Motility Index Research Articles

Single sperm vitrification with permeable cryoprotectant-free medium is more effective in patients with severe oligozoospermia and azoospermia

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is an invasive surgery for achieving the spermatozoa in cases with azoospermia. In these patients, the number of retrieved spermatozoa is limited and the optimal cryo-storage is very critical for their fertility preservation. Therefore, single sperm vitrification has been introduced for preservation of low number of spermatozoa.The goal was to assess the efficacy of sperm freezing medium (SFM) and sucrose medium as cryoprotectants for single sperm vitrification in cases with severe oligozoospermia and azoospermia.A total of 20 ejaculates from severe oligozoospermia and 20 testicular samples from azoospermia were processed. Twenty-five sperm cells were collected using ICSI injection pipette and transferred to a cryoprotectant droplet placed on the Cryotech, then vitrified by plunging in liquid nitrogen. Sperm motility, viability, fine-morphology, mitochondrial activity and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were assessed before and after vitrification.Sperm motility, viability and the percentage of cells with mitochondrial activity were significantly decreased after vitrification in both severe oligozoospermic and testicular samples in either cryoprotectants. However, the rates of post-warm sperm motility and the cells with mitochondrial activity increased significantly in sucrose medium in both severe oligozoospermic and testicular samples compared to SFM. In testicular samples, the DFI of spermatozoa vitrified in SFM was significantly higher than those vitrified with sucrose medium.Sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, and DNA integrity were better preserved in sucrose medium than SFM after single cell vitrification. The presented method may be a useful candidate for successful freezing of individual sperm cells in clinical setting.

Automatic detection of Crohn's disease using quantified motility in magnetic resonance enterography: initial experiences

To report initial experiences of automatic detection of Crohn's disease (CD) using quantified motility in magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). From 302 patients, three datasets with roughly equal proportions of CD and non-CD cases with various illnesses were drawn for testing and neural network training and validation. All datasets had unique MRE parameter configurations and were performed in free breathing. Nine neural networks were devised for automatic generation of three different regions of interests (ROI): small bowel, all bowel, and non-bowel. Additionally, a full-image ROI was tested. The motility in an MRE series was quantified via a registration procedure, which, accompanied with given ROIs, resulted in three motility indices (MI). A subset of the indices was used as an input for a binary logistic regression classifier, which predicted whether the MRE series represented CD. The highest mean area under the curve (AUC) score, 0.78, was reached using the full-image ROI and with the dataset with the highest cine series length. The best AUC scores for the other two datasets were only 0.54 and 0.49. The automatic system was able to detect CD in the group of MRE studies with lower temporal resolution and longer cine series showing potential in primary bowel disorder diagnostics. Larger ROI selections and utilising all available cine series for motility registration yielded slight performance improvements.

Derangement in Sperm Kinematics following Pre-pubertal Exposure to Cannabis sativa: Ameliorating effect of Vitamin C.

Background of study: Motility is an important function of the male gamete which enables it to actively reach and penetrate the female gamete for fertilization. Long term use of Cannabis sativa has been associated with decreased male fertility indices including sperm motility. The characterization of the spermatozoa movement has not been evaluated especially in rats pre-pubertally exposed to cannabis sativa. Methodology: Forty pre-pubertal male rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups of ten rats each. Group 1 served as the control, group 2 was the low dose cannabis group exposed to cannabis smoke for 5 minutes daily, group 3 was the high dose cannabis group exposed to cannabis smoke for 10 minutes daily while group 4 was exposed to cannabis smoke for 10 minutes daily and treated with 2.8mg/kg vitamin C daily. Duration of administration and treatment was 28 days after which animals were euthanized and cauda epididymis from each testis was dissected out for evaluation of sperm motility indices. Resuts: The results showed significant derangement in sperm kinetics including total motility (P<0.05), progressivity (P<0.05), velocity of active path (P<0.05), curvilinear velocity (P<0.05), amplitude of lateral head (P<0.05), beat cilia frequency (P<0.05) and wobbling rate (P<0.05) in the high dose group compared with control. These abnormal sperm kinematics were significantly ameliorated by vitamin C. Conclusion: In conclusion, cannabis smoke impairs several aspects of the kinematics of sperms in pre-pubertally exposed rats but which were ameliorated by vitamin C.

