BackgroundIn vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes has been widely used in the field of assisted reproductive technology. However, oocytes can be injured by oxidative stress during the process of IVM.MethodsThe present study was designed to evaluate the influences of rosmarinic acid (RA) on the IVM of porcine oocytes and the subsequent development of early-stage embryos as well as its underlying mechanisms. Various concentrations of RA (5 µM, 10 µM, and 25 µM) were treated with porcine oocyte maturation medium during the period of IVM.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that 5 µM RA treatment during the period of porcine oocyte IVM improves blastocyst quality and hatching ability after parthenogenetic activation. Furthermore, the presence of RA during the period of IVM dramatically improved the total number of cells after somatic cell nuclear transfer compared to the number of cells in the control group. Notably, RA treatment during the period of porcine oocyte IVM decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species generation not only in oocytes but also in cumulus cells. Further analysis showed that the intracellular free thiols levels in the oocytes were enhanced by treatment with RA during the period of porcine oocyte IVM compared to the free thiols levels in the control groups. These results indicate that RA improves the developmental competence of porcine oocytes during the IVM period by attenuating oxidative stress.

Objective This study aimed to introduce and evaluate the safety and efficacy of the relay puncture technique in patients with complicated lower extremity arterial diseases. Methods A total of 21 patients (16 male and five female patients; median age: 68.5 years old), who had suffered from lower extremity arterial diseases between December 2014 and July 2017, were retrospectively collected. For all patients, the contralateral femoral artery was not available for puncture access, and the length of the devices was too short for the brachial artery approach. Therefore, the relay puncture technique, in which the first puncture was performed on the brachial artery, followed by an antegrade puncture on the femoral artery, was used to accomplish the endovascular therapy. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and/or percutaneous transluminal stenting were/was used to assess the efficacy of the relay puncture technique. The ankle–brachial index (ABI) and Rutherford clinical classification were used to evaluate the improvement of symptoms after treatment. Patients were followed up for 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, and annually (mean: 16.6 months) after discharge. Results The relay puncture treatment had a 100% technical success rate, and immediately decreased the ischemic symptoms of patients after the procedure. The ABI significantly increased from 0.33 ± 0.18 to 0.75 ± 0.21 at the 1-year follow-up time point (P < 0.05). No serious complications occurred during the follow-up period. The 1-year primary patency rate was 71.43%. Conclusion The relay puncture technique is a feasible technique in the hands of experienced and skilled equipment operators for the treatment of lower extremity arterial diseases, when the contralateral femoral artery is not available for puncture, and the length of the device is too short to treat the distal lesion of the femoral artery and popliteal artery through the brachial artery approach.

Background Erectile dysfunction is a major complication of diabetes mellitus. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have attracted much attention as a promising tool for the treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED). Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) plays an important role in protecting penile tissues from fibrosis. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of ADSCs overexpressing iNOS on DMED in rats. Methods ADSCs were isolated and infected with adenovirus overexpressing iNOS (named as ADSCs-iNOS). The expression of iNOS was detected using western blot analysis and real-time PCR. Rats were randomly assigned into five groups: control group, DMED group, ADSCs group, ADSCs-EGFP group and ADSCs-iNOS group. 5 × 105 cells were given once via the intracorporal route. Two weeks after treatment, erectile function was assessed by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve. Penile tissues were obtained and evaluated at histology level. Results We found that ADSCs-iNOS had significantly higher expression of iNOS at mRNA and protein levels and generated more nitric oxide (NO). ADSCs-iNOS reduced collagen I and collagen IV expression of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) in cell co-culture model. Transforming growth factor-β1 expression in CCSMCs reduced following co-culture with ADSCs-iNOS. Injection of ADSCs-iNOS significantly ameliorated DMED in rats and decreased collagen/smooth muscle cell ratio of penile tissues. Moreover, elevated NO and cyclic guanosine monophosphate concentrations were detected in penile tissues of ADSCs-iNOS group. Conclusion Taken together, ADSCs-iNOS significantly improved erectile function of DMED rats. The therapeutic effect may be achieved by increased NO generation and the suppression of collagen I and collagen IV expression in the CCSMCs to decrease penile fibrosis.

BackgroundThe growth and function of seminal vesicle are dependent on androgen. This study was conducted to investigate the role of oxidative stress in castration-induced seminal vesicle atrophy and to explore the effects of curcumin, an antioxidant extracted from rhizome of turmeric, on seminal vesicle of castrated mice.MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: control, castration, and castration with curcumin (n = 10 for each group). After surgical castration, mice in the curcumin treatment group received intragastric administration of curcumin at 100 mg/kg body weight for 4 weeks, whereas mice in the other two groups were treated with olive oil. After that, the body weight, seminal vesicle weight and serum testosterone of mice were measured. Apoptosis and oxidative stress levels in seminal vesicle were also determined.ResultsAfter castration, both the weight and size of seminal vesicle decreased dramatically. The expression of three NADPH oxidase (NOX) subtypes: NOX1, NOX2 and NOX4, increased in seminal vesicle of castrated mice, resulting in high level oxidative stress. The ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 was also elevated after castration, accompanied by enhanced caspase3 activity. Additionally, castration increased the number of apoptotic cells in seminal vesicle. Curcumin treatment could inhibit the expression of NOX1, NOX2 and NOX4, decreasing oxidative stress and apoptosis. The atrophy of seminal vesicle caused by castration was ameliorated by curcumin.ConclusionCastration could cause atrophy of seminal vesicle probably via inducing oxidative stress. Curcumin treatment could reduce the oxidative stress in seminal vesicle by decreasing the expression of NOX1, NOX2 and NOX4, thereby ameliorating apoptosis and atrophy of seminal vesicle. Oxidative stress might play a role in castration-induced seminal vesicle atrophy.