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This experiment was designed to study the effect of insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on cryopreservation of Hariana bull semen. For this purpose, semen ejaculates were collected from four Hariana bulls using artificial vagina at biweekly interval. The semen samples which possess more than 70% initial progressive motility and above 500 million/mL spermatozoa concentration was subsequently subjected to processing for experiment. Semen samples were extended in egg yolk tris glycerol (EYTG) extender and split into four groups. IGF-I was added at 50 ng/80 × 106 spermatozoa, 100 ng/80 × 106 spermatozoa and 150 ng/80 × 106 spermatozoa in the group II, III, IV respectively and group I as control (without IGF-I). Semen samples were evaluated at pre-freeze and post-thaw stage for percent individual progressive motility, percent live spermatozoa, percent hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) positive spermatozoa, percent spermatozoa with intact acrosome. A significant (P<0.05) higher individual progressive motility, viability, HOS response and acrosomal integrity was observed at pre-freeze and post-thaw stage by using 150 ng/ml IGF-I. Concentration of 150 ng/mL IGF-I was found to be more beneficial in cryopreservation of Hariana bull spermatozoa as evidenced by post-thaw seminal parameter. It was concluded that IGF-I can be added to extender for improving cryosurvial of Hariana bull spermatozoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different livestock sectors as beef industries get benefit from the production of male animals while dairy industries get benefit from the milk production by the female animals. Therefore, it is obvious need to produce the animals of desired sex which can be achieved by predetermining the sex of conceptus at the time of conception i.e. pre determination of sex may be of great economic importance. Control of the sex ratio by sex prediction of the of pre implanted embryo would be beneficial not only in relation to the aspect of management, production and breeding programmes of livestock but also in diagnosing the genetic disorders at prenatal stage. Pre-implantation sexing of embryos not only improves efficiency of embryo transfer but also facilitate the transfer of embryos of desired sex. Sex-sorted sperm is a one of the technique fulfilling the requirement but it is well expensive and less efficient. Another concept of getting genetically improved animals of desired sex is embryo sexing. Embryo sexing has great potential to maximize the efficiency of dairy production through controlling the sex ratio of domestic species. There are many methods to determine the sex of embryo categorized as invasive and non-invasive techniques with varying efficiency and merits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovered in 1996, PCSK7 is the seventh of the nine-membered proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin (PCSK) family. This article reviews the various aspects of the multifaceted biology of PCSK7 and what makes it an exciting new target for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affecting ∼30% of the population globally, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and likely cancer/metastasis. We will systematically review and discuss all the available epidemiological data, structural, cell biology, and in vivo evidence that eventually led to the discovery of PCSK7 as a novel post-translational regulator of apolipoprotein B. Interestingly, PCSK7 is the only convertase, other than PCSK9, that exhibits non-canonical/non-enzymatic functions, which will be amply described in this review. The data so far suggested that PCSK7 is a potential safe target in MASLD treatment. This was based on human epidemiological data, as well as mouse Pcsk7 knockout and mRNA translation inhibition using hepatocyte-targeted antisense oligonucleotides following a diet-induced MASLD. Additionally, of all the 9 convertases only the gene deletion of Pcsk7 and/or Pcsk9 in mice leads to healthy and fertile animals with no apparent deleterious consequences, suggesting that their pharmacological targeting is likely safe. Accordingly, the synergistic effects of inhibiting both PCSK7 and PCSK9 in a clinical setting may represent a novel therapy for various diseases. We believe that the current surge in oligonucleotide therapy, with many FDA-approved oligonucleotide-based drugs now available in the clinics, and the urgent need for novel MASLD therapeutics present an opportune moment for this timely review article., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com. See the journal About page for additional terms.)

