Purpose: Male fertility is multifaceted and its integrity is as well multifactorial. Normal spermatogenesis is dependent on competent testicular function; namely normal anatomy, histology, physiology and hormonal regulation. Lifestyle stressors, including sleep interruption and even deprivation, have been shown to seriously impact male fertility. We studied here both the effects and the possible underlying mechanisms of vitamin C on male fertility in sleep deprived rats. Methods: Thirty male Wistar albino rats were used in the present study. Rats were divided (10/group) into: control (remained in their cages with free access to food and water), sleep deprivation (SD) group (subjected to paradoxical sleep deprivation for 5 consequent days, rats received intra-peritoneal injections of vehicle daily throughout the sleep deprivation), and sleep deprivation vitamin C-treated (SDC) group (subjected to sleep deprivation for 5 consequent days with concomitant intra-peritoneal injections of 100 mg/kg/day vitamin C). Sperm analysis, hormonal assay, and measurement of serum oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were performed. Testicular gene expression of Nrf2 and NF-κβ was assessed. Structural changes were evaluated by testicular histopathology, while PCNA immunostaining was conducted to assess spermatogenesis. Results: Sleep deprivation had significantly altered sperm motility, viability, morphology and count. Serum levels of cortisol, corticosterone, IL-6, IL-17, MDA were increased, while testosterone and TAC levels were decreased. Testicular gene expression of Nrf2 was decreased, while NF-κβ was increased. Sleep deprivation caused structural changes in the testes, and PCNA immunostaining showed defective spermatogenesis. Administration of vitamin C significantly countered sleep deprivation induced deterioration in male fertility parameters. Conclusion: Treatment with vitamin C enhanced booth testicular structure and function in sleep deprived rats. Vitamin C could be a potential fertility enhancer against lifestyle stressors.
A compact dual‐band circular patch antenna is designed for implanted biomedical data telemetry systems. Several miniaturization techniques were applied to cover dual bands. The antenna has a radius of 7.5 mm, a thickness of 1.92 mm and a total volume of 340 mm3. The antenna covers MedRadio (401–405 MHz), MICS (402–405 MHz), and ISM bands (433.2–434.8 MHz, 2.4–2.5 GHz). The −10 dB bandwidths are 346–460 MHz (114 MHz) and 2.37–2.63 GHz (260 MHz). The designed antenna was fabricated and its performance was tested inside flesh samples.
Background: Globally, colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) are immune checkpoints that induce tumour immune escape.Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of PD-L1 and CTLA-4 in CRC and their relationship with clinicopathological parameters and survival data.Result: This study included 103 CRC, 22 adenoma and 21 non-neoplastic specimens. High PD-L1 epithelial expression was in favour of CRC and high-grade dysplastic adenoma compared to normal specimens. High PD-L1 epithelial expression was associated with larger sized tumours, perforation, advanced T stage, infiltrative tumour border configuration (TBC), high tumour budding (TB) score, low tumour-stroma ratio (TSR) and absence of peritumoural lymphocytes. High PD-L1+ tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) showed an association with absence of perforation, early T stage, pushing TBC, lower TB score, high TSR and presence of peritumoural lymphocytes. High epithelial CTLA-4 expression was in favour of adenocarcinoma, high-grade dysplastic adenoma and low-grade dysplastic adenoma compared to normal specimens. High CTLA-4 epithelial score showed an association with positive lymph nodes (LNs), presence of an infiltrative TBC and absence of peritumoural lymphocytes. Low CTLA-4+ TILs showed a significant association with advanced tumour stage and increased number of positive LNs. Prolonged survival was associated with low epithelial PD-L1 and CTLA-4, high PD-L1+ TILs and high CTLA-4+ TILs. By multivariate Cox regression analysis, PD-L1+ TILs immunoreactivity score (p = 0.020) and CTLA-4+ TILs H. score (p = 0.036) were independent prognostic factors affecting overall survival among the other prognostic factors.
Conclusion:PD-L1 and CTLA-4 expression by tumour cells could cooperate with each other in enhancing progression of CRC leading to poor patient outcome, while their expression by TILs could stand against tumour progression.
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