MiR-539 functions as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer by targeting TWIST1.

The dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) expression has been highlighted in a variety of human malignant conditions with reports implicating a critical role in the process of tumor growth. The role of miR-539 in pancreatic cancer (PC) is yet to be fully elucidated, hence the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of miR-539 expression in relation to a cohort of 52 PC specimens. The application of a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed a significantly down-regulated miR-539 level, which was accompanied by an increased TWIST1 expression in PC when compared with the controls.

Methylation levels of IGF2 and KCNQ1 in spermatozoa from infertile men are associated with sperm DNA damage.

Abnormal imprinted genes methylation in spermatozoa has been shown to be associated with subfertility. However, the relationship between sperm DNA damage and specific imprinted genes methylation remains unclear. In this study, DNA methylation levels were determined at seven imprinted genes loci (H19, INS-IGF2, KCNQ1, MEG3, MEST, PEG3 and SNRPN) in 66 semen samples using the MSRE-qPCR method.

[Value of prostaticexosomal protein contentsin the first- and mid-stream urine for the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis].

Objective: To detect the contents of prostaticexosomal protein (PSEP) in the first- and mid-stream urine and assess their clinical value in the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis (CP).

Methods: This study included358 male outpatientsat Nanjing General Hospital from November 2017 to May 2018, 269 diagnosed with and the other 89 without CP. Wemeasured the contents of PSEP in the first- and mid-stream urine samples collected from the subjectsby ELISA anddetermined the sensitivity and specificity, and total coincidence rate ofthe PSEPcontents in the diagnosis of CP.

[Fosfomycin tromethamine inhibits the expressions of TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-6 in the prostate tissue of rats with chronic bacterial prostatitis].

Objective: To investigate the effects of fosfomycin tromethamine (FT) on the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the prostate tissue of the rats with chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP).

Methods: We randomly divided 70 male SD rats into 7 groups of equal number: blank control, CBP model control, positive control, 14 d low-dose FT, 7 d low-dose FT, 14 d high-dose FT, and 7 d high-dose FT. The CBP model rats in the latter five groups were treated intragastrically with levofloxacin at 100 mg/kg/d for 30 days and FT at 200 mg/kg/d for 14 and 7 days and at 300 mg/kg/d for 14 and 7 days, respectively.

[Impact of Mycoplasma genitalium infection on the semen quality of infertile males].

Objective: To explore Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) infection in the urogenital tract of infertile men and its influence on semen quality.

Methods: Semen samples were collected from 352 infertile males in the Center of Reproductive Medicine of Nanjing General Hospital from March to July 2015. MG infection was detected by real-time fluorescence simultaneous amplification and testing and semen analyses were conducted according to the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen (5th Ed) on the semen pH value, semen volume, total sperm count, sperm concentration, total sperm motility, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and immotile sperm (IMS), and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI).

[Lipoic acid protects spermatogenesis in male rats with ornidazole-induced oligoasthenozoospermia].

Objective: To study the protective effect of lipoic acid (LA) on the spermatogenic function of the male rats with oligoasthenozoospermia induced by ornidazole (ORN).

Methods: Seventy male SD rats were equally randomized into groups A (solvent control: 1 ml 0.5% CMC-Na + 1 ml olive oil), B (low-dose ORN model: 400 mg/kg ORN suspension + 1 ml olive oil), C (low-dose ORN + low-dose LA treatment: 400 mg/kg ORN + 50 mg/kg LA), D (low-dose ORN + high-dose LA treatment: 400 mg/kg ORN + 100 mg/kg LA), E (high-dose ORN model: 800 mg/kg ORN suspension + 1 ml olive oil), F (high-dose ORN + low-dose LA treatment: 800 mg/kg ORN + 50 mg/kg LA), and G (high-dose ORN + high-dose LA treatment: 800 mg/kg ORN + 100 mg/kg LA), and treated respectively for 20 successive days.

[ilin Pills for oligoasthenospermia: Advances in clinical studies].

Industrialization and environmental pollution are bringing more problems to human reproduction and increasing the prevalence of male infertility. Western medicine has shown its limitations in the management of male infertility, especially that of oligoasthenospermia. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), however, has long and rich experiences in the treatment of oligoasthenospermia, with a large variety of medicinal prescriptions based on the TCM theories, among which Qilin Pills shows a particularly significant therapeutic effect on oligoasthenospermia, especially when combined with Western medicine.

[Ningmitai Capsule for the treatment of andrological diseases: Advances in studies].

Ningmitai Capsule is a classical patent medicine prepared from multiple effective ingredients of Chinese herbal medicine, with a wide range of biological activities and a significant efficacy in the treatment of urogenital diseases. Ningmitai Capsule has been widely applied in the management of urological and andrological diseases, with a particularly ideal effect on chronic prostatitis, since its first introduction nearly 20 years ago. With no obvious adverse effect on the male reproductive system, it has also been gaining a gradual application in the treatment of such diseases as urinary tract infections, diabetes, non-gonococcal urethritis, seminal vesiculitis, acute epididymitis, overactive bladder, hematuria, and semen non-liquefaction.

