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Background: Y chromosome microdeletions provide a pivotal role in the control of spermatogenesis. These are located on the q arm of it, specifically, the azoospermia factor (AZF) region, hence named as Yq microdeletions. The mutations in this region are related to testicular pathologies such as azoospermia, oligozoospermia, and other semen categories. Objectives: This study was undertaken to review these microdeletions, screening, and their correlation to semen categories in relation to the Indian and Global populations in context to male infertility, future strategies, and its implications. Methodology: These deletions are screened using sequence-tagged sites (STS) of the European Academy of Andrology (EAAs) and Non-EAAs with polymerase chain reaction technology. The data included were Indian and Global studies obtained from research articles, abstracts, and reviews (75) indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. Results: A number of total 45,562 Y chromosomes were analyzed. In India, this frequency contributes to 8.33% (453/5435) against the average frequency of 6.96% (3170/ 45562) worldwide. Globally, this frequency was higher (9.1%) in the North American continent. Among all types of deletions, AZFc deletions are higher followed by b, a, b+c, and others as well as are related to azoospermia than oligospermia and other semen cases/categories globally including India. In India, the data on partial deletions are scanty. Further, cases with AZFc are better suitable for assisted reproductive technologies after counseling. Conclusion: Evaluation of correct deletion type to a specific testis pathologic phenotype is suggested for sperm retrieval to correct the male partner. This study is hence better suitable for azoospermia with AZFc deletion around the Global and Indian scenario in association with male infertility. Future strategies are thus called for successful treatment of a specific microdeletion clinically in the male.

Background: Y chromosome microdeletions are one of the genetic causes of male infertility. Evaluation of this is important clinically to assist couple with such genetic defects using polymerase chain reaction-based sequence-targeted-site (STS). Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate Yq microdeletion in suspected infertile male patients referred to our genetic center. Materials and Methods: European Association of Andrology STS markers for azoospermia factor (AZF) region were used to analyze these anomalies. In addition to semen analysis, cytogenetic, and hormonal studies have also been carried out using respective techniques. Results: Three of 41 cases (7.3%) included in our study had Yq microdeletion, of which one case was of azoospermia and two cases of severe oligozoospermia in AZFa and AZFc subregions were detected. Hormonal levels and karyotypes were unchanged. Conclusion: Yq microdeletion in our study exhibited is similar to Maharashtra, but it varies region-wise and ethnicity, including across Indian populations. Such couples require counseling before opting assisted reproductive technologies.

Background and Objectives: Aneuploidy is one of the major concerns to cause genetic anomalies. This condition is mostly related to addition and/or deletion with respect to set(s) of chromosomes. Here, we report an analysis of 5740 referral cases during three consecutive years (2015 – 2018) from our Diagnostic Research Center, Ahmedabad for aneuploidy pattern. Methodologies: The patients were asked to fill the necessary forms and their blood (5ml) was drawn for chromosomal studies using the Karyotyping following International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (ISCN) manual. Results: The data revealed the numerical aberrations for only aneuploidy detected was (3.7%; 211/5740). In this report, constitutional (c) autosomal aneuploidy was 75% (158/211). The total mosaic cases were nine (9/211) comprising constitutive (2) and acquired (7) aneuploidy cases. In autosomal aneuploidy, cT21 was higher (96%; 152/158) than others (4%; 6/158) comparatively. Among cT21 (152), males (76%; 115/152) were more affected than females (24%; 37/152). These statistical data also revealed that acquired chromosomal aneuploidy (leukemia) possessed (25%; 53/211); with more mosaic cases (7/211). Conclusion: Couples with such conditions are eligible for genetic tests and counseling as well as new strategies are urgently to be undertaken by governmental organizations (GOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for affected families with better personalized and informed decision making. The significance of these data is thus discussed in relation to genetic disorders caused by constitutional and acquired aneuploidy of leukemic blood in this report.

A recurring problem in forensic medicine is the need to fix the time of death within the limits of probability. Errors in overestimating and underestimating the post-mortem interval based on body cooling is common. Post-mortem biochemistry has become a potent additional procedure in forensic death investigation. However, in our experiment, to determine the post-mortem interval we investigated the ATPase activity. The investigation was performed on the liver tissue of 25 corpses (21 men and four women) of age ranging between 40–60 years. The study of ATPase enzymatic activity shows that there is a considerable drop in the levels of ATPase activity with increasing post-mortem interval up to 24 h and this is one of the most reliable methods for estimating time of death.

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the colo-rectum is a rare malignant entity with unfavourable prognosis, and responds poorly to conventional chemo-radiation therapy. Only a few cases of the LMS of colorectum have so far been reported earlier. Here we report two such cases of primary leiomyosarcoma of sigmoid colon and rectum. Due to histological similarity with gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), the LMS cases were misdiagnosed as GIST. This is essentially a pathological diagnosis having a similar histomorphological appearance that of GIST, but a different Immunohistochemistry profile, in contrast to GIST. Immunohistocytochemically LMS are negative for CD34, CD117 and DOG1 and positive for desmin as detected in this report. GIST is curable with surgery followed by imatinib (in intermediate /high-risk patients) while LMS behaves aggressively requiring radical excision of the tumour followed by intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens. Thus it is important to diagnose LMS definitively by immunohistochemical profiling as the prognosis and treatment of these tumours vary from others as mentioned.

The effect of melatonin on the neurotoxicity induced by mercuric chloride was studied. Adult rats were fed orally with two different doses of mercuric chloride (2 mg; 4 mg/kg body weight) to evaluate brain toxicity with respect to cerebral hemisphere, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata regions for 60 days with or without supplementation with melatonin (5 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally. The results suggest that the graded doses of mercury elicit the depletion of enzymatic activities, such as adenosine triphosphatase, succinate dehydrogenase, phosphorylase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, altered glycogen, total protein, and lipid peroxidation levels in the cerebral hemisphere, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata of the brain, thereby affecting their respective functions. Blood glucose and mercury levels increased, followed by a reduction in body and organ weights. All these effects seemed to be severe in the cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Further affected indices were, to some extent, maintained in the brain of animals cotreated with melatonin, showing its protective role against mercury-exerted neurotoxicity.

Present study investigated the protective role of melatonin (MLT, 5 mg/kg body wt., ip) against the long term effects of mercuric chloride (MC; 2 and 4 mg/kg body wt., po) in the thyroid gland of the rats through certain antioxidative indices like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), other biochemical parameters such as succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), acid phosphatase (ACPase) and alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) were also measured. Antioxidative enzymes and other parameters showed a significant reduction while LPO and mercury levels increased significantly in a dose dependent manner in MC treated animals as compared to control groups. Co-treatment with MLT revealed no significant effect on antioxidative and metabolic indices in the thyroid gland of rats. The results of present study thus strongly suggest that mercury affected antioxidant defense system and other metabolic enzymes of thyroid. Co-administration of melatonin exerted a protective effect against mercury induced endocrine toxicity.

This study was undertaken to determine whether vitamin A (vit. A), which was shown to possess antioxidant properties when co-administered with arsenic trioxide (As2 O3) might prevent As-induced detrimental effects. Two doses of As (0.5 or 1 mg kg−1 body weight), alone and in combination with vit. A as retinyl palmitate (0.2 mg kg−1 body weight), were used in this study. Parameters assessed included acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activity and levels of total proteins, cholesterol and total lipids in cerebral hemisphere (CH) and cerebellum (C) regions of the brain as well as the serum of mice. Significant decreases in AChE activity and levels of proteins together with other parameters were noted in the brain and blood. These effects were significantly mitigated by co-treatment with vit. A. These results emphasize that concurrent supplementation of vit. A significantly protects against As-induced toxicity.

Arsenic effect was studied at two dosage levels (0.5 mg and 1 mg/kg) for 45 days in two regions of brain, viz., cerebral hemisphere (CH) and cerebellum (C) in adult mice. This study included the antioxidant profile namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, ascorbic acid and total sulphydryl groups. Adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), phosphorylase together with glycogen and protein levels were also estimated as metabolic indices in the brain regions of mice. A notable decrease was detected in the activities of the enzymes and in the levels of other metabolites together with a significant increase in the lipid peroxidation, glycogen and inorganic arsenic levels after arsenic administration. Supplementation of vitamin A to the arsenic treated mice brought about no significant variation in these antioxidant and metabolic indices in comparison to that of control, revealing amelioration by vitamin A on arsenic exerted metabolic and neurotoxic effects in mice.

Objective: The compound, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), is a systemic phenoxy herbicide and a plant growth regulator. Histopathological effects of 2,4-D alone and in combination with melatonin on the kidney in adult albino male mice of the Swiss strain were evaluated in the present study.Methods: Twenty adult male albino mice weighing between 30 and 40 g were assigned into four groups with five mice in each group. Group I served as control; Group II - melatonin alone (10 mg/kg body weight); Group III - 2,4-D alone (50 mg/kg body weight); and Group IV - 2,4-D + melatonin was given orally for 45 days.Results: It revealed a significant reduction in the body and kidney weights (p

Sodium fluoride (NaF) at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight was administered orally to female rats daily for 30 days to evaluate its affect on thyroid functions in relation to oxidative stress in rats. The parameters studied were gravimetric and biochemical indices in endocrine tissue of fluoride fed rats. Treatment brought about an alteration in body and organ weights followed by biochemical indices. Alterations in the antioxidant indices in the thyroid tissue were confirmed by increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) along with decrements in other antioxidant indices such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels affecting its internal milieu in fluoride intoxicated rats. Thyroid hormone levels Tri-iodothyronine (T3), Thyroxine (T4) and TSH were also affected. Supplementation of antioxidant, triphala (30 mg/kg body weight) to treated animals, revealed recovery in these endocrine organ functions due to its probable protective role. Thus, triphala mitigated NaF induced endocrine toxicity in a rat model, as it has good antioxidant properties.

Curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric, is present in the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa. Mercury (HgCl2) induces various toxic effects in different organs of the body. The present work was undertaken to evaluate the beneficial effect of curcumin following mercuric chloride induced oxidative stress in rat brain. The antioxidative indices assayed were superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, thiobarbituric acidreactive substances and total –SH groups. Metabolic parameters like total protein, cholesterol, succinate dehydrogenase, adenosine triphosphatase and mercury levels were also measured. Mercury exposure resulted in a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and mercury levels. Contrarily a decrease in the activities of most of those enzymes, total –SH groups, protein and cholesterol levels were noted. Curcumin administration reduced TBARS and mercury levels, whereas it enhanced the other enzyme activities, total –SH groups, proteins and cholesterol levels comparable to controls. In summary, curcumin administration protects different parts of the brain against mercuric chloride induced neurotoxicity. Introduction Mercury is released into the environment through various natural geological processes, such as volatilization of rocks, dissolution, and volcanic eruption as well as due to some anthropogenic activities like combustion of fossil fuels, incineration of waste, mining and industrial discharge (Agrawal and Baheri, 2007). The cellular mechanisms by which mercury compounds exert their neurotoxic action were obtained from in vitro studies. Sorg et al. (1998) proposed that the mechanism of mercury toxicity could be via binding to thiol groups. Mercury compounds can inactivate a number of enzymes by blocking the functional sites binding to -SH groups, which are part of the catalytic or binding domains. Mercury treatment induced the dramatic increase in reactive oxygen species accumulating in rat brain cell cultures, leading to increased lipid peroxidation, protein degradation, and finally to cell death (Sorg et al., 1998). Rats and mice injected with inorganic mercury were detected with mercury granules in the different regions of the nervous system (Neustadt and Pieczenik, 2007). Mercury treatment exerted significant increase in ROS only in the cortical region and marked dose dependent increase (2500-5600-fold) in total Hg in the different brain regions (Goering et al., 2002). Morphological changes and Hg accumulation are different between cerebral hemisphere and cerebellar astrocytes after mercury treatment cultured from newborn rats (Adachi and Kunimoto, 2005). Pregnant female rats exposed to a very low dose of inorganic mercury from prenatal day 0 continued to postnatal day 20, the highest Hg content was present in the infant hippocampus and cerebellum, whereas its content in maternal brain regions like cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, hippocampus and thalamus (Feng et al., 2004). However, the role of herbal antioxidants on metal exerted neurotoxicity is attained less attention. Hence, this study was proposed to investigate the ameliorative effect of curcumin powder on regional brain toxicity induced by mercury in the rat. Rao et al. (2009) also studied effects of Hg in different regions of male rat brain affecting it in a dose dependent manner and role of melatonin on its toxicity. Materials and Methods Male Wistar strain Albino rats (Rattus norvegicus), weighing 200-250gms were procured from Cadila Pharma, under the Animal maintenance and Registration No.167/1999/CPCSEA from the ministry of Social Justice and empowerment, Govt. of India. The rats were fed on the standard commercial laboratory chow and distilled water ad libitum and were housed in the plastic cages with good ventilation. Light dark conditions as well as temperature was maintained (12h: 12h and 26±2oC respectively) throughout the seasons. Animals were assigned to 5 groups of 8 rats each. Group I served as control and animals were provided with distilled water. Group II animals received (low dose) HgCl2 (2mg/kg body weight) orally. Group III was administered with 4 mg/kg body weight (high dose) of mercuric chloride. Group IV received curcumin alone (80mg/kg body weight) and Group V received curcumin along with high dose of HgCl2. All the treatments were administered for 2 months and on the 61st day the animals were weighed and necropsy was performed. The brain was dissected carefully and weighed. Experiments were carried out on cerebral hemisphere and cerebellum. Antioxidant parameters The antioxidant enzyme activities like superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC:1.15.1.1), glutathione reductase (GR, EC:1.6.4.2), glutathione peroxidase (GPx, EC:1.11.1.9) were analysed by the spectrophotometric method of Kakkar et al. (1984), modified method of Pagila and Valentine (1967) and the method of Carlberg and Mannervik (1985) respectively. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were determined by Ohkawa et al., (1979). Biochemical parameters The methods of total (-SH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH, EC:1.3.99.1) and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase, EC:3.6.1.3) was carried out by the methods of Sedlak and Lindsey (1968), Beatty et.al., (1966) and Quinn and White (1968) respectively. Total proteins and Cholesterol were determined by the methods of Lowry et al., (1951) and Zlatkis et. al., (1953) respectively. Mercury levels in the brain were estimated using mercury analyzer (MA 5840, Electronic Corporation of India Ltd., Hyderabad) using acid digestion method followed by cold vaporization of the sample. Data were statistically analyzed by Student’s t-test and ANOVA. Results Antioxidant system. In the present study antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GPx, and GR were significantly (P

This study was conducted to investigate effects of sodium fluoride (NaF) on brain (cerebral hemisphere) of rat and its possible amelioration by melatonin. Adult male Wistar rats (Rattus novergicus) were administered sodium fluoride (NaF) at the doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight and melatonin 10 mg/kg body weight for 60 days. Gravimetric and biochemical indices were done of brain an also studied. The increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) indicated an oxidative stress and the elevated fluoride levels in brain tissue could be the result of the inhibition of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT) in the brain region of rats fed with fluoride. These changes were correlated with accumulation of fluoride in the region. However, these effects were ameliorated by co-supplementation of melatonin along with NaF in rats, because of its antioxidant cascade phenomenon. INTRODUCTION The presence of fluorine in ground water is mainly a natural phenomenon and influenced by local and regional conditions.1 Intake of high levels of fluoride is known to cause structural deformities, altered activities of enzymes, and metabolic lesions in the brain of experimental animals. Fluorosis exhibits neurological problems such as a tingling sensation in the fingers and toes, nervousness and depression. In the advanced stages of fluorosis, neurological manifestations such as paralysis of the limbs, vertigo, spasticity in the extremities, and impaired mental acuity, are observed in human beings.2 Sharma et al.3 reported that inhabitants of certain villages in Sanganer Tehsil, Jaipur, India were found to be suffering from various neurological disorders due to high levels of Fin the ground water; the main neurological manifestations observed were headache, insomnia, lethargy, depression, polyuria and polydipsia. Effects of NaF on the expression of intracellular Ca2+ fluxes, apoptosis and the antagonism of taurine in murine neuron were reported.4,5 Melatonin is a methoxyindole synthesized within the pineal gland. The hormone has strong antioxidant action neurodegenerative disorders.6 Therefore, to test this hypothesis, the present study was designed to investigate the role of melatonin administration in fluoride induced neurotoxicity in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals: Mature male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) weighing between 200 and 300gm were procured from ZydusCadila Health Care, Ahmedabad under the Animal Maintenance and Registration No. 167/PO/c/99/CPCSEA from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The animals were housed under standard temperature (24±1oC) at a 12-hr dark/light cycle. They were fed standard rodent food (Pranav Agro Industries, Vadodara, India) and water ad libitum. Experimental protocol: After 15 days adaptation period, the animals were divided into five different groups (Table 1) of 15 each and caged separately. Based on our earlier studies,7 the following doses were given to rats for 60 days. After 60 days, the rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed under mild ether anesthesia. The weight of cerebral hemisphere was recorded, and the tissue was utilized for the estimation of different biochemical parameters. Table 1. Experimental Protocol Group Treatment and daily dose (15 rats in each group) Duration (days) Day of autopsy I Untreated (control) Sacrificed with treated

Four individuals of a family, spanning across three generations, showed primary amenorrhea. Karyotyping of the proband and her two aunts revealed a normal 46, XY cell line in all cells. Hormonal pr...

Antifertility effects of an alcohol extract of the whole plant, Phyllanthus amarus at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight for 30 days orally was investigated in cyclic adult female mice. The results revealed no -significant change in absolute body and organ weights in extract-fed animals, indicating no alteration in general metabolic status. Further, feeding had no effect on haematological and clinical biochemical tests reflecting its non-toxicity. Similarly, uterine and ovarian biochemical tests showed no change except in 3beta and 17beta hydroxy steroid dehydrgenase (HSDs) levels, probably affecting hormonal conversions in the latter. Cohabited females with normal male mice were unable to become pregnant as their cyclicity was affected. These factors are related to a change in the hormonal milieu that governs female reproductive function. Upon withdrawal of feeding for 45 days, these effects were reversible. Thus this extract manifests a definite contraceptive effect in female mice.

In the present study, we report the invivo effects of nickel chloride (NiCl2; 8 and 16 mg/kg body weight) and/or potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7; 5 and 10mg/kg body weight) in the ovary of adult mice. The protective role of vitamin E (2mg/kg body weight) along with their combination was also studied. Nickel and/or chromium to mice enhanced the levels of lipid peroxides in the ovary, which was accompanied by a significant decline in the levels of protein, glutathione, total ascorbic acid and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Supplementation of vitamin E along with NiCl2 + K2Cr2O7 significantly lowered the levels of lipid peroxidation and enhanced the antioxidant status. Findings of the present study suggest that vitamin E exerts its protective effect against nickel and/or chromium induced toxicity by preventing lipid peroxidation and protecting antioxidant system in the mouse ovary.

The effects of daily oral feeding of a crude alcohol extract from the pericarp of unripe fruits of Balanites roxburghii at a dose of 500 mg/kg for 45 days were investigated with respect to epididymal and testicular histophysiology, metabolism and the fertility potential of mice, following withdrawal study. The testicular and cauda epididymal parameters revealed altered physiology and metabolism resulting in a reduction in fertility of extract-fed mice. Moreover, the induced effects seemed to be transient and were reversible upon withdrawal, showing its antifertility action.

International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health | 2015 | Vol 4 | Issue 7 1027 International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health Online 2015. © 2015 Mandava V Rao. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license. Case Report

Mercury intoxication has been associated with male reproductive toxicity in experimental animals and mercury may have the potential to produce adverse effects on fertility in men. Vitamin E may protect against toxic effects of mercury in the liver and other tissues. To investigate the protective role of vitamin E against mercuric chloride toxicity for the testis, epididymis, and vas deferens of adult male mice, animals were treated with either mercuric chloride 1.25 mg/kg/day, vitamin E 2 mg/kg/kg, or a combination of the two treatments. Control animals were treated with water. Treatments were administered by daily gavage for 45 days. An additional group of animals treated with mercuric chloride were permitted to recover for 45 days after mercuric chloride treatments. Parameters studied included serum testosterone, epididymal sperm count, motility, and morphology, epididymal and vas deferens adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), phosphorylase, sialic acid, glycogen and protein, testicular succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), phosphatases, cholesterol, ascorbic acid, and glutathione. Fertility was evaluated by sperm positive vaginal smears after overnight cohabitation with a female. Mercuric chloride produced a reduction in epididymal sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm viability, and there were no sperm-positive smears in this group. Biochemical tests from the male reproductive organs were also altered by mercuric chloride treatment. Coadministration of vitamin E with mercuric chloride prevented the changes in sperm and biochemical parameters and was associated with control rates of sperm positive smears after cohabitation. Animals given vitamin E with mercuric chloride also had lower concentrations of mercury in the testis, epididimyis, and vas deferens. Permitting animals to recover for 45 days after mercuric chloride treatment resulted in partial recovery of sperm and biochemical parameters. Vitamin E cotreatment has a protective role against mercury-induced male reproductive toxicity.

Objective: In India, various groups have studied different regions to find out deletion pattern of dystrophin gene. We have investigated its deletion pattern among Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (D/BMD) patients across Gujarat. Moreover, in this study we also correlate the same with reading frame rule. However, we too consider various clinicopathological features to establish as adjunct indices when deletion detection fails. Materials and Methods: In this pilot study, a total of 88 D/BMD patients consulting at our centers in Gujarat, India were included. All patients were reviewed on basis of their clinical characteristics, tested by three primer sets of 10-plex, 9-plex, and 7-plex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genetic analysis; whereas, biochemical indices were measured using automated biochemical analyzers. Results: The diagnosis of D/BMD was confirmed by multiplex-PCR (M-PCR) in D/BMD patients. A number of 65 (73.86%) out of 88 patients showed deletion in dystrophin gene. The exon 50 (58.46%) was the most frequent deletion found in our study. The mean age of onset of DMD and BMD was 4.09 ΁ 0.15 and 7.14 ΁ 0.55 years, respectively. In patients, mean creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and myoglobin levels were elevated significantly (P < 0.05) in comparison to controls. Addition to CPK, LDH and myoglobin are good adjunct when deletion detection failed. These data are further in accordance with world literature when correlated with frame rule. Conclusion: The analysis has been carried out for the first time for a total of 88 D/BMD patients particularly from Gujarat, India. More research is essential to elucidate specific mutation pattern in association with management and therapies of proband.

Effects of oral administration of mercuric chloride (HgCl 2 ,1.25 mg/kg) daily for 30 d on the mouse testis, vas deferens, epididymis, and cauda epididymal sperm were investigated. Testis, vas deferens, and epididymis functions were evaluated with respect to sperm count, motility, and viability, and biochemical tests, including succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), adenosine triphosphatase, sialic acid, protein, cholesterol, and glycogen levels in these tissue. Sperm morphology and sperm nuclear integrity were evaluated with standard staining methods. Treatment did not affect whole body and tissue weights. Sperm parameters and fertility were reduced by HgCl 2 and most of the biochemical parameters declined. Morphologic histologie alterations were also observed in the tissues studied. All parameters partially recovered after withdrawal of HgCl 2 for 45 d.

Effects of diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment (30 daily i.m. injections) in reproductive function in the male rat were investigated. These functions were evaluated with sperm counts, motility, fertility, morphology, serum testosterone, and a number of biochemical tests in rat epididymis and vasa deferentia. DES treatment resulted in a 15% loss of body weight and a 60 to 90% loss of weight of testes, epididymis, and vas deferens. Sperm parameters and fertility were reduced to nil by DES treatment. Likewise, the majority of the biochemical measures were severely depressed by the DES treatment. In general, the measured parameters were less affected or recovered with either testosterone cotreatment or 60 days of recovery, showing the role of androgen in maintaining functional integrity and metabolism. However, sperm parameters and fertility did not recover with testosterone cotreatment, which differs from withdrawal of treatment.

A single microdose (50 μg/50 μL) injection of sodium fluoride (NaF) into the vasa deferentia of adult male albino rats ( Rattus norvegicus ) caused arrest of spermatogenesis and absence of spermatozoa in the lumina of the seminiferous tubules of the testes, which consequently led to a decline in the sperm count in the caudae epididymides. Scanning electron microscopy of cauda and vas deferens sperm revealed deflagellation and tail abnormalities. This is probably related to the alterations in the internal milieu of these organs which rendered the spermatozoa immotile and consequently caused fertility impairment in the experimental animals. Thus microdoses of sodium fluoride were found to affect reproductive function and fertility rate.

Material and methods This study was conducted at B.M. Institute, Ahmedabad. The aetiology was ascertained after proforma studying and number of patients observed. The spectrum of causative conditions and contribution of genetic disorders was established. A total of 40 patients were observed in which 30 were male & 10 were female between the ages of 3 -11 years. The various aetiological categories were: chromosomal disorders in 17, non chromosomal syndromes in 23. In which chromosomal disorders include Down syndrome, non-chromosomal disorders include delayed development and cerebral palsy.

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle. Symptoms of cardiomyopathy includes: Shortness of breath, Chest pain, Dizziness, Lightheadedness or fainting, Palpitations. Cardiomyopathies are divided in two types that are Primary (intrinsic) and Secondary (extrinsic) cardiomyopathies. Primary cardiomyopathies are divided in three types i.e. genetic, mixed and acquired. Present study was planned to evaluate the biochemical alterations in patients with cardiomyopathy or myocardial Infarction using bio-chemical and molecular indices.