BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Y-autosomal translocation has been previously reported in association with male infertility; however, the mechanisms of Y-autosomal translocation and non‑obstructive azoospermia or severe oligospermia remain unclear. G‑banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were performed to analyze the translocation of chromosomes, and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assay was used to test mutations. The present study describes three new cases with a de novo balanced translocation t(Y;13), t(Y;9) and t(Y;6). To further explore the genotype‑phenotype correlation, G‑banding and FISH were performed and indicated the presence of a derivative chromosome. The SNP genotyping assay using a microarray revealed no abnormality, especially in the Y chromosome. Molecular deletion analysis demonstrated that no microdeletion was detected in the azoospermia factor region of the Y chromosome in the examined, infertile men. Based on these observations, the authors proposed the hypothesis that a position effect involving unknown spermatogenesis regulatory gene(s) serves a key role in male infertility.

背景与目标： : Y常染色体易位与男性不育有关。但是，Y常染色体易位和非阻塞性无精子症或严重少精子症的机制尚不清楚。进行g-带和荧光原位杂交 (FISH) 以分析染色体的易位，并使用单核苷酸多态性 (SNP) 基因分型分析来测试突变。本研究描述了三个从头平衡易位t(Y;13)，t(Y;9) 和t(Y;6) 的新病例。为了进一步探索基因型表型的相关性，进行了g-带和FISH，并指出存在衍生染色体。使用微阵列的SNP基因分型分析未显示异常，尤其是在Y染色体中。分子缺失分析表明，在被检查的不育男性中，在Y染色体的无精子因子区域中未检测到微缺失。基于这些观察结果，作者提出了以下假设: 涉及未知精子发生调节基因的位置效应在男性不育中起关键作用。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :149 cases of urethral stricture were treated in the Urology Department from 1971 to 1984. All of these patients have therefore been treated with a minimal follow-up of 5 years. There were 87 cases of post-traumatic stricture, 53 of whom were lost to follow-up during the survey, 8 died and 26 patients were able to be reviewed. The remaining 62 cases consisted of post-infectious strictures, with 37 patients lost to follow-up during the survey, 1 patient who died and 24 patients who were reviewed. The patients reviewed were assessed according to the criteria of the SFU (French Urology Society) survey. Direct vision internal urethrotomy was performed in 33 cases with 18 very good or good results (54%), segmental resection was performed in 10 cases with 7 very good or good results, urethroplasty was performed in 4 cases with 2 good results and 2 urethral dilatations were performed with 2 good results. The failures were essentially treated by more complex surgery (urethroplasty).

背景与目标： : 泌尿科1971年1984年治疗尿道狭窄149例。因此，所有这些患者均接受了5年的最小随访。外伤性狭窄87例，其中53例在调查中失访，8例死亡，26例患者得以复查。其余62例为感染后狭窄，其中37例患者在调查中失访，1例死亡，24例患者接受复查。根据SFU (法国泌尿外科学会) 调查的标准对患者进行评估。33例行直视内尿道切开术，18例效果非常好或良好 (54%)，10例行节段切除术，7例效果非常好或良好，4例行尿道成形术，2例尿道扩张，2例效果良好。这些失败基本上是通过更复杂的手术 (尿道成形术) 治疗的。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Semen quality, a predictor of male fertility, has been suggested declining worldwide. Among other life style factors, male coffee/caffeine consumption was hypothesized to influence semen parameters, but also sperm DNA integrity. To summarize available evidence, we performed a systematic review of observational studies on the relation between coffee/caffeine intake and parameters of male fertility including sperm ploidy, sperm DNA integrity, semen quality and time to pregnancy. METHODS:A systematic literature search was performed up to November 2016 (MEDLINE and EMBASE). We included all observational papers that reported the relation between male coffee/caffeine intake and reproductive outcomes: 1. semen parameters, 2. sperm DNA characteristics, 3. fecundability. All pertinent reports were retrieved and the relative reference lists were systematically searched in order to identify any potential additional studies that could be included. RESULTS:We retrieved 28 papers reporting observational information on coffee/caffeine intake and reproductive outcomes. Overall, they included 19,967 men. 1. Semen parameters did not seem affected by caffeine intake, at least caffeine from coffee, tea and cocoa drinks, in most studies. Conversely, other contributions suggested a negative effect of cola-containing beverages and caffeine-containing soft drinks on semen volume, count and concentration. 