Gastrointestinal transit and contractility in diabetic constipation: A wireless motility capsule study on diabetes patients and healthy controls.

BackgroundDiabetic constipation is traditionally attributed to slow colonic transit, despite limited evidence. More than half of patients find treatment unsatisfactory. To improve treatment, there is a need for better diagnostic understanding of the condition.ObjectiveIn this wireless motility capsule study, we aimed to investigate gastrointestinal transit and contractility in diabetes patients with and without constipation, and in healthy controls.MethodsWe prospectively included type 1 or type 2 diabetes patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. Based on the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale we distinguished into two groups: with constipation and without constipation. Non‐diabetic controls were asymptomatic. All were examined with wireless motility capsule, determining transit times and contractility parameters.Results57 patients (42 women, 46 with type 1 diabetes) and 26 healthy controls (14 women) were included. We found no difference in transit times between diabetes patients with and without constipation. Compared to healthy controls (35:55, h:min), whole‐gut transit was slower in both diabetes patients with constipation (66:15, p = 0.03) and without constipation (71:16, p < 0.001). Small bowel motility index correlated r s = −0.32 (p = 0.01) with constipation symptoms.ConclusionsDiabetes patients with constipation had similar transit times as those without constipation. Both groups had slower whole‐gut transit than healthy controls. Constipation was associated with reduced small bowel, but not colonic contractility. Our results imply that other mechanisms than slow colonic transit may be more important in the pathogenesis of diabetic constipation.

High-Dose Irradiation Inhibits Motility and Induces Autophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans

Radiation damages many cellular components and disrupts cellular functions, and was previously reported to impair locomotion in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the response to even higher doses is not clear. First, to investigate the effects of high-dose radiation on the locomotion of C. elegans, we investigated the dose range that reduces whole-body locomotion or leads to death. Irradiation was performed in the range of 0–6 kGy. In the crawling analysis, motility decreased after irradiation in a dose-dependent manner. Exposure to 6 kGy of radiation affected crawling on agar immediately and caused the complete loss of motility. Both γ-rays and carbon-ion beams significantly reduced crawling motility at 3 kGy. Next, swimming in buffer was measured as a motility index to assess the response over time after irradiation and motility similarly decreased. However, swimming partially recovered 6 h after irradiation with 3 kGy of γ-rays. To examine the possibility of a recovery mechanism, in situ GFP reporter assay of the autophagy-related gene lgg-1 was performed. The fluorescence intensity was stronger in the anterior half of the body 7 h after irradiation with 3 kGy of γ-rays. GFP::LGG-1 induction was observed in the pharynx, neurons along the body, and the intestine. Furthermore, worms were exposed to region-specific radiation with carbon-ion microbeams and the trajectory of crawling was measured by image processing. Motility was lower after anterior-half body irradiation than after posterior-half body irradiation. This further supported that the anterior half of the body is important in the locomotory response to radiation.

Sperm Quality and Deoxyribonucleic Acid Fragmentation after 5 and 10 min Centrifugation with Swim-Up Processing Technique: A Prospective Cohort Study

AIM: This study aimed to assess the difference in sperm concentration, total motility, progressive motility, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation index (DFI) before and after processing with 5 and 10 min swim-up (SU). METHODS: Fifty patients who met the study inclusion criteria from June 2020 to October 2020 were subjected to routine semen and sperm DNA fragmentation analysis. Each of the samples was then divided into three tubes, one as control and the others were processed using the SU method with 5 and 10 min centrifugation time, respectively. After being processed, the samples were subjected again to routine semen and sperm DNA fragmentation analysis. The results were being compared among three groups. RESULTS: The sperm concentration after 5 and 10 min SU (27.78–39.79 and 35.36–51.09, respectively; p &lt; 0.05) was significantly higher compared to fresh semen (24.85–32.33). The total motility before and after 5 and 10 min SU were 43.78–51.08, 97.66–98.20, and 97.86–98.20, respectively. The progressive motility after 5 and 10 min SU (0–41 and 0–54, respectively) was significantly higher than fresh semen (0–24; p &lt; 0.05). The DFI was significantly better after 5 min SU (3.82–6.98) compared to fresh semen and after 10 min SU (13.48–19.04 and 1–25, respectively; p &lt; 0.05). CONCLUSION: Prolonged centrifugation time may yield a higher number of sperm concentration and motility, but it may also lead to a higher DFI. Hence, a shorter centrifugation time should be used for a better semen quality intended for assisted reproductive technologies.

