Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has become critical for the treatment of severe male infertility. The principal feature of ICSI is the direct injection of spermatozoon into an oocyte, which ...facilitates the production of fertilized embryos regardless of semen characteristics, such as sperm concentration and motility. However, the chromosomal integrity of ICSI zygotes is degraded compared to that of zygotes obtained via in vitro fertilization. This chromosomal damage may occur due to the injection of non-capacitated, acrosome-intact spermatozoa, which never enter the oocytes under natural fertilization. Furthermore, it is possible that the in vitro incubation and pre-treatment of spermatozoa during ICSI results in DNA damage. Chromosomal aberrations in embryos induce early pregnancy losses. However, these issues may be overcome by embryo production using gametes with guaranteed chromosomal integrity. Because conventional chromosome analysis requires fixing cells to obtain the chromosome spreads, embryos cannot be produced using the nucleus that has been analyzed. On the other hand, genome cloning using androgenic or gynogenic embryos provides an additional nucleus for chromosome analysis following embryo production. Thus, this review aims to highlight the hazardous nature of chromosomal aberrations in sperm during ICSI and to introduce a method for the prezygotic examination for chromosomal aberrations.
It is generally accepted that the orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) plays a critical role in the arousal-promoting function, and in vivo imaging of OX2R is expected to contribute to elucidation of orexin ...systems and the development of drugs to treat sleep disorder. In this study, we newly synthesized and characterized a radioiodinated triazole-pyrolidine derivative (125ITPI) to detect OX2R in the brain. In vitro studies using OX1R or OX2R expression cells showed selective binding of 125ITPI to OX2R. In addition, in vitro autoradiography using rat brain sections showed high accumulation of radioactivity in the OX2R expression region. However, 125ITPI showed low brain uptake in normal mice. These results suggest that 125ITPI has a fundamental character to detect OX2R in vitro, but further structural modification to improve brain pharmacokinetics is required to use it for in vivo detection of OX2R.
Assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs), such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and cryopreservation of gametes/zygotes, have been developed to improve breeding and reproduction of ...livestock, and for the treatment of human infertility. Their widespread use has contributed to improvements in human health and welfare. However, in dogs, only artificial insemination using frozen semen is readily available as an ART to improve breeding and control genetic diversity. A recent priority in sperm cryopreservation is the development of alternatives to egg yolk, which is widely used as a component of the sperm extender. Egg yolk can vary in composition among batches and is prone to contamination by animal pathogens. The latter can be a problem for international exchange of cryopreserved semen. Low-density lipoprotein and skim milk are promising candidates for use as extenders, to ensure fertility after artificial insemination. Although not tested for its effects on fertility following artificial insemination, polyvinyl alcohol may also be a useful alternative to egg yolk as an extender. The development of cryopreservation techniques for canine embryos lags behind that for other mammals, including humans. However, given the success of non-surgical embryo transfer in 2011, studies have sought to refine this approach for practical use. Research on sperm cryopreservation has yielded satisfactory results. However, investigation of other approaches, such as cryopreservation of oocytes and gonadal tissues, remains insufficient. Techniques for the efficient induction of estrus may aid in the development of successful canine ARTs.
Strategical modulation of energy levels of molecular electronic orbitals and resulting near‐infrared (NIR) absorption properties of 2,5,7,9‐tetrasubstituted 1,3,4,6,9b‐pentaazaphenalene (5AP) ...derivatives are reported. Recent reports on NIR‐absorbing materials mainly rely on donor–acceptor electronic interactions or macrocyclic π‐conjugated systems. We achieved the narrow HOMO–LUMO gap based on spatially separated frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) of 5APs. The FMOs of 5APs enabled us to selectively tune either their HOMO or LUMO by choosing the position of the substituent.