Aim: Telemedicine has emerged as a potential solution to enhance postoperative follow-up care after dental implant surgery, offering the convenience of remote monitoring and reduced need for in-person visits., Materials and Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to either the telemedicine group (n = 15) or the in-person group (n = 15). In the telemedicine group, patients received remote follow-up care through virtual consultations, during which they could communicate their concerns and share images of the surgical site. The in-person group received standard in-person follow-up visits. Patient satisfaction was measured using a standardized survey, with responses collected on a Likert scale., Results: Telemedicine group exhibited comparable levels of patient satisfaction (mean satisfaction score ± standard deviation: 4.6 ± 0.3) to the in-person group (4.7 ± 0.2). Moreover, clinical outcomes, including wound healing assessment, were similar between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in the incidence of postoperative complications or the need for additional interventions., Conclusion: In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrates that telemedicine is an effective alternative to traditional in-person follow-up care for postoperative dental implant surgery patients. It offers comparable patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes while proving to be more cost-effective., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Background: Epidemiological evidence links the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 7 (PCSK7) to triglyceride (TG) metabolism. We associated the known PCSK7 gain-of-function non-coding SNP rs236918 with higher levels of plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB) and the loss-of-function coding variant p.Pro777Leu (SNP rs201598301) with lower apoB and TG. Herein, we aimed to unravel the in vivo role of liver PCSK7., Methods: We biochemically defined the functional role of PCSK7 in lipid metabolism using hepatic cell lines and Pcsk7 -/- mice. Our findings were validated following subcutaneous administration of hepatocyte-targeted N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) against Pcsk7., Results: Independent of its proteolytic activity, membrane-bound PCSK7 binds apoB100 in the endoplasmic reticulum and enhances its secretion. Mechanistically, the loss of PCSK7/Pcsk7 leads to apoB100 degradation, triggering an unfolded protein response, autophagy, and β-oxidation, eventually reducing lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was induced by a 12-week high fat/fructose/cholesterol diet in wild type (WT) and Pcsk7 -/- mice that were then allowed to recover on a 4-week control diet. Pcsk7 -/- mice recovered more effectively than WT mice from all NAFLD-related liver phenotypes. Finally, subcutaneous administration of GalNAc-ASOs targeting hepatic Pcsk7 to WT mice validated the above results., Conclusions: Our data reveal hepatic PCSK7 as one of the major regulators of apoB, and its absence reduces apoB secretion from hepatocytes favoring its ubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome. This results in a cascade of events, eventually reducing hepatic lipid accumulation, thus supporting the notion of silencing PCSK7 mRNA in hepatocytes for targeting NAFLD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Nabil G Seidah has patent METHOD FOR REDUCING HEPATIC TRIGLYCERIDES pending to Nabil G Seidah., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study is a comparative analysis of the biochemical, hormonal, and mineral compositions of follicular fluid in preovulatory and cystic follicles of water buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ). In total, reproductive tracts from 215 buffalo along with intact ovaries were collected randomly from an abattoir. The incidence of cystic conditions found in this study was 3.72% (8/215), involving the right ovary in 62.5% of instances and the left ovary in 37.5% of instances during the non-breeding season. Follicular fluid was aspirated from preovulatory follicles (12-15 mm diameter, oestrogen-active, follicular phase or stage IV corpus luteum on one of the two ovaries, n = 10) and cystic follicles (at least 20 mm diameter, no corpus luteum on any one of the two ovaries, n = 8). The follicular fluid samples were assayed for biochemical components (uric acid, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, total protein, glucose, ascorbic acid, and alkaline phosphatase), hormones (progesterone, estradiol, and insulin), and minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and cobalt). Cystic follicles had greater ( P < 0.05) concentrations of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, progesterone, copper, zinc, and cobalt, and lesser ( P < 0.05) concentrations of uric acid, glucose, ascorbic acid, estradiol, insulin, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus compared with preovulatory follicles. These results indicated the marked differences in follicular fluid composition between preovulatory and cystic follicles in buffalo. Some of the changes were indicative of oxidative stress and disturbed steroidogenesis, two important mechanisms shown to be associated with cystic ovarian disease in various species. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether these differences are directly or indirectly involved in the formation of cystic follicles or are mere manifestations of the condition.