P–109 Comparison between the outcome of sperm vitrification protocol and conventional slow freezing protocol for semen cryopreservation

Abstract Study question Does sperm vitrification technique helps in increasing sperm survival and low DNA fragmentation index post warming. Summary answer Sperm vitrification protocol results in better motility, high progression and low DNA fragmentation index as compared to slow freezing. What is known already Cryopreservation is ceasing and resuming the cell metabolism, which can be achieved by different techniques like slow freezing and vitrification .Vitrification allows solidification of the cells and extracellular milieu into a glass like state without formation of ice which protects intracellular and extracellular ice formation, and further helps in avoiding different types of cryo-injuries and cellular damage. Study design, size, duration: Comparative study from July 2019 to Oct 2020 in IVF unit of IKDRC Hospital. Two hundred and ten patients were randomized by computer generated list and divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 110) samples cryopreserved by vitrification and Group 2 (n = 100) samples cryopreserved by conventional slow freezing. Participants/materials, setting, methods Semen sample were analyzed by WHO 2010 laboratory manual, including all normozoospermic samples , other abnormal samples were excluded from the study . Method of semen preparation before cryopreservation is similar for both the groups, double density gradient method of preparation was used . Semen sample with high viscosity, hypo and hyper-spermia were also excluded. Similar cryovials of 2ml volume were used for both groups. Main results and the role of chance In group 1 where samples were cryopreserved by vitrification sperm motility was (54.3% vs 49.2%)vs in group 2 where samples were cryopreserved by slow freezing , non- significant difference were observed , but progressive motility was significantly higher in group 1 as compared to group 2 (36.8%vs17.9%) and DNA fragmentation index is significantly lower in group 1 vitrification than in group 2slow freezing ( 9.7% vs 20%). Limitations, reasons for caution Technical proficiency of the operator to avoid human errors and still larger randomized control studies are needed to strengthen these results Wider implications of the findings: Our study demonstrates that vitrification is better than slow freezing of human sperm, improved survival rates with high progression were found with vitrification and low DNA fragmentation index were also observed in samples cryopreserved with vitrification protocol. Trial registration number Not applicable

Comparative Effectiveness of Intravenous Azithromycin Versus Erythromycin Stimulating Antroduodenal Motility in Children.

Azithromycin has been shown to improve gastrointestinal motility in adults and may have fewer drug interactions and reduced arrhythmogenic effects than erythromycin. We hypothesized that azithromycin is comparable to erythromycin in eliciting pharmacodynamic outcomes for antral and small bowel motility. To compare the pharmacodynamic effectiveness of azithromycin and erythromycin for eliciting antral and duodenal motility in pediatric patients who underwent antroduodenal manometry for different indications. We conducted a retrospective comparison of clinic data and manometric pharmacodynamics outcomes in patients who underwent antroduodenal manometry between 2013 and 2017. Fifty-one patients mean age (± standard deviation) 9.7 (5.4) years, received either azithromycin 3 mg/kg (n = 20) or erythromycin 2 mg/kg (n = 31) during antroduodenal manometry. For patients receiving erythromycin, mean area under the curve (AUC) across all eight pressure ports increased from median [95% confidence interval] 2256 [1585, 2602] to 8742 [5876, 11761] mmHg × s (P < 0.001) and mean motility index increased from 8.63 [7.87, 9.42] to 11.98 [11.20, 12.21] (P < 0.001). For patients receiving azithromycin, mean AUC increased from 2255 [1585, 2602] to 8254 [5649, 10470] mmHg × s (P < 0.001) and motility index increased from 8.63 [7.87,9.42] to 11.79 [11.03, 12.21] (P < 0.001). Neither mean stimulated AUC nor mean motility index was significantly different between azithromycin and erythromycin treatments. There was no significant difference in side effects between groups. Azithromycin and erythromycin have similar pharmacodynamic effects on antral and small bowel contractility in children. Azithromycin should be considered an acceptable alternative to erythromycin as an upper gastrointestinal tract prokinetic for children and has historically had fewer side effects than erythromycin.

