The effect of electrostatic field treatment of the testis on the offspring of male rats was investigated. The results showed that treatment ranging from 1 to 7 kV caused reduced fertility, but no deaths occurred among the treated animals during the experiment. Observations at 3, 30, 60 and 90 days after exposure showed no recovery of fertility among the treated rats. Treatment with 6 or 7 kV caused congenital anomalies in the offspring, such as micropthalmy, elongation of the foreskin of the penis (praeputium-like), 'rounded face' with omnidirectional hair growth, and narrow pelvis in adult female offspring. The anomalies might be caused by changes to the genetic material in the sperm. The sex ratio of offspring in the experimental groups was not significantly different from normal, suggesting that the number of male and female offspring was unaffected by treatment. The number of offspring with experimentally linked congenital anomalies decreased with time.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of an Asian diet compared to a Western diet on sperm numbers and quality, and serum hormones in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) injected with testosterone enanthate (TE) plus depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). Thirty male monkeys were divided into three groups of ten animals each. The first group (control) was fed with standard diet 'monkey chow' (9% fat, 13% protein, 78% carbohydrate); the second group was fed an 'asian' diet (15% fat, 15% protein, 70% carbohydrate); the third group was fed a 'Western' diet (35% fat, 25% protein, 40% carbohydrate). These diets were administered from the beginning (adaptation) until the experiment was terminated. Three months after the adaptation period, all groups were injected with 20 mg TE (once per week) and 25 mg DMPA (once every 6 weeks) for 18 weeks, while TE injections were continued for another 6 weeks. There were no differences in sperm numbers and quality, or in hormone levels between the first and second groups. In both of these groups azoospermia was achieved in 100% of animals, while in the third group only 70% achieved azoospermia. In all 3 groups, spermatozoa were once again detectable by week 33. However, by the end of the study at week 39, sperm numbers in the first and second groups reached only severe oligozoospermia (two animals remained azoospermic in the first group) while in the third group, numbers had returned to normozoospermia. The quality of spermatozoa during and after the treatment in the third group was better than in the first and second groups. Hormone concentrations decreased more rapidly in both the first and second groups, compared to the third group, while the recovery period was slower in the first and second groups, compared to the third group. It is concluded that different formula diets result in differential decreases in sperm numbers and quality, and in hormone concentrations in M. fascicularis injected with TE in combination with DMPA. Animals fed with either monkey chow or an Asian diet exhibited more severe and prolonged decreases in these parameters than did animals fed with a Western diet.

AbstrakLatar belakang: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis kadar F2α-isoprostan, aktivitas enzim Na + -K + ATPase dan fluiditas membran sel sinsitiotrofoblas plasenta penderita pre-eklampsia yang diberi vitamin E. Metode: Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan September 2003 -Februari 2005 di Rumah Sakit Bersalin Budi Kemuliaan, Jakarta Pusat. Sampel penelitian adalah 6 wanita pre-eklampsia yang mendapatkan vitamin E, 6 wanita pre-eklampsia yang tidak mendapat vitamin E dan 6 wanita hamil normal. F2α-isoprostan diukur dengan ELISA Reader pada λ = 450 nm. Fluiditas diukur dengan membandingkan rasio molar kolesterol total dan kadar fosfolipid membran sel. Kolesterol diukur menggunakan Modular C800 dengan reagen Roch. Fosfolipid diukur menggunakan spektrofluorometer Shimadzu RF5301PC dengan filter eksitasi 267 nm dan emisi 307 nm. Aktivitas Na + -K + ATPase dihambat dengan ouabain. Produksi Pi diukur dengan metode Fiske dan Subbarow menggunakan spektrofotometer pada λ = 660 nm. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji F melalui ANOVA 1 arah.Hasil: Pemberian vitamin E pada penderita pre-eklampsia menurunkan stres oksidatif dengan indikasi turunnya F2αisoprostan secara bermakna (26,72 ± 11,21 vs 41,85 ± 7,09 ng/mL, p = 0.017). Vitamin E mampu menangkal radikal bebas sehingga peroksidasi fosfolipid dapat dihambat dan fluiditas membran sel dapat dipertahankan pada 0,39 ± 0,08 dibandingkan tanpa pemberian vitamin E yaitu 0,53 ± 0,14 (p = 0,024). Aktivitas enzim Na + -K + ATPase membran sel sinsitiotrofoblas tidak dipengaruhi oleh vitamin E (p = 0,915).Kesimpulan: Suplementasi vitamin E pada wanita pre-eklampsia menurunkan kadar F2α-isoprostan, mempertahankan fluiditas membran sel, namun tidak meningkatkan aktivitas enzim Na + -K + ATPase sel sinsitiotrofoblas. AbstractBackground: The aim of our study was to analyze F2α-isoprostane level, Na + -K + ATPase activity and placental syncytiotrophoblast cell membrane fluidity in preeclamptic women who received vitamin E supplementation. Methods:The study was conducted between September 2003 and February 2005 at Budi Kemuliaan Maternity Hospital, Central Jakarta. Samples were 6 preeclamptic women with vitamin E supplementation, 6 preeclamptic women without vitamin E supplementation and 6 normal pregnant women. The dose of vitamin E was 200 mg daily. F2α-isoprostane was measured with ELISA reader at λ of 450 nm. Cell membrane fluidity was measured by comparing the molar ratio of total cholesterol and cell membrane phospholipid concentration. The cholesterol was measured by Modular C800 using Roche reagent. Phospholipid was measured by Shimadzu RF5301PC spectrofluorometer (excitation 267 nm, emission 307 nm). Na + -K + ATPase activity was inhibited by ouabain. Pi production was measured with Fiske and Subbarow method using spectrophotometer at λ of 660 nm. Data was analyzed using F test with one-way ANOVA.Results: Vitamin E supplementation in preeclamptic women decreased the oxidative stress, indicated by significantly lower level of F2α-isoprostane compared to those without vitamin E (26...

Pada preeklampsia terjadi peningkatan kadar VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). Selain mempunyai aktivitas mitotik dan meningkatkan permeabilitas membran sel endotel, VEGF dilaporkan dapat menginduksi produksi molekul sel adhesi oleh sel endotel. Molekul sel adhesi mempunyai fungsi merangsang perlekatan sel makrofag ke dinding pembuluh darah dalam proses inflamasi. Tujuan penelitian ini ialah untuk mengetahui pengaruh VEGF dalam serum preeklampsia pada produksi sVCAM-1 (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule) oleh sel endotel dalam kultur. Duabelas sampel serum preeklampsia dan 11 serum kehamilan normal (kontrol) dengan konsentrasi 20% dipajankan pada kultur sel endotel normal (HUVEC) selama 24 jam Semua subjek setuju berpartisipasi dalam penelitian ini dan menanda-tangani informed consent. Pengukuran kadar sVCAM-1 pada supernatan dilakukan dengan ELISA. Hasil menunjukkan kadar VEGF dalam serum preeklampsia cenderung lebih tinggi dari serum ibu dengan kehamilan normal. Kadar produksi VCAM-1 oleh sel endotel yang dipajankan pada serum preeklampsia lebih tinggi secara bermakna dari yang dipajankan oleh serum kontrol (p<0,05). Tidak ada korelasi antara kadar VEGF dalam serum preeklampsia dan kontrol terhadap produksi sVCAM-1 oleh kultur sel endotel.