2. As regards sperm DNA defects, caffeine intake seemed associated with aneuploidy and DNA breaks, but not with other markers of DNA damage. 3. Finally, male coffee drinking was associated to prolonged time to pregnancy in some, but not all, studies. CONCLUSIONS:The literature suggests that caffeine intake, possibly through sperm DNA damage, may negatively affect male reproductive function. Evidence from epidemiological studies on semen parameters and fertility is however inconsistent and inconclusive. Well-designed studies with predefined criteria for semen analysis, subject selection, and life style habits definition, are essential to reach a consistent evidence on the effect of caffeine on semen parameters and male fertility.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :It is commonly believed that hybridization might lead to the formation of new polyploidy species, but it is unclear whether hybridization can produce a new homodiploid species. Here, we report the spontaneous occurrence of a new crucian carp-like homodiploid fish (2n = 100) that originated from the interspecific hybridization of female common carp (Cyprinus carpio, Cyprininae, 2n = 100) × male blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala, Cultrinae, 2n = 48). The phenotype and reproductive traits of this new crucian carp-like homodiploid fish were found to be very similar to those of the existing diploid species (diploid crucian carp; Carassius auratus). FISH and 5S rDNA analyses revealed that the genotype of the crucian carp-like homodiploid fish differs from those of its parents but is closely related to that of diploid crucian carp. The results provide evidence of the existence of a possible route through which the distant hybridization of this cross can generate crucian carp. The new type of homodiploid fish is of great value in fish genetic breeding and for studying the early evolutionary process.

背景与目标： : 通常认为杂交可能导致形成新的多倍体物种，但目前尚不清楚杂交是否可以产生新的同二倍体物种。在这里，我们报道了一种新的鲫鱼样同二倍体鱼 (2n   =   100) 的自发发生，该鱼起源于雌性鲤鱼的种间杂交 (Cyprinus carpio，cyprinininae，2n   =   100) ×  雄性钝吻鲷 (Megalobrama amblycephala，Cultrinae，2n   =   48)。发现这种新的cru鱼状同二倍体鱼类的表型和繁殖性状与现有的二倍体物种 (二倍体cru鱼; Car鱼) 非常相似。FISH和5S rDNA分析表明，cru鱼样同二倍体鱼的基因型与其亲本不同，但与二倍体cru鱼的基因型密切相关。结果提供了证据，表明存在一种可能的途径，通过该途径，该杂交的远距离杂交可以产生cru鱼。新型同二倍体鱼类在鱼类遗传育种和早期进化过程研究中具有重要价值。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :We have previously demonstrated that gonadectomy either prior to (early) or after (late) puberty elevated ethanol consumption in males to levels similar to intact adult females-effects that were attenuated by testosterone replacement. To assess whether alterations in the aversive effects of ethanol might contribute to gonadectomy-associated increases in ethanol intake in males, the present study examined the impact of gonadectomy on conditioned taste aversions (CTA) to ethanol in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were gonadectomized, received sham surgery (SH) or non-manipulated (NM) on postnatal (P) day 23 (early) or 67 (late) and tested for CTA to ethanol in adulthood. Water-deprived rats were given 1 hr access every-other-day to 10% sucrose followed by an injection of ethanol (0, 1g/kg) for 5 test sessions. Test data were analyzed to determine the first day significant aversions emerged in each ethanol group (i.e., sucrose intakes significantly less than their saline-injected counterparts). Early gonadectomized males acquired the CTA more rapidly than did early SH and NM males (day 1 vs 3 and 4 respectively), whereas a gonadectomy-associated enhancement in ethanol CTA was not evident in late males. Among females, gonadectomy had little impact on ethanol-induced CTA, with females in all groups showing an aversion by the first or second day, regardless of surgery age. These data suggest that previously observed elevations in ethanol intake induced by either pre- or post-pubertal gonadectomy in males are not related simply to gonadectomy-induced alterations in the aversive effects of ethanol indexed via CTA.

