher dose of CdCl2. The results were similar with regard to testicular LDH-X activity and histology. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that CdCl2 induces impairment of testicular function and causes a marked reduction in testicular LDH-X activity; that LDH-X activity is a biological marker of testicular damage; and that, except at high doses of CdCl2, this damage can be prevented by oxypurinol or SOD.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Effects of cryopreserved semen quality and timed intrauterine insemination on pregnancy rate and gender of offspring in a donor insemination program.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to study the relationship among cryopreserved donor semen quality, pregnancy rates, and preconception sex selection after intrauterine insemination. METHODS: We reviewed the records of the 203 women in our donor insemination program from 1987 to 1994 who became pregnant after more than one insemination cycle and had no female-factor infertility. They were categorized according to the number of cycles required for pregnancy. Semen samples from 54 donors were analyzed before freezing and after thawing. Specimens resulting in pregnancy were compared to specimens from the same donor that did not. Semen characteristics were compared to gender of the child. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty two-women became pregnant of the 422 who were enrolled. The pregnancy rate per cycle was 13%. Semen quality was not related to pregnancy outcome or offspring gender. However, more male children (101 vs 83) were born. CONCLUSIONS: Semen characteristics in good-quality cryopreserved donor semen do not affect pregnancy rate or offspring gender.

Cryopreservation↗
PubMed1997

Creatine kinase level and lipid peroxidation rate in human spermatozoa from patients with cancer.

PURPOSE: The present study assessed whether the poor semen quality in patients with cancer results from the inhibition of sperm maturation as indicated by creatine kinase or from increased oxidative stress as assessed by lipid peroxidation of the sperm membrane. METHODS: Cryopreserved semen specimens from patients with testicular (n = 10) and nontesticular (n = 12) cancer and normal healthy donors (n = 14) were analyzed for lipid peroxidation and creatine kinase levels. RESULTS: The levels of creatine kinase and malonaldehyde did not differ among testicular or nontesticular patients with cancer or normal healthy donors. CONCLUSIONS: Poor semen quality in testicular and nontesticular patients with cancer is not related to creatine kinase or lipid peroxidation levels; it may be related to other factors.

Creatine Kinase↗
PubMed1997

B cell responses to a peptide epitope. II: Multiple levels of selection during maturation of primary responses.

This report analyses murine primary humoral recognition of a linear domain (MEP 17-31) within a 100 amino acid polypeptide, MEP-1. An analysis of the early primary IgM response revealed that MEP 17-31 presented at least two distinct domains for pre-immune B cell recognition represented by MEP-1 residues 19-23 and 26-28. However, subsequent maturation into an IgG response saw an exclusive selection for the anti-MEP 19-23 component with loss of all alternate specificities. The IgM response to MEP 19-23 was oligoclonal and composed of diverse paratope phenotypes as evidenced by varied heavy chains of immunoglobulin V-D-J combinations and CDR3 sequences. In contrast to the oligoclonality of IgM mAb, the mature IgG response to MEP 19-23 appeared to derive predominantly from a single progenitor. It therefore appears that maturation of primary humoral responses to polypeptide antigens involves two distinct levels of selection. While there is selection for a restricted subset of the initially induced antibody fine-specificities, progression of the response also entails a reduction in clonal heterogeneity of B cells responding to the dominant epitope.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Glomerular and vascular tissues do not down-regulate nitric oxide synthesis during protracted endotoxemia.

Down-regulation of cytokines is implicated as an important component of the phenomenon of tolerance to bacterial products in humans and animals. Since many effects of endotoxin and cytokines are mediated by nitric oxide, this study was designed to evaluate in vivo the L-arginine:NO pathway in endotoxin tolerance. Sublethal injections of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/kg body wt, i.p.) were given to rats daily for five days. Blood levels of NO2-/NO3-, stable metabolites of nitric oxide (NO), significantly increased on day 1 (baseline, 89.64 +/- 40, day 1, 260.32 +/- 36 nmol/ml; P < 0.05) but returned to baseline levels on day 5 (77.60 +/- 5 nmol/ml). However, urinary NO2-/NO3- remained significantly elevated several-fold throughout the study period (baseline, 121.25 +/- 11.4, day 1, 899.35 +/- 15.8, day 5, 250.23 +/- 21.4 nmol/hr/100 g body wt). Glomeruli and aortae obtained from these rats showed increased NO production that was maintained at similar levels even at day 5 (glomeruli: control, 0.01 +/- 0.0, day 1, 22.4 +/- 0.3, and day 5, 22.0 +/- 2.5, P < 0.05 vs. control; aortae; control, 0.01 +/- 0.0, day 1, 4.3 +/- 2.2, and day 5, 5.4 +/- 1.0 nmol/hr/mg protein, P < 0.05 vs. control, respectively); this further increased significantly in response to in vitro LPS challenge. However, peritoneal macrophages, liver and spleen showed an initial increase in NO production that decreased significantly by the fifth day of LPS and could not be further stimulated by in vitro LPS challenge. Thus, in vivo NO synthesis is down-regulated during protracted LPS. Our results show that the process is relatively specific to the liver, spleen and macrophages, and is qualitatively and quantitatively different in vascular tissues such as aortae and glomeruli.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Subacute bacterial endocarditis masquerading as type III essential mixed cryoglobulinemia.