In the study, melatonin, a known antioxidant pineal peptide was used as an additive in the tris-egg yolk glycerol-based semen extender in Hariana bull semen and post-thaw sperm characters were evaluated. In the study, Group I was a control without melatonin; and Group II, III, and IV were having 0.5 mM, 1 mM, and 2 mM melatonin/80 × 10 6 spermatozoa, respectively were treatment groups. Thirty-two semen ejaculates from 4 Hariana bulls were processed for freezing and post-thaw sperm characteristics were evaluated. Sperm motility, velocity, the viability with intact membrane, and total antioxidant capacity were markedly (P < 0.05) improved in Group IV compared to all other groups. The lipid peroxidation and total protein carbonylation were substantially (P < 0.05) decreased in Group IV compared to all other groups. The population of cryocapacitated, acrosome-reacted, and apoptotic-like spermatozoa were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in Group IV. Further, the relative band intensity of 74 kDa protein and percent of spermatozoa showing positive immune reactivity to tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins was decreased in Group IV. The progesterone-receptor ligand binding, in vitro capacitation response, and Vanguard distance were markedly (P < 0.05) improved in Group IV. In summary- Group IV having 2 mM melatonin was found to be optimal in providing cryoprotective effects to Hariana bull spermatozoa after freezing-thawing and can be suitably used as a semen additive during semen cryopreservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest with any other people or organizations in any financial or personal relationship., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, the cryoprotective potential of natural antioxidant curcumin in Hariana bull semen was evaluated as an additive in a tris-based extender with the assessment of motility and motion parameters of spermatozoa, membrane intactness, progesterone-receptor binding, protein carbonyl content, cervical mucus penetration, cryocapacitation-associated and apoptotic-like changes. The collected ejaculates were divided into five groups in the tris-based extender (control without curcumin-I, 10 µM-II, 25 µM-III, 50 µM-IV and 75µM-V) and were cryopreserved. Groups II and III containing 10 and 25 µM curcumin substantially (p < .05) improved the post-thaw sperm parameters like viability, motility, and velocity parameters; intact acrosome and membrane; lowered protein carbonyl content; DNA fragmentation and cryocapacitation-associated changes in comparison to control. It was interesting to note that early apoptotic-like changes in sperm cells were significantly (p < .05) decreased in Group II along with an increase in a higher population of sperm cells having high mitochondrial transmembrane potential. Higher progesterone-receptor binding, Vanguard distance and in vitro capacitation response were observed only in Group II (10µM) compared to other groups. In conclusion, curcumin in a semen extender manifests cryoprotective effects and may be incorporated at 10 µM concentration in a Hariana bull semen extender for better post-thaw sperm quality., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The locus of the human proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type-7 (PC7) gene (PCSK7) is on chromosome 11q23.3 close to the gene cluster APOA5/APOA4/APOC3/APOA1, a region implicated in the regulation of lipoprotein metabolism. A GWAS reported the association of PCSK7 SNPs with plasma triglyceride (TG), and exome sequencing of African Americans revealed the association of a low-frequency coding variant of PC7 (R504H; SNP rs142953140) with a ~ 30% TG reduction. Another PCSK7 SNP rs508487 is in linkage disequilibrium with a promoter variant of the liver-derived apolipoprotein A-V (apoA-V), an indirect activator of the lipoprotein lipase (LpL), and is associated with elevated TG levels. We thus hypothesized that PC7 regulates the levels/activity of apoA-V. Studies in the human hepatic cell line HuH7 revealed that wild-type (WT) PC7 and its endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-retained forms bind to and enhance the degradation of human apoA-V in acidic lysosomes in a nonenzymatic fashion. PC7-induced degradation of apoA-V is inhibited by bafilomycin A1 and the alkalinizing agents: chloroquine and NH 4 Cl. Thus, the PC7-induced apoA-V degradation implicates an ER-lysosomal communication inhibited by bafilomycin A1. In vitro, the natural R504H mutant enhances PC7 Ser 505 phosphorylation at the structurally exposed Ser-X-Glu 507 motif recognized by the secretory kinase Fam20C. Co-expression of the phosphomimetic PC7-S505E with apoA-V resulted in lower degradation compared to WT, suggesting that Ser 505 phosphorylation of PC7 lowers TG levels via reduced apoA-V degradation. In agreement, in Pcsk7 -/- mice fed high-fat diet, plasma apoA-V levels and adipocyte LpL activity are increased, providing an in vivo mechanistic link for a role of liver PC7 in enhanced TG storage in adipocytes., (© 2020 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) is a syndrome defined by neurocognitive deficits that are driven by viral neurotoxins, cytokines, free radicals, and proteases expressed in the brain. This