Magister Scientiae (Medical Bioscience) - MSc(MBS) / A functional sperm is critical for successful fertilization in order to deliver an intact genome to the site of fertilization. It is often characterized by high motility and normal morphology. Moreover, sperm hyperactivated motility is imperative for both detachment from the oviductal wall and for penetration into the zona pellucida, subsequently resulting in fertilization. Several semen parameters such as volume, colour, sperm morphology and sperm concentration are used to clinically discriminate between fertile and sub-fertile males. Additionally, several sperm functional tests assess sperm function and a male’s fertility potential. A sperm feature that is not currently assessed clinically, but could possibly discriminate between fertility and infertility, is hyperactivation. The aim of this project was to investigate motility degrees (good, medium and poor) of sperm subpopulations and induce hyperactivation in each subpopulation, as well as to sperm in semen, by addition of caffeine and procaine. This was achieved by separating three sperm subpopulations from a semen sample using the Puresperm density gradient separating technique. Sperm subpopulations were exposed to 5mM caffeine and 2 mM procaine respectively for 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. Sperm in semen was exposed to caffeine and procaine using a flush technique and analysed at 0, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes. Sperm displaying hyperactivation was determined using cut-offs for curvilinear velocity, linearity and amplitude of lateral head displacement. The results indicate significant differences in overall percentage motility, sperm kinematic parameters and hyperactivation among the three subpopulations (p<0.05). Procaine and caffeine both induced hyperactivation in subpopulations, although the most pronounced effect of procaine was evident after 15-30 minutes compared to caffeine (60-90 minutes) in subpopulations. Maximum hyperactivation of sperm in semen was seen after 15- 30 minutes in both procaine and caffeine. Moreover, caffeine had significantly higher stimulating effect than procaine. The results suggest that the existence and distinct motility characteristics of subpopulations should be considered in future during clinical assessment of male fertility, especially when assessing hyperactivation. The immediate and higher stimulation response of sperm with the flush technique indicates that the technique may be an ideal sperm functional test compared to the separation technique. The separation technique may be used to categorize sperm subpopulation of a patient in terms of motility (high motile or low motile) and to stimulate such subpopulations with chemicals for use in assisted reproduction technologies.

Monocytes and macrophages are important components of the innate immune response. These mononuclear phagocytes form a heterogeneous cell population, of which phenotype and functions can be modified under the influence of different signals coming from the surrounding microenvironment. The aim of this work was to modulate the phenotype of these cells by a variety of stimulants and to compare the changes induced on the model of THP-1 monocytic cell line and on the human peripheral blood monocytes. Surface marker expression was analyzed by flow cytometry. Further on, IL-8 production was evaluated by Luminex assay and the concentration of soluble calprotectin was assessed by ELISA. The most significant changes in surface marker expression were induced by exposure to IFNγ. This cytokine increased the expression of CD54, CD14 and HLA-DR on the surface of THP-1 cell line. Higher concentrations of IFNγ promoted higher apoptotic rate and augmented calprotectin expression and production in THP-1 cell line. On the surface of monocytes, IFNγ stimulation resulted only in the upregulation of CD54 expression. IL-4 increased the expression of CD36 by THP-1 cell line and inhibited the expression of CD163 by human monocytes. LPS stimulation caused the suppression of HLA-DR activation in monocytes and enhanced IL-8...

Streptococcus mutans is a secondary colonizer of the dental plaque biofilm and is the primary causative agent of dental caries. Sugar metabolism is central to S. mutans growth and survival. S. mutans produces lactic acid as an end product of sugar metabolism, which results in dissolution of the tooth enamel, leading to dental cavities. Sucrose metabolism also results in the formation of extracellular dextrans that are a key component of the extracellular matrix that encases the bacteria in the biofilm. The availability of sugars is dependent on diet, on competition with other bacteria and on the location of the bacteria within the dental plaque. I hypothesize there are distinct subpopulations of S. mutans within biofilms that respond differently to environmental conditions. I have identified several genetic markers that are helping us identify and characterize some of these subpopulations, and how they react to starvation and to the restoration of nutrients in single species biofilms of S. mutans. Two of the loci that were identified as markers via microarray analysis are rpsT and pdh. rpsT encodes a small ribosomal protein which is strongly expressed during exponential growth, when the cells are producing high levels of ribosomes. The other marker, pdh, is a four-gene operon encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex; pdh is upregulated in late stationary phase. Our laboratory has recently shown that expression of the pdh operon is important for long-term survival in stationary phase, where a subpopulation (~0.5%) is dividing, forms long chains and expresses pdh. In the current studies, rpsT and pdh promoters driving expression of gfp were used to identify the exponential phase subpopulation (rpsT) and a subpopulation capable of surviving in late stationary phase (pdh). In addition, I developed an unstable variant of GFP by fusing a proteolytic tag sequence to the C-terminus of GFP (encoded by ugfp). When the rpsT promoter was inserted upstream, uGFP was produced and subsequently degraded within about 1.5 hours of translation. This behavior allowed us to distinguish exponentially growing cells, as the signal diminishes once the cells entered stationary phase. In biofilms that had been starved for 10 days, there was no expression of PrpsTugfp. I observed that when sucrose was added to these biofilms, some bacteria within the biofilm microcolonies underwent fast exponential-like growth indicated by expression of PrpsT-ugfp. Within 24 hours of the sucrose addition, most growth had ceased and fluorescence had decreased. Using a Ppdh-gfp construct in bacteria in 10-day starved biofilms, fluorescence was observed in long chains of cells within the biofilms indicating slow growth. I hypothesized that the pdh-expressing cells were capable of responding to sucrose restoration and would be one of the principal subpopulations to do so. However, when sucrose was added, these fluorescing chains did not exhibit any growth, while other non-fluorescing bacteria within the biofilm clearly responded to the sucrose by growing. This was unexpected since inactivating the pdh operon leads to drastically reduced survival. It is concluded that pdh plays a role in long term survival, but pdhexpressers do not appear to respond to sugar restoration. This led me to hypothesize that the pdh-expressing population is interacting with other populations of cells in some capacity, enabling them to survive. To determine if this was the case, we performed a mixed culture experiment with wild-type S. mutans and the pdh null mutant. I observed that when these two strains were grown in co-culture, the pdh null mutant survived at low levels, for over 30 days, while this mutant by itself typically did not survive past ten days. This result indicates that the wild-type strain was able to interact with the mutant, leading to increased survival. In biofilms, it seems possible that the pdh-expressing cells secrete a substance or directly interact with other cells, somehow promoting their survival in the starved biofilm. The fluorescent constructs appear to mark distinct populations of cells that respond in different ways to sugar availability, suggesting that S. mutans forms a mixed population of cells able to grow in the presence of sugar or survive prolonged sugar starvation. These studies demonstrate that indeed subpopulations of cells do exist within biofilms, and their interactions may be more complex than previously thought. / Microbiology and Immunology

No description available.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar mediante testes in vitro as características espermáticas de partidas de sêmen bovino e o impacto sobre a fertilidade quando utilizadas em um programas de IATF. Foram realizados 4 experimentos que serão descritos em forma de artigos científicos. No artigo 1 comparam-se a qualidade do sêmen determinada por métodos subjetivos e objetivos para a análise espermática in vitro de partidas de sêmen bovino. Foram analisadas 80 partidas de sêmen de dois touros, através de análises convencionais (motilidade subjetiva, vigor e morfologia espermática), de acordo com os resultados foram estabelecidos 3 grupos: Alta qualidade (A), Boa qualidade (B) e Qualidade questionável (Q). Posteriormente foram analisados os resultados das análises objetivas usando sondas fluorescentes por microscopia de epifluorescência para determinar a integridade de membranas plasmática, acrossomal e potencial de membrana mitocondrial (%PIAIA); e usando o sistema computadorizado de avaliação da motilidade espermática (CASA), o efeito foi avaliado mediante ANOVA e Tukey 5%. Posteriormente, foram utilizadas 67 partidas para determinar a concordância em determinar a qualidade seminal de acordo com três métodos de avaliação seminal: (1) Análise subjetiva considerando a Motilidade subjetiva, vigor e morfologia espermática (2) Análise pelo CASA levando em consideração a MT, VCL, VSL e VAP e (3) Análise por sondas fluorescentes considerando a %PIAIA. Foram realizadas análises de correlação de Pearson e análise de concordância (significância do Kappa). No artigo 2 foram utilizadas 18 partidas de sêmen classificadas de acordo com o índice de fertilidade de cada touro em dois grupos: de Alta (n=9) e Baixa fertilidade (n=9). A classificação do escore foi proporcionada pela central com base em dados provenientes de 33.198 serviços por IATF. As partidas foram submetidas às análises convencionais, CASA, análise por sondas fluorescentes para avaliar a porcentagem de PIAIA em microscopia de epifluorescência e produção de marcadores mitocondriais por sondas fluorescentes na citometria de fluxo. Foram realizadas análises de correlação de Pearson todas as características espermáticas e os efeitos entre grupos de fertilidade foram avaliados mediante ANOVA e Tukey 5%. No artigo 3 o objetivo determinar a relação entre qualidade espermática medida pela produção de marcadores mitocondriais e integridade das estruturas espermáticas com a taxa de prenhez (TP%) resultante de um programa de inseminação artificial e tempo fixo (IATF). Neste estudo, 29 partidas de sêmen convencional usadas para inseminar 4.795 vacas da raça Nelore submetidas ao mesmo protocolo de IATF, e após o diagnóstico de prenhez foram classificadas em três grupos: Alta fertilidade (A) com TP &ge;60%, Média fertilidade (M) TP entre 53,0 e 59,9% e de Baixa fertilidade (B) TP &lt;52,2%. Doses de sêmen das mesmas partidas foram descongeladas a 37&deg;C durante 30 segundos e submetidas às análises convencionais, CASA, análise por sondas fluorescentes para avaliar a porcentagem