[Protective effect of Qilin Pills on the reproductive function of oligoasthenospermia rats].

Objective: To study the protective effect of Qilin Pills (QLP) on the reproductive function of rats with oligoasthenospermia (OAS) induced by tripterygium glycosides.

Methods: Twenty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control, an OAS model control, a low-dose QLP, and a high-dose QLP group of equal number. OAS models were made in the latter three groups by intragastrical administration of tripterygium glycosides at 40 mg per kg of the body weight per day, and meanwhile the animals in the low- and high-dose QLP groups were treated with QLP at 1.

[Effects of Xialiqi Capsules on the expressions of PCNA and caspase-3 in rats withbenign prostatic hyperplasia].

Objective: To explore the effects of Xialiqi Capsules(XLQ) on the expressions of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and caspase-3 in the prostate tissue of the BPH rat model.

Methods: Fifty male SD ratswereequally randomized into groups A (sham operation control), B (BPH model control), C (high-dose XLQ), D (low-dose XLQ), and E (finasteridecontrol) andthe BPH modelswere established by subcutaneous injection of testosterone propionate at 0.5 mg per kilogram of the body weight per day for 30 days after castration.

[Protective effect of astaxanthin against epididymal oxidative damagein rats with ornidazole-induced oligoasthenozoospermia].

Objective: To investigate the improving effect of astaxanthin (AST) on the sperm quality of rats with ornidazole (ORN)-induced oligoasthenozoospermiaand its action mechanism.

Methods: Forty adult male SD rats were equally randomized into groups A (solvent control), B (low-dose ORN ［400 mg/（kg·d）］), C (high-dose ORN ［800 mg/（kg·d）］), D (low-dose ORN ［400 mg/（kg·d）］ + AST ［20 mg/（kg·d）］), and E (high-dose ORN ［800 mg/（kg·d）］ + AST ［20 mg/（kg·d）］), all treated intragastrically for3 weeks.After treatment, the epididymal tails ononeside was taken for determination of sperm concentration and activity, and the epididymideson the other side harvested for measurement of the activities of GSH-Px, GR, CAT and SOD and the MDA contentin the homogenate.

[ICSI with testicular or epididymal sperm for patients with obstructive azoospermia: A systematic review].

Objective: To assess the effects of testicular sperm and epididymal sperm on the outcomes of ICSI for patients with obstructive azoospermia.

Methods: We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang Database up to December 2015 for published literature relevant to ICSI with testicular or epididymal sperm for obstructive azoospermia patients. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two reviewers independently conducted literature screening, data extraction and quality assessment of the included trials, followed by meta-analysis with the RevMan 5.

The effects of novel chitosan-targeted gemcitabine nanomedicine mediating cisplatin on epithelial mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effects involved with the novel chitosan gemcitabine (Gem) nanoparticles mediating cisplatin (DDP) on epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer (PC) cells.

Methods: A total of 62 healthy purebred BALB/C of specific-pathogen free (SPF) female nude mice were recruited and a SW1990 cell line was subsequently cultured. A heterotopic xenograft tumor model was constructed.

[Advances in the studies of lipoic acid in male infertility].

Lipoic acid (LA) is widely present in the body as a disulfide compound with an extensive biological activity and a strong antioxidant capacity. LA plays an antioxidant role by removing oxygen free radicals, chelating metal ions, and regenerating other antioxidants in the body. Recent studies have shown the effects of LA in the prevention or treatment of male reproductive disorders, such as idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia, diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction and infertility, serious infection in the reproductive system, and reproductive system injuries caused by chemotherapeutic agents, ionizing radiation, environmental toxins, testicular ischemia reperfusion, excessive exercise, and so on.

[Astaxanthin in male reproduction: Advances in studies].

Astaxanthin (AST) is a carotenoid with a strong antioxidant activity and has many biological functions, such as anti-inflammation, immune regulation, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-aging, and anti-apoptosis. Recent studies show that AST can effectively regulate the dynamic balance between oxidation and antioxidants in the male reproductive system, protect sperm mitochondrial function, ameliorate testicular heat stress and reproductive poison damage, promote the occurrence of sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction, regulate reproductive endocrine hormone balance, and act favorably on primary infertility or metabolic syndrome-related infertility. It also helps the treatment of late-onset hypogonadism and prostate health care.

[Ureaplasma urealyticum infection in the genital tract reduces seminal quality in infertile men].

Objective: To understand Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) infection, analyzed the influence of Uu infection on the seminal quality and the accessory genetical gland function in male infertility patients, and investigate its mechanism.

Methods: We cultured 202 semen samples collected from male infertility patients and analyzed the influence of Uu infection on seminal parameters and the biochemical indexes of the seminal plasma.

Results: The Uu infection rate was 33.