Correlation between serum tryptophan metabolism and treatment efficacy of dapoxetine in patients with premature ejaculation: A pilot study.

Introduction: Primary premature ejaculation (PPE) is a common male neurobiological disorder. Currently, there is consensus that the impairment in central serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission constitutes a key pathogenic factor in PPE. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) serve as the primary pharmacological intervention; however, a comprehensive elucidation of their mechanism of action remains incomplete.

Effects of perfluorododecanoic acid on testicular function in mice.

Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDoA) is a widely distributed environmental pollutant that can affect the functions of many organs. However, systematic evaluations of the effects of PFDoA on testicular functions are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PFDoA on mouse testicular functions, including spermatogenesis, testosterone synthesis, and stem Leydig cells (SLCs) in the interstitial tissue of the testis.

Insights into the Regulation on Proliferation and Differentiation of Stem Leydig Cells.

Male hypogonadism is a clinical syndrome caused by testosterone deficiency. Hypogonadism can be caused by testicular disease (primary hypogonadism) or hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction (secondary hypogonadism). The present strategy for treating hypogonadism is the administration of exogenous testosterone.

Transplantation of encapsulated human Leydig-like cells: A novel option for the treatment of testosterone deficiency.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the transplantation of alginate-poly-ʟ-lysine-alginate (APA)-encapsulated rat Leydig cells (LCs) provides a promising approach for treating testosterone deficiency (TD). Nevertheless, LCs have a limited capacity to proliferate, limiting the efficacy of LC transplantation therapy. Here, we established an efficient differentiation system to obtain functional Leydig-like cells (LLCs) from human stem Leydig cells (hSLCs).

Diagnostic performance of discontinuous density gradient centrifugation for estimating human semen quality.

Background: Semen analysis plays an important role in the diagnosis of male infertility. However, many studies have demonstrated that the current methods of semen analysis are inefficient for assessing male fertility.

Objective: To test whether prior discontinuous density gradient centrifugation (DDCG) improves the performance of semen analysis in diagnosing male infertility.

MCP-1 Priming Enhanced the Therapeutic Effects of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells on Contact Hypersensitivity Mice by Activating the COX2-PGE2/STAT3 Pathway.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have become a promising treatment for inflammation-related diseases, and their therapeutic efficacy mainly depends on crosstalk between MSCs and inflammation. However, methods to improve the immunosuppressive efficiency of MSCs in different diseases still need to be developed. In this study, we investigated whether preconditioning MSCs with a disease-related inflammatory cytokine could increase their immunosuppressive properties and improve therapeutic efficacy.

Consecutive nightly measurements are needed for accurate evaluation of nocturnal erectile capacity when the first-night laboratory recording is abnormal.

Multiple measurements of nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) are widely accepted as a method to differentiate psychogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) from organic ED. However, direct evidence remains limited regarding the first-night effect on NPTR measurement using the RigiScan. Here, we evaluated the first-night effect on the results of NPTR measurement to validate the necessity of NPTR measurement for two consecutive nights, particularly when abnormal first-night measurements are recorded in a laboratory setting.

Real-Time Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Using Newly Developed Wireless Portable Ultrasound: A Single-Center Experience.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and utility of a newly developed wireless portable ultrasound "UProbe- 2" for puncture guidance in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).

Materials And Methods: The UProbe-2 consists of a probe with integrated ultrasound circuit boards inside, an intelligent terminal that installed specific ultrasound software, and a puncture trestle. The probe can connect to an intelligent terminal via WI-FI.

Serum oxytocin profiles in patients with repeated implantation failure during IVF cycles.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between oxytocin (OT) levels and repeated implantation failure (RIF) during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 108 women undergoing IVF-ET treatment at the following time points: gonadotrophin (Gn) administration day (Gn Day 0), hCG administration day (hCG Day 0), ET administration day (ET Day 0), and 5 d after ET (ET Day 5). Serum OT and steroid profiles were measured and compared among three groups: Group A included 38 women with a history of RIF, Group B included 41 women who became pregnant following the first fresh ET, and Group C included 29 women who did not become pregnant following the first fresh ET.