de PIAIA em microscopia de epifluorescência e produção de marcadores mitocondriais por sondas fluorescentes na citometria de fluxo. Foram realizadas análises de correlação de Spearman para todas as características espermáticas e os efeitos entre grupos de fertilidade foram avaliados mediante ANOVA e Tukey 5%. No artigo 4 o objetivo foi determinar as subpopulações pela morfometria espermática em partidas de sêmen com diferente escore de fertilidade. Foram utilizadas 13 partidas de sêmen de 6 touros, sendo três touros de alto escore de fertilidade (n=9) e três de baixo escore de fertilidade (n=9). Duas palhetas de cada partida foram descongeladas e uma alíquota foi depositada em formol salino (4%) e posteriormente foi feito a análise por gota húmida para aquisição de 200 imagens da cabeça espermática que foram processadas pelo programa Imagem J para determinação da morfometria, os dados foram submetidos a análise multivariada de agrupamento para formação de subpopulações pelo método de Wards e posteriormente o efeito do grupo de fertilidade foi avaliado por ANOVA e Tukey 5%. Os resultados mostraram que os marcadores da função mitocondrial são bons indicadores da função e qualidade espermática; no entanto a heterogeneidade do sêmen bovino, com subpopulações espermáticas com boa e má qualidade, varia entre touros e entre partidas do mesmo touro e gera confusão na resposta de algumas análises. Determinou-se também, que a presença de subpopulações espermáticas (SBP) com variação na morfometria da cabeça (SBP1, SBP2, SBP3 e SBP4), sendo que a SBP4 foi associada com baixo escore de fertilidade. A conclusão geral é que a qualidade seminal impacta na fertilidade in vivo em bovinos. Sendo que a morfometria da cabeça espermática e funcionalidade das mitocôndrias teve maior impacto. No entanto, todas as características de qualidade espermática devem ser avaliadas em conjunto para determinar o potencial de fertilidade de uma amostra seminal. / The objective of this study was to evaluate the sperm characteristics of bovine semen and the impact on fertility when used in an IATF program. Four experiments were carried out and described in the form of scientific articles. In article 1. We compared the semen quality determined by subjective and objective methods for the in vitro sperm analysis of bovine semen. According to the results, three groups were analyzed: high quality (A), good quality (B) and high quality (A), Questionable quality (Q). Subsequently, the results of objective analyzes using fluorescence probes by epifluorescence microscopy were analyzed to determine the integrity of plasma, acrosomal membrane and mitochondrial membrane potential (% PIAIA); And using the computerized sperm motility evaluation system (CASA), the effect was evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. Afterwards, 67 matches were used to determine the agreement to determine seminal quality according to three methods of seminal evaluation: (1) Subjective analysis considering subjective motility, vigor and sperm morphology (2) Analysis by CASA taking into consideration the TM, VCL, VSL and VAP and (3) Analysis by fluorescent probes considering % PIAIA. Pearson correlation analysis and concordance analysis (Kappa significance) were performed. In article 2, 18 sets of semen were classified according to the fertility index of each bull in two groups: High fertility (n = 9) and Low fertility (n = 9). The classification of the score was provided by the central office based on data from 33,198 services by IATF. The semen were subjected to conventional analyzes, CASA, fluorescent probe analysis to evaluate the percentage of PIAIA in epifluorescence microscopy and production of mitochondrial markers by fluorescent probes in flow cytometry. Pearson correlation analyzes were performed on all sperm characteristics and effects between fertility groups were evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. In article 3 the objective was to determine the relationship between sperm quality measured by the production of mitochondrial markers and the integrity of the spermatic structures with the pregnancy rate (TP%) resulting from an artificial insemination and fixed time (IATF) program. In this study, 29 departures of conventional semen used to inseminate 4,795 Nelore cows submitted to the same IATF protocol, and after diagnosis of pregnancy were classified into three groups: High fertility (A) with TP &ge; 60%, Average fertility ( M) TP between 53.0 and 59.9% and Low fertility (B) TP &lt;52.2%. Semen doses of the same departures were thawed at 37 &deg; C for 30 seconds and subjected to conventional, CASA, fluorescent probe analysis to evaluate the percentage of PIAIA in epifluorescence microscopy and production of mitochondrial markers by fluorescent probes in flow cytometry. Spearman correlation analyzes were performed on all sperm characteristics and effects between fertility groups were evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. In article 3, 18 sets of semen were classified according to the fertility index of each bull in two groups: High (n = 9) and Low fertility (n = 9). The classification of the score was provided by the central office based on data from 33,198 services by IATF. The matches were subjected to conventional analyzes, CASA, fluorescent probe analysis to evaluate the percentage of PIAIA in epifluorescence microscopy and production of mitochondrial markers by fluorescent probes in flow cytometry. Pearson correlation analyzes were performed on all sperm characteristics and effects between fertility groups were evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. In article 4 the objective was to determine subpopulations by sperm morphometry in semen matches with different fertility scores. Seventeen sets of six bulls were used, three bulls with a high fertility score (n = 