Macrophage heterogeneity regulation by small extracellular vesicles from adipose-derived stem cells: A promising approach for treating chronic prostatitis/pelvic pain syndrome.

chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is an intractable aseptic disease. Modulating the transition of macrophages from the proinflammatory M1 phenotype to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype offers an attractive therapeutic approach. Recently, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reportedly have potent modulatory abilities, however, their applications are limited by suboptimal targeting.

Costunolide Inhibits Chronic Kidney Disease Development by Attenuating IKKβ/NF-κB Pathway.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant worldwide health concern that leads to high mortality rates. The bioactive substance costunolide (CTD) has demonstrated several pharmacological effects and holds promise as a CKD treatment. This study aims to investigate the impact of CTD on CKD and delve into its mechanisms of action.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine retention enema combined with perineal massage (THREM): a promising therapeutic strategy for refractory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

Background: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a debilitating condition characterized by lower urinary tract symptoms and persistent pelvic pain or discomfort lasting for more than three months. Currently available oral drug therapies exhibit limited efficacy in the treatment of CP/CPPS. Therefore, personalized and combination therapies are recommended by Chinese CP/CPPS guidelines, which primarily include traditional Chinese medicine, radiofrequency therapy, urethral lavage, transrectal prostate massage, extracorporeal shock wave therapy.

Research progress on the therapeutic application of extracellular vesicles in erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common male sexual dysfunctions and is related to many pathogenic factors. However, first-line treatment, represented by phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, is unable to maintain long-term efficacy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently attracted the attention of researchers in the fields of cardiovascular disease, neurologic disease, and regenerative medicine and may become a treatment for ED.

The value of audiovisual sexual stimulation with virtual reality in diagnosing erectile dysfunction.

Background: The traditional audiovisual sexual stimulation (AVSS) test may experience limitations including low erectile response rate and lack of unified diagnostic criteria.

Aim: We aimed to explore the clinical value of AVSS with virtual reality (VR-AVSS) test in assessing erectile function and diagnosing erectile dysfunction (ED).

Methods: Participants 18 to 60 years of age were screened for analysis in 3 clinical centers from June 2020 to March 2022.

Biomimetic biphasic microsphere preparation based on the thermodynamic incompatibility of glycosaminoglycan with gelatin methacrylate for hair regeneration.

Hair follicle (HF) tissue engineering is promising for hair loss treatment especially for androgenetic alopecia. Physiologically, the initiation of HF morphogenesis relies on the interactions between hair germ mesenchymal and epithelial layers. To simulate this intricate process, in this study, a co-flowing microfluidic-assisted technology was developed to produce dual aqueous microdroplets capturing growth factors and double-layer cells for subsequent use in hair regeneration.

Glycated serum albumin decreases connexin 43 phosphorylation in the corpus cavernosum.

Background: Glycated serum albumin (GSA) is an early glycosylation product that participates in diabetic vascular complications. This study examined the role of GSA in early damage to the corpus cavernosum and the involved mechanisms.

Methods: Nine 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (250-300 g) were divided into the control (saline vehicle, n=3) and GSA (200 µg/kg, n=6) groups.

Comparison of the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells and adipose-derived stem cells on erectile dysfunction in a rat model of bilateral cavernous nerve injury.

Cavernous nerve injury (CNI) is the leading cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) after radical prostatectomy and pelvic fracture. Transplantation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) has been widely used to restore erectile function in CNI-ED rats and patients. Umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (CBMSCs) are similarly low immunogenic but much primitive compared to ASCs and more promising in large-scale commercial applications due to the extensive establishment of cord blood banks.

Anatomical Transcriptome Atlas of the Male Mouse Reproductive System During Aging.

The elderly males undergo degenerative fertility and testicular endocrine function that jeopardize the reproductive health and well-being. However, the mechanisms underlying reproductive aging are unclear. Here, we tried to address this by investigating the phenotypes and transcriptomes of seven regions of the male mouse reproductive tract: the testis, efferent ductules, initial segment, caput, corpus and cauda epididymidis, and vas deferens, in adult (3 months) and aged (21 months) mice.

A prospective randomized controlled study on scheduled PDE5i and vacuum erectile devices in the treatment of erectile dysfunction after nerve sparing prostatectomy.

Cavernous nerve injury is an important cause of erectile dysfunction (ED). Although protective nerve technology has been widely used in nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (nsRP), the incidence of ED is still very high after surgery. The purpose of our study was to evaluate erectile function (EF) and penile length in the non-erectile state (PLNES) following scheduled phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor (PDE5i), vacuum erectile device (VED) treatment, and combination therapy after nsRP.

[Effect of Shanhaidan Granules combined with tadalafil on erectile dysfunction: A multi-center clinical trial].

Objective: To observe the clinical effect and safety of Shanhaidan Granules (SHDG) combined with tadalafil tablets (TT) in the treatment of ED.

Methods: In this open multi-center case-control clinical trial, we enrolled 247 ED patients according to the designed criteria, and treated them orally with SHDG at 10 g per time tid (n = 74), TT at 5 mg per time bid (n = 52), or SHDG + TT at the above doses (n = 121), all for 8 weeks. Before and after medication, we recorded the IIEF-6, erection hardness scores (EHS), traditional Chinese medicine syndromes (TCMS) scores, penile cavernous blood flow parameters and adverse reactions, and compared them between the 3 groups of patients.

Mutational landscape of DNAH1 in Chinese patients with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella: cohort study and literature review.

Purpose: Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) are important causes of male infertility. Mutations in DNAH1 are the main causative factors proven so far. We aim to determine the mutational landscape of DNAH1 in Chinese patients with MMAF.

Targeted next-generation sequencing panel screening of 668 Chinese patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.

