Spermatogenesis is a complex developmental process in which a diploid progenitor germ cell transforms into highly specialized spermatozoa. During spermatogenesis, membrane remodeling takes place, and cell membrane permeability and liquidity undergo phase-specific changes, which are all associated with the alteration of membrane lipids. Lipids are important components of the germ cell membrane, whose volume and ratio fluctuate in different phases of spermatogenesis. Abnormal lipid metabolism can cause spermatogenic dysfunction and consequently male infertility. Germ cell membrane lipids are mainly composed of cholesterol, phospholipids and glycolipids, which play critical roles in cell adhesion and signal transduction during spermatogenesis. An insight into the correlation of membrane lipids with spermatogenesis helps us to better understand the mechanisms of spermatogenesis and provide new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.
Cell Adhesion ; Cell Membrane ; chemistry ; Cholesterol ; chemistry ; Glycolipids ; chemistry ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Membrane Lipids ; chemistry ; Phospholipids ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa ; cytology

Sulfogalactosylglycerolipid (SGG) is the main glycolipid in male mammalian germ cells, which is selectively and highly expressed in mammalian testes and helps form the lipid bilayer of cell membrane. In the process of spermatogenesis, SGG is involved in the meiosis of spermiocytes. Either deficiency or accumulation of SGG will lead to male infertility. SGG homeostasis in the testis is the premise of normal spermatogenesis. In the process of sperm-zona binding, SGG becomes a component of lipid raft and provides a platform for signal transduction. The SGG binding protein plays a role in sperm-egg recognition and membrane fusion. SGG has a great research value and application prospect in male reproduction.
Animals ; Cell Membrane ; Galactolipids ; physiology ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Lipid Bilayers ; metabolism ; Male ; Signal Transduction ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; physiology ; Spermatogenesis ; physiology ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism ; Testis ; physiology

Objective To analyze the risk factors of postoperatively prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) after liver transplantation.Method The clinical data of 117 patients who received liver transplantation were retrospectively reviewed.According to the duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation (＜24 h or ≥24 h),the patients were divided into two groups.Commonly-used clinical and lab indexes before,during and after operations were analyzed by using single variance logistic regression analysis,and the screened indexes were analyzed by stepwise multiple variance logistic regression analysis.Result Forty-two patients (35.9％) were diagnosed with PMV after liver transplantation.The intensive care unit stay in the control group was (1.60 ± 1.17) days,shorter than in PMV proup (9.35 ± 10.61days).Sixty indexes were analyzed by univarite logistic regression,and 49 indexes showed statistically significant differences (P ＜ 0.2).Multiple variance logistic regression analysis revealed that the levels of preoperative blood glucose,model for end-stage liver disease score (MELD),the blood loss volume during the operation and the levels of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase within 24 h after the operation showed significant difference.Conclusion Preoperative hyperglycemia,high MELD score,excessive intraoperative blood loss volume and the high level of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase after the operation are independent risk factors of PMV.

Objective To investigate the influence of the radical resection and the optic canal unroofing on the postoperative vision in the patients with tuberculm region meningeal tumors.Matheods A retrospective analysis was made in 44 patients with tuberculm region meningeal tumors,from January 2010 to October 2012.The clinical data including the Simpson grades,adhesion between tumor and the surrounding structures,optic canal decompression,and postoperative vision were studied,and followed-up.Results In all 44 cases,there were 31 patients with Simpson grade Ⅰ resection,their postoperative vision of 17 patients were improved,eleven unchanged,and 3 worse.Out of them,tumors showed more adhesive in 9 cases,unroofed the optic canal in 17 cases.There were 13 cases in the other group including 8 cases with Simpson grade Ⅱ and 5 cases with Simpson grade Ⅲ,their postoperative vision of 8 patients were improved,four unchanged,and 1 worse.Out of them,tumors showed more adhesive to the surroundings in 10 cases,unroofed the optic canal in 3 cases.There were no different postoperative vision among the Simpson grades by the Chi-Square test (P ＞ 0.05).The less adhesive of the meningeal tumors,the better resection grade would be (P ＜ 0.05).And unroofed the optic canal group showed better postoperative vision than the not unroofed ones (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion In the tuberculum region meningeal tumors,the Simpson resection grade was related to adhesion between the meningeal tumors and the surroundings,not to postoperative vision.The optic canal decompression can improve their visual outcome in some cases.

