Morphogens Reveal the Appearance and Functions of lncRNAs.

During the first meiotic division, the entire genetic information from DNA is transcribed into mRNPs and stored in the ovoplasm in the form of mRNP particles. The 39 human nuclear HOX proteins bind to thousands of mRNAs transcribed repeatedly by lampbrush chromosomes. HOX proteins suppress processing and translation.

Autocrine androgen action is essential for Leydig cell maturation and function, and protects against late-onset Leydig cell apoptosis in both mice and men.

Leydig cell number and function decline as men age, and low testosterone is associated with all "Western" cardio-metabolic disorders. However, whether perturbed androgen action within the adult Leydig cell lineage predisposes individuals to this late-onset degeneration remains unknown. To address this, we generated a novel mouse model in which androgen receptor (AR) is ablated from ∼75% of adult Leydig stem cell/cell progenitors, from fetal life onward (Leydig cell AR knockout mice), permitting interrogation of the specific roles of autocrine Leydig cell AR signaling through comparison to adjacent AR-retaining Leydig cells, testes from littermate controls, and to human testes, including from patients with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS).

Three palmar dermatoglyphic traits and their asymmetry in Bulgarian right-, mixed- and left-handers.

In a sample, comprising 264 right-, 246 mixed- and 360 left-handers (RH, MH and LH, correspondingly), the atd-angle, the a-b ridge count and the hypothenar radial arch were investigated, the asymmetry of both quantitative traits differentiated into directional (DA) and fluctuating (FA) one. Except for the FA of the a-b ridge count in females, which decreased significantly from RH to LH, the trends observed in the relations between the investigated dermatoglyphic values and handedness were not significant. In both quantitative traits the most important finding was the categorical left-palm excess over the right palm, since it was significantly related to sex and handedness, being much more expressed in females than in males and in the non-right-handers than in the right-handers.

Quantitatively assessed familial sinistrality in right-, mixed-, and left-handers.

Numerous manifestations of cerebral asymmetry in man depend on the presence of non-right-handers (NRHs) among the subject's biological relatives--familial sinistrality, FS. This study proposes a method for a quantitative assessment of FS, based on the coefficient of relatedness of the subject with every single one of his/her relatives with known handedness. Such an approach conforms much better with the genetic principles than the methods ignoring the degrees of genetic relationship.

Limbal explants from cryopreserved cadaver human corneas. Immunofluorescence and light microscopy of epithelial cells growing in culture.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether human cadaver corneas, that were subject to cryopreservation, would be a source of migrating epithelial cells in vitro and what kind of morphological features these cells possess. Limbal explant culture was used for expanding the epithelial cells. Non-quantitative light microscopical examinations of the cultures within a period of 28 days were carried out.

Comparative assessment of 13 of the widely used hand preference items in a Bulgarian sample.

The hand preference items included into Chapman and Chapman's (1987) inventory were comparatively assessed concerning the frequencies of the answers given by Bulgarian right, mixed, and left handers, concerning the correlation of each item with the remaining 12, with eyedness and footedness scores. Relationships between writing hand, throwing hand, eyedness, and footedness were studied. Application of a cumulative index of familial sinistrality evidenced the biological significance of the main findings.

Expression of testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Recent studies demonstrated that one isoform of angiotensin-converting enzyme named testicular or germinal (tACE) is localized in postmeiotic male germ cells and is essential for fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. Hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is androgen-dependent and reduction in male gametes is reported in this experimental conditions. Expression of tACE was not studied under conditions of spontaneous hypertension.

Quantitative characterization of finger and palm dermatoglyphics in Bulgarians.

In the present paper data on finger and palm ridge counts of both hands are reported from representative samples of healthy Bulgarian males and females. Dermatoglyphic prints from both hands of 2431 Bulgarians (1161 males and 1270 females) have been taken in 116 settlements all over the country. The investigated males and females were healthy, not related persons of Bulgarian origin.

Finger dermatoglyphics and their asymmetry in Bulgarian right-, mixed- and left-handers.