Vitrification with microinjection of single seminiferous tubules: an efficient cryopreservation approach for limited testicular tissue

Research questionIs vitrification with microinjection of single seminiferous tubules an efficient cryopreservation approach for limited testicular tissue? DesignTesticular tissue from 10 patients with normal spermatogenesis were assigned to a fresh control group or one of the following cryopreservation procedures: uncontrolled slow freezing (USF) using either 1.5 or 2.1 M DMSO combined with sucrose and vitrification with or without single seminiferous tubules microinjection. ResultsSingle seminiferous tubules microinjected with cryoprotective agents (CPA) enhanced the penetration of CPA compared with CPA-treated testicular tissue fragments. Microinjection of seminiferous tubules (VLP) maintained tubule structural integrity and germ cell numbers, and reduced spermatogonial apoptosis after cryopreservation compared with vitrification without microinjection (apoptosis rate: VLP versus vitrification without microinjection, P = 0.047; VLP versus USF, P= 0.049). Freezing of single seminiferous tubules using 0.25-ml straws and traditional sperm freezing methods protected sperm retrieval and recovery rates, and the progressive motility index. ConclusionsVitrification of single seminiferous tubule with microinjection of low CPA concentration is an effective approach to testicular cryopreservation.

Toxicity of cryoprotective agents to semen from two closely related snake species: The endangered Louisiana pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni) and bullsnake (Pituophis cantenifer)

Cryopreservation of sperm is an important tool for the conservation of threatened species. Many species of reptile are under considerable threat of extinction and there has been limited investigation of sperm cryopreservation in this taxonomic group. We performed a comparative test of toxicity to sperm of six commonly used cryoprotective agents (CPAs) at three concentrations (5%, 10%, 20%) from the Louisiana pinesnake, Pituophis ruthveni (n = 11), and the closely related bullsnake, Pituophis cantenifer (n = 8). Our objective was to determine the general toxicity of CPAs for cryopreservation in snakes and the cryoprotective ability of CPAs for sperm from the endangered Louisiana pinesnake. We conducted three experiments to: 1) evaluate the short-term in vitro toxicity of common CPAs in two closely related snake species, 2) determine the effectiveness of cryoprotectants for freezing and thawing semen in the Louisiana pinesnake, and 3) test the possible reduction in toxic effects of individual CPAs on semen of the Louisiana pinesnake by combining two of them. We used measures of motility including total motility, forward motility, and forward progressive motility index to characterize toxic effects and cryoprotective ability of each CPA. The results of our three experiments provide several important findings: 1) sperm of the bullsnake and Louisiana pinesnake responded differently to CPAs, 2) few CPAs provided any cryoprotection, as measured by percent recovered motility, in Louisiana pinesnakes, and 3) using mixtures of CPAs did not reduce toxicity relative to the best performing CPA on its own. Motility was best maintained at a concentration of 5% for CPAs tested; however, cryoprotection was best achieved with glycerol at 20% followed by DMA and DMF at 10%. These results provide further insight into the challenges faced by researchers attempting to cryopreserve sperm from snakes. Further comparative studies are required to determine the generality of cryopreservation methods in reptiles and suggest caution should be taken when developing cryopreservation protocols across species, particularly in snakes. All CPAs tested in this study were permeating CPAs and showed a significant acute toxic effect on motility at concentrations that provided cryoprotection. Future work in snakes might consider additional avenues of cryoprotection and combinations of multiple approaches.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation influences gastric motility: A randomized, double-blind trial in healthy individuals

BackgroundTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has been investigated regarding its therapeutic properties in several several conditions such as epilepsy, migraine and major depressive disorder and was shown to access similar neural pathways as invasive vagus nerve stimulation. While the vagus nerve's role in gut motility is physiologically established, the effect of taVNS has scarcely been investigated in humans and yielded conflicting results. Real-time gastric magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) is an established reproducible method to investigate gastric motility non-invasively. ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of taVNS on gastric motility of healthy participants using rtMRI. MethodsWe conducted a randomized, double-blind study using high-frequency (HF) stimulation at 25Hz or low-frequency (LF) taVNS at 1Hz after ingestions of a standardized meal in 57 healthy participants. The gastric motility index (GMI) was determined by measuring the amplitude and velocity of the peristaltic waves using rtMRI. ResultsAfter HF taVNS, GMI was significantly higher than after LF stimulation (p = 0.005), which was mainly attributable to a higher amplitude of the peristaltic waves (p = 0.003). ConclusionWe provide evidence that 4-h of taVNS influences gastric motility in healthy human participants for the first time using rtMRI. HF stimulation is associated with higher amplitudes of peristaltic waves in the gastric antrum compared to LF stimulation. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of different frequencies of taVNS and its therapeutic properties in conditions with impaired gastric motility.

Papanicolaou-Stained Cytosmear Preparations in the Evaluation of Leucocytospermia: A Tertiary Centre Experience and Assessment of Utility.

Objectives Leucocytospermia is a rare cause of infertility with a variable incidence in infertile men. In many andrology laboratories, semen analysis is primarily centered on analyzing basic parameters (sperm count, motility, and viability). We examined the role of cytomorphological analysis on Papanicolaou (PAP)-stained smears in the work up of male infertility, with special reference to leukocytospermia and assessed the morphological features of sperms in these cases. Materials and Methods All cases signed out as “leukocytospermia” between November 2017 and January 2018 were evaluated. Cases showing pus cells (≥ 1/5hpf) on cytosmear evaluation were also analyzed. Parameters obtained on modified Neubauer’s chamber, wet mount preparations, and autoanalyzer SQA-IIC-P (Medical Electronic Systems, Israel) were tabulated. PAP-stained smears were examined to assess morphological defects and other findings, if any. Results Out of 348 semen samples, 6 (1.72%) were diagnosed as leukocytospermia, all displaying pus cells on cytomorphological evaluation. Five cases having white blood cells < 1 × 10 9 /L were analyzed, which displayed the presence of pus cells (≥ 1/5 hpf) on cytosmear preparations (1.43%). Nine cases (81.8%) showed reduced motile sperm concentration, functional sperm concentration, and sperm motility index. Morphological evaluation of the PAP-stained smears showed mid-piece defects in 18.1% cases. Conclusion Diligent cytomorphological evaluation of semen is essential to diagnose leukocytospermia, assess morphological defects, and serve as a quality control measure.

IN VIVO AND IN VITRO EVALUATION OF PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF Hedychium coccineum RHIZOMES EXTRACT

The study reports the in vivo antidiarrheal and in vitro anthelmintic, cytotoxic, and thrombolytic activity of methanol extract of Hedychium coccineum rhizomes (MEHC). The antidiarrheal activity was determined using Castor oil-induced diarrhea and Gastrointestinal motility test in mice at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, whereas an aquarium worm, Tubifex tubifex, was used to determine the anthelmintic activity. The cytotoxic and thrombolytic activity of MEHC was performed by Brine shrimp lethality bioassay and clot lysis method respectively. In antidiarrheal, castor oil-induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal motility exhibited a significant reduction in diarrhea and defecation and an extremely significant inhibition in intestinal motility and peristalsis index by 200 and 400 mg/kg of MEHC. The MEHC (5, 10, and 20 mg/mL) showed a significant dose-dependent manner paralysis time and times to death in multiple comparisons to the different levamisole concentrations (0.5, 0.8, and 1 mg/mL) at in vitro anthelmintic activity. The brine shrimp lethality bioassay exhibited a weak LC50 (681.95 µg/mL; R² = 0.951) while in thrombolytic a significant percentage of clot lysis (32.70%, P &lt; 0.05) demonstrated. The findings demonstrate that H. coccineum rhizomes could be potential sources for biological activity.

