Oxygen, Volume 5, Issue 2 (June 2025) – 6 articles

Oxidative stress (OS) contributes to poor sperm parameters and increased sperm DNA fragmentation (sDF), yet effective therapeutic strategies remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of pentoxifylline (PTX) in improving sperm motility and reducing OS and sDF in men with isolated asthenozoospermia. Thirty semen samples from patients with asthenozoospermia were processed using density gradient centrifugation. Each sample was divided into two aliquots: one treated with PTX at a dose of 3.6 mM and the other without PTX treatment. The sperm viability and motility were assessed at 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 24 h post-treatment. OS was evaluated using nitro blue tetrazolium staining and a chemiluminescence assay. sDF was assessed using the alkaline Comet assay. The sperm samples treated with PTX, compared to the controls, exhibited a significant increase in total sperm motility (71.8 ± 23.03% versus 47.47 ± 4.88%, respectively; p < 0.0001). However, no significant difference was observed in the sperm viability. PTX treatment significantly reduced ROS production and sDF levels compared to controls (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that in vitro PTX supplementation enhances sperm motility and reduces the nuclear sperm injury associated with seminal ROS production. Therefore, PTX supplementation in vitro may be beneficial in assisted reproductive technology procedures involving men with asthenozoospermia. Full article

With humans living longer and the median age of the population increasing, there is an ever-increasing demand for better biomedical implants. Titanium implants have a long history of successful use, but their naturally forming amorphous oxide surfaces are not ideal to promote bone growth. Therefore, titanium surfaces are often modified to improve bioactivity through electrochemical processes such as anodization which can crystallize the oxide into more bioactive titanium oxide phases, form hierarchical micro- and nano-scale roughness profiles, and incorporate beneficial bone chemistry into the oxide layer to improve interactions with bone cells. We have recently developed three innovative anodization electrolytes based on combinations of citrus fruit juices and commercially available calcium compounds. Anodization in these electrolytes produced citrus-based oxides exhibiting surface Ca/P ratios within the range of human bone, unique cauliflower-like hierarchical micro- and nano-scale surface roughness profiles, and the formation of titanate compounds which have been shown to be precursors for subsequent apatite formation. Thus, our titanate-containing citrus-based oxides show much promise for improving future osseointegration. Full article

The biology literature addresses two puzzles: (i) the increase in specific metabolic rate of organs (SOrMR, W/kg of organ) with a decrease in body mass (M_B) of biological species (BS), and (ii) how the organs recognize they are in a smaller or larger body and adjust metabolic rates of the body (${\dot{q}}_B$) accordingly. These puzzles were answered in the author’s earlier work by linking the field of oxygen-deficient combustion (ODC) of fuel particle clouds (FC) in engineering to the field of oxygen-deficient metabolism (ODM) of cell clouds (CC) in biology. The current work extends the ODM hypothesis to predict the whole-body metabolic rates of 114 BS and demonstrates Kleiber’s power law {${\dot{q}}_B = a {M_B}^b$}. The methodology is based on the postulate of Lindstedt and Schaeffer that “150 ton blue whale. and the 2 g Etruscan shrew.. share the same.. biochemical pathways” and involve the following steps: (i) extension of the effectiveness factor relation, expressed in terms of the dimensionless group number G (=Thiele Modulus²), from engineering to the organs of BS, (ii) modification of G as G_OD for the biology literature as a measure of oxygen deficiency (OD), (iii) collection of data on organ and body masses of 116 species and prediction of SOrMR_k of organ k of 114 BS (from 0.0076 kg Shrew to 6650 kg elephant) using only the SOrMR_k and organ masses of two reference species (Shrew, 0.0076 kg: RS-1; Rat Wistar, 0.390 kg: RS-2), (iv) estimation of ${\dot{q}}_B$ for 114 species versus M_B and demonstration of Kleiber’s law with a = 2.962, b = 0.747, and (v) extension of ODM to predict the allometric law for maximal metabolic rate (under exercise, {${\dot{q}}_{B,MMR} = a_{MMR} {M_B}^{b_{MMR}}$}) and validate the approach for MMR by comparing b_MMR with the literature data. A method of detecting hypoxic condition of an organ as a precursor to cancer is suggested for use by medical personnel Full article

In a previous Arabidopsis investigation, three ovule-specific cell-wall peroxidases decreased seed abortion rates. These peroxidases were expressed in soybean plants. Because cell wall peroxidases alter extensibility, possible effects on seed size and plant yield were evaluated. Since the effects of these peroxidases in Arabidopsis were dependent on environmental stress, soybean plants were grown in controlled environment greenhouse rooms under four temperature treatments; the daily temperature averages were 26, 30, 34, and 38 °C. In this experiment in vivo oxygen levels during seed growth were 25-fold below ambient, which could affect peroxidase activities. Consequently, soybeans were grown at atmospheric (21%) and elevated (32%) O₂ to evaluate peroxidase activities at higher O₂. Chambers were maintained at 700 ppm CO₂ in an attempt to minimize photorespiration in elevated O_2. Individual seed weight decreased with increasing temperature to zero at 38 °C. In elevated O₂ rooms, the oxygen concentration in developing seeds increased, but, due to leaf photorespiration, plant biomass and seed yield decreased. Seed size and shelling percentage declined equally with temperature at both O₂ concentrations. Expression of all three cell-wall peroxidases reduced seed abortion; however, that did not increase yields at ambient or elevated O₂. While O₂ concentration is less than 1% in developing seeds, increased O₂ levels in seeds were not beneficial for soybean reproduction. Full article

Because soybean is sensitive to salt stress, it is necessary to improve their stress tolerance. Titanium-oxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) enhanced the growth of soybean under salt stress. To elucidate the promotive effects of TiO₂ NPs on soybean growth under salt stress, a gel-free/label-free proteomic analysis was carried out. The principal component analysis of proteins showed that TiO₂ NPs affected proteins in roots grown under salt stress. The differentially changed proteins were associated with protein metabolism and transport in the biological process, the nucleus in the cellular component, and nucleic acid binding activity in the molecular function. Proteins identified with proteomics were verified using immunoblot analysis. The abundance of V-ATPase decreased in soybean under salt stress and increased with additional TiO₂ NPs under stress, whereas xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase did not change with any treatment. The abundance of peroxiredoxin increased under salt stress but decreased with additional TiO₂ NPs under stress. These results suggest that TiO₂ NPs confer salt tolerance in soybean plants at the early growth stage by regulating vacuole transport and reactive oxygen scavenging systems. Full article

Pharyngocutaneous fistulas (PCF) are a common postoperative complication following head and neck surgery, particularly after total laryngectomy. These types of fistulas represent a challenge for both patients and clinicians due to their persistence and resistance to conventional healing methods. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has been proposed as an adjunctive treatment to enhance healing and closure of PCF. While many studies report positive outcomes, the results are not universally consistent. This comprehensive review aimed to examine the clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of HBOT in the management of pharyngocutaneous fistulas, focusing on fistula closure rates, infection control, and overall healing improvement. All publications without the restriction of time and published in the English language were included. Searches were performed in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases. Ten articles were included in this review. The evaluation of our clinical experience with this method of treating PCF showed results comparable to those found in the literature and analyzed among the studies reviewed. Several studies indicate that HBOT promotes fistula closure, reduces healing time, and enhances the local immune response, but further investigation is required to optimize protocols and patients’ selections. Full article