OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application of distilled water in sperm-counting and hypoosmotic swelling test.

METHODSThirty-seven semen samples were collected and each was diluted by distilled water and sodium acid carbonate-formaldehyde solution, respectively. Then the hemacytometer was used for sperm counting. Meanwhile, the percentage of swelled sperm diluted by distilled water was compared with the result of hypoosmotic swelling test recommended by WHO. Another 26 semen samples were diluted by distilled water and hypoosmotic swelling solution respectively, and the percentages of the swelled sperm were compared.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference either between the sperm concentrations obtained by distilled water and sodium acid carbonate-formaldehyde solution (P > 0.05) or between the percentages of the swelled sperm diluted by distilled water and hypoosmotic swelling solution.

CONCLUSIONDistilled water can not only replace sodium acid carbonate-formaldehyde solution for sperm-counting dilution but also be used as a hypoosmotic swelling solution.

Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Osmotic Pressure ; Sperm Count ; Spermatozoa ; physiology ; Water

BACKGROUND: The role of stratum corneum has been known to be the major barrier against percutaneous absorption. The change of osmotic gradient onto stratum corneum may affect the permeability barrier function though its mechanism has not been explained. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we have tested hyperosmolar glucose solution (1M, 0.1M) over the living skin or the separated epidermal sheets to determine the penetration-related pharmacokinetics such as absorption, saturation, diffusion kinetics in vivo or in vitro. METHODS: The hyperosmolar glucose patches were applied to 10 healthy volunteers' forearm skin to analyze the absorption profiles through stratum corneum. For investigating the role of osmotic pressure influencing the disposition of glucose, in vitro two compartment model was used to characterize the pharmacokinetics of glucose through epidermal sheets. RESULTS: The quantitative assay of applied hyperosmolar glucose from sequentially stripped stratum corneum of volunteers revealed the high glucose/protein ratio and steep concentration gradient at the uppermost layers down to lower layers. The pharmacokinetic profile of hyperosmolar glucose in vitro shows both the saturation delay pattern and steady flux pattern regarding glucose diffusion. CONCLUSION: The stratum corneum act as a major permeation barrier against glucose disposition, though the concentration-dependent pharmacokinetics by its osmotic gradient were rather different. Thus, the osmolarity-related event over stratum corneum might be a considerable factor during percutaneous absorption.
Absorption ; Diffusion ; Forearm ; Glucose* ; Kinetics ; Osmotic Pressure ; Permeability ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Skin ; Skin Absorption ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: In order to determine whether the Tonicity responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) is expressed by hypertonic and hyperosmolar stress, TonEBP expression was investigated in the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) line, RGC-5 cells. METHODS: After RGC-5 cells were cultured by Staurosporine, TonEBP expression was measured with Western immunoblotting analysis and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 50 mM NaCl, 100 mM mannitol, 50 mM glucose, or 100 mM glucose at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after exposure to each environment. RESULTS: In this study, the protein expression of TonEBP was determined to be statistically significantly checked in 50 mM NaCl after 3, and 6 hours, in 100 mM mannitol after 6 hours, and in 100 mM glucose after 3, and 6 hours. TonEBP messenger Ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression was determined to be statistically significantly checked in 50 mM NaCl after 3 hours, in 100 mM mannitol after 3, and 24 hours, and in 50 mM glucose after 3, and 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that TonEBP was expressed by hypertonic and hyperosmolar stress at the protein and mRNA levels. Further studies are nedded to determine the role of TonEBP and the mechanism of expression and regulation of TonEBP.
Blotting, Western ; Glucose ; Mannitol ; NFATC Transcription Factors ; Osmotic Pressure ; Retinal Ganglion Cells ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Staurosporine

Here in this study, we investigated the lifespan-extending effect and underlying mechanism of methanolic extract of Moringa olelifa leaves (MML) using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model system. To define the longevity properties of MML we conducted lifespan assay and MML showed significant increase in lifespan under normal culture condition. In addition, MML elevated stress tolerance of C. elegans to endure against thermal, oxidative and osmotic stress conditions. Our data also revealed that increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and expressions of stress resistance proteins were attributed to MML-mediated enhanced stress resistance. We further investigated the involvement of MML on the aging-related factors such as growth, food intake, fertility, and motility. Interestingly, MML significantly reduced growth and egg-laying, suggesting these factors were closely linked with MML-mediated longevity. We also observed the movement of aged worms to estimate the effects of MML on the health span. Herein, MML efficiently elevated motility of aged worms, indicating MML may affect health span as well as lifespan. Our genetic analysis using knockout mutants showed that lifespan-extension activity of MML was interconnected with several genes such as skn-1, sir-2.1, daf-2, age-1 and daf-16. Based on these results, we could conclude that MML prolongs the lifespan of worms via activation of SKN-1 and SIR-2.1 and inhibition of insulin/IGF pathway, followed by DAF-16 activation.
Caenorhabditis elegans* ; Caenorhabditis* ; Eating ; Fertility ; Longevity ; Methanol ; Moringa oleifera* ; Moringa* ; Osmotic Pressure