背景与目标： : 我们以前已经证明，在青春期 (早期) 或青春期 (晚期) 之前进行性腺切除术会将男性的乙醇消耗量提高到与完整的成年女性相似的水平-睾丸激素替代作用会减弱。为了评估乙醇的厌恶作用的改变是否可能导致男性性腺切除术相关的乙醇摄入量增加，本研究检查了性腺切除术对雄性和雌性Sprague-Dawley大鼠对乙醇的条件性味厌恶 (CTA) 的影响。在出生后第23天 (早期) 或第67天 (晚期) 对动物进行性腺切除，接受假手术 (SH) 或非操纵 (NM)，并在成年后测试CTA至乙醇。每隔一天给缺水的大鼠1小时10% 蔗糖，然后注射乙醇 (0,1 g/kg) 进行5次测试。分析测试数据以确定每个乙醇组中出现的第一天明显厌恶 (即，蔗糖摄入量明显少于注射盐水的对应物)。早期性腺切除的男性获得CTA的速度比早期SH和NM的男性更快 (分别为第1天和第3天和第4天)，而在晚期男性中，性腺切除术相关的乙醇CTA增强并不明显。在女性中，性腺切除术对乙醇诱导的CTA几乎没有影响，无论手术年龄如何，所有组的女性在第一天或第二天都表现出厌恶情绪。这些数据表明，先前观察到的男性青春期前或青春期后性腺切除术引起的乙醇摄入量升高与性腺切除术引起的通过CTA索引的乙醇厌恶作用的改变无关。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Vaginal candidiasis is frequent among pregnant women and it is treated with anti-fungal medication (conazoles). Conazoles have anti-androgenic properties and prenatal exposure in rodents is associated with a shorter (less masculine) anogenital distance (AGD) in male offspring. To our knowledge this has never been studied in humans. METHOD:In the Odense Child Cohort pregnant women residing in Odense municipality, Denmark, were recruited at gestational age 8-16 weeks between 2010 and 2012. Of the eligible 2421 mother-child pairs, 812 mother-son pairs were included. Questionnaire data on medicine use were collected in first and third trimester and physical examination at age 3 month was performed. Ano-scrotal distance; measured from the centre of anus to the posterior base of scrotum (AGDas). Ano-cephalad distance; measured from the centre of anus to the cephalad insertion of the penis (AGDap) and penile width; measured at the base of the penis. RESULTS:Eighty seven women had used antifungal medicine during pregnancy. Maternal use of oral fluconazole (n = 4) was associated with a 6.4 mm shorter AGDas (95% CI: -11.9;-0.9) in the male offspring. Use of antifungal vaginal tablets (n = 21), was associated with a non-significantly shorter AGDas (-1.9 mm; 95% CI: -4.3; 0.5) whereas exposure to vaginal cream (n = 23) was not associated to AGDas. Use of antifungal medicine in the window of genital development between 8 and 14 weeks of gestation was associated with a larger reduction in AGDas than exposure outside this window. Antifungal medicine intake was not associated with AGDap and penil width. CONCLUSION:Our preliminary findings prompted us to hypothesize that maternal use of conazole antifungal medication during pregnancy may affect the masculinization of male offspring. If confirmed, pregnant women should be advised to use antifungal medicine with caution.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :In the present study, we investigated the effects of repeated morphine pre-treatment on impairment of spatial memory acquisition induced by intra dorsal hippocampus (intra-CA1) administration of the non-selective cannabinoid CB1/CB2 receptor agonist, WIN55,212-2 in adult male rats. 2-day version of Morris water maze task has been used for the assessment of spatial memory. On the training day, rats were trained by a single training session of eight trials and 24 h later a probe trial test consist of 60s free swim period without a platform and the visible test was administered. Animals received pre-treatment subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of morphine, once daily for three days followed by five days drug-free treatment before training trials. The results indicated that bilateral pre-training intra-CA1 infusions of WIN55,212-2 (0.25 and 0.5 μg/rat) impaired acquisition of spatial memory on the training and test day. The amnesic effect of WIN55, 212-2 (0.5 μg/rat) was prevented in rats previously injected with morphine (20 mg/kg/day × 3 days, s.c.). Improvement in spatial memory acquisition in morphine-pretreated rats was inhibited by once daily administration of naloxone (1 and 2 mg/kg, s.c.) 15 min prior to injection of morphine for three days. The results suggest that sub-chronic morphine treatment may produced sensitization to cannabinoids, which in turn reversed the impairment of spatial memory acquisition induced by WIN55,212-2 and mu- opioid receptors may play an important role in this effect.

