The Smoky Impact of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors on Testicular Function.

Smoking habits (from classic cigarettes to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco) are a relatively common finding in the medical histories of couples referred to fertility centers. Tobacco smoke and e-cigarettes may deliver many substances with known harmful effects on both general and reproductive health, including nicotine. Nicotinic Acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) form a heterogeneous family of ion channels that are differently expressed in different tissues.

Safety of gender affirming treatment in assigned female at birth transgender people and association of androgen and estrogen β receptor polymorphisms with clinical outcomes.

Purpose: Gender affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) with androgens in assigned female at birth (AFAB) people with Gender Incongruence (GI) can induce and maintain variable phenotypical changes, but individual response may be genetically determined. To clarify the role of AR and ERβ polymorphisms we prospectively evaluated AFAB subjects undergoing virilizing GAHT.

Methods: Fifty-two AFAB people with confirmed GI were evaluated before (T0) and after 6 (T6) and 12 months (T12) of testosterone enanthate 250 mg i.

Bladder Neck Obstruction: Experience and Management in a Sperm Bank.

Primary Bladder Neck Obstruction (PBNO) management provides medical and surgical treatment, such as transurethral incisions that can lead to retrograde ejaculation. The aim of this study was to investigate the maintenance of anterograde ejaculation and semen quality before and after this surgical procedure. A retrospective evaluation was carried out between 2011 and 2020.

Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Sperm-Borne miRNAs: Molecular Biomarkers of Embryo Development?

The evaluation of morpho-functional sperm characteristics alone is not enough to explain infertility or to predict the outcome of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART): more sensitive diagnostic tools are needed in clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to analyze Sperm DNA Fragmentation (SDF) and sperm-borne miR-34c-5p and miR-449b-5p levels in men of couples undergoing ART, in order to investigate any correlations with fertilization rate, embryo quality and development. Male partners (n = 106) were recruited.

A decade of WHO 2010: total sperm number temporal trend and role of lifestyle factors.

After a huge decline in sperm concentration between 1938 and 1991 was reported, many researchers investigated the possibility of a worsening of human sperm quality. Despite massive efforts, published evidence is still controversial. Similarly, the role of lifestyle factors on semen parameters is debated.

COVID-19 and its treatments: lights and shadows on testicular function.

Purpose: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has rapidly spread worldwide and, among the others, the male gender was quickly recognized as an independent risk factor for both the disease and its consequences. Since the possibility of long-term hormonal axis changes and male gamete impairment have been hypothesized but a relatively low levels of evidence has been reached, we focused this narrative mini-review on summarizing key state-of-the-art knowledge on male reproductive effects of COVID-19 as a quick reference for reproductive health specialists.

Methods: A comprehensive Medline/PubMed and Embase search was performed selecting all relevant, peer-reviewed papers in English published from 2020.

Environmental disruptors and testicular cancer.

Purpose: Testicular cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy among young adult males. The etiology is multifactorial, and both environmental and genetic factors play an essential role in the origin and development of this tumor. In particular, exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs), resulting from industrialization and urbanization, seems crucial both in pre-and postnatal life.

Comment on Boitrelle et al. The Sixth Edition of the WHO Manual for Human Semen Analysis: A Critical Review and SWOT Analysis. 2021, , 1368.

We wish to congratulate Boitrelle and colleagues for their comprehensive critical review on the Sixth Edition of the WHO Laboratory Manual for Human semen examination [...

Epigenetic Effects of Gender-Affirming Hormone Treatment: A Pilot Study of the ESR2 Promoter's Methylation in AFAB People.

Virilization of gender-incongruent subjects to whom were assigned the female gender at birth (AFAB) is achieved through testosterone administration. Inter-individual differences in the timing and acquisition of phenotypic characteristics, even if the same hormone preparations and regimens are used, are frequently observed. Polymorphisms of sex hormone receptors and methylation of their gene promoters, as well of several imprinted genes as H19, may underlie the differential response to treatment.

The Roles of Coenzyme Q in Disease: Direct and Indirect Involvement in Cellular Functions.

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a key component of the respiratory chain of all eukaryotic cells. Its function is closely related to mitochondrial respiration, where it acts as an electron transporter. However, the cellular functions of coenzyme Q are multiple: it is present in all cell membranes, limiting the toxic effect of free radicals, it is a component of LDL, it is involved in the aging process, and its deficiency is linked to several diseases.

Molecular Analysis of , and in Italian Unrelated Globozoospermic Men.

This study aims to evaluate genetic contribution and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in a cohort of 18 unrelated globozoospermic Italian men (Group G). Semen samples were assessed according to the WHO 2010 Laboratory Manual and compared with 31 fertile controls. We focused our genetic analysis on the exons of the main globozoospermia-associated genes, performing qualitative PCR to assess deletion of and sequencing to detect mutations of and .

Erectile Dysfunction and Decreased Libido in Klinefelter Syndrome: A Prevalence Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Study.

Background: Only few studies have assessed sexual dysfunction in men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS).

Aim: To define pooled prevalence estimates and correlates of erectile dysfunction (ED) and decreased libido (DL) in KS.

