Urgent need for contraceptive education and services in Chinese unmarried undergraduates: A multi-campus survey / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

In order to ascertain prevalence rate of premarital sexual intercourse, unintended pregnancy and abortion, and evaluate associated factors of unintended pregnancy among undergraduates from all over China, the representative sample of unmarried undergraduates was obtained by using a multi-stage, stratified, probability cluster design, and data were collected by using a survey questionnaire. 62 326 available responders were gained. 11.6% of them acknowledged having experiences of premarital sexual intercourse (standardized prevalence rate of sexual intercourse was 13.8%). 31.5% of students active in premarital sex acknowledged undergoing unintended pregnancy. 76.2% of pregnant students selected abortion to end it. Of students active in premarital sex, 46.2% used contraception at the first sexual intercourse, 28.2% replied "always" using contraception in sexual intercourse. The rate of using condoms, oral contraceptives (OCs), and withdrawal among students who had used contraception was 52.0%, 31.0%, and 27.2% respectively. "No preparation for sex" (40.3%), "pleasure decrement" (32.1%), "won't-be-pregnancy in occasional sexual intercourse" (30.2%) were their common excuses for using no contraception. The identified risk factors for unintended pregnancy among students active in premarital sex by multivariate analysis were as follows: having no steady lover [having no steady lover vs having a steady lover: odds ratio (OR), 1.875; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.629-2.158], unaware of the course of conception (unaware vs aware: OR, 2.023; 95% CI, 1.811-2.260), considering abortion not endanger women's physical and mental health (no endangerment vs endangerment: OR, 2.659; 95% CI, 2.265-3.121), nonuse of contraception (never use vs always use: OR, 1.682; 95% CI, 1.295-2.185). Medical students were not less likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than nonmedical students (OR, 1.111; 95% CI, 0.906-1.287). The substantial proportion of unintended pregnancy among undergraduates indicates a need for convenient and targeted contraceptive education and services.

Detection of melatonin in the serum and seminal plasma of fertile and infertile men / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the concentrations of melatonin(MLT) in the seminal plasma of fertile and infertile men.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum and semen were collected from 18 fertile men aged 26-36 and 99 infertile men aged 23-36, and the latter were divided into five groups: normozoospermia (13 cases), oligozoospermia (27 cases), asthenozoospermia (31 cases), oligoasthenozoospermia (17 cases) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (11 cases). Concentrations of MLT in the serum and seminal plasma of the subjects were detected by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Concentrations of MLT in the serum showed no significant difference between the fertile and infertile men, and concentrations of MLT in the seminal plasma were lower than in the serum. Concentrations of MLT in the seminal plasma of the fertile men were not significantly different from those of the infertile men. Concentrations of MLT in the seminal plasma of the oligoasthenozoospermic and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic men were relatively lower than the fertile men, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MLT of seminal plasma may have certain effect on sperm function, but it is necessary to further study and clarify its mechanism.</p>

The effects of interleukin-10 and -8 in chronic prostatitis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-8 in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of chronic prostatitis (CP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-nine different types of CP patients with complaints of low urinary duct symptom were selected at random, and the diagnosis of CP was established by inquiry of the history of prostatic disease, digital rectal examination of the prostate, and analysis of express prostatic secretions (EPS) for leukocytes. Bacterial infection of the prostate was detected by pre- and post-message test (PPMT) in some of the inflammatory CP patients. Quantitative evaluation of IL-10 and IL-8 levels in the limited voided bladder 3 (VB3) was performed by ELISA methods. Eleven healthy men without CP were chosen as control.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The level of IL-10 [(47.1 +/- 4.5) pg/ml] in VB3 in 8 patients with apparent clinical symptoms was significantly higher than in the 11 infertile males [(40.8 +/- 5.7) pg/ml] and the 21 patients with both infertility and asymptomatory inflammatory prostatitis (CP type IV) [(42.7 +/- 6.7) pg/ml], P < 0.05. The levels of IL-8 in the 8 patients with apparent clinical symptoms [(1386.2 +/- 852.6) pg/ml] and in the 13 patients with both infertility and asymptomatory inflammatory prostatitis (CP type IV) [(1203.8 +/- 807.8) pg/ml] were significantly higher than in the 7 healthy males [(412.1 +/- 217.2) pg/ml], P < 0.05.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IL-10 and IL-8 had a very important role in etiology of CP, and could be detected in VB3 as well as in routine semen and EPS.</p>

Effects of xinxibao on sperm quality in oligoasthenozoospermic men / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of zinc and selenium on the sperm quality of oligoasthenozoospermic men.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-four cases of oligoasthenozoospermia were treated with Xinxibao (Zinc & Selenium Tablet) three times a day and five tablets at a time for ninety days in succession. The seminal routine analysis was performed by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) at the end of each month.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sperm quality was improved significantly sixty days and ninety days after treatment. Five cases (14.7%) showed remarkable effect, 25 (73.5%) improved, and 4 (11.8%) did not respond.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Zinc and selenium can significantly improve the sperm quality of oligoasthenozoospermic men.</p>