背景与目标： : 在本研究中，我们研究了重复吗啡预处理对非选择性大麻素CB1/CB2受体激动剂WIN55、212-2在成年雄性大鼠中给予背海马 (intra-CA1) 引起的空间记忆获取障碍的影响。莫里斯水迷宫任务的2天版本已用于评估空间记忆。在训练当天，对大鼠进行了八次试验的单次训练，24小时后进行了一次探针试验测试，该试验包括60s的自由游泳期，没有平台，并进行了可见测试。动物接受治疗前皮下注射吗啡，每天一次，持续三天，然后在训练试验前进行五天的无药治疗。结果表明，在训练和测试当天，双侧训练前intra-CA1输注WIN55，212-2 (0.25和0.5 μ g/大鼠) 会损害空间记忆的获取。在先前注射吗啡 (20 mg/kg/天 × 3天，s.C.) 的大鼠中预防WIN55，212-2 (0.5 μ g/大鼠) 的遗忘作用。每天服用一次纳洛酮 (1和2 mg/kg，s.C.) 可抑制吗啡预处理大鼠空间记忆的获取。注射吗啡前15分钟，持续三天。结果表明，亚慢性吗啡治疗可能会产生对大麻素的敏感性，从而逆转由WIN55，212-2和mu-阿片受体引起的空间记忆获取障碍可能在这种作用中起重要作用。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Male excess mortality is widespread among mammals and frequently interpreted as a cost of sexually selected traits that enhance male reproductive success. Sex differences in the propensity to engage in risky behaviours are often invoked to explain the sex gap in survival. Here, we aim to isolate and quantify the survival consequences of two potentially risky male behavioural strategies in a small sexually monomorphic primate, the grey mouse lemur Microcebus murinus: (i) most females hibernate during a large part of the austral winter, whereas most males remain active and (ii) during the brief annual mating season males roam widely in search of receptive females. Using a 10-year capture-mark-recapture dataset from a population of M. murinus in Kirindy Forest, western Madagascar, we statistically modelled sex-specific seasonal survival probabilities. Surprisingly, we did not find any evidence for direct survival benefits of hibernation-winter survival did not differ between males and females. By contrast, during the breeding season males survived less well than females (sex gap: 16%). Consistent with the 'risky male behaviour' hypothesis, the period for lowered male survival was restricted to the short mating season. Thus, sex differences in survival in a promiscuous mammal can be substantial even in the absence of sexual dimorphism.

背景与目标： : 男性过度死亡率在哺乳动物中普遍存在，通常被解释为性选择性状的成本，这些性状可以提高男性的生殖成功。经常援引从事危险行为的倾向中的性别差异来解释生存中的性别差距。在这里，我们的目的是分离和量化两种潜在风险的男性行为策略在一个小的性单形灵长类动物，灰鼠狐猴Microcebus murinus的生存后果 :( i) 大多数雌性在大部分冬季冬眠，尽管大多数雄性保持活跃，并且 (ii) 在短暂的年度交配季节，雄性广泛漫游以寻找接受雌性。使用来自马达加斯加西部Kirindy森林的M. murinus种群的10年捕获-标记-捕获数据集，我们对特定性别的季节性生存概率进行了统计建模。令人惊讶的是，我们没有发现任何证据表明冬眠的直接生存益处-冬季生存在男性和女性之间没有差异。相比之下，在繁殖季节，雄性的存活不如雌性 (性别差距: 16%)。与 “危险的男性行为” 假设一致，降低男性存活率的时间仅限于短暂的交配季节。因此，即使没有性别二态性，混杂哺乳动物的生存性别差异也可能很大。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Recent field studies on the reproductive ecology of western diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) from populations in southern Arizona showed significant differences in the concentration of plasma sex steroids (testosterone, T; 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone, DHT; and 17beta-estradiol, E2) throughout the active season (March-October), and peak levels were coincident with the two mating periods (late summer and early spring). There is, however, no information on levels of sex steroids during winter. Similar to most snakes, hibernating individuals of C. atrox are typically inaccessible, but in southern Arizona, where environmental conditions are typically mild during winter, adult males frequently bask at or near the entrances of communal dens. Basking activity, therefore, offers a unique logistical opportunity to assess the complete annual profile of plasma sex steroid levels in males of a temperate reptile in nature. From November to February, we measured levels of plasma T, DHT, and E2 in adult male C. atrox that were located basking at communal dens. Additionally, cloacal, core body, and ambient air temperatures were obtained to investigate potential