Since Bulgarians have never been investigated concerning the relationship between handedness and dermatoglyphics, the present study was aimed to investigate the aforementioned relationship in a Bulgarian sample. Digital dermatoglyphics and their asymmetries have been studied in 870 apparently healthy students from randomly selected Bulgarian secondary schools: 264 right-handers (RH), 246 mixed-handers (MH) and 360 left-handers (LH). The whorls were significantly less frequent and the ulnar loops more frequent in RH than in the other two handedness categories.

Congenital anomalies of the mesonephric duct and fertility.

Unlabelled: Agenesia of deferential duct and the others congenital malformations of mesonephronical duct are often encountering condition in andrological practice. This study presents the possibilities of reproductive medicine to restore the male fertility and concentrates on biological and clinical aspects of malformations of mesonephronic duct like factors for excretory male infertility. The investigations including 104 patients (mean age 30.

Ultrastructural study of cat zona pellucida during oocyte maturation and fertilization.

The mammalian zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular glycoprotein structure formed around growing oocytes, ovulated eggs and preimplantation embryos. The specific functions of ZP are highly determined by its morphological structure. Studies on cat oocytes during maturation and after fertilization were undertaken, using routine transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Use of neopterin as a bone marrow hematopoietic and stromal cell growth factor in tissue-engineered devices.

The in vitro response of early haematopoietic progenitors or stem cells (CD34+)--common for myeloid (granulocyte, eosinophil, megakaryocyte) and marrow stromal cell lineages, to neopterin, exogenously added to the liquid mouse bone marrow cultures, at doses 12.5-25 microg/ml culture medium, has been studied. The results obtained show a significant stimulation of common--myeloid and stromal/ mesenchymal progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation, as early as 24h to the 96h after the in vitro treatment with neopterin.

Whole blood viscosity and erythrocyte hematometric indices in chronic heroin addicts.

Whole blood viscosity (WBV) and hematometric indices of erythrocytes as red blood cell count (RBC), mean erythrocyte volume (MCV), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean hemoglobin content of erythrocytes (MCH), HGB/HCT values (MCHC) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) have been studied in a group of 15 chronic opioid addicts under methadone maintenance therapy with mean age 26.53 +/- 7.34 years.

Loss and recovery of androgen receptor protein expression in the adult rat testis following androgen withdrawal by ethane dimethanesulfonate.

Androgens are especially important for the maintenance of spermatogenesis in adulthood and the experimental withdrawal of testosterone (T) production by ethane dimenthanesulfonate (EDS) is a valuable tool for studying androgen-dependent events of spermatogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the specific changes in immunoexpression of androgen receptor (AR) in the testis in relation to degeneration and regeneration of Leydig cell (LC) population and seminiferous epithelium. Immunohistochemistry for AR and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) as well as TUNEL assay for apoptosis were performed on testicular sections of control and EDS-treated rats.

L-glutamate and phorbol ester stimulate the release of secretory amyloid precursor protein from rat cortical synaptosomes.

Treatment of rat cortical synaptosomes with micromolar concentrations of L-glutamate stimulated the release of the secreted form of amyloid precursor protein in a concentration-dependent, however biphasic manner as assayed by semiquantitative Western blot analysis. The secreted amyloid precursor protein released from synaptosomes into the incubation medium was highest in the presence of 500 microM L-glutamate (about 64% over the level assayed in the incubation medium in the absence of any drug). In contrast, direct stimulation of protein kinase C by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate resulted in a concentration-independent increase in secretory amyloid precursor protein release by about 100% already detectable at a concentration of 0.

Miltefosine decreases the cytotoxic effect of epirubicine and cyclophosphamide on mouse spermatogenic, thymic and bone marrow cells.

A new class of potent anticancer drugs, alkylphosphocholines has been recognized lately. Miltefosine (Hexadecylphosphochlorine, HPC) has been found to express select antineoplastic effect on human breast cancer skin metastases with simultaneous preservation of bone marrow proliferative activity and low clastogenicity. In the current study, we present data about the specific effect of two widely used cytostatics Cyclophosphamide (CP) and Epirubicine (ERb) applied separately or in combination with Miltefosine.

Neonatal treatment of rats with diethylstilboestrol (DES) induces stromal-epithelial abnormalities of the vas deferens and cauda epididymis in adulthood following delayed basal cell development.

This study investigated whether transient, neonatal (days 2-12) treatment of rats with the potent oestrogen, diethylstilboestrol (DES), altered the structure of the cauda epididymis/vas deferens in adulthood, and if the changes observed related to altered development of basal cells in early puberty. Neonatal treatment with 10 microg DES resulted in the following during adulthood: (a) coiling of the normally straight initial vas deferens, (b) gross epithelial abnormalities, (c) 4-fold widening of the periductal non-muscle layer, (d) infiltration of immune cells across the epithelium into the lumen, and (e) reduction/absence of sperm from the vas deferens lumen. Amongst affected animals>75% exhibited reduced epithelial immunoexpression of androgen receptor and aberrant oestrogen receptor-alpha immunoexpression and 63% exhibited multi-layering of basal cells coincident with increased epithelial cell proliferation.

Anthropological characteristics of Bulgarian newborns.

The aim of the study was to assess the specificity of newborns' physical development in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 21st Century. A detailed anthropological research of 219 healthy and full-term newborns (110 boys and 109 girls) was carried out during April-May 2001. In the present study, data about stature, body weight and six standard skinfolds on the body and extremities are analyzed.

In vitro effects of inhibin on apoptosis and apoptosis related proteins in human ovarian granulosa cells.

Objective: To clarify the in vitro effects of inhibin A (I) on apoptotic cell death and its mechanisms in ovarian granulosa cells the immunoexpression patterns of the apoptosis markers caspase-3 and pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Bak) were evaluated in ovarian granulosa cells collected from women with different hormonal status.

Materials And Methods: Granulosa cells were isolated from follicles of women participating in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program, normally cyclic (NC) and premenopausal women (PrM). The obtained cells were cultured for 72 h with inhibin A (Sigma, USA)--10 ng/ml.

Human bone marrow granulocyte-macrophageal colonies (GM-Cs) in vitro: myeloid cells in health and in cases of myeloid leukemia.

The morphological characteristics of granulocyte/macrophageal (GM-) colonies and clusters, obtained in vitro (in semi-solid agar cultures) from bone marrow hematopoietic myeloid progenitors pertain to leukocyte hemorheology of healthy persons and patients with myeloid leukemias. The morphological features of in vitro growing myeloid progenitors, granulocytes and macrophages of healthy persons differ in their cell size, shape and degree of differentiation from the cultivated marrow cells in cases of acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia. In this malignant disease, the rheological properties of leukocytes (granulocytes/macrophages) were found to provide diagnostic information.

Serum IgG and IgM ganglioside GM1 antibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: In order to obtain more information concerning the pathogenic significance of ganglioside GM1 in multiple sclerosis serum polyclonal IgG and IgM antibodies to GM1 were evaluated in multiple sclerosis patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive forms of the disease.

Patients And Methods: The evaluated sera were from 55 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis and from 20 healthy subjects. Forty-two of patients were with relapsing-remitting and 13 with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

[Morphometric analysis of epitheliocytes in the choroid plexus of brain ventricles in rat ontogenesis].

Light and dark epitheliocytes of choroid plexus were studied by morphometric methods in lateral and III ventricle of rat's brain during development. Investigations were performed on semithin sections using point-counting method with combined ocular test-system for linear and planimetric measurements. The results obtained suggest that light and dark choroid plexus epitheliocytes complete their differentiation by postnatal day 30.

Involvement of prostanoids in the inhibitory effect of endothelin-1 on progesterone production of ovarian granulosa cells.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible involvement of prostanoids in the inhibitory effect of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on progesterone production of ovarian granulosa cells. ET-1 (1 x 10(-7) M) decreased the basal and follicle-stimulating hormone- (FSH) stimulated progesterone production from both human and porcine granulosa cells. Indomethacin dose-dependently inhibited progesterone release, but did not alter the inhibitory effect of ET-1 (1 x 10(-7) M) on progesterone production of cultured ovarian granulosa cells.

B2 bradykinin receptor mediates the stimulatory effect of bradykinin on rat germ cell proliferation in vitro.

The contribution of B1 and B2 bradykinin receptors to germ cell proliferation was studied by using in vitro organ cultures of testicular fragments of 3.5-day-old rats in the presence of 3H thymidine. Different combinations of agonists and antagonists of B1 and B2 receptors exerted differential mitogenic effect on pro-spermatogonial cells.