An adult man presented severely ill with vasculitis of his lower extremities and with impaired kidney function. After detailed evaluation at a local hospital, a diagnosis of essential type III cryoglobulinemia was made. High-dose steroid and cyclophosphamide therapy was begun. The patient improved dramatically. However, 6 wk later when his steroid dose was reduced to 30 mg daily, vasculitis recurred. Intensifying his immunosuppressive therapy only worsened his condition. He was than transferred to the Ohio State University Medical Center for consideration for plasmapheresis for the presumed essential type III cryoglobulinemia. However, our evaluation showed that he had bacterial endocarditis causing his type III cryoglobulinemia. When immunosuppressive drugs were stopped and antibiotics were begun, his condition resolved completely. This case illustrates the difficulty of identifying infectious causes of cryoglobulinemia and emphasizes that an initial, highly favorable response of vasculitis to immunosuppressive therapy does not exclude an infectious cause for the vasculitis.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1997

Temporal induction of clusterin in cisplatin nephrotoxicity.

Clusterin is a ubiquitous glycoprotein induced in many organs, including the kidney, at times of tissue injury and/or remodeling. It is speculated in this study that clusterin preserves cell interactions that are otherwise perturbed by renal insults. The purpose of this study was to examine clusterin expression after cisplatin nephrotoxicity, a model characterized by a delayed time course of injury and a well-defined site of that injury (proximal tubule). Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with intravenous cisplatin (6 mg/kg) or vehicle. Serum creatinine concentrations were measured and kidneys harvested at 1, 2, and 5 days. Marked induction of clusterin mRNA was seen only at 5 days, a time when serum creatinine concentration was the highest. Histology of kidney tissue 5 days after cisplatin administration revealed marked tubular necrosis localized to the outer stripe of the outer medulla, a region rich in proximal tubules. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization at 5 days demonstrated clusterin primarily in the inner stripe of the outer medulla. In conclusion, expression of clusterin follows renal injury with cisplatin at a time corresponding to the morphologic evidence of tubular necrosis and cell detachment; quite surprisingly, such expression occurs at a site distant from the primary injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Effect of artificial stimulants on cryopreserved spermatozoa from cancer patients.

PURPOSE: We determined whether cryopreserved sperm samples obtained from cancer patients before treatment respond to artificial motility stimulants and if this response is related to the extent of disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-freeze distribution of disease stage in the different types of cancer and the percentage of the population with or without oligospermia before cryopreservation were examined. Cryopreserved semen samples from 17 cancer patients (10 with testicular cancer, 5 with Hodgkin's disease and 2 with other metastatic disease) were examined for a relationship between post-thaw sperm motion characteristics and patient age or status (survived versus died) and type of disease. Motion characteristics (curvilinear velocity, straight line velocity, average path velocity, linearity and amplitude of lateral head displacement) were analyzed on a computer assisted semen analyzer before (time 0), and 30 and 60 minutes after addition of a 2.5 mM. concentration of pentoxifylline and 2-deoxyadenosine. RESULTS: Post-thaw sperm motion characteristics were not correlated with patient age or status, whether they did or did not have oligospermia, or type of cancer. Compared to baseline values, sperm motion characteristics increased significantly after stimulation at time 0 (p < 0.02) and at 60 minutes (p < 0.05). Oligospermic or nonoligospermic specimens responded to the same extent with pentoxifylline and 2-deoxyadenosine. A negative correlation was noted between overall stage, and type of disease and motion characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Sperm banking should be encouraged at cancer diagnosis regardless of semen quality. Artificial stimulation of sperm motility results in significant improvement in sperm motion characteristics.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Usefulness of the acrobead test in evaluating human acrosome function in fresh and cryopreserved sperm.