relationships between body temperatures and levels of sex steroids. Mean levels of T, DHT, and E2 were relatively high, and the concentration hierarchy was T>DHT>E2. Mean levels of T, DHT, and E2 showed no significant variation across the four months of sampling; however, E2 levels decreased progressively. In the annul cycle, sex steroid levels during winter were not basal when compared to values obtained during the active season. Mean cloacal temperatures of basking males were significantly higher than core body temperatures of non-basking males (inside dens) from November-December, and in February, which suggests that one function of winter basking is to elevate body temperatures. Steroid levels, nonetheless, were not significantly correlated with cloacal temperatures. We suggest that future field studies of male C. atrox should: (a) investigate sex steroid levels in non-basking individuals and (b) test whether elevated levels of sex steroids during winter facilitate the large increases that occur in early spring, which are coincident with the second mating season. Our findings on the reproductive biology of C. atrox and other viperids are discussed in the context of the associated-dissociated model of reproduction.

背景与目标： : 最近对来自亚利桑那州南部种群的西方钻石支持响尾蛇 (Crotalus atrox) 的生殖生态学进行的实地研究表明，血浆性类固醇 (睾丸激素，T; 5α-二氢睾丸激素，DHT; 和17β-雌二醇，E2) 在整个活动季节 (3月-10月)，峰值水平与两个交配期 (夏末和初春) 一致。但是，没有关于冬季性类固醇水平的信息。与大多数蛇相似，通常无法进入冬眠的C. atrox个体，但在亚利桑那州南部，冬季环境条件通常温和，成年雄性经常在公共窝点的入口或附近晒太阳。因此，晒太阳活动提供了一个独特的后勤机会，可以评估自然界中温带爬行动物男性的血浆性类固醇水平的完整年度概况。从11月到2月，我们测量了位于公共窝点的成年男性C. atrox的血浆T，DHT和E2水平。此外，还获得了泄殖腔，核心体和环境空气温度，以研究体温与性类固醇水平之间的潜在关系。T，DHT和E2的平均水平相对较高，浓度等级为T>DHT>E2。在四个月的采样中，T，DHT和E2的平均水平没有显着变化; 但是，E2水平逐渐降低。在annul周期中，与活动季节获得的值相比，冬季的性类固醇水平不是基础。在11月12月和2月中，晒太阳的男性的平均泄殖腔温度显着高于非晒太阳的男性 (窝点内) 的核心体温，这表明冬季晒太阳的功能之一是提高体温。尽管如此，类固醇水平与泄殖腔温度没有显着相关。我们建议将来对雄性C. atrox进行实地研究 :( a) 调查非晒太阳个体的性类固醇水平，以及 (b) 测试冬季性类固醇水平升高是否会促进早春发生的大幅增加，这与第二个交配季节同时发生。我们在相关分离的生殖模型的背景下讨论了我们对C. atrox和其他生物的生殖生物学的发现。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of nutrients on the gonadal development of male rats kept under constant darkness as a model of disturbed daily rhythm. The present study examined protein and vitamins, and their interactions. This study was based on three-way ANOVA; the three factors were lighting conditions, dietary protein and dietary vitamins, respectively. The levels of dietary protein were low or normal: 9% casein or 20% casein. The levels of dietary vitamins were low, normal or high: 1/3.3 of normal (AIN-93G diet) content, normal content, or three times the normal content, respectively. Other compositions were the same as those of the AIN-93G diet, and six kinds of experimental diet were prepared. Four-week-old rats (Fischer 344 strain) were kept under constant darkness or normal lighting (12-h light/dark cycle) for 4 wk. After 4 wk, the gonadal weights and serum testosterone content were evaluated. In the constant darkness groups (D-groups), the low-protein diet induced reduction of gonadal organ weights and serum testosterone concentrations. This reduction of gonadal organ weights was exacerbated by progressively higher levels of dietary vitamins. In the case of a normal-protein diet, the depression of gonadal development was not accelerated by high-vitamin intake. In the normal lighting groups (N-groups), the low-protein and high-vitamin diet slightly depressed gonadal development. These results suggest that the metabolism of protein and vitamins is different in rats being kept under constant darkness, and that excess dietary vitamins have an adverse effect on gonadal development in rats fed a low-protein diet.

