There has been a growing interest over the past few years in the impact of male nutrition on fertility. Infertility has been linked to male overweight or obesity, and conventional semen parameter values seem to be altered in case of high body mass index (BMI). A few studies assessing the impact of BMI on sperm DNA integrity have been published, but they did not lead to a strong consensus. Our objective was to explore further the relationship between sperm DNA integrity and BMI, through a 3-year multicentre study. Three hundred and thirty male partners in subfertile couples were included. Using the terminal uridine nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay, we observed an increased rate of sperm DNA damage in obese men (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.5 (1.2-5.1)).

In this study with large samples of patients, the use of saquinavir-hgc was associated with higher risk of virological failure at 12 months than were ritonavir and indinavir; no differences between protease inhibitors were found for clinical progression. As biases cannot be excluded, a longer duration of follow-up will be necessary to answer the question of whether the results are really discrepant or simply reflect the delay between virological failure and clinical manifestations.

A great many animal models for audiogenic seizures have been described. The extent to which these models may provide insight into neuroscience fields such as abnormal locomotor behavior (wild running), seizures and anticonvulsants, and neuroinsults and neuroprotectors is examined here by our study of magnesium deficiency-dependent audiogenic seizures (MDDASs) in adult mice. MDDASs were induced in all of the eight tested adult murine strains and are presented as a sequence of four successive components (latency, wild running, convulsion, and recovery phase periods). Compared with several classic seizure tests, the nutritional MDDAS model responded to low doses of prototype antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including phenytoin (PHT), carbamazepine (CBZ), phenobarbital (PB), valproic acid (VPA), ethosuximide (ESM), and diazepam (DZP). Modulation by AEDs of the four components of MDDAS indicated that this seizure test was discriminatory, distinguishing between phenytoinergic (PHT, CBZ), GABAergic (PB, VPA, DZP), and ethosuximide (ESM) compounds. Suitability of the MDDAS test for evaluation of neuroprotective compounds was also examined: it showed partial (melatonin) and complete (WEB2170, an anti-PAF agent) reduction of recovery phase by non-anticonvulsant doses of test compounds. These neuroprotective responses were compared with neuroprotective potentials determined in a model of neonatal cerebral injury induced by focal injection of ibotenate (a glutamate analog). WEB2170 and melatonin reduced the size of lesions in white matter, but only WEB2170 protected cortical plate against ibotenate-induced lesions. In addition to the original neuroprotective behavior of WEB2170, studies on the neuroprotectors also supported GABAergic anticonvulsant activity of melatonin in the MDDAS test.

We here report a successful pregnancy and healthy childbirth obtained in a case of total globozoospermia after intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) without assisted oocyte activation (AOA). Two semen analyses showed 100% globozoospermia on classic spermocytogram. Motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) analysis at ×10,000 magnification confirmed the round-headed aspect for 100% of sperm cells, but 1% of the spermatozoa seemed to present a small bud of acrosome. This particular aspect was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and anti-CD46 staining analysis. Results from sperm DNA fragmentation and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses were normal. The karyotype was 46XY, and no mutations or deletions in SPATA16 and DPY19L2 genes were detected. Considering these results, a single IMSI cycle was performed, and spermatozoa were selected for the absence of vacuoles and the presence of a small bud of acrosome. A comparable fertilization rate with or without calcium-ionophore AOA was observed. Two fresh top-quality embryos obtained without AOA were transferred at Day 2 after IMSI, leading to pregnancy and birth of a healthy baby boy. This successful outcome suggests that MSOME may be useful in cases of globozoospermia in order to carefully evaluate sperm morphology and to maximize the benefit of ICSI/IMSI.

Objective: To evaluate the association of sleep parameters on female and male reproductive functions.Design: Systematic review.Setting: Not applicable. Patient(s):Both female and male individuals, either healthy or infertile.

Background/AimExcess of fat intake is dramatically increasing in women of childbearing age and results in numerous health complications, including reproductive disorders. Using rabbit does as a biomedical model, the aim of this study was to evaluate onset of puberty, endocrine responses to stimulation and ovarian follicular maturation in females fed a high fat high cholesterol diet (HH diet) from 10 weeks of age (i.e., 2 weeks before normal onset of puberty) or a control diet (C diet).Methodology/Principal FindingsThree experiments were performed, each including 8 treated (HH group) and 8 control (C group) does. In experiment 1, the endocrine response to Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) was evaluated at 13, 18 and 22 weeks of age. In experiment 2, the follicular population was counted in ovaries of adult females (18 weeks of age). In experiment 3, the LH response to mating and steroid profiles throughout gestation were evaluated at 18 weeks of age. Fetal growth was monitored by ultrasound and offspring birth weight was recorded. Data showed a significantly higher Luteinizing hormone (LH) response after induction of ovulation at 13 weeks of age in the HH group. There was no difference at 18 weeks, but at 22 weeks, the LH response to GnRH was significantly reduced in the HH group. The number of atretic follicles was significantly increased and the number of antral follicles significantly reduced in HH does vs. controls. During gestation, the HH diet induced intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR).ConclusionThe HH diet administered from before puberty onwards affected onset of puberty, follicular growth, hormonal responses to breeding and GnRH stimulation in relation to age and lead to fetal IUGR.

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The concept of Developmental Origins of Health and Diseases (DOHaD) recognizes that an unfavorable maternal environment alters the developmental trajectory of the fetus and can lead to long-term risk of developing chronic noncommunicable diseases. More recently, the concept of a paternal transmission [Paternal Origins of Health and Diseases (POHaD)] has emerged stressing the impact of paternal overweight or obesity on offspring’s health and development. While very few examples of paternal epigenetic inheritance of metabolic disorders have been evidenced in human, many experimental mouse models based on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced paternal obesity have been developed to breakdown molecular mechanisms involved in the process. Besides DNA methylation and chromatin structure, sperm short noncoding RNAs have been considered as the main epigenetic vector of inheritance of paternally environmentally induced changes. Among them, sperm miRNAs are one particular subspecies sensitive to environmental changes and obesity can modify the sperm miRNA profile. Once delivered into the zygote, these molecules might induce epigenetic modifications in the embryo, thereby leading to consequences for fetus development and offspring physical and metabolic health later on in life. Furthermore, some data also suggest that metabolic pathologies may be intergenerationally or transgenerationally transmitted.