Judicious modification of substituents on a 1,3,4,6,9b‐pentaazaphenalene scaffold resulted in NIR absorption materials. The spatially separated frontier molecular orbitals enabled independent tuning of their energy levels toward NIR absorption properties.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
We herein report a 61-year-old woman with a history of mitral valve replacement for rheumatic fever who presented with crural edema and ascites. Computed tomography showed massive left atrial (LA) ...calcification involving the interatrial septum, termed "coconut atrium." Catheterization revealed not only pulmonary artery hypertension but also a large V-wave in the pulmonary artery wedge pressure waveform and a dip-and-plateau pattern of right ventricular pressure. Three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography confirmed the early attainment of peak LA volume and a decreased LA expansion index. Stiff LA syndrome due to coconut LA results in the development of restrictive right ventricular physiology.
Elabela/Toddler/Apela (ELA) has been identified as a novel endogenous peptide ligand for APJ/Apelin receptor/Aplnr. ELA plays a crucial role in early cardiac development of zebrafish as well as in ...maintenance of self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells. Apelin was the first identified APJ ligand, and exerts positive inotropic heart effects and regulates the renin-angiotensin system. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological effects of ELA in the cardiovascular system.
Continuous infusion of ELA peptide significantly suppressed pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and impaired contractility in mice. ELA treatment reduced mRNA expression levels of genes associated with heart failure and fibrosis. The cardioprotective effects of ELA were diminished in APJ knockout mice, indicating that APJ is the key receptor for ELA in the adult heart. Mechanistically, ELA downregulated angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) expression in the stressed hearts, whereas it showed little effects on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression, which are distinct from the effects of Apelin. FoxM1 transcription factor, which induces ACE expression in the stressed hearts, was downregulated by ELA but not by Apelin. ELA antagonized angiotensin II-induced hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis in mice.
The ELA-APJ axis protects from pressure overload-induced heart failure possibly via suppression of ACE expression and pathogenic angiotensin II signalling. The different effects of ELA and Apelin on the expression of ACE and ACE2 implicate fine-tuned mechanisms for a ligand-induced APJ activation and downstream signalling.
The effect of solute segregation at deformation twin boundaries on the strength (hardness) and damping capacity was investigated using an extruded Mg-Y binary alloy. The existence of deformation twin ...brought about an increase in both the hardness and the damping capacity. However, a subsequent annealing had a different effect, in which segregation at twin boundaries led to a decrease in the damping capacity. This is because the segregation of yttrium stabilized the twin boundaries; as a result, these boundaries inhibited alternate shrinkage and growth of deformation twin, by which the vibration energy is absorbed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Background
Invasive gallbladder carcinoma generally presents as nodular‐sclerosing growth. Recently, “polypoid invasive carcinoma (PICA)” showing grossly visible polypoid neoplasm and histologically ...invasive carcinoma with no adenomatous components was proposed as a neoplastic polyp of the gallbladder.
Methods
We herein report five cases of PICA collected from 49 cases of invasive gallbladder carcinoma in comparison with another polypoid preinvasive neoplasm of gallbladder, intracholecystic papillary neoplasm (ICPN).
Results
Polypoid invasive carcinomas were composed of four males and one female with an average age of 74 years. Polypoid lesions were sessile (height ranging from 6 to 10 mm and the largest diameter ranging from 12 to 40 mm), and histologically, polypoid neoplasms presented papillary configuration containing tubular and cribriform components with thin inflammatory, fibrotic stroma. Polypoid carcinoma invaded directly and continuously into the gallbladder wall with destruction of the muscle layer. These patterns of PICA were different from ICPN, showing papillary patterns containing tubular components with fine fibrovascular stalks and with occasional focal stromal invasion but with preserved muscle layer. Post‐operative outcome was not favorable in PICA but was favorable in ICPN.
Conclusions
Polypoid invasive carcinoma shared several pathological features with ICPN, such as intraluminal polypoid pattern with papillary configurations, but PICAs were invasive adenocarcinoma with destruction of muscle layer while ICPNs were preinvasive neoplasm with occasional focal stromal invasion, thus both should be differentiated from each other.
Highlight
Nakanuma and colleagues report five cases of polypoid invasive carcinoma of the gallbladder, which is characterized by a grossly visible polypoid neoplasm and histologically invasive carcinoma with no adenomatous components. Polypoid invasive carcinoma of the gallbladder must be differentiated from intracholecystic papillary neoplasm, a polypoid preinvasive neoplasm of the gallbladder.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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