Relationships of Osmolality and Oxidative Stress with Semen Quality and Their Effects on Male Fertility

The objective of this study was to investigate and find the relationships between human semen osmolality and oxidative stress with semen quality. Semen analysis was determined to evaluate semen quality and fertility. The concentration of semen malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured to assess oxidative stress. For this purpose, one hundred seventy healthy adult males were used in this study. The study was conducted from September 2018 to November 2019 in the Infertility care and in vitro fertilization center (IVF) and the Biology department of the College of Science at Salahaddin University in Erbil city. A significant positive correlation was observed between the total sperm motility, grade activity, and sperm motility index with semen osmolality less than 300 mOsm kg-1 (r= 0.62, r = 0.64, and r= 0.75 p≤0.01 respectively) and osmolality 300-350 (r= 0.53, p≤0.05 r= 0.52 p≤0.05, and r= 0.56 p≤0.01 respectively). Total sperm motility, grade activity, and sperm motility index are negatively correlated with osmolality 351-400 mOsm kg-1 (r= -0.65 p≤0.05, r= -0.56 p≤0.05, and r= -0.67 p≤0.01) and more than 400 mOsm kg-1 (r= -0.86, r = -0.74 and r= -0.88 p≤0.01). Regarding the relation between oxidative stress and sperm motility kinetics, total sperm motility, grade activity, and sperm motility index is negatively correlated with MDA more than 2 µmol/L (r= -0.56 p≤0.05, r= -0.52 p≤0.05, and r= -0.67 p≤0.01 respectively). No significant correlation was found between semen osmolality and MDA concentration with sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm viability, and normal sperm morphology.

The Effect of Single and Triple Testicular Biopsy Using Biopty Gun on Spermatogenesis in Pubertal Rats.

Simple SummaryNowadays, a punch biopsy is a simple, reliable and inexpensive method for different types of tissue sampling. Equally, it is the method of choice for obtaining testicular tissue samples for pathohistological analysis and sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The results of this study clearly showed that a single biopsy has little effect on the biopsied testis, especially on total fertility. Triple biopsy showed by the same parameters that histological and immunohistochemical consequences were more significant compared to single but without a significant effect on overall fertility. Sperm analysis showed that single and triple biopsies did not have a significant effect on sperm count, motility and morphology. In addition, both single and triple punch biopsies of one testicle did not significantly affect the overall fertility potential of pubertal rats.Background: The aim of this study was to compare consequences in single and triple testicular biopsy by biopty gun in pubertal rats using histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley male rats were used as the experimental model. The rats were randomly divided into three study groups. The rats from the first group (n = 12) received a single-biopsy of upper pole of the left testis, while the rats from the second group (n = 10) received triple-biopsy of upper and lower poles and lateral surface of left testis. The third group (n = 10) was a control group. On the eightieth day after the biopsy in all rats bilateral orchiectomy and funiculectomy were performed to obtain testicular tissue and sperm for analysis. The consequences of the puncture were observed by pathohistology, immunohistochemistry and semen analysis. Results: The results of the study showed lower percentage of sperm count (14.5 mill/mL vs. 16 mill/mL, p = 0.130), sperm motility (24.6% vs. 32.7%, p > 0.05), abnormal sperm (30% vs. 27%, p > 0.05), atrophic tubules (21% vs. 6%, p < 0.001), volume (1.7 mL vs. 2.28 mL, p < 0.01) and apoptotic index (1.56 vs. 1.19, p = 0.650) in the testes with a triple-biopsy compared to the testes with a single-biopsy. Semen analysis showed a borderline significant difference between the group with triple-biopsy where sperm count was lower than it in the control group (14.5 mill/mL vs. 17.5 mill/mL, p = 0.05). A single-biopsy has little effect on the testis, especially on overall fertility. A triple-biopsy showed higher degree of the testicular damage but without a significant impact on overall fertility. Semen analysis showed that single- and triple-biopsies did not have a significant effect on sperm count, motility and morphology. Conclusion: Biopty gun procedure is a cheap, simple and reliable method for testicular biopsy in rats without a significant effect on sperm count, motility and morphology.

