["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 (87.23% vs 68.89%, P < 0.05). Compared with the baseline, the patients showed dramatic improvement after treated with JTR in the sperm count (ï¼»16.35 ± 3.52ï¼½ vs ï¼»43.82 ± 6.02ï¼½ ×106, P < 0.05), sperm motility (ï¼»17.37 ± 6.76ï¼½% vs ï¼»36.68 ± 11.32ï¼½%, P < 0.05), PMS (ï¼»13.42 ± 5.62ï¼½% vs ï¼»31.03 ± 7.47ï¼½%, P < 0.05), MNS (ï¼»1.91 ± 0.13ï¼½% vs ï¼»4.06 ± 0.11ï¼½%, P < 0.05), and sperm DFI (ï¼»43.32 ± 7.84ï¼½% vs ï¼»26.98 ± 6.87ï¼½%, P < 0.05), and even better than in the control group (sperm count ï¼»15.78 ± 3.84ï¼½ vs ï¼»31.53 ± 5.62ï¼½ ×106, P < 0.05; sperm motility ï¼»19.41 ± 6.24ï¼½% vs ï¼»31.32 ± 9.73ï¼½%, P < 0.05; PMS ï¼»14.01 ± 4.98ï¼½% vs ï¼»20.71 ± 6.49ï¼½%, P < 0.05; MNS ï¼»1.88 ± 0.14ï¼½% vs ï¼»3.12 ± 0.09ï¼½%, P < 0.05; sperm DFI ï¼»41.42 ± 9.62ï¼½% vs ï¼»34.13 ± 5.73ï¼½%, P < 0.05; sperm DFI, P < 0.05). And the rate of natural pregnancy was significantly higher in the JTR group than in the control (40.43% vs 20%, P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference, however, was observed in the testis volume before and after treatment between the JTR group (ï¼»11.53 ± 1.24ï¼½ vs ï¼»10.89 ± 1.17ï¼½ ml, P > 0.05) and the control (ï¼»10.94 ± 1.34ï¼½ vs ï¼»10.65 ± 1.52ï¼½ ml, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Juanyin Tongluo Recipe can increase the total sperm count, sperm motility, percentages of PMS and MNS and sperm DFI, and improve the rate of natural pregnancy in VC patients complicated with oligozoospermia.

[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. RESULTS: The total effectiveness rate was significantly higher in the experimental group (82.46%) than in the control (65.45%) (P < 0.05). Compared with the baseline, the patients in the experimental group showed significant improvement after treatment in the total sperm count (��53.5��3.5�� vs ��86.5��3.9�� ��106, P < 0.05), sperm motility (��23.5��3.5��% vs ��38.8��3.7��%, P < 0.05), PMS (��20.1��3.2��% vs ��30.3��3.3��%, P < 0.05), MNS (��2.3��0.3��% vs ��3.9��0.4��%, P < 0.05), sperm DFI (��37.3��3.1��% vs ��25.2��3.4��%, P < 0.05) and the expression of CFTR (P < 0.05), and even better improvement than the controls in sperm motility (��23.8��3.7��% vs ��30.2��3.4��%, P < 0.05), PMS (��19.6��3.1��% vs ��25.3��2.9��%, P < 0.05), MNS (��2.4��0.4��% vs ��3.1��0.3��%, P < 0.05), and sperm DFI (��36.6��3.3��% vs ��30.3��3.1��%, P < 0.05). The total sperm count and the expression of CFTR, however, were not significantly improved in the control group after treatment (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Baihe Yuzi Prescription can increase sperm count and motility, improve sperm morphology and DFI in patients with clinical syndrome-free asthenospermia, which may be related to the up-regulated expression of CFTR in the sperm.

Seed-Associated Fungal Diversity and the Molecular Identification of Fusarium with Potential Threat to Ginseng (Panax 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 Panax ginseng cultivation have not been fully characterized. Seed-borne fungi can be identified based on the high-throughput sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicons. A hierarchical clustering tree diagram analysis based on operational taxonomic units revealed a relationship between the seed-borne fungi and the region from which the seeds were collected. This study analyzed the fungal diversity on 30 ginseng seed samples from the main ginseng-producing areas of China. The 50 most abundant genera were identified including those responsible for ginseng diseases, Fusarium, Alternaria, Nectria, Coniothyrium, Verticillium, Phoma, and Rhizoctonia. Fusarium species, which are the primary causes of root rot, were detected in all seed samples. The results of a phylogenetic analysis indicated that the seed-borne fungal species originating from the same region were closely related. Fungi on ginseng seeds from eight different regions were divided into eight clades, suggesting they were correlated with the local storage medium. A total of 518 Fusarium isolates were obtained and 10 species identified, all of which can be detrimental to ginseng production. Pathogenicity tests proved that seed-borne Fusarium species can infect ginseng seedlings and 2-year-old ginseng root, with potentially adverse effects on ginseng yield and quality.