背景与目标： : 这项研究的目的是阐明营养物质对持续处于黑暗状态下的雄性大鼠性腺发育的影响，以此作为每日节律紊乱的模型。本研究检查了蛋白质和维生素及其相互作用。本研究基于三次方差分析; 这三个因素分别是光照条件、膳食蛋白质和膳食维生素。膳食蛋白质水平低或正常: 9% 酪蛋白或20% 酪蛋白。饮食中的维生素水平低，正常或高: 正常 (AIN-93G饮食) 含量的1/3.3，正常含量或正常含量的3倍。其他组成与AIN-93G饮食相同，并准备了六种实验饮食。将4周龄的大鼠 (Fischer 344品系) 保持在恒定的黑暗或正常照明下 (12小时的光/暗周期) 4周。4周后，评估性腺重量和血清睾丸激素含量。在恒定的黑暗组 (D组) 中，低蛋白饮食导致性腺器官重量和血清睾丸激素浓度降低。饮食中维生素的含量逐渐增加，加剧了性腺器官重量的减少。在正常蛋白质饮食的情况下，高维生素摄入量不会加速性腺发育的抑制。在正常照明组 (N组) 中，低蛋白和高维生素饮食会稍微抑制性腺发育。这些结果表明，在持续黑暗的情况下，大鼠的蛋白质和维生素的代谢是不同的，并且过量的饮食维生素对喂养低蛋白饮食的大鼠的性腺发育有不利影响。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:Cross-sectional data suggest that obesity, particularly central obesity, may be associated with decreased production of sex steroid hormones in men. However, longitudinal hormone data on men in relation to obesity status are limited. Previous studies have not consistently demonstrated whether sex steroids are associated specifically to body mass index or to measures of central obesity. Our objective was to examine the relation of obesity (body mass index > 30 kg/m2), and of central obesity (waist circumference > 100 cm or waist to hip ratio > 0.95) to longitudinal change in sex steroid hormones in men. DESIGN:Prospective follow-up of a population-based sample of men in Boston. PATIENTS:Nine hundred forty-two (942) men in the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study with complete anthropometry and hormone data at baseline (1987-1989, ages 40-70) and follow-up (1995-1997). MEASUREMENTS:Free and total testosterone (FT and TT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were assessed using standardized methods. Health behaviours and medical history were obtained by structured interview. Repeated measures regression was used to describe trends in steroid hormones and SHBG in relation to obesity status, adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol, comorbidities, and physical activity. RESULTS:Obesity was associated with decreased levels of total and free testosterone, and of SHBG at follow-up relative to baseline. For any given baseline concentration of TT, FT or SHBG, follow-up levels were lowest among men who remained obese or who became obese during follow-up. This was true for all three indices of obesity. Central adiposity was associated with lower DHEAS levels at follow-up, while elevated body mass index was not. CONCLUSIONS:Obesity may predict greater decline in testosterone and SHBG levels with age. Central adiposity may be a more important predictor of decline in DHEAS than is body mass index.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The paper describes the effect of different thermal treatments on the morphology and binding properties of particles prepared using a transacylation reaction between two biocompatible polymers, namely propylene glycol alginate and human serum albumin. Compared to control alginate gel microspheres, albumin-alginate covalent network offers a better resistance to the microspheres towards freezing, lyophilization and sterilization. The binding properties for methylene blue were not altered by the treatments. Moreover, stability in physiological environments opens interesting applications in biological and pharmaceutical fields.

