Tissues were obtained from 387 male pig fetuses ranging from 60 to 120 days of gestation. The relative wet mass and water content of the gubernaculum increased during and decreased after the period of testicular descent. The extracellular glycosaminoglycans (GAG) were assayed to determine whether these polyanionic macromolecules are responsible for the increased water content of the gubernaculum. The total GAG/wet tissue mass in the gubernaculum decreased during and increased after descent, while the total GAG/dry mass decreased during and after descent, indicating an accumulation of water during descent, with a loss of water and an increase in less hydrated tissue components after descent. The major GAG fraction in the gubernaculum was dermatan sulfate, but the percentage hyaluronate in the gubernaculum was two times higher than in striated muscle or umbilical cord, indicating that this GAG fraction may be responsible for the increased water content of the gubernaculum, which probably serves to dilate the inguinal canal and scrotum, thus facilitating descent.

Background: South Africa has one of the highest incidences of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the world. Concomitantly, aminoglycosides are commonly used in this country as a treatment against MDR-TB. To date, at least five mutations are known to confer susceptibility to aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss. The aim of the present study was to develop a rapid screening method to determine whether these mutations are present in the South African population.

No abstract

No abstract