Effects of Perilla frutescens Var. Acuta in Busulfan-Induced Spermatogenesis Dysfunction Mouse Model.

PURPOSE: The leaves of Perilla frutescens var. acuta (PFA) are generally reported to have antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects and commonly used as a traditional medicine in East Asia. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and antioxidant activity of PFA on busulfan-induced testicular dysfunction, histological damage, oxidative stress (OS), sperm quality, and hormone levels using a mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice were divided into four groups: control, busulfan-only treated, and varying concentrations of PFA (100 and 200 mg/kg) with busulfan. In the busulfan group, 40 mg/kg of busulfan was intraperitoneally injected to induce azoospermia. Mice were orally administered PFA for 35 consecutive days after busulfan administration. Samples were collected and assessed for testis/body weight, testicular histopathology, sperm quality, serum hormone levels, and OS to evaluate the effects of PFA treatment on spermatogenesis dysfunction induced by busulfan. RESULTS: The busulfan-induced testicular dysfunction model showed reduced testis weight, adverse histological changes, significantly decreased sex hormones and sperm quality, and attenuated OS. These results indicate that PFA treatment significantly increased testis weight, testis/body weight, epididymal sperm count, motility, and testosterone level compared with busulfan alone. PFA treatment also attenuated the busulfan-induced histological changes. Furthermore, compared with mice treated with busulfan alone, PFA supplementation upregulated the testicular mRNA expression of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1) and glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1), with a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) production and an increase in SOD and GPx activities. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that PFA exerts a protective effect against testicular damage by attenuating OS induced by busulfan. Our results suggest that PFA is a potentially relevant drug used to decrease the side effects induced by busulfan on testicular function and sperm during cancer chemotherapy.

Seasonal Dynamics of Bacterial Community Structure in Diesel Oil-Contaminated Soil Cultivated with Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea).

The objective of this study was to explore the seasonal characteristics of rhizoremediation and the bacterial community structure over the course of a year in soil contaminated with diesel oil. The soil was contaminated with diesel oil at a total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration of 30,000 mg-TPH·kg-soil-1. Tall fescue seedlings were planted in the contaminated soil and rhizoremediation performance was monitored for 317 days. The TPH concentration gradually declined, reaching 75.6% after day 61. However, the TPH removability decreased by up to 30% after re-contamination in the fall and winter. The bacterial community structure exhibited distinct seasonal dynamics. Genus Pseudomonas significantly increased up to 55.7% in the winter, while the genera Immundisolibacter and Lysobacter, well-known petroleum hydrocarbon (PH)-degrading bacteria, were found to be positively linked to the TPH removal rate. Consequently, knowledge of this seasonal variation in rhizoremediation performance and the bacterial community structure is useful for the improvement of rhizoremediation in PH-contaminated environments.

Moxibustion as an adjunct for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostate enlargement: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) causes discomfort in daily life, including lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) caused by the enlarged prostate, and requires long-term management as a chronic, irreversible disease. To improve LUTS, certain complementary therapies have been used with or without doctors' directions. Conventional treatments and complementary therapies tend to be combined unsystematically, depending on patient preference; thus, research for safe and efficient combination therapy is warranted. METHODS: Twenty-nine participants were randomly assigned to an integrative group (IG, n = 15) or a conventional group (CG, n = 14). The IG received moxibustion (twice weekly for 4 weeks, at the acupuncture points SP6, LR3, and CV4) and conventional medication for 4 weeks, followed by conventional medication alone for 8 weeks. The CG received conventional medication alone for 12 weeks. The outcome measures were International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), patient's global impression of changes (PGIC), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual urine volume (PVR), and frequency-volume chart. RESULTS: Total IPSS (IG, -2.4 ±â€Š4.2; CG, 0.9 ±â€Š4.0; P = .039), PGIC-A (IG, 3.5 ±â€Š1.0; CG, 2.2 ±â€Š1.0; P = .001), and PGIC-B (IG, 3.5 ±â€Š0.1; CG, 4.7 ±â€Š0.6; P = .004) were significantly improved in the IG compared with the CG, 4 weeks after baseline. Among the IPSS items, incomplete emptying (IG, -0.6 ±â€Š0.7; CG, 0.4 ±â€Š1.2; P = .019), straining (IG, -0.6 ±â€Š0.8; CG, 0.2 ±â€Š1.2; P = .046), and nocturia (IG, -0.8 ±â€Š1.4; CG, 0.1 ±â€Š1.0; P = .045) showed significant differences. The Qmax and PVR volume did not differ significantly at 12 weeks after the baseline. CONCLUSION: Moxibustion can be considered an adjunct therapy to improve LUTS in BPE patients. A full-sized randomized controlled trial would be feasible with comparator modifications and an extended study period. The study design should include a placebo group and narrow the eligibility to subjects who do not respond well to conventional treatments.

Moxibustion as an adjuvant for benign prostatic hyperplasia with lower urinary tract symptoms: a protocol for a parallel-group, randomised, controlled pilot trial.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to explore the feasibility of using moxibustion as a supplementary intervention and to assess the sample size for verifying the effectiveness and safety of integrative treatment involving moxibustion compared with conventional treatment for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia accompanying moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A total of 60 patients diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia by a urologist based on prostate size, prostate-specific antigen and clinical symptoms will participate of their own free will; urologists will monitor the patients and evaluate their symptoms. The patients will be randomised to either a conventional group or an integrative group with a 1:1 allocation according to computer-generated random numbers concealed in opaque, sealed, sequentially numbered envelopes. Watchful waiting or oral medication including α blocker, 5α-reductase inhibitors or antimuscarinic drugs will be offered as conventional treatment. Integrative treatment will include moxibustion therapy in addition to the conventional treatment. The moxibustion therapy will be conducted twice a week for 4 weeks on the bilateral acupoints SP6, LR3 and CV4 by a qualified Korean medical doctor. The primary outcome will be the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) after eight sessions. The secondary outcomes will be the post-void residual urine volume, the maximum urinary flow rate, IPSS, the results of a Short-Form 36-Question Health Survey after 12 weeks, and the patients' global impression of changes at each visit. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. This study was approved by the institutional review boards of both Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital and Pusan National University Korean Medicine Hospital. The trial results will be disseminated through open-access journals and conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02051036.

Effect of topical steroid (0.05% clobetasol propionate) treatment in children with severe phimosis.

PURPOSE: We report our experience with the use of a topical steroid, 0.05% clobetasol propionate, for the treatment of phimosis with clinical complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical outcomes of all patients presenting with phimosis to a single institution during the time period from October 2008 to May 2012. A total of 88 patients who had a Kikiros retractability grade of 4 or 5 and phimosis-associated clinical complications, such as ballooning of the prepuce, balanoposthitis, or a history of urinary tract infection (UTI), were instructed to apply 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream to the slightly retracted foreskin and to massage gently while retracting the foreskin. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated at 4 weeks from the initiation of therapy. RESULTS: A total of 60 of the 88 patients (68.2%) showed a complete response (i.e., full retraction of the foreskin) to the therapy. The phimotic ring disappeared in 25 of the 88 patients (28.4%) after treatment. Patients who had a history of balanoposthitis, smegma, ballooning of the prepuce, or UTI showed significantly poorer improvement in preputial retraction (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, and p=0.02, respectively) and phimotic ring disappearance (p<0.001, p=0.001, p<0.001, and p=0.001, respectively) after treatment. No significant local or systemic side effects were associated with the administration of topical steroids. CONCLUSIONS: Topical application of 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream and skin stretching is a safe, simple, and effective procedure with no significant side effects for severe phimosis in prepubertal boys.