PURPOSE: Assays for the acrosome reaction are usually cumbersome and lack reproducibility. Accurate determination of acrosomal status is important in patients diagnosed with male infertility before proceeding with intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization. We determined the optimum capacitation time and acrosomal status of fresh semen specimens in normal fertile men with the Acrobead test, and whether the assay could be used to evaluate cryopreserved semen specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen samples from 13 normal donors were divided, with half of the fresh ejaculate used for the Acrobead test and half cryopreserved for a minimum of 24 hours in liquid nitrogen before testing. Fresh and frozen specimens were prepared with the swim-up technique. Sperm concentration was adjusted to 4, 2, 1 and 0.5 x 10(6)/ml. in 4 wells of a 96-well tissue culture plate. Ten microl. polyacrylamide beads (1.5 x 10(6)/ml.) coated with anti-CD46 monoclonal antibodies (MH61 beads) were added to each well. The attachment of beads with acrosome reacted spermatozoa was scored after 0, 1, 3, 6 and 24 hours of incubation. Results were graded on a scale of 0 (no bead binding to the sperm) to 4 (complete attachment to the beads). Specimens with scores of at least 2 were considered normal. RESULTS: A score of at least 2 was noted in 3 of 13 fresh specimens (15.3%) at 1, 9 (69.2%) at 3, 11 (84.6%) at 6 and 13 (100%) after 24 hours. However, a significantly greater number of frozen specimens (8 of 13, or 62%) had a score of 2 or more at 1 hour of incubation and 100% bead attachment to sperm occurred at 3 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that in fresh semen specimens an incubation period of 6 to 24 hours can be used to screen individuals who present with normal sperm characteristics but have slow acrosome reactions. Early acrosome reaction observed in cryopreserved specimens indicates that these spermatozoa may have membrane damage and leakage of acrosome contents as a result of the freeze-thaw process. The Acrobead assay is a simple and objective test that can be used at a clinical andrology laboratory to evaluate the acrosomal status of fresh but not frozen human spermatozoa.

Acrosome↗
PubMed1997

Intraoperative ultrasonography for insulinoma: a preliminary experience.

BACKGROUND: A majority of insulinomas are benign and intrapancreatic. Because surgery is curative in 90% of cases, and almost 60% are not detected by preoperative imaging studies, precise intraoperative localization is essential. Recently, the use of high-resolution real-time ultrasonography has facilitated intraoperative detection. METHODS: Intraoperative ultrasonography using a high-frequency probe was performed in four patients with biochemically proven insulinomas. RESULTS: Ultrasonography helped to localize the insulinomas, and also helped in surgical decision-making by accurately documenting the relationship of the tumor to vital structures. CONCLUSION: Besides its ability to find islet cell tumors, intraoperative ultrasonography also affects surgical decision-making.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

Artificial stimulation of cryopreserved human spermatozoa by sodium nitroprusside, 2-chloroadenosine, and 2-deoxyadenosine.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), 2-chloroadenosine (2-CLA), and 2-deoxyadenosine (2-DA) on sperm motility and motion characteristics of cryopreserved human spermatozoa. METHODS: Thawed semen samples from healthy donors (n = 10) were incubated with the stimulants for 0, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min. The final concentrations used were SNP 25, 50, and 100 nM; 2-CLA 12.5, 25, and 50 microM, and 2-DA 0.5, 1, and 2.5 mM. Sperm motility and changes in motion characteristics were measured on a computer-assisted semen analyzer. RESULTS: Compared with control (0 min, no stimulant), a significant improvement in percentage motility was generally seen with all three stimulants even at 180 min. The sperm motility improved at concentrations of 50 and 100 nM for SNP (except at 120 min), 25 and 50 microM for 2-CLA, and at all concentrations of 2-DA. Other sperm motion characteristics increased to varying extent with the stimulants. Of the three stimulants, all concentrations of 2-DA resulted in significant increases in curvilinear velocity, average path velocity, and amplitude of lateral head displacement at 60 min of incubation. CONCLUSIONS: All three stimulants significantly increased percentage motility for extended intervals of time. 2-DA also improved sperm motion characteristics, though these changes were less uniform with 2-CLA. Motility stimulation by these chemicals may be beneficial in the treatment of cryopreserved and oligozoospermic sperm specimens for use in assisted reproduction.

2-Chloroadenosine↗