The Potential Role of Arginine Supplements on Erectile Dysfunction: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The efficacy and safety of arginine supplements in erectile dysfunction (ED) remain debatable. AIM: To assess the potential role of arginine supplements on ED as alternatives to phosphodiesterase inhibitors. METHODS: Studies published up to April 2018 that evaluated the efficacy of arginine supplements were identified from multiple databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, Embase, Kiss, DBpia, and Cochrane databases). Studies comparing arginine supplements with placebo or no treatment; focusing only on patients with mild to moderate severity of ED; and presenting outcomes such as improvement rate, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score, and adverse effects were included. Subgroup analysis for arginine alone and arginine in combination with other substances was further conducted to increase interpretability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The strength of the association between arginine supplements and ED was assessed using relative odds ratios and weighted mean differences with 95% CI. RESULTS: In total, 10 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria, reporting the outcomes of 540 patients with ED. The analysis demonstrated that arginine supplements with dosage ranging from 1,500 to 5,000 mg significantly improved ED compared with placebo or no treatment (odds ratios, 3.37 [1.29, 8.77], P = .01, I2 = 44). Arginine supplements also caused significant improvements in the IIEF subdomain scores of overall satisfaction, intercourse satisfaction, orgasmic function, and erectile function, whereas the IIEF sexual desire score remain unchanged. The adverse effect rate in the arginine-treated group was 8.3%, and that in the placebo group was 2.3%, none of which were severe. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Arginine supplements can be recommended to patients with mild to moderate ED. STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS: The strength of this study is that it is the first meta-analysis to assess the potential role of arginine supplements in ED compared with placebo or no treatment. A limitation is that the treatment dosage and duration varied among studies, which may have contributed to study heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: The results of our systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence on the effectiveness of arginine supplements for mild to moderate ED. Rhim HC, Kim MS, Park Y-J, et al. The Potential Role of Arginine Supplements on Erectile Dysfunction: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Sex Med 2019;16:223-234.

Induction of contraception by intraepididymal sclerotherapy.

PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a sclerosing solution for inducing epididymal occlusion in male rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: an injection group (n=20) and control group (n=20). Before injecting the sclerosing agent, seminal vesiculectomy and sperm identification using electrostimulation were performed in all of the rats. In the injection group, 0.2 mL of 0.1% sodium tetradecyl sulfate solution was injected into the epididymis. In the sham group, only the identification of the epididymis was performed. At 4 and 12 weeks after the injection, semen was collected by electrostimulation and evaluated to assess the contraceptive effect. Epididymis was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. RESULTS: After 4 and 12 weeks, semen collection was performed in the two groups. Sperms were not observed in the injection group, while there was no change in the sperms in the sham group. H&E staining showed the obstruction of epididymal tubules and an accumulation of inflammatory cells in the injection group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the sclerosing agent induced sterilization in male rats. This result suggests that the injection method can replace vasectomy as a contraceptive method. However, a further study of large animals and a clinical study are needed. Further, the long-term effectiveness of this method needs to be studied.

Effect of the ratio of resected tissue in comparison with the prostate transitional zone volume on voiding function improvement after transurethral resection of prostate.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies exist correlating the extent of tissue resected with symptom improvement after transurethral resection of prostate (TURP). This study evaluated the effect of the ratio of resected tissue in comparison with the transitional zone volume (TZV) on improvement of voiding symptoms and flow rate. METHODS: A total of 263 patients who underwent TURP from January 2001 to June 2008 were included in this retrospective study. TURP efficacy was assessed at 6 months using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and uroflowmetry. Patients were then stratified into 2 subgroups according to resection ratio (volume of resected tissue/TZV); individuals with resection ratio<50% (group A) and ≥50% (group B). The 2 groups were compared with regard to prostate volume, TZV, preoperative and postoperative IPSS, quality of life (QoL), peak flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual (PVR). Similar analyses were performed according to prostate volume (small [<40 g] vs large [≥40 g]). RESULTS: Of these individuals, 85 (32.3%) met the criteria for group A, and 178 (67.7%) for group B. There were no statistically significant differences in age, prostate volume, TZV, preoperative IPSS, QoL score, Qmax, and PVR. After TURP, there was no significant difference of IPSS, QoL score, Qmax, and PVR between the 2 groups. After stratification according to prostate size, the differences in clinical variables were not significant according to resection ratio. CONCLUSION: Resection ratio had no effect on post-TURP clinical improvement. These results suggest that complete prostate adenoma resection may not be essential.

Early removal of nasogastric tube after cystectomy with urinary diversion: does postoperative ileus risk increase?

OBJECTIVES: To examine the risk factors of postoperative ileus and investigate whether the duration of postoperative nasogastric tube (NGT) use affects the rate of postoperative ileus in patients undergoing radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. METHODS: A total of 101 patients underwent radical cystectomy with urinary diversion from 1999 to 2003. We examined the demographic and perioperative variables of the patients who did and did not develop postoperative ileus. We divided the patients into two groups--those who had the NGT removed within 24 hours and those who had the NGT removed at first flatus. We compared the two groups for the incidence of ileus and clinical variables. RESULTS: Postoperative ileus was observed in 23 patients (23%). The demographic data of both groups were not different in terms of age or American Society of Anesthesiologists score. Also, the operative time, estimated blood loss, type of diversion, and postoperative complication rate were not significantly different between the two groups (P >0.05). However, the risk of postoperative ileus was significantly greater in those who took polyethylene glycol for bowel preparation than in those who took sodium phosphate (40% versus 18%, respectively, P = 0.02). No significant difference in the prevalence of ileus was found between the patients whose NGT was removed within 1 day and those in whom it was removed after 2 days (25% versus 22%, respectively, P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that the use of sodium phosphate for bowel preparation may reduce the incidence of postoperative ileus and that early NGT removal after cystectomy is not correlated with ileus.

Ureteroscopic lithotripsy under local anesthesia: analysis of the effectiveness and patient tolerability.

OBJECTIVES: We tried to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of ureteroscopic lithotripsy under local anesthesia. METHODS: We evaluated the results of ureteroscopic lithotripsy under local anesthesia performed on 200 patients (male 91; female 109). We compared the pain perception during local ureteroscopic procedure to that of cystoscopy using a visual analogue pain scale recorded by the patient. RESULTS: The overall success rate was 93% (185/200). The success rates of the upper, mid and lower ureteral calculi were 83% (5/6), 78% (14/18), and 94% (166/176), respectively. The success rate was 94% (166/176) in calculi less than 10 mm, and 86% (30/35) in those more than 10 mm. There were 5 cases (3%) of complications: ureteral injury (1), pyelonephritis (2), and ureteral stricture (2). Although the mean pain scale score was higher in the ureteroscopy group (3.36+/-1.75) than in the cystoscopy group (3.13+/-1.92), the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Most of the patients tolerated pain during the procedure and only two patients required general anesthesia. Postoperative pain was also tolerable in most patients and only 8 (4%) patients required additional analgesics after the procedure. CONCLUSION: As the effectiveness and morbidity of ureteroscopic lithotripsy under local anesthesia are comparable to those of many other previous reports and as most of the patients could tolerate the pain of the procedure, we suggest that ureteroscopic lithotripsy can be performed effectively and safely under local anesthesia.