背景与目标： : 本文描述了不同热处理对使用两种生物相容性聚合物 (海藻酸丙二醇和人血清白蛋白) 之间的烷基转移反应制备的颗粒的形态和结合性能的影响。与对照藻酸盐凝胶微球相比，白蛋白-藻酸盐共价网络对微球的冷冻，冻干和灭菌具有更好的抵抗力。处理不会改变亚甲基蓝的结合特性。此外，生理环境中的稳定性在生物和制药领域开启了有趣的应用。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Resistin is a circulating mediator of insulin resistance mainly expressed in human monocytes and responsive to inflammatory stimuli. Recent clinical studies have connected elevated resistin levels with the development and severity of heart failure. To further our understanding of the role of human resistin in heart failure, we studied a humanized mouse model lacking murine resistin but transgenic for the human Retn gene (Hum-Retn mice), which exhibits basal and inflammation-stimulated resistin levels similar to humans. Specifically, we explored whether resistin underlies acute anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Remarkably, doxorubicin (25mg/kg ip) led to a 4-fold induction of serum resistin levels in Hum-Retn mice. Moreover, doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity was greater in the Hum-Retn mice than in littermate controls not expressing human resistin (Retn(-/-)). Hum-Retn mice showed increased cardiac mRNA levels of inflammatory and cell adhesion genes compared with Retn(-/-) mice. Macrophages, but not cardiomyocytes, from Hum-Retn mice treated with doxorubicin in vitro showed dramatic induction of hRetn (human resistin) mRNA and protein expression. We also examined resistin levels in anthracycline-treated breast cancer patients with and without cardiotoxicity. Intriguingly, serum resistin levels in women undergoing anthracycline-containing chemotherapy increased significantly at 3 months and remained elevated at 6 months in those with subsequent cardiotoxicity. Further, elevation in resistin correlated with decline in ejection fraction in these women. These results suggest that elevated resistin is a biomarker of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and may contribute in the development of heart failure via its direct effects on macrophages. These results further implicate resistin as a link between inflammation, metabolism, and heart disease.

背景与目标： 抵抗素是胰岛素抵抗的循环介质，主要在人单核细胞中表达，对炎症刺激有反应。最近的临床研究已将抵抗素水平升高与心力衰竭的发展和严重程度联系起来。为了进一步了解人类抵抗素在心力衰竭中的作用，我们研究了一种人源化小鼠模型，该模型缺乏鼠抵抗素，但对人类Retn基因 (Hum-Retn小鼠) 进行了转基因，该模型表现出与人类相似的基础和炎症刺激的抵抗素水平。具体来说，我们探讨了抵抗素是否属于急性蒽环类药物诱导的心脏毒性。值得注意的是，阿霉素 (25 mg/kg ip) 导致Hum-Retn小鼠血清抵抗素水平的4倍诱导。此外，阿霉素诱导的心脏毒性在Hum-Retn小鼠中比在不表达人抵抗素 (Retn(-/-)) 的同窝对照中更大。与Retn(-/-) 小鼠相比，Hum-Retn小鼠的炎症和细胞粘附基因的心脏mRNA水平升高。体外用阿霉素处理的Hum-Retn小鼠的巨噬细胞，而不是心肌细胞，显示出hRetn (人抵抗素) mRNA和蛋白表达的显着诱导。我们还检查了蒽环类药物治疗的乳腺癌患者中有或没有心脏毒性的抵抗素水平。有趣的是，接受含蒽环类药物化疗的妇女的血清抵抗素水平在3个月时显着升高，而随后发生心脏毒性的妇女在6个月时仍保持升高。此外，抵抗素的升高与这些女性的射血分数下降相关。这些结果表明，抵抗素升高是蒽环类药物诱导的心脏毒性的生物标志物，并且可能通过其对巨噬细胞的直接作用而导致心力衰竭的发生。这些结果进一步暗示抵抗素是炎症，代谢和心脏病之间的联系。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :There is little research on injecting drug use in Nigeria. We investigated the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and C, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among male injection drug users (IDUs) in Lagos. Male IDUs (N = 328) were recruited through respondent-driven sampling. Participants completed an interview about their sexual and injecting risk behaviours and were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBV), hepatitis C antibody (HCV), HIV and syphilis, as well as genital chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections. Three-quarters of IDUs (74%) reported injecting drugs in the past one month although most did not share needles (92%) and the majority obtained sterile needles from pharmacists (87%). Estimated HBV, HCV, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia prevalences were 7.8%, 7.7%, 0.9%, 1.9%, 0.0%, and 3.7%, respectively. The burden of HIV is presently low among IDUs in Lagos. Changes in accessibility to sterile needles at pharmacists would likely have a deleterious effect on IDUs' health. HBV vaccination and HCV prevention programmes for IDUs are urgently needed.