Reported abdominal pain is associated with gastric motility in functional dyspepsia patients

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common gastrointestinal (GI) disorder of the upper GI tract associated with a variety of symptoms, such as abdominal pain and bloating, but lacking identifiable organic abnormalities. Altered motility patterns in FD occur in the stomach, pylorus and small intestine during digestive or interdigestive periods, and up to 30% of symptoms are associated with migrating motor complexes-like activity, thus suggesting a link between gastric motility and sensory disturbances. However, gastric functional impairments have proven to be challenging to assess using conventional abdominal imaging, which typically evaluated anatomy at a single time point and relied on a variety of modalities with varying degrees of invasiveness. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) represents a promising tool for non-invasive assessment of multiple aspects of gastric function, which can be linked with pain intensity. We applied a novel 4D (volume + time), free-breathing MRI sequence at 3T with contrast enhancement achieved through a food-based meal in order to assess human gastric function. Twelve (12) FD patients were asked to consume a high-caloric meal (470 ml semi-solid pudding) containing pineapple as contrast agent. 4D cine-MRI gastric scans were collected continuously for 5 minutes (temporal resolution: 7s) at 3 post-meal times (+15, +45, +75 minutes). Ratings of abdominal pain were collected prior to each scan using a numerical rating scale ranging from 0 (“unnoticeable”) to 100 (“unbearable”). MRI gastric volumes were segmented and a gastric motility index was extracted by dividing gastric wall deformation by gastric volume. This index showed a significant positive correlation with abdominal pain ratings (r=0.39, p-value=0.018). No significant correlations were found between abdominal pain and gastric volume or ingested meal volume, supporting the importance of dynamic gastric measurements. Our results support 4D cine-MRI as a clinically relevant tool for the identification of gastric abnormalities associated with FD symptomatology. NIH NIDDK R21-DK116029, NIH Office Of The Director OT2-OD023867.

MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SPERMATOZOA FROM MALE WHITE RATS UNDER EXPERIMENTAL STRESS

We present the effect of stressogenic factors on the morphological parameters of spermatozoa.&#x0D; Objective. We studied the morpho-physiological features of spermatozoa from male albino rats under experimental stress.&#x0D; Materials and methods. A experiment was carried out using sexually mature outbred white rats. Combined stress was performed to an experimental group: after three days of starvation, an emotional stress of “free swimming in a cage” technique was provided. Under a microscope, the spermatozoa were counted per volume of epididymal suspension, the activity was evaluated, and the morphology was studied.&#x0D; Results. A study of the epididymal suspension of male rats under starvation and “emotional” stress showed a decrease in the total number of spermatozoa and sperm motility indices, and an increase in the abnormal gamete forms compared to the control.&#x0D; Conclusion. The combined effect of even short-term stressogenic factors leads to significant changes in the spermogram, allowing the quantitative and qualitative seminal fluid parameters to be a convincing criterion of maladaptation processes in the body under the stress.

The antroduodenal transition time is prolonged in adults with type 1 diabetes.