Purpose: We aimed (1) to determine the molecular diagnosis rate and the recurrent causative genes of patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) using targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel screening and (2) to discuss whether these genes help in the prognosis for microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE).

Methods: We used NGS panels to screen 668 Chinese men with NOA. Micro-TESE outcomes for six patients with pathogenic mutations were followed up.

The retrospective experience of day-surgery semi tubeless ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Background: To retrospectively assess the experience of day-surgery semi tubeless ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy (UMP) for the treatment of kidney stones by experienced surgeons.

Methods: Clinical data of 358 patients with kidney stones (254 males and 104 females; mean age: 59.60±11.

Effect of low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy on nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity and penile haemodynamics.

The study aims to evaluate the effect of low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT) on nocturnal erection and penile haemodynamics. Patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) were enrolled from January 2018 to March 2019. Self-reported erectile symptoms, the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Erection Hardness Scores (EHS), nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) and cavernous duplex Doppler ultrasound (CDDU) were evaluated.

Durable and Effective Antibacterial Cotton Fabric Collaborated with Polypropylene Tissue Mesh for Abdominal Wall Defect Repair.

A feasible, efficient antibacterial and anti-infective mesh for clinical abdominal wall defect repair is significant, but challenging due to the complexity of the postoperative wound environment. Herein, a simple strategy was provided to construct woven cotton fabric modified with gentamicin (Gem) via the enamine bonds. The obtained cotton fabric possessed favorable antibacterial properties against and with the bactericidal rate of over 99.

Single-cell ATAC-Seq reveals cell type-specific transcriptional regulation and unique chromatin accessibility in human spermatogenesis.

During human spermatogenesis, germ cells undergo dynamic changes in chromatin organization/re-packaging and in transcriptomes. In order to better understand the underlying mechanism(s), scATAC-Seq of 5376 testicular cells from 3 normal men were performed. Data were analyzed in parallel with the scRNA-Seq data of human testicular cells.

Hypoxic Preconditioning Enhances Cellular Viability and Pro-angiogenic Paracrine Activity: The Roles of VEGF-A and SDF-1a in Rat Adipose Stem Cells.

To achieve the full therapeutic potential of implanted adipose stem cells (ASCs) , it is crucial to improve the viability and pro-angiogenic properties of the stem cells. Here, we first simulated the conditions of ischemia and hypoxia using the oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model and confirmed that hypoxic preconditioning of ASCs could provide improved protection against OGD and enhance ASC viability. Second, we assessed the effect of hypoxic preconditioning on pro-angiogenic potential of ASCs, with a particular focus on the role of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and stromal derived factor-1a (SDF-1a) paracrine activity in mediating angiogenesis.

Injectable and self-healing hydrogel as a stem cells carrier for treatment of diabetic erectile dysfunction.

Diabetic erectile dysfunction has witnessed extensive preclinical and clinical explorations of intracavernous injection of stem cells therapy. However, intracavernous injection of stem cells for diabetic erectile dysfunction is challenged by rapid diffusion from cavernous sinus. Here, we found that a benzaldehyde terminated poly (ethylene glycol)/glycol chitosan (CHO-PEG/GCS) hydrogel with injectability and self-healability served as a stem cell carrier to prolong cell retention in corpus cavernosum.

Sponges with Janus Character from Nanocellulose: Preparation and Applications in the Treatment of Hemorrhagic Wounds.

The development of a rapid and effective hemostatic dressing is highly desired in the treatment of hemorrhagic wounds. In this study, sponges with Janus character are developed using cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) that exhibit materials facets of different wettability characteristics using heterogeneous mixing and freeze-drying. The bonding of the interface between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic facets is achieved by using interpenetrating chemical cross-linking between CNFs and organosilanes.

[Updated cytokine therapy of erectile dysfunction].

Four types of cytokines are found to be related to the pathogenesis and treatment of ED. The cytokines capable of promoting angiogenesis can improve vascular endothelial function, promote endothelial regeneration and thus improve erectile function, those capable of promoting nerve regeneration can improve erectile function by protecting cavernous nerves, those capable of protecting the smooth muscle function can improve erectile function by promoting the smooth muscle expression and inhibiting penile fibrosis, and those inflammation-related cytokines can induce penile erection by acting on the corresponding receptor relaxing smooth muscle. Compared with PDE-5 inhibitors, cytokines are more targeted for the treatment of ED.

Genetic diagnosis and sperm retrieval outcomes for Chinese patients with congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens.

Background: Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) is a frequent cause of obstructive azoospermia. CBAVD is mainly caused by mutations in the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene and is also related to the X-linked ADGRG2 (adhesion G protein-coupled receptor G2) gene. Genetic screening and counseling strategies for Chinese CBAVD populations remain controversial because the genetic background of CBAVD in Chinese population is largely unknown.

Current Status and Prospects in the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction by Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in the Diabetic Animal Model.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the persistent inability to achieve and maintain an erection status sufficient to permit satisfactory sexual performance. Current evidence suggests that diabetes mellitus erectile dysfunction (DMED) is one of the leading causes of ED which remains a difficult condition to manage because of its complicated pathophysiological mechanisms. Recently, stem cell therapies have been added to the therapeutic treatment options for ED.

Kaempferol Promotes Apoptosis While Inhibiting Cell Proliferation via Androgen-Dependent Pathway and Suppressing Vasculogenic Mimicry and Invasion in Prostate Cancer.

Kaempferol is a well-known natural flavonol reported to be a potential treatment for multiple cancers. In this study, we demonstrated that cell growth of androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells could be inhibited 33% by 5 M kaempferol, around 60% by 10 M kaempferol, and almost 100% by 15 M kaempferol. Also, kaempferol showed relatively limited effect on PC-3 cells and nonmalignant RWPE-1 cells.