The ability of human sperm to fertilize can be compromised both in vivo and in vitro by the toxins found in cigarette smoke, which can lower sperm mitochondrial activity and harm chromatin structure. The aim is to study the effect of smoking on the apoptotic marker (caspase-3) of human sperm. A cross-sectional study of 80 semen samples of sub-fertile men, were divided into smokers (35 patients) and non-smokers (45 patients). All the semen samples after seminal fluid analysis underwent HOST test and grading (A-G) according to the WHO 2021 criteria then the slides were smeared and stained with an immunocytochemistry kit for Caspase-3 apoptotic marker. There was no significant effect of smoking in the concentration of caspase-3 expression, in spite of the high presentation of both grades A and G in the smoker group ( p = 0.57, 0.56 respectively). Smoking has a negative impact on the DNA integrity of sperm as it increases the apoptotic marker within the smoker group.
Node-like receptor pyrin 3 is a tripartite protein composed of an amino-terminal pyrin domin (PYD), nucleotide binding NACHT domine, and a carboxy-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domine, and consider an intracellular sensor that detects a broad range signal and resulting in the formation and activation the NLRP3 inflammasome. This complex lead to the release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-18 which is important for host defense against invading pathogen. Modern evidence indicates that the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in gestational hypertension. This study was conducted on fifty pregnant women and divided into two groups: 25 placentas from normotensive mothers having no hypertension before as the control group and 25 from gestational hypertension women as gestational hypertension group, obtained from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Almosil El Aam Hospital and Alkhanssa Teaching Hospital, Mosul city, Iraq. The placental tissue samples were collected from the central region and processed for an immunohistochemical technique to t h e expression of NLRP3 in placental tissue. The immunohistochemical study of t h e placenta of the gestational hypertension group showed the localization of NLRP3 protein and staining intensity in trophoblast, stroma, and endothelium villi were high quantification compared with placenta from the control group.
Background: The sperm plasma membrane activity and absence of antisperm antibodies in infertile patients ejaculate significantly associated with fertilization potential of human spermatozoa. The sperm viability detected by hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) and autoimmune infertility detected by antisperm antibody assay presented diagnostic and prognostic tools for male infertility factors. Objective: This study was devised to compare the results of hypoosmotic swelling test and antisperm antibody assay for normozoospermic men and infertile patients affected by autoimmune infertility. Methods: Thirty semen samples were collected by masturbation and prepared by direct layering technique. Hypo-osmotic swelling test was performed by mixing 0.1 ml of semen with 0.9 ml of a 150 mOsm/L NaCl as a hypo-osmotic solution and direct immunobead assay were used to determine the presence of Antisperm Antibodies (ASA) bound on sperm surface. However, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and normal sperm morphology were evaluated according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and subjected to HOS test and ASA assay. The sperm prepared and incubated for 30 minute in 5% CO2 at 37°C after in vitro sperm preparation. Results: The results of the present study reported that the percentage of HOS test score in antisperm antibodies positive sperm samples (52.30 ±5.2) was significantly lower than that noticed in antisperm antibodies negative (70.30 ± 3.4) sperm samples. Conclusion: It was concluded that the use of HOS test as a simple and diagnostic and prognostic tools for identify male infertility. Further studies are suggested to assess the effect of ASA on sperm plasma functional integrity after ICSI and in vitro fertilization and embryo transfers (IVF-ET).