The gastroparetic syndrome encompasses antral hypomotility, gastric dysrhythmia, impaired antroduodenal coordination, pyloric dysfunction, and abnormal duodenal motility; the last three collectively referred to as pylorospasms. We hypothesized that antroduodenal motility is diminished and transition time is prolonged in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and polyneuropathy. This cross-sectional study included 124 participants, of which 21 were healthy, 53 had T1D and 50 had T1D with distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (T1D + DSPN). We used the wireless motility capsule to assess antroduodenal transition time, gastric emptying time, gastric and small bowel motility indices (MI), and numbers of alkalic/acidic exposures. In comparison with controls, patients with T1D had prolonged antroduodenal transition time (1.85±1.5 vs. 6.6±4.8 minutes; p=0.02), which was even more pronounced in patients with T1D+DSPN (1.85±1.5 vs. 17.8±28.5 minutes; p<0.008. T1D+DSPN tended to have diminished gastric MI (11.9±2.4 vs. 12.7±1.0, p=0.07) and small bowel MI (13.1±1.4 vs. 13.6±0.6, p=0.05) and experienced more antral/pyloric alkalic episodes (1.2±1.3 vs. 2.0±2.1, p=0.02) compared with controls. The current method may assess a proxy for severity of pylorospasms in patients with diabetes and other diseases associated with upper gastrointestinal motility disorders, which ultimately may optimize future management.

Transgenerational Effects of Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate on Anogenital Distance, Sperm Functions and DNA Methylation in Rat Offspring.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is widely used as a plasticizer in the manufacture of polyvinylchloride plastics and has been associated with concerns regarding male reproductive toxicity. In this study, we hypothesized that maternal exposure to DEHP induces transgenerational inheritance of adult-onset adverse reproductive outcomes through the male germline in the F1, F2, and F3 generations of male offspring. Pregnant rats were treated with 5 or 500 mg of DEHP/kg/day through gavage from gestation day 0 to birth. The offspring body weight, anogenital distance (AGD), anogenital index (AGI), sperm count, motility, and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were measured for all generations. Methyl-CpG binding domain sequencing was performed to analyze sperm DNA methylation status in the F3. DEHP exposure at 500 mg/kg affected AGD, AGI, sperm count, mean DFI, and %DFI in the F1; AGD, sperm count, and mean DFI in the F2; and AGD, AGI, mean DFI, and %DFI in the F3. DEHP exposure at 5 mg/kg affected AGD, AGI, sperm count, and %DFI in the F1; sperm count in the F2; and AGD and AGI in F3. Compared with the control group, 15 and 45 differentially hypermethylated genes were identified in the groups administered 5 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg DEHP, respectively. Moreover, 130 and 6 differentially hypomethylated genes were observed in the groups administered 5 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg DEHP. Overall, these results demonstrated that prenatal exposure to DEHP caused transgenerational epigenetic effects, which may explain the observed phenotypic changes in the male reproductive system.

Gastroparesis Symptoms Associated with Intestinal Hypomotility: An Explorative Study Using Wireless Motility Capsule.

ObjectiveGastric emptying measurements are mandatory in gastroparesis diagnostics, but the association between delayed emptying and symptoms is questionable. It is imperative to find biomarkers better correlated to symptom generation. Hence, we examined the association between symptom severity and gastrointestinal motility measured by wireless motility capsule.Patients and MethodsIn this prospective single-centre study, patients with gastroparesis symptoms were simultaneously investigated with gastric emptying scintigraphy and wireless motility capsule, measuring regional transit times and contractility parameters. Symptom severity was assessed with the Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Index (PAGI-SYM), including the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI).ResultsWe included 107 patients (70% women). In the whole patient group, nausea correlated with the gastric (rs = −0.31, p = 0.007), small bowel (rs = −0.41, p < 0.001) and colonic (rs = −0.33, p = 0.012) motility indices. In patients with idiopathic etiology, nausea correlated with small bowel motility index (rs = −0.81, p < 0.001) and mean stomach pressure (rs = −0.64, p = 0.013). We also found negative correlations between total GCSI score and maximum pressure of the small bowel (rs = −0.77, p < 0.001) and colon (rs = −0.74, p = 0.002). In diabetes patients, total PAGI-SYM score correlated with colonic motility index (rs = −0.34, p = 0.012), and mean pressure of the colon correlated with upper abdominal pain (rs = −0.37, p = 0.007). We found no association between symptoms, gastric emptying nor any other transit times.ConclusionIn patients with gastroparesis symptoms, we found that symptom severity was associated with intestinal hypomotility. Based on these results, gastroparesis diagnostics should also include an evaluation of the small bowel and colon.