Biomonitoring PFAAs in blood and semen samples: Investigation of a potential link between PFAAs exposure and semen mobility in China.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been suspected to act as endocrine disruptors and adversely affect human reproductive health. We aimed to investigate the association between PFAAs in blood and semen, explore a potential link between PFAAs exposure and semen quality in the population of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in China, one of the "world factories". The monitoring results demonstrated that the population (103 male participants) from the PRD region in this study had higher PFAAs levels in blood and semen than some other areas in China.

Formaldehyde Inhibits Sexual Behavior and Expression of Steroidogenic Enzymes in the Testes of Mice.

Background: Formaldehyde, a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, is used extensively and has been proved to impair male reproduction in mammals. However, no trials have explored whether formaldehyde affects sexual function.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of long-term formaldehyde exposure on sexual behavior and to investigate the potential mechanism.

Computer tomography urography assisted real-time ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy on renal calculus.

This study aimed to assess the role of pre-designed route on computer tomography urography (CTU) in the ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for renal calculus.From August 2013 to May 2016, a total of 100 patients diagnosed with complex renal calculus in our hospital were randomly divided into CTU group and control group (without CTU assistance). CTU was used to design a rational route for puncturing in CTU group.

Effects of Saikokaryukotsuboreito on Spermatogenesis and Fertility in Aging Male Mice.

Background: Aspermia caused by exogenous testosterone limit its usage in late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) patients desiring fertility. Saikokaryukotsuboreito (SKRBT) is reported to improve serum testosterone and relieve LOH-related symptoms. However, it is unclear whether SKRBT affects fertility.

Effects of velvet antler polypeptide on sexual behavior and testosterone synthesis in aging male mice.

Twenty-four-month-old male C57BL/6 mice with low serum testosterone levels were used as a late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) animal model for examining the effects of velvet antler polypeptide (VAP) on sexual function and testosterone synthesis. These mice received VAP for 5 consecutive weeks by daily gavage at doses of 100, 200, or 300 mg kg-1 body weight per day (n = 10 mice per dose). Control animals (n = 10) received the same weight-based volume of vehicle.

Pentoxifylline Prevents Driamycin-Induced Myocardial Fibrosis and Apoptosis in Rats.

Adriamycin (ADR) is a potent antineoplastic agent, but long-term treatment is limited by its cumulative, life-threatening cardiomyopathy. Recently, a few reports have shown that pentoxifylline (PTX) might produce cardioprotection in cardiac dysfunction. Here, we investigated the protective effects of PTX on ADR-induced cardiomyopathy in rats.

[Etiology and individualized treatment of erectile dysfunction in young adult men: a report of 110 cases].

Objective: To investigate the etiology and individualized treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in young adult men.

Methods: Included in the investigation were 110 young adult men with ED, at the mean age of 28 (ranging from 22 to 39) and with the average disease course of 24 months (ranging from 6 to 48). The etiology of ED was determined for each patient by history inquiry, medical examination, laboratory investigation and erectile function test, and then individualized therapies were administered accordingly.

[Expression and significance of caspase-1 in benign hyperplastic prostate tissues].

Objective: To investigate the expression and significance of caspase-1 in normal and hyperplastic prostate tissues.

Methods: Twenty-eight paraffin-embedded sections, including 21 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 7 normal prostate tissue samples, were investigated immunohistochemically for caspase-1.

Results: The rate of caspase-1 expression in the BPH tissues was 71.

[The use of color Doppler in the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction].

The technology of color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) was more and more popularly applied to the clinical diagnosis of erectile dysfunction (ED) in recent years since its introduction into this domain by Lue et al. CDU is preferable as a diagnostic means for its advantages of being convenient, non-impairing and easily repeatable. Nowadays, CDU is becoming a hotpoint of research.