Methods: A thorough search of Medline, Embase and Web of Science was performed to identify suitable studies.

Sperm DNA damage and cytokines in varicocele: A case-control study.

Varicocele is a vascular disease characterised by the abnormal enlargement of the pampiniform plexus veins and a well-known cause of male infertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and inflammation in the pathogenesis of varicocele. We included 84 varicocele patients and 85 normozoospermic healthy controls, further analysed according to the body mass index, the smoking habit (smokers/non-smokers) and the varicocele severity (low/high grade).

Semen quality in non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: a monocentric retrospective study.

Study Question: How is semen quality affected by treatment in survivors of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)?

Summary Answer: Before cancer treatment, most NHL subjects were normozoospermic and, while standard first-line treatments seemed compatible with post-treatment recovery after 18 months, salvage therapy followed by haematopoietic stem cell transplant caused permanent damage to spermatogenesis in many cases, with 66% azoospermic subjects in the long term.

What Is Known Already: Testicular function has been widely investigated in relation to the most common malignancies in men of reproductive age, such as testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, but NHL has been somewhat under-investigated. The available reports generally show a post-treatment worsening of semen parameters in NHL survivors, but they involved small caseloads or a subgroup of broader caseloads, and their results are not comparable.

Phthalates and Bisphenol A: Presence in Blood Serum and Follicular Fluid of Italian Women Undergoing Assisted Reproduction Techniques.

Background: folliculogenesis is a strictly regulated process that may be affected by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) through sometimes not so clear molecular mechanisms.

Methods: we conducted a multicentric observational study involving six fertility centers across Italy, prospectively recruiting 122 women attending a fertility treatment. Recruited women had age ≤42 years, and normal ovarian reserve.

Effects of endocrine disruptors on fetal testis development, male puberty, and transition age.

Purpose: Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are exogenous substances able to impair endocrine system; consequently, they may cause numerous adverse effects. Over the last years, particular focus has been given to their harmful effects on reproductive system, but very little is known, especially in males. The aim of this review is to discuss the detrimental effects of EDs exposure on fetal testis development, male puberty, and transition age.

Seminal plasma miRNAs in Klinefelter syndrome and in obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia.

MicroRNAs are small, non-coding, single-strand oligonucleotides which regulate gene expression. There is little evidence in the literature about their role in azoospermia and no studies have investigated their presence in the seminal plasma of men with Klinefelter syndrome. This retrospective study investigated if there were any differences in microRNA expression (miR-509-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-34b-3p, miR-34c-5p) in the seminal plasma of patients with obstructive azoospermia, non-obstructive azoospermia and Klinefelter syndrome.

Disruption of Circadian Rhythms: A Crucial Factor in the Etiology of Infertility.

Infertility represents a growing health problem in industrialized countries. Thus, a greater understanding of the molecular networks involved in this disease could be critical for the development of new therapies. A recent finding revealed that circadian rhythmicity disruption is one of the main causes of poor reproductive outcome.

SARS-CoV-2 presence in seminal fluid: Myth or reality.

Great concerns have been raised on SARS-CoV-2 impact on men's andrological well-being, and one of the critically unanswered questions is whether it is present or not in the seminal fluid of infected subjects. The expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in the testis and in the male genital tract allows speculations about a possible testicular involvement during the infection, possibly mediated by local and/or systemic inflammation that might allow a high viral load to overcome the hemato-testicular barrier. To date, few investigations have been carried out to ascertain the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the seminal fluid with contrasting results.

Isolation of mitochondria from cells and tissues.

Isolated mitochondria are useful to study fundamental processes including mitochondrial respiration, metabolic activity, protein import, membrane fusion, protein complex assembly, as well as interactions of mitochondria with the cytoskeleton, nuclear encoded mRNAs, and other organelles. In addition, studies of the mitochondrial proteome, phosphoproteome, and lipidome are dependent on preparation of highly purified mitochondria (Boldogh, Vojtov, Karmon, & Pon, 1998; Cui, Conte, Fox, Zara, & Winge, 2014; Marc et al., 2002; Meeusen, McCaffery, & Nunnari, 2004; Reinders et al.

Ribavirin as a beneficial treatment option for hepatitis C virusassociated glomerular disease.

The management of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced glomerular disease remains unsatisfactory despite novel advances in antiviral and immunosuppressive therapy. Recent evidence highlighted the role of ribavirin, a drug provided with immunomodulatory properties, in the treatment of glomerular diseases associated with chronic HCV. We administered low-dose ribavirin (200 mg/day or 200 mg twice a week or 200 mg thrice weekly) in a prospective fashion to a group of patients with HCV-associated glomerular disease (n = 7).

Androgenetic alopecia: effects of oral finasteride on hormone profile, reproduction and sexual function.

Purpose: Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) is a common non-cicatricial alopecia. AGA treatment with finasteride was reported to have sexological side effects and its induced hormonal alterations could damage spermatogenesis. Thus, in patients affected by AGA undergoing oral therapy with Finasteride 1 mg/die, we aimed to evaluate the presence of modification in sperm parameters, hormone profile and sexual function.