TGF-beta/Smad in prostate cancer: an update / 中华男科学杂志

Tumorigenesis and cancer progression are closely associated with the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and its downstream component Smad. The TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway, which is activated in prostate cancer, has a regulatory effect on cell adhesion, the actin filament system and cell cycle, as well as the expression of specific genes. Meanwhile, other protein signals such as MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR and some genes may act on the expression of the TGF-beta/Smad pathway. This article updates recent researches on the expression, action and regulatory effect of the TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway in prostate cancer.

Contents of lead, cadmium, zinc and manganese in the follicular fluid and semen of non-professionally exposed infertile couples / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the contents of lead, cadmium, zinc and manganese in the follicular fluid and semen of infertile couples that are not professionally exposed to the four heavy metallic elements.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In vitro fertilization pre-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) was carried out in wives, and follicular fluid collected after routine oocyte retrieval. Semen was obtained from husbands by masturbation. The contents of zinc in the follicular fluid and semen were determined by the flame atom absorption method and those of lead, cadmium and manganese by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average concentrations of lead, cad- mium, zinc and manganese were 151.06 microg/L, 2.02 microg/L, 0.54 mg/L and 28.54 microg/L in the follicular fluid, and 250.23 microg/L, 7.42 microg/L, 189.11 mg/L and 82.15 microg/L in the semen. The follicular fluid samples in which lead, cadmium, zinc or manganese was detected constituted 43.8% (21/48), 22.9% (11/48), 75.0% (36/48) and 50.0% (24/48), and the semen samples accounted for 70.2% (33/47), 31.9% (15/47), 100.0% (47/47) and 46.8% (22/47), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that the average contents of lead, cadmium, zinc and manganese are higher in the semen than in the follicular fluid in the non-professionally exposed infertile couples, and so is the percentage of the samples containing each of the elements, with the exception of manganese.</p>

Male antifertility drugs and cell apoptosis / 中华男科学杂志

Male antifertility drugs can induce contraception by interfering with spermatogenesis progression. Their action mechanism is correlated with the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells. This paper summarizes recent researches on the mechanism of male antifertility-drugs, including testosterone, gossypol, tamoxifen and triptolide, reviews their regulating effect on cell apoptosis and the expression of the key genes and proteins involved, and explores the significance of further researches on male antifertility drugs and cell apoptosis.