Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Bratanov

Publications and source records attributed to K Bratanov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Reproductive immunology: a prospective marginal field of biomedical sciences.

This analytical overview attempts to cover the main achievements and trends in research and clinical investigation in animal and human reproductive immunology published in the 3-year period (1982-1985) between Fifth and Sixth Varna Symposia. New and successful steps have been made in immunodiagnostics, immunotherapy, and immunoprophylaxis of immunologically conditioned infertility. Considerable progress has been made in isolating and purifying immunogenic reproductive tract components that might be candidates in the preparation of contraceptive vaccines. With the modern developments in immunochemistry and cytoimmunology, including monoclonal biotechnology, new biological factors have been identified that play a role in integral regulation of the immune reactions to reproductive antigens, both locally and systemically. The practical significance of reproductive immunology is emphasized.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Further immunological studies on components of the kallikrein-kinin system. Immunomodulatory effect in mice.

Porcine pancreatic kallikrein and synthetic bradykinin usually applied for stimulation of sperm motility were administered in mice to study their effect on the immune response. Humoral immune response was recorded by the number of direct plaque-forming cells in spleen-cell suspension, and the cell-mediated immune response was determined by the survival rate of allogeneic skin grafts. Kallikrein exerted suppressive influence both on the primary and on the secondary humoral immune response accompanied by well-expressed splenomegaly but bradykinin stimulated the humoral immune response. Both substances did not affect the cell-mediated immune response.

Animals↗

Certain immunological relationships between the pancreatic kallikrein and spermatozoa.

The immunological relationship between kallikrein and acrosomal extracts from bull, ram, boar, and human spermatozoa was studied. Highly purified porcine pancreatic kallikrein was used and rabbit antikallikrein serum was produced. The immunochemical analysis did not reveal any antigenic relationship between kallikrein and the acrosomal extracts from spermatozoa of these species. Preincubation of spermatozoa in rabbit antikallikrein serum did not induce any changes in the acrosomal proteolytic activity. The antikallikrein serum significantly inhibited the motility of bull and boar spermatozoa but did not exert any marked influence on the motility of ram and human spermatozoa.

Acrosin↗

Effect of antisperm sera on the acrosomal proteolytic activity in vitro.

The effect of isoimmune antisperm sera from heifers and the effect of sera from cows and women with unexplained infertility were studied on the sperm acrosomal proteolytic activity (SAPA) of bull and human spermatozoa. All the sera were preliminarily tested by the method of Kibrick, and the cow sera were additionally tested by method of Isojima et al. Ejaculated bull and human spermatozoa were incubated in a medium containing antisera. SAPA was monitored on KODAK AR-10 autoradiographic plates according to Wendt et al. In some experiments the bull spermatozoa were preincubated in a medium containing 30% follicular fluid to induce capacitation and acrosomal reaction. The incubation of spermatozoa in isoimmune sera led to a marked inhibition of SAPA. A similar effect was observed when sera from cows and women with unexplained infertility were used. Preincubation of bull spermatozoa in follicular fluid intensified SAPA. The subsequent treatment with sera from infertile cows with high titres of spermagglutinins strongly inhibited this activity.

Acrosin↗

Effect of kallikrein on bull sperm motility in vitro.

The application of kallikrein--a kinin-releasing porcine pancreatic kininogenase--exerted considerable stimulation of bull sperm motility in vitro. The kallikrein was used in two concentrations: 1 and 100 KU/ml semen. Both concentrations gave similar effect: at the 4th hour of incubation at room temperature the motility rate of spermatozoa exceeded five and four times, respectively, that of the control samples. Higher penetrating ability of bull spermatozoa in cow's estral secretion was also recorded in the experimental samples treated with kallikrein in both concentrations at the 2nd and 4th hour of incubation in comparison with the controls.

Animals↗