AIMTo examine the expression and regulation of integral membrane protein 2b (Itm2b) in rat male reproductive tissues during sexual maturation and under different treatments by in situ hybridization.

METHODSTestis, epididymis, and vas deferens were collected on days 1-70 to examine Itm2b expression during sexual maturation. To further examine the regulation of Itm2b, adult rats underwent surgical castration and cryptorchidism. Ethylene dimethane sulfonate and busulfan treatments were carried out to test the regulation of Itm2b after destruction of Leydig cells and germ cells.

RESULTSIn testis, Itm2b expression was moderately detected in the adluminal area of seminiferous cords on days 1-10, and detected at a low level in the spermatogonia on days 20 and 30. The Itm2b level was markedly increased in Leydig cells from day 20 to day 70. In epididymis and vas deferens, Itm2b was detected from neonate to adults, and the signal gradually increased in accordance with sexual maturation. Itm2b expression was significantly downregulated in epididymis and vas deferens of castrated rats, and strongly stimulated when castrated rats were treated with testosterone. Cryptorchidism led to a significant decline of Itm2b expression in testis and caput epididymis. Itm2b expression in epididymis and vas deferens was significantly decreased after the Leydig cells were destroyed by ethylene dimethane sulfonate. Busulfan treatment produced no obvious change in Itm2b expression in epididymis or vas deferens.

CONCLUSIONOur data suggested that Itm2b expression is upregulated by testosterone and might play a role in rat male reproduction.

Animals ; Base Sequence ; Busulfan ; pharmacology ; DNA Primers ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; metabolism ; In Situ Hybridization ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Orchiectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sexual Maturation ; Testis ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Vas Deferens ; drug effects ; metabolism

Objectives: Children and young people (CYP) with special educational needs (SEN) are more likely to experience disturbed sleep and poor mental wellbeing. This study explored the differential impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the sleep and mental wellbeing of CYP with and without SEN. Methods: The National Institute of Health Research Children and Young People MedTech Cooperative, Sheffield Children’s National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, and The Sleep Charity carried out an online survey between June 23, 2020, and August 17, 2020. The 77-item survey was shared on social media platforms. Results: A total of 559 participants were included in the analyses, and 15.74% of them reported having CYP with SEN. While sleep changes due to the pandemic were largely similar for both groups, CYP with SEN were more likely to get up or wake up during the night than those without SEN (40.91% vs. 27.18%). CYP with SEN were significantly more likely than those without SEN to be demotivated (61.44% vs. 31.57%), sad and tearful (36.15% vs. 19.35%), or anxious and stressed (41.67% vs. 18.54%) during the pandemic, and the increased anxiety was more likely to contribute to poorer sleep (43.48% vs. 14.82%). Conclusions While the majority of CYP in both groups reported sleep changes due to the pandemic, CYP with SEN experienced more sleep disturbance. The findings provide initial evidence to suggest that the pandemic may have had a greater impact on the sleep and mental wellbeing of CYP with SEN than those without SEN.

AIMTo quantitatively study the histological changes of the testis and epididymis as a result of a drastic reduction of testosterone secretion.

METHODSFourteen adult Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS, 75 mg/kg) and the same number of animals were injected with normal saline as a control. At days 7 and 12 (after treatment), respectively, half of the animals from each group were killed. The testes and epididymides were removed and tissue blocks embedded in methacrylate resin. The cell number per testis was estimated using the stereological optical disector and some other parameters were obtained using other morphometric methods.

RESULTSThe EDS treatment resulted in an almost complete elimination of Leydig cells but had no effect on the numbers of Sertoli cells per testis. At day 7 after EDS treatment, many elongated spermatids were retained in the seminiferous epithelium and many round spermatids could be seen in the epididymal ducts. At day 12, a looser arrangement of spermatids and spermatocytes became evident, with apparent narrow empty spaces being formed between germ cells in an approximately radial direction towards the tubule lumen; the numbers (per testis) of non-type B spermatogonia and spermatocytes were similar to controls, whereas that of type B spermatogonia increased by 59%, and that of early round, elongating and late elongated spermatids decreased by 37%, 72% and 52%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe primary spermatogenic lesions following EDS administration were (i) spermiation failure and (ii) detachment of spermatids and spermatocytes associated with impairment in spermiogenesis and meiosis.

Animals ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; pathology ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Leydig Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Mesylates ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seminiferous Tubules ; pathology ; Testis ; cytology ; drug effects ; growth & development ; pathology