Male reproductive system

Silene latifolia and S. dioica are model systems in studies of plant reproduction, chromosome evolution and sexual dimorphism, but sexing of plants based on morphology is only possible from flowering stage onwards. Both species show homogametic females (XX) and heterogametic males (XY).•Here we developed two assays (primer pairs ss816 and ss441 ) for molecular sexing of S. latifolia and S. dioica , targeting length polymorphisms between the X and Y-linked copies of the spermidine synthase gene.The two assays were successful in identifying known (flowering-stage) males and females from UK and Spanish populations, with an error rate of 3...

BACKGROUND: Male sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) may be associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes, but the impact of SDF on the occurrence of aneuploid-related miscarriage remains controversial. METHODS: Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism-based chromosomal microarray analysis was performed on 495 miscarried chorionic villus samples undergone IVF/ICSI treatment from the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University...

INTRODUCTION: Pro-inflammatory cytokine - tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is one of the components of the seminal plasma proteome; its meaning has not been definitively revealed. A comparative analysis of the concentration of this protein in the blood serum and in the ejaculate and changes in its level in the semen of men with infertility is f scientific interest. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: determination of TNF- level in the blood serum and seminal plasma of healthy men and patients with reduced fertility...

Courtship suppression is a behavioral adaptation of the fruit fly. When majority of the females in a fly population are fertilized and non-receptive for mating, a male, after a series of failed attempts, decreases its courtship activity towards all females, saving its energy and reproductive resources. The time of courtship decrease depends on both duration of unsuccessful courtship and genetically determined features of the male nervous system. Thereby, courtship suppression paradigm can be used for studying molecular mechanisms of learning and memory...

Kisspeptin (Kiss) and kisspeptin receptor (Kissr) system is a key regulator of GnRH expression in several vertebrates. The Indian catfish, Clarias magur, is popular in the Indian sub-continent, and a neo-type of the Asian catfish, C. batrachus. Catfish breeding is constrained as males do not release milt captivity with/without stimulation. Magur Kiss/Kissr system comprising of kiss1, kiss2, kissr1, and kissr2 genes was characterized for the first time. Full-length mRNA was sequenced using RACE PCR. Neighbor-joining tree of predicted proteins shows one clade of teleost orthologs...

The 25 kDa-sized protein Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) was originally isolated from human neutrophil granulocytes more than 30 years ago. LCN2 is an emerging player in innate immune defense, as it reduces bacterial growth due to its ability to sequester iron-containing bacterial siderophores. On the other hand, LCN2 also serves as a transporter for various hydrophobic substances due to its β-barrel shaped structure. Over the years, LCN2 has been detected in many other cell types including epithelial cells, astrocytes, and hepatocytes...

Hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) is an alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and is widely used in various industries. The effects of HFPO-TA on the male reproductive system and the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, TM3 mouse Leydig cells were used as the main model to evaluate the cytotoxicity of HFPO-TA in vitro. HFPO-TA inhibited the viability and expression of multiple biomarkers of Leydig cells. HFPO-TA also induced Leydig cell apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner...

Conventional, brightfield-microscopic semen analysis provides important baseline information about sperm quality of an individual; however, it falls short of identifying subtle subcellular and molecular defects in cohorts of "bad", defective human and animal spermatozoa with seemingly normal phenotypes. To bridge this gap, it is desirable to increase the precision of andrological evaluation in humans and livestock animals by pursuing advanced biomarker-based imaging methods. This review, spiced up with occasional classic movie references but seriously scholastic at the same time, focuses mainly on the biomarkers of altered male germ cell proteostasis resulting in post-testicular carryovers of proteins associated with ubiquitin-proteasome system...

INTRODUCTION: Efforts to develop reversible male contraceptives analogous to female oral contraceptives are underway and may be introduced in the next decade. The advent of novel male contraceptives provides an opportunity for an ethical reformulation of the contraceptive paradigm given the relational, rather than individual, nature of sexual relationships, and family planning. For individuals in any sexual relationship that could result in pregnancy, issues of reproductive autonomy, freedom, equality in reproductive decision-making and risks-both of side effects and of unintended pregnancies-are significant...

Recently, there has been increasing emphasis on the gonadotoxic effects of cancer therapy in prepubertal boys. As advances in oncology treatments continue to enhance survival rates for prepubertal boys, the need for preserving their functional testicular tissue for future reproduction becomes increasingly vital. Therefore, we explore cutting-edge strategies in fertility preservation, focusing on the cryopreservation and transplantation of immature testicular tissue as a promising avenue. The evolution of cryopreservation techniques, from controlled slow freezing to more recent advancements in vitrification, with an assessment of their strengths and limitations was exhibited...