neurological disease has also been linked to activation of Protease-Activated Receptors 1 and 2 (PAR1,2). These receptors are highly expressed in the central nervous system and are upregulated in HAND. Secretory basic-amino-acid-specific Proprotein Convertases (PCs), which cleave precursor proteins at basic residues, are also induced in HAND. They are vital for many biological processes including HIV-1 entry into cells. The cytoprotective role of Furin, PC5, and PACE4 has been linked to the presence of a potential PC-cleavage site R 41 XXXXR 46 ↓ in PAR1. Furthermore, Furin binds PAR1 and both are trapped in the trans-Golgi-network (TGN) as inactive proteins, likely due to the intermediary trafficking role of phospho-Furin acidic cluster sorting protein 1 (PACS1). Nothing is known about PAR2 and its possible recognition by PCs at its putative R 31 XXXXR 36 ↓ processing site. The present study implicates PACS1 in the retrograde trafficking of PAR1 to the TGN and demonstrates that the cytosolic extreme C-terminal tail of PAR1 contains an acidic phosphorylatable PACS1-sensitive domain. We further show the requirement of Asn 47 in PAR1 for its Furin-dependent TGN localization. Our data revealed that Furin is the only convertase that efficiently cleaves PAR2 at Arg 36 ↓. N-glycosylation of PAR2 at Asn 30 reduces the efficacy, but enhances selectivity of the Furin cleavage. Finally, in co-cultures comprised of human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells (stably expressing PAR1/2 and/or Furin) and HIV-1-infected primary macrophages, we demonstrate that the expression of Furin enhances neuronal cell viability in the context of PAR1- or PAR2-induced neuronal cytotoxicity. The present study provides insights into early stages of HIV-1 induced neuronal injury and the protective role of Furin in neurons co-expressing PAR1 and/or PAR2, as observed in HAND.

Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of breast is a very rare malignancy and preoperative diagnosis is difficult by clinical examination alone.Most oftenly, histopathological examination (HPE) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies are required to establish the diagnosis. We describe here a case of a primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of right breast in a 32-year-old woman. The patient underwent a right modified radical mastectomy, and the diagnosis was conclusively established postoperatively by the HPE and IHC reports. The IHC report revealed positive status of oestrogen, progesterone and Herceptin receptors., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Nasogastric tube (NGT) placement in anesthetized and intubated is sometimes very challenging with more than 50% failure rate in the first attempt. We describe a newer innovative Sahu's three in one, technique with use of GlideScope and forward placement of intubated trachea by external laryngeal maneuver, these both techniques lead to separation of trachea from esophagus so that endoscopic jejunal feeding tube guide wire strengthen NGT can be guided and manipulated to esophagus under direct vision. After informed consent, we used Sahu's three in one combo technique to insert NGT in adult anesthetized and intubated patients of both the sexes with high success in the first attempt. We found this technique easy, helpful, less time consuming with high success rate., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: Wide awake surgery of the hand (WASH) is a well-accepted technique in hand surgery which allows the surgeon to identify and rectify on the table of some of the inadvertent shortcomings in the surgical procedures to optimise the final outcome. The advantage, however, precludes the use of tourniquet. We describe a modified method which preserves all the advantages of WASH and allows the surgeon to use tourniquet., Patients and Methods: Thirty-one cases of hand surgeries were carried out using the modified technique where a wrist block was supplemented with the ultra-short acting intravenous propofol which allowed the surgeon to use the upper arm tourniquet. The propofol infusion was stopped, and the tourniquet was released after the important surgical step. Within an average of 10 min of stoppage of the infusion, all the patients were awake for active intraoperative painless movements to aid the surgeon to identify, rectify and fine tune the procedure to optimise the results., Results: Five of the 31 patients needed correction based on the intraoperative movements. All the 31 patients were pain free at the surgical site during surgery. All the 31 patients were cooperative enough to perform full range of pain-free intraoperative movements. No patient experienced significant tourniquet pain during the procedure. Patient's and surgeon's satisfaction at the end of the procedure has been quite satisfactory., Conclusion: Timed wake-up anaesthesia, an improvement over the original WASH, has been suggested where the surgeon can add without subtracting the benefits of the procedure in the form of usage of the tourniquet providing the clear tissue plane and haemostasis during the surgery. However, an additional cost is incurred for the use of anaesthesia and equipment should be kept in mind., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.