Hyperelastic models for the human zona pellucida and their implications on shear modulus estimation in the clinical practice.

It has long been speculated that the mechanical properties of the human oocyte can be an indicator for oocyte viability. Recent studies have demonstrated that embryo implantation rates, following Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) procedures, may be increased if the shear modulus value of the oocyte Zona Pellucida (ZP) is taken into consideration during embryo transfer. The shear modulus was determined by an iterative oocyte specific finite element (FE) analysis based on the clinical ICSI data.

Zona pellucida shear modulus, a possible novel non-invasive method to assist in embryo selection during in-vitro fertilization treatment.

The present study investigated the association between oocyte zona pellucida shear modulus (ZPSM) and implantation rate (IR). Ninety-three oocytes collected from 38 in-vitro fertilization patients who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection were included in this case-control study. The ZP was modeled as an isotropic compressible hyperelastic material with parameter [Formula: see text], which represents the ZPSM.

Mutation in (C2orf62) causes oligoteratoasthenozoospermia by affecting actin dynamics.

Background: Oligoteratoasthenozoospermia (OTA) combines deteriorated quantity, morphology and motility of the sperm, resulting in male factor infertility.

Methods: We used whole genome genotyping and exome sequencing to identify the mutation causing OTA in four men in a consanguineous Bedouin family. We expressed the normal and mutated proteins tagged with c-Myc at the carboxy termini by transfection with pCDNA3.

Clioquinol attenuates zinc-dependent beta-cell death and the onset of insulitis and hyperglycemia associated with experimental type I diabetes in mice.

Zinc in the pancreas is co-released with insulin from beta-cells reaching concentrations similar to those found in the vicinity of glutamatergic synapses. In the brain, the role of zinc in excitotoxic brain damage is well established. In contrast, its role in islet destruction during diabetes is poorly understood.

Fluorescence-based zinc ion sensor for zinc ion release from pancreatic cells.

In this paper, we describe the synthesis and characterization of analytical properties of fluorescence-based zinc ion-sensing glass slides and their application in monitoring zinc ion release from beta pancreatic cells in cell cultures. To fabricate the sensors, the zinc ion indicator ZnAF-2 {6-[N-[N',N'-bis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-2-aminoethyl]amino-3',6'-dihydroxyspiro[isobenzofuran-1(3H),9'-[9H]xanthene]-3-one} was modified to include a sufficiently long linking aliphatic chain with a terminal carboxyl functional group. The recently synthesized ZnAF-2 zinc ion indicator provided high zinc ion selectivity in physiological solutions containing millimolar levels of calcium and other possible interfering cations.