Segregation of sex chromosomes in the spermatozoa of 46, XY/47, XXY patients with oligozoospermia by dual fluorescence in-situ hybridization / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the segregation of sex chromosomes in the spermatozoa of a 46, XY/47, XXY patient with oligozoospermia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The number of X and Y chromosomes of the ejaculated spermatozoa from the patient with mosaic 46, XY/47, XXY was analysed by X/Y dual fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 100 spermatozoa analysed, 97 showed either one X chromosome-specific green signal or one Y-chromosome-specific red Y signal in each spermatozoon and only 3 showed no signal. The frequencies of X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa were 49% and 48% respectively. The ratio of X- to Y-bearing spermatozoa was about 1:1 as expected. There was no statistical difference between the chromosome XX and XY frequencies in each spermatozoon from the patient in comparison with those estimated in the control.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The spermatozoa of 46, XX/47, XXY mosaic patients have a normal gonosomal complement, which allows infertility treatment to be carried out by ICSI.</p>

Measurement of uric acid of seminal plasma in fertile and infertile males / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To measure uric acid of seminal plasma in fertile and infertile males.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and sixty-three infertile males were divided into an obstructive azoospermic group (15 cases), a non-obstructive azoospermic group (36 cases), an oligozoospermic group (43 cases), and an asthenozoospermic group (69 cases). Twenty fertile males were included in the control group. Uric acid concentrations of seminal plasma in the fertile and infertile men were assessed by spectrophotometer, and sperm parameters were analyzed by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Uric acid concentration of seminal plasma in the control group was significantly higher than all the infertile groups (P < 0.01), and that of the obstructive azoospermic group significantly lower than the other infertile groups (P < 0.1), but no significant difference was observed among the other infertile groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Uric acid may play an important role in male reproduction because of its antioxidative property.</p>

Effect of inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome on the levels of prostatic specific antigen / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the levels of prostatic specific antigen (PSA) in patients with chronic prostatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-five patients with diagnosed inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome (NIH category III A prostatitis) were inquired about the history symptoms and signs of prostatitis, and underwent digital rectal examination of the prostate as well as analysis of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS). Bacterial infection was also analyzed by pre- and post- massage test (PPMT), and PSA in the blood was detected. Thirty healthy males without inflammation in EPS were selected as controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 45 cases of the patients with NIH category III A prostatitis, the PSA level in the blood was 2.41 +/- 0.64 microg/L, and that in the control group was 0.93 +/- 0.52 microg/L, with significant difference (P < 0.05). And among the 45 patients there were 6 (13.3%) whose PSA levels were over 4.0 microg/L, but there was only 1 in the 30 control males (3.3%). In III A prostatitis, the PSA level was elevated with the increase of inflammation in EPS, but with no significant difference.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In the diagnosis of prostate diseases, it should be taken into account that chronic non-bacterial prostatitis might elevate the level of PSA to a certain extent.</p>

Protection of melatonin against damage of sperm mitochondrial function induced by reactive oxygen species / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the damage of mitochondrial function of sperm induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the protection of melatonin (MLT) against the damage.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Spermatozoa of normal physiological function selected from semen samples by Percoll gradient centrifugation technique were used as normal sperm models in the present study. Reactive oxygen species were generated by hypoxanthine xanthine oxidase system, and in the presence (or absence) of MLT (6 mmol/L), incubated with normal sperm models for 30 and 60 minutes. After incubation, the activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in mitochondria of spermatozoa was assessed by histochemical method, and spermatozoa were labeled with specific fluorescent probe of Rhodamine 123 to measure mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After normal spermatozoa were incubated with ROS, MMP of spermatozoa significantly decreased, and the activity of SDH almost decreased to zero. However, MLT had effect on reducing the damage of the mitochondrial function of sperm induced by ROS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ROS can damage the mitochondrial function of sperm by affecting MMP of spermatozoa and the activity of SDH. MLT can protect sperm mitochondria from the damage induced by ROS through its effective antioxidative potential.</p>

Antioxidant vitamin and male reproduction / 中华男科学杂志

Increased generation of ROS causes the lipid oxidation of the membrane of spermatozoa, but antioxidant vitamins play an important role in reproduction and help clear away ROS and protect the sperm membrane from lipid oxidation. This review focused on the effect of antioxidant vitamins on male reproduction and in the treatment of male infertility.

Initial observation on L-carnitine for asthenospermia with epididymal knob / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy of L-carnitine on asthenospermia with epididymal knob.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-five patients aged 25-39 years with asthenospermia with epididymal knob were received at our clinic of andrology from May 2003 to July 2004, and given oral L-carnitine 2 g/d for 3 months. The sperm parameters of the patients were analyzed by computer-assisted sperm analysis system before and after L-carnitine treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 32 patients who accomplished the 3-month L-carnitine therapy, only 4 remained unimproved in sperm parameters, while the other 28 were significantly improved in sperm concentration, forward sperm motility, total sperm motility, straight line velocity, curvilinear velocity and average path velocity. Four of the patients wives were pregnant and one patient fathered a child.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Oral L-carnitine therapy is efficacious for asthenospermia with epididymal knob.</p>

17?-estradiol inhibit proliferation of thymocytes induced by ConA / 医学研究生学报

Objective: The effects of estrogen on cellular immunity were investigated to explore the immunomodulatory properties of estrogen. Methods: In the present study, the in vitro influences of estrogen at 10~(-8),10~(-7 )and 10~(-6) mol/L on the ConA-induced proliferation of thymocytes were determined by MTT assay. Results: The results showed that estrogen at all concentrations we used suppressed the ConA-induced proliferation of thymocytes. The inhibitive effects had dose- and time- dependent pattern. Conclusion: These results suggested that estrogen had inhibiting effects on the cellular immunity.