背景与目标： : 尼日利亚关于注射吸毒的研究很少。我们调查了拉各斯男性注射吸毒者 (idu) 中HIV，乙型和丙型肝炎以及性传播感染 (STIs) 的患病率。通过受访者驱动的抽样招募男性注射吸毒者 (N = 328)。参与者完成了关于他们的性和注射风险行为的访谈，并测试了乙型肝炎表面抗原 (HBV)，丙型肝炎抗体 (HCV)，艾滋病毒和梅毒，以及生殖器衣原体和淋病感染。四分之三的注射吸毒者 (74%) 报告在过去一个月注射毒品，尽管大多数人不共用针头 (92%)，大多数人从药剂师那里获得无菌针头 (87%)。估计的HBV，HCV，HIV，梅毒，淋病和衣原体患病率分别为7.8%，7.7%，0.9%，1.9%，0.0% 和3.7%。目前，拉各斯注射吸毒者的艾滋病毒负担很低。药剂师对无菌针头的可及性发生变化可能会对idus的健康产生有害影响。迫切需要针对注射吸毒者的HBV疫苗接种和HCV预防计划。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Alterations in early life nutrition lead to an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome in offspring. We have shown that both relative maternal undernutrition (UN) and maternal obesity result in metabolic derangements in offspring, independent of the postnatal dietary environment. Since insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) has been shown to be independently associated with obesity and diabetes risk, we examined the IGF-IGFBP axis in male rat offspring following either maternal UN or maternal obesity to explain possible common pathways in the development of metabolic disorders. Wistar rats were time-mated and fed either a control diet (CONT), 50 % of CONT (UN) or a high-fat (HF) diet throughout pregnancy. Male offspring were weaned onto a standard chow diet and blood and tissues were collected at postnatal day 160. Plasma and hepatic tissue samples were analysed for key players in the IGF-IGFBP system. Both maternal UN and HF resulted in increased fat mass, hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia and altered blood lipid profiles in offspring compared to CONT. Circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP3 levels and hepatic mRNA expression of IGFBP1 and IGFBP2 were significantly decreased in UN and HF offspring compared to CONT. DNA methylation of the IGFBP2 promotor region was similar between maternal dietary groups. Although chaperone gene heat-shock protein 90 and hepatic IGFBP1 were significantly correlated in CONT offspring this effect was absent in both UN and HF offspring. In conclusion, this study is one of the first to directly compare two experimental models of developmental programming representing both ends of the maternal dietary spectrum. Our data suggest that two disparate nutritional models that elicit similar adverse metabolic phenotypes in offspring are characterised by common alterations in the IGF-IGFBP pathway.

背景与目标： : 生命早期营养的改变导致后代肥胖和代谢综合征的风险增加。我们已经证明，相对母体营养不良 (UN) 和母体肥胖都会导致后代的代谢紊乱，而与出生后的饮食环境无关。由于胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白2 (IGFBP2) 已被证明与肥胖和糖尿病风险独立相关，因此我们检查了母体肥胖或母体肥胖后雄性大鼠后代的igf-igfbp轴，以解释可能的共同途径。代谢紊乱的发展。对Wistar大鼠进行时间交配，并在整个怀孕期间饲喂对照饮食 (CONT)，CONT 50% (UN) 或高脂 (HF) 饮食。将雄性后代断奶到标准的饮食中，并在出生后第160天收集血液和组织。分析了血浆和肝组织样本中igf-igfbp系统中的关键角色。与CONT相比，母体UN和HF均导致后代的脂肪量增加，高胰岛素血症，高瘦素血症和血脂水平改变。与CONT相比，UN和HF后代的循环IGF-1和IGFBP3水平以及IGFBP1和IGFBP2的肝mRNA表达显着降低。孕妇饮食组之间IGFBP2启动子区域的DNA甲基化相似。尽管伴侣基因热休克蛋白90和肝IGFBP1在CONT后代中显着相关，但在UN和HF后代中都没有这种作用。总而言之，这项研究是第一个直接比较代表孕产妇饮食范围两端的两个发育编程实验模型的研究之一。我们的数据表明，在后代中引起相似的不良代谢表型的两种不同的营养模型的特征是igf-igfbp途径的常见改变。