Andrology
Follicle‐stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) contains two common linked polymorphisms, Thr307Ala (rs6165) and Asn680Ser (rs6166), shown to modulate ovarian function in women. The effect on male fertility and reproductive parameters has been inconclusive. We studied FSHR Asn680Ser polymorphism in a large study group (n = 1790) from the Baltic countries. The population‐based Baltic male cohort (Estonians,...
We have previously reported that infertile patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a particular ultrasound features of the seminal vesicles (SV) characterized by higher fundus‐to‐body ratio and lower pre‐ and post‐ejaculatory difference in body antero‐posterior diameter (APD). Based on these premises the aim of the present study was to investigate possible ultrasound SV changes in infertile patients...
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly recognized as a public health problem. Several studies have reported the influence of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the Angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) gene on ED susceptibility, but the results remain controversial. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta‐analysis was conducted using data published previously by...
The question remains as to whether or not men would agree to posthumous sperm use for pregnancy initiation. Often, these individuals' lives are suddenly interrupted and prior consent is rarely given. Therefore, post‐mortem retrieval or use of these spermatozoa remains controversial and the incidence of consent for post‐mortem sperm use is not clear. Men who bank spermatozoa, however, represent a cohort...
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a diagnostic category which identifies subjects at high risk for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, erectile dysfunction (ED) and male hypogonadism. However, MetS impact on male infertility has been poorly studied. We systematically evaluated possible associations between MetS and clinical characteristics in men with couple infertility. Out of 367 consecutive subjects,...
Fibrotic remodelling of the testicular tubular wall is common in human male infertility caused by impaired spermatogenesis. We hypothesized that this morphological change bears witness of an underlying fundamentally altered state of the cells building this wall, that is, peritubular smooth muscle‐like cells. This could include a loss of the contractile abilities of these cells and thus be a factor...
Homologous recombination is the key to meiotic functioning. The basis of this process is provided by numerous SPO11‐induced DNA double‐strand breaks. Repair of these breaks occurs via the crossover (CO) and non‐crossover (NCO) pathways. By means of immunofluorescence staining of Replication protein A (RPA) and MutL homolog 1 (MLH1) in combination with the DNA damage marker γH2AX, we studied transitional...
Recently, we reported large differences between rat strains in spermatogenesis recovery at 10 weeks after 5‐Gy irradiation suggesting that there are interstrain as well as interspecies differences in testicular radiation response. To determine whether these interstrain differences in sensitivity might be a result of the particular dose and time‐point chosen, we performed dose–response and time–course...
Male hypogonadic (hgn/hgn) rats show male sterility, reduced female fertility, progressive renal insufficiency and body growth retardation. These defects are associated with loss‐of‐function mutation of astrin and appear to be related to organ hypoplasia resulting from abnormal cell proliferation and increased cell death during embryonic and early postnatal development. As targeted disruption of mouse...
Changes in sexual bother (SB) following radical prostatectomy (RP) negatively affect health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of prostate cancer survivors. However, post‐operative SB tends to be neglected whereas sexual function (SF) is thoroughly assessed in clinical practice and few studies have focused on and evaluated patients’ SB. We retrospectively reviewed 2 345 consecutive patients who underwent...
Doxazosin (Doxa) is an α1‐selective adrenergic receptor (ADR) antagonist widely used, alone or in combination, to treat high blood pressure, benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms, and recently has been suggested as a potential drug for prostate cancer prevention/treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of in vivo Doxa po‐application, in clinically relevant dose, on: (i) steroidogenic...
Efficacy and safety of l‐arginine aspartate 8 g combined with 200 mg of adenosine monophosphate (AA) with placebo (PL) alone for intermittent treatment of mild‐to‐moderate erectile dysfunction (ED) were compared. The study design was a double‐blind, PL‐controlled, two‐way crossover randomized clinical trial with 26 patients. Efficacy was assessed by International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)...
Synthetic progestins such as levonorgestrel (LNG) are used in combination with testosterone (T) in male contraceptive clinical trials to suppress gonadotropins secretion, but whether progestins have additional direct effects on the testis are not known. This study aimed to examine the effect of a potent progestin, (LNG), alone or in combination with testosterone (T) on spermatogenesis in adult rats,...
Both erectile dysfunction (ED) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are related to cardiovascular events. However, the relationship between ED and HSV infections remains undetermined. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible influence of HSV infections on the development of ED using the Taiwan National Health Insurance database. We identified patients with HSV type 1 or type 2 infections...
Epidemiological studies have raised concern about the reproductive consequences of prenatal cigarette smoking exposure, possibly affecting semen quality and onset of pubertal development of the offspring. The aim of this study was to further investigate pubertal development in young men exposed to cigarette smoking in foetal life. In a Danish pregnancy cohort, information on maternal smoking during...
Intratesticular retinoic acid is necessary for spermatogenesis, but the relationship between intratesticular retinoic acid and sperm quality in man has not been studied. We hypothesized that intratesticular concentrations of retinoic acid would be lower in men with abnormal semen analyses compared to men with normal semen analyses. We recruited men requiring scrotal or penile surgery in a pilot observational...
Human semen has undoubtedly significant influence on the organism of the female counterpart. At the same time there are no studies in English literature investigating the influence of sexual intercourse on oxidative stress level in women's organism. Seventeen infertile couples where male partners were with (n = 5) or without (n = 12) leukocytospermia were enrolled in the study. Systemic oxidative...
Men presenting with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) frequently report concomitant erectile dysfunction (ED), but the underlying cause of ED in this patient population has not been previously studied. This study prospectively investigated the aetiology of ED in men with CPPS. The study population comprised 46 men with penile pain or dysorgasmia, and concomitant ED. All participants completed the...
Among infertile couples, approximately half have to face with male infertility. In men with non‐obstructive azoospermia, surgical retrieval testicular sperm extraction (TESE) of spermatozoa can be attempted, but with low success rates. A specific biomarker that could predict residual spermatogenesis would obviously be of interest before performing TESE. Thus, our aim was to identify biomarkers of...