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Background: Oxidative/nitrosative stress in the oocyte microenvironment could have an impact on intracytoplasmicsperm injection (ICSI) outcomes. The presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) canstimulate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to chronic inflammation and potentially affecting embryo aswell as oocyte quality. This study aimed to examine the relationship of lipid peroxidation [measured by the malondialdehyde(MDA) assay] with protein carbonyl [measured by the 2,4 dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) assay] levels in cumulus cells(CCs), as well as nitric oxide (NO), peroxynitrite (ONOO-), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in follicular fluid (FF).The potential relationship of these levels with ICSI outcomes was also evaluated.Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, 63 FF samples and their corresponding CCs were collected forICSI procedures. Spectrophotometry was used to assess levels of DNPH, MDA, NO, and ONOO-. CRP levels wereevaluated using an immunoturbidimetric assay.Results: The patients under 37 years with normal ovarian reserve had significantly lower levels of MDA, DNPH,NO, ONOO-, and CRP compared to those over 37 years. Additionally, we observed higher levels of MDA, DNPH,NO, ONOO-, and CRP in the group with an oocyte maturity rate of less than 60%. No significant difference was observedbetween the DNPH levels and factors such as infertility duration, embryo quality, pregnancy, or the number ofretrieved oocytes. A higher level of MDA, NO, ONOO-, and CRP was found to be significantly related to the lowernumber of retrieved oocytes, longer periods of infertility, poor embryo quality, and negative pregnancy outcomes.Conclusion: Oxidative/nitrosative stress, linking to inflammation in the oocyte microenvironment, can be consideredas a potentially useful biomarker for assessing the development and competence of oocytes and embryos and predictingICSI outcomes.

Objective To compare the degree of efficiency between density gradient centrifugation (DGC) method and an extended horizontal swim-up (SU) method. Methods A total of 97 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization were enrolled in the study. Semen samples were divided into three aliquots and treated using DGC, extended horizontal SU, and combined methods. DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation were detected in native semen samples and their three corresponding aliquots. The corresponding mature oocytes of each semen sample were divided into two sibling cultures. The first sibling culture was microinjected with semen pellets from DGC, and the second sibling culture was microinjected with semen pellets from the combination of both methods. Fertilization rate and embryonic development were assessed at day 3. Results DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation was significantly low in DGC and extended horizontal SU samples; however, the rates of DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation were significantly lower in extended horizontal SU samples than in DGC samples. The lowest rates of DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation corresponded to the samples treated with both methods. The highest rates of DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation corresponded to the samples treated with DGC. No significant difference was found in the fertilization rate or day 3 embryos between sibling cultures. Conclusion The combination of DGC and the extended horizontal SU techniques is best for giving the lowest rates of sperm DNA fragmentation and chromatin decondensation.

In North Africa, scorpion stings pose an urgent public health problem, particularly for children with high morbidity and mortality rates. The main species implicated are the Androctonus mauretanicus (Am), Androctonus australis hector (Aah), and Buthus occitanus (Bo). Immunotherapy is the specific therapeutic approach aimed at directly neutralizing toxins, despite their severity and rapid diffusion. In the present study, we evaluate, histologically and immunohistologically, the neutralization potency of the selective antivenom produced against, among other species, the Am, Aah, and Bo at the level of the tissue alterations in Swiss mice, as experimental subjects. Firstly, the lethal doses 50 test was conducted to assess the venom’s toxic activity, and then the median effective dose of the antivenom was determined against each venom. The histological and immunohistological analyses were performed by injecting the sublethal dose of venom, the complex venom and antivenom, or the antivenom 2 h following inoculation of venom. Our study revealed the highest toxicity of the Am, followed by the Aah and then the Bo venom. The neutralizing ability and effectiveness of the antivenom to completely or partially neutralize the tissular damages were demonstrated in all organs studied: brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Our results highlighted the important cytoplasmic and membranous staining in the heart compared to the brain tissue for the three scorpion venoms. Therefore, the scorpionic antivenoms are able to reach their target even at the tissue level. Immunotherapy represents the specific and recommended treatment against the scorpionic stings in North Africa.

