Possible efficacy of Lavender and Tea tree oils in the treatment of young women affected by mild idiopathic hirsutism.

BACKGROUND: Hirsutism is defined as the presence of excessive terminal hair in androgen-dependent areas of a woman's body. Regarding this it has been suggested that Lavender and Tea tree oils may have antiandrogenic activities. AIM: To evaluate therapy based on Lavender and Tea tree oils in women suffering from mild idiopathic hirsutism (IH). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective, open-label, placebo- controlled, randomized study was performed: women affected by mild IH were randomly assigned to receive oil spray containing Lavender and Tea tree oils (group T) (no. = 12) or placebo (group P) (no. = 12) twice a day for 3 months in areas affected by hirsutism. Evaluation of hirsutism was carried out at baseline and after 3 months by Ferriman-Gallwey score and by measuring hair diameter taken from some body areas. A hematological and hormonal evaluation was carried out at baseline and after 3 months. RESULTS: No significant variations were found in any of the hormones studied in groups T and P between baseline and after 3 months. A statistically significant decrease of hirsutism total score and of hair diameter was found in group T, while no statistically significant difference in these two parameters was observed in group P; in group T percentual reduction of hair diameter was significantly greater than in group P. CONCLUSIONS: Lavender and Tea tree oils applied locally on skin could be effective in reducing mild IH; this treatment could represent a safe, economic and practical instrument in the cure of this disease.

Growth hormone deficiency in the transition period: body composition and gonad function.

Recombinant GH therapy is normally administered to GH-deficient children in order to achieve a satisfactory height - the main target during childhood and adolescence. However, the role of GH does not end once final height has been reached, but continues during the so-called transition period. In this phase of life, the body undergoes several changes, both physical and psychological, that culminate in adulthood. During this period, GH has a part in numerous metabolic functions. These include the lipid profile, where it increases HDL and reduces LDL, with the global effect of cardiovascular protection. It also has important effects on body composition (improved muscle strength and lean body mass and reduced body fat), the achievement of proper peak bone density, and gonad maturation. Retesting during the transition period, involving measurement of IGF-I plus a provocative test (insulin tolerance test or GHRH + arginine test), is thus necessary to establish any persistent GH deficiency requiring additional replacement therapy. The close cooperation of the medical professionals involved in the patient's transition from a pediatric to an adult endocrinologist is essential. The aim of this review is to point out the main aspects of GH treatment on body composition, metabolic and gonad functions in the transition period.

Sexual dysfunction in subjects with Klinefelter's syndrome.

While the association of Klinefelter's Syndrome (KS) with infertility is well-known, very few investigations have evaluated the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in KS. The aim of the present study was to systematically analyse the prevalence of KS in a consecutive series of adult male patients consulting for sexual problems and to investigate its specific correlates. Among a consecutive series of 1386 men (mean age 48.9 +/- 12.7 years old), 23 (1.7%) subjects with KS were found. Patients with KS were younger and more often hypogonadal when compared with the rest of the sample. Among patients with KS, five (22.7%) subjects reported severe erectile dysfunction, 14 (60.9%) hypoactive sexual desire (HSD), two (9.5%) premature and two (9.5%) delayed ejaculation. Only the association between KS and HSD was confirmed after adjustment for age [HR = 3.2 (1.37-7.5)], however, when patients with KS were compared with age, smoking habit, and testosterone matched controls, even the association between KS with HSD disappeared. In comparison to matched hypogonadal controls, subjects with KS had lower levels of education, a higher frequency of cryptorchidism and poorer pubertal progression. In conclusion, our results indicate that sexual dysfunction present in KS is not specifically associated with the syndrome but is caused by the underlying hypogonadal state. Further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of testosterone substitution in ameliorating the hypoactive sexual desire often reported in subjects with KS.

Coenzyme Q10 and male infertility.

We had previously demonstrated that Coenzyme Q10 [(CoQ10) also commonly called ubiquinone] is present in well-measurable levels in human seminal fluid, where it probably exerts important metabolic and antioxidant functions; seminal CoQ10 concentrations show a direct correlation with seminal parameters (count and motility). Alterations of CoQ10 content were also shown in conditions associated with male infertility, such as asthenozoospermia and varicocele (VAR). The physiological role of this molecule was further clarified by inquiring into its variations in concentrations induced by different medical or surgical procedures used in male infertility treatment. We therefore evaluated CoQ10 concentration and distribution between seminal plasma and spermatozoa in VAR, before and after surgical treatment, and in infertile patients after recombinant human FSH therapy. The effect of CoQ10 on sperm motility and function had been addressed only through some in vitro experiments. In two distinct studies conducted by our group, 22 and 60 patients affected by idiopathic asthenozoospermia were enrolled, respectively. CoQ10 and its reduced form, ubiquinol, increased significantly both in seminal plasma and sperm cells after treatment, as well as spermatozoa motility. A weak linear dependence among the relative variations, at baseline and after treatment, of seminal plasma or intracellular CoQ10, ubiquinol levels and kinetic parameters was found in the treated group. Patients with lower baseline value of motility and CoQ10 levels had a statistically significant higher probability to be responders to the treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous administration of CoQ10 increases both ubiquinone and ubiquinol levels in semen and can be effective in improving sperm kinetic features in patients affected by idiopathic asthenozoospermia.

Cardiovascular risk engines can help in selecting patients to be evaluated by dynamic penile color doppler ultrasound.

General dynamic penile color doppler ultrasound (D-PCDU) screening in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) has been questioned due to an inadequate cost-benefit ratio. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the validity of different risk scores in the identification of patients being screened for arteriogenic ED (AED) at D-PCDU. A consecutive series of 738 patients with ED was studied. AED was defined when peak systolic velocity (PSV) was lower than 25 cm/sec. The assessment of cardiovascular risk was evaluated using different risk engines, derived from the Framingham, the PROCAM and the Progetto Cuore studies. An iterative receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the most proper threshold for different scales for the screening of AED. Among the patients studied, 52 (7%) had PSV<25 cm/sec. The area under the ROC curves for pathological PSV in relation to cardiovascular risk estimated with different engines was 0.762+/-0.03, 0.716+/-0.03, and 0.667+/-0.03 for Progetto Cuore, Framingham, and PROCAM engines, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of Progetto Cuore estimated risk were 67%, 71% when a threshold of 15% was chosen. Corresponding figures for Framingham and PROCAM engine were 74%, 57% and 69%, 55%, respectively. If D-PCDU is performed only on patients with cardiovascular risk >15%, who represent about 1/4 of all patients (26.8%), as estimated by Progetto Cuore, about 70% of cases of arteriogenic ED can be identified. Estimated cardiovascular risk, assessed through risk engines, could be used to identify patients who should undergo D-PCDU evaluation for the diagnosis of AED.