9) and three with a low fertility score (n = 9). Two straws of each set were thawed and an aliquot was deposited in saline formaldehyde (4%) and then the wet analysis was performed to acquire 200 images of the spermatic head that were processed by the Image J program to determine morphometry, the data were submitted to a multivariate cluster analysis for clusters by the Ward\'s method and later the effect of the fertility group was evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey 5%. The results showed that markers of mitochondrial function are good indicators of sperm function and quality; However, the heterogeneity of bovine semen, with good and poor quality sperm subpopulations, varies between bulls and between straws and creates confusion in the response of some analyzes. It was also determined that the presence of sperm subpopulations (SBP) with variation in head morphometry (SBP1, SBP2, SBP3 and SBP4), and SBP4 was associated with a low fertility score. The overall conclusion is that seminal quality influences in vivo fertility in cattle. Being that the morphometry of the spermatic head and functionality of the mitochondria had greater impact. However, all sperm quality characteristics should be evaluated together to determine the fertility potential of a seminal sample.

Les monocytes sont des leucocytes circulants dont la caractérisation est longtemps restée difficile. La dissection de l’ensemble de ces cellules en sous-populations fonctionnelles chez l’homme reste à ce jour insuffisante. Les monocytes sont cependant des précurseurs circulants de plusieurs populations de cellules dendritiques et de macrophages tissulaires, et occupent donc à ce titre une place prépondérante dans la mise en place des réponses immunitaires normales et pathologiques.À l'heure actuelle, trois sous-populations sont décrites chez l’homme : les monocytes classiques CD14+CD16neg, les non-classiques CD14dimCD16+ et les intermédiaires CD14+CD16+. Fonctionnellement, ces sous-populations sont diverses et hétérogènes et dotées de propriétés pro- et anti-inflammatoires apparemment redondantes. En pathologie, une augmentation du ratio entre CD16+ et CD16neg monocytes a été décrite en situation inflammatoire, suggérant un rôle des premières dans le développement et/ou l’amplification de l’inflammation. Parmi les monocytes non-classiques, des cellules capables de détecter des altérations de l’endothélium et ayant donc des propriétés spécifiques de surveillance du lit vasculaire ont été identifiées et caractérisées. Dans le but d’obtenir une meilleure définition des populations monocytaires et de les subdiviser en sous-populations où l’identification des fonctions de ces cellules serait plus accessible, je me suis attachée, dans ce travail de thèse, à analyser les différentes populations de monocytes humains circulants de manière aussi exhaustive que possible et avec les outils d’analyse biologiques et informatiques actuels. Les résultats, obtenus par l’analyse en cytométrie de flux de PBMC de 28 donneurs sains après marquage des cellules par vingt anticorps dirigés contre les molécules de surface, ont révélé l’existence d’une population de monocytes de plus grande taille. Ces « large » monocytes se subdivisent également en populations CD16neg et CD16+ (monocytes la14+16neg et la14+16+). Les monocytes restant ou « small » se composent de sm14+16neg largement majoritaires, de sm14+16+, et de sm14dim16+ auxquels se rajoutent des monocytes sm14lo16neg dont nous confirmons l’existence. L’expression des divers marqueurs sélectionnés a été faite par des méthodes d’analyse classiques, manuelles, ainsi que par l’utilisation d’algorithmes d’analyse non-supervisée. Les résultats ont montré les particularités d’expression propres à chaque population mais ont aussi indiqué que l’hétérogénéité phénotypique à l’intérieur de ces six populations de monocytes reste importante. Cependant, des profils d’expression qui sont partagés par plusieurs donneurs sains ont été identifiés. L’expression des molécules d’adhésion telles que CD49d, CD62L, CD162, ainsi que CD43 a été particulièrement utile pour cette identification. Quatre groupes phénotypiques majeurs ont ainsi été définis chez les 28 donneurs sains analysés. / Monocytes are circulating leukocytes which characterization has long been difficult. Dissection of these cells into functional subpopulations in humans is still insufficient. Monocytes are however circulating precursors of several populations of dendritic cells and tissue macrophages, and play a prominent role in the development of immune response in steady state and pathology. At present, three monocyte subpopulations are described in humans: classical CD14+CD16neg, non-classical CD14dimCD16+ and intermediates CD14++CD16. Functionally, these subpopulations are diverse and heterogeneous and with apparently redundant pro - and anti-inflammatory properties. In pathology, an increase in the ratio of CD16 + to CD16neg monocytes has been described in inflammatory situation, suggesting a role of the former in the development and amplification of inflammation. Among the non-classical monocytes, cells that can detect changes in the endothelium and having then specific properties of vascular bed monitoring have been identified and characterized. In order to get a better definition of monocyte populations and break them down into subpopulations in which the identification of the cell functions would be more accessible, I endeavoured in this thesis work to analyse different populations of circulating human monocytes as comprehensively as possible and with state of the art analytical and computer tools. The results of flow cytometry analysis of PBMC from 28 healthy donors after cell staining with twenty antibodies directed against surface molecules revealed the existence of a population of monocytes of larger size.

The thesis presents a rational path for the optimization of the selection of optical treatment parameters in photobiomodulation of human skin fibroblasts. The project begins with an extensive analysis of 90 bibliographic reports in photobiomodulation published between 1985 and 2015, and revealed major inconsistencies in optical parameters selected for clinical applications. Seeking greater clarity for optimal parameter choice, a systematic approach to disentangle the multiple factors underpinning the response of human dermal fibroblasts in vitro to visible and near-infra red (NIR) light was employed. Light-based devices were constructed to specifically and systematically screen the optical parameter window (i.e. wavelength, irradiance and dose) observed in literature. Additionally, critical culture and treatment conditions that have dramatic impact on the outcome of specific light treatment of these human skin dermal cells were identified. In particular, environmental oxygen concentration, cell confluency and serum concentration were all found to have a great effect on the response of dermal fibroblasts to light. In parallel, the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by short visible wavelengths on two dermal fibroblast sub-populations or lineage, reticular and papillary, was monitored by live-cell imaging. The ROS species were found to be created in or close to mitochondria. Lastly, gene expression studies revealed a strong impact of short visible wavelengths, as compared to long and NIR wavelengths on both subpopulations of human dermal fibroblasts. In particular, blue light (450 nm) specifically down-regulated proliferation, metabolism and protein synthesis molecular pathways. At the protein level, 450-nm light inhibited the production of procollagen I in human reticular and papillary fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. Gene expression results were in agreement i.e., the same light parameter down-regulated collagen fiber genes, integrins and up-regulated collagenase MMP1. This thesis concludes with a chapter presenting a characterization of the accuracy of a potential translation tool for the prediction of optical photon density inside human skin.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar mediante testes in vitro as características espermáticas de partidas de sêmen bovino e o impacto sobre a fertilidade quando utilizadas em um programas de IATF. Foram realizados 4 experimentos que serão descritos em forma de artigos científicos. No artigo 1 comparam-se a qualidade do sêmen determinada por métodos subjetivos e objetivos para a análise espermática in vitro de partidas de sêmen bovino. Foram analisadas 80 partidas de sêmen de dois touros, através de análises convencionais (motilidade subjetiva, vigor e morfologia espermática), de acordo com os resultados foram estabelecidos 3 grupos: Alta qualidade (A), Boa qualidade (B) e Qualidade questionável (Q). Posteriormente foram analisados os resultados das análises objetivas usando sondas fluorescentes por microscopia de epifluorescência para determinar a integridade de membranas plasmática, acrossomal e potencial de membrana mitocondrial (%PIAIA); e usando o sistema computadorizado de avaliação da motilidade espermática (CASA), o efeito foi avaliado mediante ANOVA e Tukey 5%. Posteriormente, foram utilizadas 67 partidas para determinar a concordância em determinar a qualidade seminal de acordo com três métodos de avaliação seminal: (1) Análise subjetiva considerando a Motilidade subjetiva, vigor e morfologia espermática (2) Análise pelo CASA levando em consideração a MT, VCL, VSL e VAP e (3) Análise por sondas fluorescentes considerando a %PIAIA. Foram realizadas análises de correlação de Pearson e análise de concordância (significância do Kappa). No artigo 2 foram utilizadas 18 partidas de sêmen classificadas de acordo com o índice de fertilidade de cada touro em dois grupos: de Alta (n=9) e Baixa fertilidade (n=9). A classificação do escore foi proporcionada pela central com base em dados provenientes de 33.198 serviços por IATF. As partidas foram submetidas às análises convencionais, CASA, análise por sondas fluorescentes para avaliar a porcentagem de PIAIA em microscopia de epifluorescência e produção de marcadores mitocondriais por sondas fluorescentes na citometria de fluxo. Foram realizadas análises de correlação de Pearson todas as características espermáticas e os efeitos entre grupos de fertilidade foram avaliados mediante ANOVA e Tukey 5%. No artigo 3 o objetivo determinar a relação entre qualidade espermática medida pela produção de marcadores mitocondriais e integridade das estruturas espermáticas com a taxa de prenhez (TP%) resultante de um programa de inseminação artificial e tempo fixo (IATF). Neste estudo, 29 partidas de sêmen convencional usadas para inseminar 4.795 vacas da raça Nelore submetidas ao mesmo protocolo de IATF, e após o diagnóstico de prenhez foram classificadas em três grupos: Alta fertilidade (A) com TP &ge;60%, Média fertilidade (M) TP entre 53,0 e 59,9% e de Baixa fertilidade (B) TP &lt;52,2%. Doses de sêmen das mesmas partidas foram descongeladas a 37&deg;C durante 30 segundos e submetidas às análises convencionais, CASA, análise por sondas fluorescentes para avaliar a porcentagem de PIAIA em microscopia de epifluorescência e produção de marcadores mitocondriais por sondas fluorescentes na citometria de fluxo. Foram realizadas análises de correlação de Spearman para todas as características espermáticas e os efeitos entre grupos de fertilidade foram avaliados mediante ANOVA e Tukey 5%. No artigo 4 o objetivo foi determinar as subpopulações pela morfometria espermática em partidas de sêmen com diferente escore de fertilidade. Foram utilizadas 13 partidas de sêmen de 6 touros, sendo três touros de alto escore de fertilidade (n=9) e três de baixo escore de fertilidade (n=9). Duas palhetas de cada partida foram descongeladas e uma alíquota foi depositada em formol salino (4%) e posteriormente foi feito a análise por gota húmida para aquisição de 200 imagens da cabeça espermática que foram processadas pelo programa Imagem J para determinação da morfometria, os dados foram submetidos a análise multivariada de agrupamento para formação de subpopulações pelo método de Wards e posteriormente o efeito do grupo de fertilidade foi avaliado por ANOVA e Tukey 5%. Os resultados mostraram que os marcadores da função mitocondrial são bons indicadores da função e qualidade espermática; no entanto a heterogeneidade do sêmen bovino, com subpopulações espermáticas com boa e má qualidade, varia entre touros e entre partidas do mesmo touro e gera confusão na resposta de algumas análises. Determinou-se também, que a presença de subpopulações espermáticas (SBP) com variação na morfometria da cabeça (SBP1, SBP2, SBP3 e SBP4), sendo que a SBP4 foi associada com baixo escore de fertilidade. A conclusão geral é que a qualidade seminal impacta na fertilidade in vivo em bovinos. Sendo que a morfometria da cabeça espermática e funcionalidade das mitocôndrias teve maior impacto. No entanto, todas as características de qualidade espermática devem ser avaliadas em conjunto para determinar o potencial de fertilidade de uma amostra seminal. / The objective of this study was to evaluate the sperm characteristics of bovine semen and the impact on fertility when used in an IATF program. Four experiments were carried out and described in the form of scientific articles. In article 1. We compared the semen quality determined by subjective and objective methods for the in vitro sperm analysis of bovine semen. According to the results, three groups were analyzed: high quality (A), good quality (B) and high quality (A), Questionable quality (Q). Subsequently, the results of objective analyzes using fluorescence probes by epifluorescence microscopy were analyzed to determine the integrity of plasma, acrosomal membrane and mitochondrial membrane potential (% PIAIA); And using the computerized sperm motility evaluation system (CASA), the effect was evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. Afterwards, 67 matches were used to determine the agreement to determine seminal quality according to three methods of seminal evaluation: (1) Subjective analysis considering subjective motility, vigor and sperm morphology (2) Analysis by CASA taking into consideration the TM, VCL, VSL and VAP and (3) Analysis by fluorescent probes considering % PIAIA. Pearson correlation analysis and concordance analysis (Kappa significance) were performed. In article 2, 18 sets of semen were classified according to the fertility index of each bull in two groups: High fertility (n = 9) and Low fertility (n = 9). The classification of the score was provided by the central office based on data from 33,198 services by IATF. The semen were subjected to conventional analyzes, CASA, fluorescent probe analysis to evaluate the percentage of PIAIA in epifluorescence microscopy and production of mitochondrial markers by fluorescent probes in flow cytometry. Pearson correlation analyzes were performed on all sperm characteristics and effects between fertility groups were evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. In article 3 the objective was to determine the relationship between sperm quality measured by the production of mitochondrial markers and the integrity of the spermatic structures with the pregnancy rate (TP%) resulting from an artificial insemination and fixed time (IATF) program. In this study, 29 departures of conventional semen used to inseminate 4,795 Nelore cows submitted to the same IATF protocol, and after diagnosis of pregnancy were classified into three groups: High fertility (A) with TP &ge; 60%, Average fertility ( M) TP between 53.0 and 59.9% and Low fertility (B) TP &lt;52.2%. Semen doses of the same departures were thawed at 37 &deg; C for 30 seconds and subjected to conventional, CASA, fluorescent probe analysis to evaluate the percentage of PIAIA in epifluorescence microscopy and production of mitochondrial markers by fluorescent probes in flow cytometry. Spearman correlation analyzes were performed on all sperm characteristics and effects between fertility groups were evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. In article 3, 18 sets of semen were classified according to the fertility index of each bull in two groups: High (n = 9) and Low fertility (n = 9). The classification of the score was provided by the central office based on data from 33,198 services by IATF. The matches were subjected to conventional analyzes, CASA, fluorescent probe analysis to evaluate the percentage of PIAIA in epifluorescence microscopy and production of mitochondrial markers by fluorescent probes in flow cytometry. Pearson correlation analyzes were performed on all sperm characteristics and effects between fertility groups were evaluated using ANOVA and Tukey 5%. In article 4 the objective was to determine subpopulations by sperm morphometry in semen matches with different fertility scores. Seventeen sets of six bulls were used, three bulls with a high fertility score (n = 9) and three with a low fertility score (n = 9). Two straws of each set were thawed and an aliquot was deposited in saline formaldehyde (4%) and then the wet analysis was performed to acquire 200 images of the spermatic head that were processed by the Image J program to determine morphometry, the data were submitted to a multivariate cluster analysis for clusters by the Ward\'s method and later the effect of the fertility group was evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey 5%. The results showed that markers of mitochondrial function are good indicators of sperm function and quality; However, the heterogeneity of bovine semen, with good and poor quality sperm subpopulations, varies between bulls and between straws and creates confusion in the response of some analyzes. It was also determined that the presence of sperm subpopulations (SBP) with variation in head morphometry (SBP1, SBP2, SBP3 and SBP4), and SBP4 was associated with a low fertility score. The overall conclusion is that seminal quality influences in vivo fertility in cattle. Being that the morphometry of the spermatic head and functionality of the mitochondria had greater impact. However, all sperm quality characteristics should be evaluated together to determine the fertility potential of a seminal sample.

Mycobacterial populations are known for the heterogeneity in terms of cell size, morphology, and metabolic status, which are believed to help the population survive under stress conditions. Such population heterogeneity had been observed in TB patients, in animal models, and in in vitro cultures. Also, the physiological relevance of population heterogeneity under nutrient starvation has been studied. However, the physiological significance of population heterogeneity in oxidative and nitrite stress has not been addressed yet. Our laboratory had earlier shown that a subpopulation of mycobacterial mid-log phase cultures divide by highly deviated asymmetric division, generating short cells and normal-sized/long cells. This proportion has been found to be consistent and reproducible, and has been found in the freshly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients’ sputum, which is known to have high levels of oxidative stress. The highly deviated asymmetric cell division has been found to be one of the mechanisms that mycobacteria use to generate cell size heterogeneity in the population. However, the physiological significance of the population heterogeneity generated by the highly deviated asymmetric division remained to be addressed. Therefore, in the present study, we addressed the physiological significance of the generation of population heterogeneity in terms of cell size in Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this regard, we explored whether the minor subpopulation of short cells generated in the population has any relevance in the response of mycobacteria to oxidative and nitrite stress for survival. The Chapter 1, which forms the Introduction to the thesis, gives an extensive literature survey on the phenotypic heterogeneity in diverse bacterial systems and the physiological significance of such heterogeneity. Subsequently, an account of the phenotypic heterogeneity reported in mycobacteria is given, with examples of its significance implicated for survival under nutrient stress. Then an account of various studies on the oxidative and nitrite stress response of mycobacteria and on the genes involved in those processes are given. Further, the present study is justified by stating that so far there has not been any study to find out the physiological relevance of phenotypic heterogeneity on oxidative and nitrite stress response in mycobacteria. Finally, the Introduction is concluded by stating that the present study investigates and reports for the first time the physiological significance of the minor subpopulation of short cells for survival under oxidative and nitrite stress conditions. The Chapter 2 forms the Materials and Methods used in the present study. Here a detailed description of the methods used for the separation of the short cells, their characterisation, stress response, and so on are given in great detail. The Chapter 3 forms the first data chapter that presents results on the nature of response of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis against oxidative and nitrite stress. Here the cell size natural distribution, in terms of short cells and normal-sized/long cells in the mid-log phase population, the fractionation and enrichment of these subpopulations, differential susceptibility of the cells in the fractions to the stress conditions, the enhanced survival of the population upon mixing of these cell populations at the natural proportion, and the decreased survival upon mixing them at unnatural proportion are presented. The differential survival of the short cells and normal-sized/long cells was studied at a variety of stress concentrations for oxidative (H2O2) and nitrite (acidified sodium nitrite, pH 5), cell densities and exposure time to show the robustness of the phenomenon. Enhanced survival upon extended exposure to stress also has been documented. Essentially the data in this chapter shows that although the different sized populations show differential stress susceptibility to the stress conditions, their combined presence at the proportion that naturally exists in the mid-log phase population enhances the survival of the population, at the cost of the highly susceptible short cells for the enhanced survival of the less susceptible normal-sized/long cells, kin selection and altruism. The Chapter concludes with a discussion on the results. The Chapter 4 delineates the mechanism of the altruistic phenomenon that results in the enhanced survival of the population at the sacrifice of the minor subpopulation of short cells. Here we present evidence that hydroxyl radical generated through Fenton reaction is responsible for the enhanced survival through the induction of the synthesis of catalase-peroxidase (KatG) for the degradation of H2O2. The free iron deficient short cells acquire more iron, which in turn becomes stoichiometrically detrimental to them due to the high levels of hydroxyl generation in the presence of H2O2. On the contrary, the free iron containing normal-sized/long cells do not acquire iron and hence the hydroxyl radical produced in the population becomes stoichiometrically beneficial to them. Thus, the deficiency of free iron which consequentially necessitates the short cells to acquire more iron becomes a maladaptive trait in the presence of H2O2 but gets co-opted in kin selection, for the survival of the normal-sized/long cells that form major proportion of the population – a phenomenon reminiscent of altruism. The Chapter concludes with a model depicting the entire phenomenon and a discussion on the results and their implications.

Applications for lab-on-a-chip devices have been expanding rapidly in the last decade due to their lower required volume of sample, faster experiments, smaller tools, more control, and ease of parallelization compared to their macroscale counterparts. Moreover, lab-on-a-chip devices provide important capabilities, including isolating rare cells from body fluids, such as isolating circulating tumor cells from blood or peritoneal fluid, which are not feasible or at least extremely difficult with macroscale devices. Particles experience different forces (and/or torques) when they are suspended in a fluid in a microdevice. A dominant force is the drag force on the particle as it flows through the fluid.  External forces such as dielectrophoresis, the motion of a particle due to its polarization in the presence of a non-uniform electric field, may also be applied. For instance, well-specified mixing or separation of particles can be achieved by using the combination of drag and dielectrophoretic forces. Two major mechanisms for manipulating particles in a microdevice include control of forces applied to the particles, such as those due to electric and velocity fields, and the geometry of the device that affects the nature of these fields. The coupling between the geometry of the microdevices and applied fields makes the prediction of associated forces inside the microdevice challenging and increasingly difficult when the applied field is time-dependent. Understanding the interaction of external forces and particles and fluid is critical for engineering novel microsystems. Determining this interaction is even more complicated when dealing with bioparticles, especially cells, due to their complex intrinsic biological properties which influence their electrical and mechanical properties. Particles with non-spherical geometries further increase the complexity, making drag and other shape-dependent forces, such as dielectrophoretic force, less predictable and more complicated. In order to introduce more complexity to the system and maintain precise control over particle movement and fluid flow, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding about the mechanics of particles-fluid interaction and the dynamics of the particle movement. Although microfluidics has been investigated extensively, unanswered questions about the effect of forces on the particle remain. Answering these questions will facilitate designing novel and more practical microdevices for medical, biological, and chemical applications Microfluidics devices were engineered for differentiation of subpopulations of cells based on their bioelectrical properties. These microdevices were utilized for separating prostate, leukemia, and three different stages of breast cancer cells from hematologic cells with concentrations as low as 1:106 with efficiency of >95%. The microfluidic platform was also utilized to isolate prostate cancer stem cells (CSCs) from normal cancer cells based on their electrical signature. Isolating these cells is the first step towards the development of cancer specific therapies. The signal parameters required to selectively isolate ovarian cancer cells at different cancer stages were also compared with peritoneal cells as the first step in developing an early diagnostic clinical system centered on cell biophysical properties. Moreover, the effect of non-toxic concentrations of two metabolites, with known anti-tumor and pro-tumor properties, on the intrinsic electrical properties of early and late stages of ovarian cancer cells was investigated. This work is the first to show that treatment with non-toxic doses of these metabolites correlate with changes in cells electrical properties. / Ph. D.