The current study was designed to investigate the changes in the circulating Epstein–Barr virus DNA load (EBV DNA) at various time points before and after treatment and its clinical significance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A total of 142 patients with NPC were prospectively enrolled in this study. The plasma EBV DNA concentration was measured before and after treatment using qPCR. The prognostic values of the EBV DNA load were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression tests. Following multivariate analysis, our data showed that high pre-EBV DNA loads were associated with significantly poorer distant metastasis free survival (DMFS) and progression free survival (PFS); detectable end-EBV DNA loads were associated with significantly worse loco-regional recurrence free survival (LRRFS) and PFS, and the detecTable 6 months-post-EBV DNA loads were associated with significantly poorer overall survival (OS), DMFS and PFS (p < 0.05). Additionally, combining the pre-EBV DNA load and the stage of the disease, our results showed that patients at stage III-IVA with a low pre-EBV DNA load had similar survival rates as patients at stage II with a low or high pre-EBV DNA load, but had better survival rates than those at stage III-IVA with a high pre-EBV DNA load. Taken together, we showed that the change of the EBV DNA load measured at several time points was more valuable than at any single time point for predicting patients’ survival for NPC. Furthermore, combining the pre-EBV DNA load and the TNM classification could help to formulate an improved prognostic model for this cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most dominant primary liver cancer, which can be caused by chronic hepatitis virus infections and other environmental factors. Resection, liver transplantation, and local ablation are only a few of the highly effective and curative procedures presently accessible. However, other complementary treatments can reduce cancer treatment side effects. In this present work, we evaluated the activity of Moroccan scorpion venom Buthus occitanus and its fractions obtained by chromatography gel filtration against HCC cells using a 3D cell culture model. The venom was fractionated by gel filtration chromatography, each fraction and the crude venom was tested on normal hepatocytes (Fa2N-4 cells). Additionally, the fractions and the crude venom were tested on MCTSs (multicellular tumor spheroids), and this latter was generated by cultivate Huh7.5 cancer cell line with WI38 cells, LX2 cells, and human endothelial cells (HUVEC). Our results indicate that Buthus occitanus venom toxin has no cytotoxic effects on normal hepatocytes. Moreover, it is reported that F3 fraction could significantly inhibit the MCTS cells. Other Protein Separation Techniques (High-performance liquid chromatography) are needed in order to identify the most active molecule.

Introduction: Many studies have addressed the role of oxidative stress products in the carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The current study aimed to assess malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the serum of patients with NPC before and after chemo- radiotherapy (CRT), to evaluate its potential role as a biomarker in the management of this disease., Material and Methods: A total of 112 patients with newly diagnosed NPC, occurring between January 2017 and February 2019, were enrolled and followed up. The level of MDA was determined by spectrophotometric method., Results: Serum MDA levels in NPC patients before CRT were higher (0.911 µmol/ml/mg) than that obtained in the control group (0.613 µmol/ml/mg) ( p < 0.00). After CRT, MDA levels decreased significantly (0.698 µmol/ml/mg) ( p = 0.007). Serum MDA levels in patients at advanced disease stages (III-IV) were significantly higher (0.966 µmol/ml/mg) than those at early disease stage (I-II) (0.492 µmol/ml/mg) ( p = 0.001). Additionally, no significant association was observed between MDA levels before CRT and patients' outcomes ( p > 0.05)., Conclusions: In conclusion, high levels of MDA in the serum of patients with NPC before CRT, and their increase with disease stage, accurately reflect the heightened oxidative stress level in NPC. These findings strongly imply that MDA serum levels could be used as a biomarker in the progression monitoring of NPC., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Termedia.)