Search

Objective: Testicular samples obtained for fertility preservation often need to be transported between clinics. This study aimed to mimic this short-term hypothermic storage (4–8 °C) and explore the impact of these conditions and the transport medium composition on prepubertal rat testicular tissue samples. Methods: Testicular tissue samples obtained from seven days post-partum rats were transferred to six compositionally different basal culture media and a balanced salt solution, which had been kept at 4–8 °C prior to transfer. The samples were preserved for either 12 or 24 hours in these hypothermic conditions. The potential effects of the short-term storage were evaluated by assessing the morphology, measuring the testosterone levels by radioimmunoassay and analysing 96 genes with TaqMan Low-Density Arrays. Summarizing results: Levels of gene expression related to energy, apoptosis and angiogenesis pathways were altered after hypothermic storage for 12 and especially 24 hours. We observed only minor differences in gene expression profiles for germ and testicular somatic cells, and no differences in tissue morphology and testosterone production levels. Conclusions: Short-term hypothermic storage of testicular tissue with a maximum duration of 24 hours does not affect the overall expression profile of testicular cell-specific genes; however, in a minor way, it affects the expression of specific cellular genes.

BackgroundShort children born small for gestational age (SGA) are treated with a GH dose based on body size, but treatment may lead to high levels of IGF1. The objective was to evaluate IGF1 titration of GH dose in contrast to current dosing strategies.MethodsIn the North European Small-for-Gestational-Age Study (NESGAS), 92 short pre-pubertal children born SGA were randomised after 1 year of high-dose GH treatment (67 μg/kg per day) to three different regimens: high dose (67 μg/kg per day), low dose (35 μg/kg per day) or IGF1 titration.ResultsThe average dose during the second year of the randomised trial did not differ between the IGF1 titration group (38 μg/kg per day,s.d.0.019) and the low-dose group (35 μg/kg per day,s.d.0.002;P=0.46), but there was a wide variation in the IGF1 titration group (range 10–80 μg/kg per day). The IGF1 titration group had significantly lower height gain (0.17 SDS,s.d.0.18) during the second year of the randomised trial compared with the high-dose group (0.46 SDS,s.d.0.25), but not significantly lower than the low-dose group (0.23 SDS,s.d.0.15;P=0.17). The IGF1 titration group had lower IGF1 levels after 2 years of the trial (mean 1.16,s.d.1.24) compared with both the low-dose (mean 1.76,s.d.1.48) and the high-dose (mean 2.97,s.d.1.63) groups.ConclusionIGF1 titration of GH dose in SGA children proved less effective than current dosing strategies. IGF1 titration resulted in physiological IGF1 levels with a wide range of GH dose and a poorer growth response, which indicates the role of IGF1 resistance and highlights the heterogeneity of short SGA children.

Stress is defined as a state of real or perceived threat to homeostasis. The principal effectors of the stress system are corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), arginine vasopressin, the proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and β-endorphin, the glucocorticoids, and the catecholamines norepinephrine and epinephrine. Appropriate responsiveness of the stress system to stressors is a crucial prerequisite for a sense of well-being, adequate performance of tasks, and positive social interactions. By contrast, inappropriate responsiveness of the stress system may impair growth and development and may account for various endocrine, metabolic, autoimmune, and psychiatric disorders. The development and severity of these conditions primarily depend on the genetic vulnerability of the individual, the exposure to adverse environmental factors, and the timing of stressful event(s). Prenatal life, infancy, childhood, and adolescence are critical periods characterized by increased vulnerability to stressors. This review summarizes the topics presented at the fifth New Inroads to Child Health (NICHe) Conference "Stress Response and Child Health" held at Heraklion, Crete, Greece, in May 2012.