["Water-pathogen" theory-based Juanyin Tongluo Recipe for varicocele complicated with oligozoospermia: A clinical observation].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of the "water-pathogen" theory-based Juanyin Tongluo Recipe (JTR) in the treatment of varicocele (VC) complicated with oligozoospermia and its effects on the semen parameters, sperm morphology, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and testis volume of the patient.

Methods: Ninety-two VC patients complicated with oligozoospermia were randomly assigned to receive JTR (n = 47) and Maizhiling Tablets (the control group, n = 45), respectively, both for three months, followed by comparisons of the clinical effects, total sperm count, sperm motility, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and morphologically normal sperm (MNS), sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and testis volume of the patients before and after medication, and the pregnancy rate after treatment between the two groups.

Results: The total rate of effectiveness was significantly higher in the JTR than in the control group (87.

[Baihe Yuzi Prescription improves asthenospermia by up-regulating the expression of CFTR in the sperm].

Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy of Baihe Yuzi Prescription (BYP) in the treatment of clinical syndrome-free asthenospermia and its effects on semen parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and the expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in the sperm.

Methods: We randomly divided 112 patients with clinical syndrome-free asthenospermia into a control group (n = 55) and an experimental group (n = 57), the former treated orally with L-carnitine liquid combined with vitamin E capsules and the latter with BYP in addition, both for 3 months. After treatment, we obtained the total sperm count, sperm motility, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and morphologically normal sperm (MNS), sperm DFI and expression of CFTR in the sperm, and compared the above parameters between the two groups of patients before and after medication.

Seed-Associated Fungal Diversity and the Molecular Identification of with Potential Threat to Ginseng () in China.

The utility of traditional methods for detecting seed-borne fungi is limited by the fact some fungi are unculturable or difficult to isolate. The seed-borne pathogens affecting cultivation have not been fully characterized. Seed-borne fungi can be identified based on the high-throughput sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicons.