[Cigarette smoking decreases sperm nucleoprotein transition in infertile males].

Objective: To investigate the impact of cigarette smoking on sperm nucleoprotein transition and its association with sperm motility in infertile males.

Methods: We examined the semen quality and sperm nucleoprotein transition of 116 non-smokers and 113 heavy smokers (aged 25 -50 years) who visited the Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology for male infertility. We determined the rate of individual sperm nucleoprotein transition by aniline blue staining and analyzed the correlation of cigarette smoking with routine semen parameters and the rate of sperm nucleoprotein transition.

Selective estrogen receptor modulator BC-1 activates antioxidant signaling pathway in vitro via formation of reactive metabolites.

Aim: Benzothiophene compounds are selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), which are recently found to activate antioxidant signaling. In this study the molecular mechanisms of antioxidant signaling activation by benzothiophene compound BC-1 were investigated.

Methods: HepG2 cells were stably transfected with antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferase reporter (HepG2-ARE cells).