OBJECTIVE: To set up a natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from endplate of intervertebral discs of rats in order to offer an appropriate carrier for the study on mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: The method of enzyme digestion combined with natural subculture was used to set up the in vitro natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from the endplate of intervertebral disc of rats. The morphological appearances and microstructures of the chondrocytes of different generations were observed. The expression of collagen II in chondrocytes was detected by immunocytochemical method. RESULTS: The chondrocytes derived from the endplate of intervertebral disc expressed collagen II. After 13 days of culture, the chondrocytes of generation III showed that the ability of cell division descended, the nucleoli became unclear, the cells deformed obviously, fusiform shape with weak optical activity appeared, and the intercellular space was enlarged. There were vacuoles and lipid droplets in cytoplasm. The synthesis of collagen II, as well as the cell proliferation rate, descended notably. All results showed the natural degeneration process of the chondrocytes. CONCLUSION: The in vitro natural degeneration model of chondrocytes derived from endplate of intervertebral discs of rats was successfully established. This can offer the cytological basis for study on the mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Hodgkin Disease ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Ki-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; PAX5 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Staining and Labeling ; methods ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the efficacy of regional lymphadenectomy for patients with T2 gallbladder cancer. Methods From January 1990 to December 2009, 48 patients with T2 gallbladder cancer received regional lymphadenectomy following radical surgery at the Xinhua Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the range of lymphadenectomy. Standard group (23 patients): lymph nodes in the regions of bile duct, common bile duct and hepatoduodenal ligament were dissected; extended group (25 patients): lymph nodes in the regions of hepatoduodenal ligament, head of pancreas, duodenum, portal vein, common hepatic artery and celiac axis were dissected).The condition of patients in the two groups were compared after the treatment. The morbidity and survival rate were analyzed by using Fisher exact test and Kaplan-Meier method, respectively, and the survival rates between the two groups were compared by using Log-rank test. Results No perioperative death was found in the two groups. The morbidities was 17% (4/23) in the standard group and 24% (6/25) in the extended group, with no significant difference between the two groups ( P ＞ 0.05 ). The 5-year cumulative survival rate and median survival time were 40% and 29.8 months in the standard group, and 66% and 53.2 months in the extended group, with significant differences between the two groups ( x2 = 4. 687, P ＜ 0.05 ). Conclusion Extended regional lymphadenectomy should be performed on patients with T2 gallbladder cancer if the primary lesions can be dissected radically.

Objective To discuss the value of different staging systems for gallbladder cancer.Methods The clinical data of 132 patients with gallbladder cancer who had been admitted to Xinhua Hospital from October 1992 to December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed.The clinical stage and postoperative survival of patients in each stage were analyzed by Nevin staging system,staging systems of AJCC 5th and 6th edition.The survivals of patients were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and the comparison between groups was analyzed by Log-rank test.Results According to the Nevin staging system,the accumulative survivals of patients with stages Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ or Ⅴ were 80.3%,75.6%,43.2%,16.2% and 6.5%,respectively.The accumulative survivals of patients with stages Ⅰ,Ⅱ or Ⅲ were significantly higherthan those with stages Ⅳ or Ⅴ(χ~2=7.239,6.152,3.992,12.354,13.171,15.084,P＜0.05).According to the AJCC 5th edition staging system,the accumulative survivals of patients with stagesⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ or Ⅳ were 71.4%,40.9%,10.2% and 5.8%,respectively.The accumulative survivals of patients with stages Ⅰ or Ⅱ were significantly higher than those with stages Ⅲ or Ⅳ (χ~2=18.286,23.729,5.541,13.607,P＜0.05),and the survivals of patients with stage Ⅲ were significantly higher than those with stage Ⅳ (χ~2=7.758,P＜0.05).According to the AJCC 6th edition staging system,the accumulative survivals of patients with stages Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ or Ⅳ were 51.1%,11.7%,8.2% and 6.5%,respectively.Patients with stages Ⅰ or Ⅱ had a comparatively low survival,while the survivals of patients with stage Ⅰ were significantly higher than those with stages Ⅱ,Ⅲ or Ⅳ(χ~2=15.300,21.956,31.397,P＜0.05).Patients with stage Ⅱ had a higher survival than those with stage Ⅳ(χ~2=8.789,P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in survival between patients with stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ,and between patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ.Conclusions The AJCC 5th edition staging system is still the perfect staging system of gallbladder cancer.The Nevin staging system is not integrating enough,while AJCC 6th edition staging system is too strict.

Aluminum Compounds ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Chlorides ; pharmacology ; Decalcification Technique ; methods ; Formates ; chemistry ; Humans

The role of autophagy is known to be highly complex and context-dependent, and may be characterized as both tumor suppression and tumor promotion in some tumors, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. This review outlines recent advances in the studies of the involvement of autophagy in the development, progression and treatment of prostate cancer, focusing on autophagy modulation during androgen deprivation, with a special discussion on the regulatory effect of androgens on the autophagy of prostate cancer cells. A critical evaluation and analysis of the studies suggests that autophagy inhibition combined with androgen deprivation therapy is a promising approach to the treatment of prostate cancer.
Autophagy ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms