Background: Externalization of PS (EPS) is considered as a sign of early apoptosis. In addition, EPS also occurs during capacitation and the acrosome reaction. During this study we aimed to evaluate the relationship between EPS and fertilization, embryo quality and pregnancy outcomes in couples who were candidates for ICSI. Materials and Methods: Semen samples (n = 43) were collected from infer...

Spontaneous histamine release from isolarted Mastcells was found to be independent of cal­cium in the concentration range up to 1 m. mole/lit. Phosphatidyl serine do not change the effect of calcium on spontaneous release. The activation of anaphyla.ctic histamine release by calcium is potentiated by phosphatidyl serine but the laitter can't do so w1th strontium.  Mastcells, pretreated with AT...

Background: Since the deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during sperm cryopreservation can be overcome by antioxidants, post-thaw human sperm quality may perhaps profit from adding antioxidants to the extender media prior to cryopreservation. This study evaluated the effects of different concentrations of Trolox supplementation to cryo-protective media on post-thaw motility an...

The underlying mechanism for the biological activity of inorganic mercury is believed to be the high affinity binding of divalent mercuric cations to thiols of sulfhydryl groups of proteins. A comprehensive analysis of published data indicates that inorganic mercury is one of the most environmentally abundant toxic metals, is a potent and selective nephrotoxicant that preferentially accumulates...

Leishmania parasites invade host macrophages, causing infections that are either limited to skin or spread to internal organs. In this study, 3 species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis, L. major, L. aethiopica and L. tropica, were tested for their ability to interfere with apoptosis in host macrophages in 2 different lines of human monocyte-derived macrophages (cell lines THP-1 and U937) and the...

Recently, it has been proposed that novel methodologies are needed to re-evaluate apoptotic cell death, as studies of apoptosis have shown it to be a complex process. Since mitochondria are key regulators in cell death pathways, we developed a simultaneous 3-parameter flow cytometric analysis that incorporates the change in mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ(m)) in an Annexin-V [for phosphati...

Female patients in reproductive age with systemic lupus erythematosus and fertility complications together are observed by rheumatologists, gynecologists, and reproductive immunologists. The paper notes the presence of autoantibodies to zona pellucida, to phospholipids (phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidic acid, annexin V, be...