The aim of the present study was to develop a treatment supporting the membrane of ram spermatozoa. Semen of different ejaculates collected from breeding rams was mixed and samples of 10 9 sperm cells per ml and Tris-egg yolk extender were completed with the following antioxidants: α-tocopherol acetate (E), glutathione peroxidase (GP), Aromex ® (AR), resveratrol (R), resveratrol + vitamin E (RE), resveratrol + Aromex ® (RAR), resveratrol + GP (RGP). Peroxidation was evaluated by the analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA) during incubation for 30, 60 and 120 min at 37 °C as well as during a 24-h incubation at 5 °C. The success of preservation was checked in a 9-day-long period by observing the acrosomal defects and the motility of spermatozoa. Concentration of MDA was 4.06 nmol/10 9 spermatozoa in samples treated with 15 µg R while the control sample contained 69.79 nmol MDA per 10 9 spermatozoa after 24-h incubation. Following 30-, 60-and 120-min storage the concentration of MDA in control and R-treated samples was 25.89, 36.91, 49.57 and 3.69, 3.74, 3.74 nmol/10 9 spermatozoa, respectively. Moreover, a significantly higher proportion of motile sperm cells was observed in the treated than in the control samples. The frequency of acrosomal defects was lower in the treated groups than in the control. These results indicate that RAR treatment can improve the effects of ram semen preservation.Key words: Ram semen, antioxidant, conservation, sperm motility, acrosomal damage Conservation of the fertilising capacity of fresh semen for the longest possible time is essential in the practice of artificial insemination for all farm animal species including sheep. A basic problem with the conservation of ram semen is the high unsaturated fatty acid content of the membrane of spermatozoa. These unsaturated fatty acids tend to bind oxygen, which results in the formation of numerous peroxide bonds. These undesired peroxidation processes result in disruption of the sperm cell membrane and consequently impair the fertilising capacity of semen.

No abstract

No abstract

A decreased placental vascularization could be an adjunct sonographic marker in the diagnosis of diabetic pregnancy in mid-gestation and late gestation.

No abstract

Background: M eni ere's disease is characterised by episodic rotational vertigo, sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and vegetative symptoms. Objectives: The aim of our study is to follow-up the effects of the intratympanic steroid treatment of hearing loss in MD. Material and methods: A group of 105 clinically diagnosed MD patients were enrolled in this investigation. Long-term follow-up was carried out, and pure tone speech audiometry results of the subjects before and after application of steroid were contrasted. Statistical analysis was carried out using the IBM SPSS V24 software. Results: Based on the audiograms in this population, all stages of hearing loss were presented (from slight to profound). In most of the cases (68.6%), after intratympanic dexamethasone treatment, stagnation in the hearing profile was achieved. Moreover, there was a smaller group demonstrating hearing improvement after the treatment (12.4%). According to logistic regression [p ¼ .001; Odds ratio: 2.75 (95% CI 1.068-4.442,)], there was a strong correlation between hearing improvement and dexamethasone treatment (all patients were treated with intratympanic dexamethasone, while improvement without steroid treatment could never be attained). Conclusions and significance: Intratympanically administered dexamethasone is a potent agent to prevent the progression of hearing loss in MD.

Purpose To contrast the quality of life (QoL) impairment and depression scores of patients suffering from different vestibular disorders. Methods 301 patients were examined due to vertiginous complaints at the Neurotology Centre of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of Semmelweis University. These patients completed the Hungarian version of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised questionnaires. Results According to neurotological examination, the distribution of the different diagnoses was as follows: Menière’s disease (n = 101), central vestibular disorders (n = 67), BPPV (n = 47), vestibular neuritis (n = 39), other unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy (n = 18), PPPD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness) (n = 16), vestibular migraine (n = 8), and vestibular Schwannoma (n = 5). The results of the DHI questionnaire have indicated worsened QoL in 86.4%, out of which 33.6% was defined as severe. The Beck scale has shown depressive symptoms in 42.3% of the cases, with severe symptoms in 6.3%. Significantly higher total DHI and Beck scale results were observed in patients with central vestibular disorders, vestibular migraine, PPPD and peripheral vestibulopathy, contrasted to the results of the other four diagnosis groups. The onset of the symptoms did not significantly affect the severity of QoL worsening and depression symptoms. Conclusion In this study, the QoL of vertiginous patients was worse in general, with the occurrence of depression symptoms. A difference was observed in the case of the values of patients with different vestibular disorders, indicating the importance of different factors, e.g., central vestibular compensation, behavioural strategies and psychological factors.

Semen of an infertile Dutch White (Saanenthal) goat buck was examined. Light and electron microscopic examinations showed aberrations of the sperm tails resembling the so-called Dag or Dag-like defects described in several cattle breeds. Ejaculated semen showed that virtually all of the cells had strongly coiled or broken tails, or fractured midpieces. Ultrastructural investigations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed uneven distribution of the mitochondria in the midpiece. Coiled tails were encapsulated by a common membrane, and dislocated axial fibres and different membranous structures were also present. The ultrastructural characteristics of the defective sperm tails, the missing parts of the axial fibre bundle and the misalignment of the mitochondria indicate that this first case reported in goat is similar to the Dag-like defect in cattle.