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of demographic characteristics and postnatal outcomes of patients with suspected fetal pelvic kidney diagnosis followed in a tertiary center. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital perinatology clinic between 2020-2023. Demographic features, prenatal ultrasound findings, and postnatal outcomes were reported. RESULTS: Pelvic kidney localization was on the left in 11(55 %) patients, on the right in 7(35 %), and bilateral in 2(10 %) patients in prenatal ultrasonography...

This review summarizes the state of the art regarding the phylogenetic origins, recent history and present-day main traits and uses of the Mertolenga cattle breed from Southern Portugal, particularly those related to production performances and product quality. Named after the historical city of Mértola, in southern Portugal, the Mertolenga is one of the fifteen autochthonous bovine breeds of Portugal. It is a cattle breed thoroughly adapted to the poor Mediterranean pastures of the southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula...

Vasectomy is a safe, highly effective and affordable method of permanent contraception, and one of the few currently available contraceptive methods for men. Despite this, vasectomy uptake remains overall low, making up just 2% of the global contraceptive method mix. To better understand access to vasectomy in a country with negligible uptake, we conducted participatory and operational research in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Timor-Leste). We held 14 participatory group discussions with 175 community participants (84 men, 91 women; aged 18-72) across seven municipalities (Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro, Dili, Lautem, Manufahi, and Oecusse), and individual in-depth interviews with 24 healthcare providers (16 women, 8 men; aged 25-56 years)...

The current study investigated the structure and function of the olfactory system of the Lusitanian toadfish, Halobatrachus didactylus, using histology and electrophysiology (electro-olfactogram [EOG]), respectively. The olfactory system consists of a digitated anterior peduncle, of unknown function, containing the inhalant nostril. This then leads to a U-shaped olfactory chamber with the olfactory epithelium-identified by Gαolf -immunoreactivity-on the ventral surface. A large lacrimal sac is connected to this tube and is likely involved in generating water movement through the olfactory chamber (this species is largely sedentary)...

Congenital cryptorchidism, also known as undescended testis, is the condition where one or both testes are not in place in the scrotum at birth and is one of the most common birth defects in boys. Temporal trends and geographic variation in the prevalence of cryptorchidism from 1% to 9% have been reported in prospective cohort studies. The testes develop in the abdominal cavity and descend to the scrotum in two phases, which should be completed by gestational week 35. Thus, the risk of cryptorchidism is higher in preterm boys...

China has a high dependence on soybean imports, yield increase at a faster rate is an urgent problem that need to be solved at present. The application of heterosis is one of the effective ways to significantly increase crop yield. In recent years, the development of an intelligent male sterility system based on recessive nuclear sterile genes has provided a potential solution for rapidly harnessing the heterosis in soybean. However, research on male sterility genes in soybean has been lagged behind. Based on transcriptome data of soybean floral organs in our research group, a soybean stamen-preferentially expressed gene GmFLA22a was identified...

Conventional semen parameters have long been considered fundamental in male fertility analyses. However, doubts have been raised regarding the clinical utility of the assessment of spermatozoa (sperm) DNA damage. In this retrospective study, we investigated the potential correlation between conventional semen parameters and semen DNA fragmentation (SDF) assessed as sperm DNA damage, in 11,339 semen samples collected between January 2019 and June 2022. We observed significant negative correlations between the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and sperm viability (correlation coefficient [ r ] = -0...

BACKGROUND: Cyclophosphamide (CP) has some negative effects on the reproductive system. Stem cells and their metabolites are being utilized to enhance fertility after chemotherapy. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of conditioned medium (CM) derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stromal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on the toxic effects of CP on testicles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BM-MSCs were isolated, a CM was collected and 25-fold concentrated...

The manipulation of the somatotropic axis, governing growth, has been a focus of numerous transgenic approaches aimed at developing fast-growing fish for research, medicine and aquaculture purposes. However, the excessively high growth hormone (GH) levels in these transgenic fish often result in deformities that impact both fish health and consumer acceptance. In an effort to mitigate these issues and synchronize exogenous GH expression with reproductive processes, we employed a novel transgenic construct driven by a tilapia luteinizing hormone (LH) promoter...

Infertility is a common clinical condition and about half of the major causes are due to male-related infertility. Pathogenesis of this abnormality is generally undefined; so establishing a proper treatment option is relatively uncertain. In recent years, several evidences demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be a hope for innovative and efficient treatment of male infertility. This study reviews possible applications of MSCs in the restoration of spermatogenesis in male infertility of both humans and animals to suggest new avenues for future clinical practices...