To evaluate the change of colloid osmotic pressure(COP) and the correlation between COP and other parameters during pediatric open heart surgery at Seoul National University Children's Hospital, COP, protein, albumin, hemoglobin, and hematocrit, were measured immediately after induction(T1), before cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)(T3), duringT4, T5), and after bypass(T.6, T7) and immediately after(T8) and 24 hour after(T9) arrival at intensive care unit (ICU) in l0 pediatric patients aged from l year to 13 years. Above parameters of priming solution(T2) were also measured. The results were as followings; l) The good correlation between COP and protein(r=0.87), albumin(r=0.86), hemoglobin(r=0. 80), hematocrit(r=0.77) were showed. 2) The COP of priming solution was 9.42.6 mmHg and this was definitely lower than normal value. 3) The COP during CPB was in the range from 11 to 12 mmHg(mean values) and this value was also significantly lower than normal value. 4) The COP increased from the time of weaning from CPB, but the COP at the arrival at ICU was 18.0+/-1.2 mmHg and this value was still significantly lower than normal value. 5) The COP at 24 hours after arrival at ICU was 21.7+/-1.2 mmHg and this value was not significantly different fron normal value. Thus, the results suggest that the priming solution shuold be improved to maintain COP during and immediatelt after CPB.
Colloids* ; Heart* ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Osmotic Pressure* ; Reference Values ; Seoul ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Weaning

Persistent cell volume reduction is a major hallmark of apoptosis. Recent studies have demonstrated that cell volume reduction is not a passive, secondary event of the apoptotic cell death process. Whole-cell shrinkage, termed apoptotic volume decrease (AVD), takes place soon after stimulation with apoptogen and precedes caspase activation, DNA and cell fragmentation in a variety of cell types including human epithelial cells. The AVD induction is the result of KCl efflux attained by activation of K(+) and Cl(-) channels. Inhibition of AVD induction leads to rescue of the cells from apoptosis. Since the AVD process is coupled to dysfunction of the regulatory volume increase (RVI), apoptotic cells undergo persistent cell shrinkage in human epithelial HeLa cells. When the RVI mechanism was impaired, hypertonic stress itself induced not only persistent cell shrinkage but also apoptotic cell death in HeLa cells. Even under normotonic apoptogen-free conditions, exposure of HeLa cells to Na(+)- or Cl(-)-deficient solution alone can bring about persistent cell shrinkage and thereafter apoptotic cell death. Thus, it is concluded that persistent cell shrinkage, which comprises AVD induction and RVI dysfunction, is a prerequisite to apoptosis induction in human epithelial cells.
Apoptosis ; Cell Size ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Osmotic Pressure

OBJECTIVETo prepare controlled porosity osmotic-pump tablets of total paeony glycosides (TPG) and establish the relationship between formulation factors of membrane and drug release rate.

METHODUniform design was used to achieve the quantitative relationship between the release rate and formulation factors of membrane. Optimized prescription was calculated from the regression equation.

RESULTA significant correlation and a fine precision of the regession equation were obtained. Controlled porosity osmotic-pump tablets of TPG were prepared based on the calculations, and the drug release profile was in accord with zero-order kinetics (r = 0.9902).

CONCLUSIONUniform design is a convenient and efficient approach for formulation optimization of controlled porosity osmotic-pump tablets.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glycosides ; chemistry ; Osmotic Pressure ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Porosity ; Tablets ; chemistry

Osmotically controlled oral drug delivery systems (OCODDSs) utilize osmotic pressure for controlled delivery of active agents. The release of drugs from osmotic systems is governed by various formulations and processing factors such as solubility and pressure of the core components, properties of the semi-permeable membrane. In the present review, the references on OCODDSs have systematically been summarized in the following aspects: prescription design, industrial processing and equipments, methods for quality evaluation, and general situation of application. Prospect of applying the osmotic-pump technology into Chinese patent drugs is also discussed.
Administration, Oral ; Drug Delivery Systems ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Osmotic Pressure

BACKGROUNDThe efficiency of traditional cryopreservation of human embryonic stem (ES) cells is low, and there have been few attempts to prove new cryopreservation methods effective. This study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of cryopreservation of human ES cells using vitrification method.

METHODSHuman ES cells clumped from an identical cell line were randomly allocated to be cryopreserved by vitrification or by slow freezing. The recovery rates, the growth and differentiation potential of thawed human ES cells were compared between these two groups. The pluripotency of human ES cells after thawing was identified.

RESULTSEighty-one point nine percent (59/72) of human ES cell clumps were recovered after vitrification, while only 22.8% (16/70) were recovered after slow freezing (P < 0.01). The colonies after vitrification manifested have not only faster growth but also a lower level of differentiation when compared to colonies subjected to the slow freezing protocol. However, the rates of growth and differentiation in undifferentiated colonies from both groups were identical to the rates in those of non-cryopreserved stem cells after a prolonged culture period. Passage 6 of vitrified human ES cells retained the properties of pluripotent cells, a normal karyotype and expressed the transcription factor OCT-4, stage specific expressed antigen-4 (SSEA-4) and SSEA-3. Teratoma growth of these cells demonstrated the ability to develop into all three germ layers.

CONCLUSIONSVitrification is effective in cryopreserving human ES cells. During a prolonged culture, human ES cells retain their pluripotency after cryopreservation.

Cell Differentiation ; Cell Survival ; Cryopreservation ; methods ; Embryo, Mammalian ; cytology ; Humans ; Osmotic Pressure ; Stem Cells ; cytology

The osmotic pressure of ammonium sulfate solutions has been measured by the well-established freezing point osmometry in dilute solutions and we recently reported air humidity osmometry in a much wider range of concentration. Air humidity osmometry cross-validated the theoretical calculations of osmotic pressure based on the Pitzer model at high concentrations by two one-sided test (TOST) of equivalence with multiple testing corrections, where no other experimental method could serve as a reference for comparison. Although more strict equivalence criteria were established between the measurements of freezing point osmometry and the calculations based on the Pitzer model at low concentration, air humidity osmometry is the only currently available osmometry applicable to high concentration, serves as an economic addition to standard osmometry.
Ammonium Sulfate ; chemistry ; Freezing ; Humidity ; Osmolar Concentration ; Osmometry ; methods ; Osmotic Pressure ; Solutions