[Y chromosome microdeletion in azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia patients with or without varicocele:A comparative study].

Objective: To compare the incidences of Y chromosome microdeletion between patients with azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia with varicocele( VC) and those without VC and investigate the etiopathogenisis of their infertility. Methods: We included 137 VC patients in group A(70 with azoospermia as group A1 and 67 with severe oligozoospermia as group A2),135 non-VC patients in group B(69 with azoospermia as group B1 and 66 with severe oligozoospermia as group B2),and 30 normal fertile men as controls in group C. We detected Y chromosome microdeletion in different groups using multiplex PCR. Results: Y chromosome microdeletion was detected in 23(16. 8%) of the patients in group A, another 23(17. 0%) in group B,and 0 in group C. The rates of Y chromosome microdeletion were 22. 9% in group A1,10. 4% in group A2,20. 3% in group B1,and 13. 6% in group B2,and the microdeletion rate in the patients with severe oligozoospermia( groups A1 and B1) was 23. 3%(31 /133). No statistically significant difference was found between groups A and B( P > 0. 05). Conclusion: There are no significant differences in the rate of Y chromosome microdeletion between varicocele and non-varicocele patients with azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia, and Y chromosome microdeletion is one of the causes of azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia with varicocele.

Clinical significance of CUL4A in human prostate cancer.

Aberrant expression of the Cullin 4A (CUL4A) is found in many tumor types, but the functions and mechanism of CUL4A in prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of CUL4A in prostate tumorigenesis. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine CUL4A expression in human PCa tissues and BPH tissues. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT, and migration and invasion were analyzed by Transwell and Matrigel assays after CUL4A knockdown in PCa in vitro. The results showed that CUL4A protein was overexpressed in 86.21 % of PCa tissues. CUL4A knockdown with siRNA in PCa cells decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, CUL4A could modulate the expression of P53 in PCa cells. Our results indicate that CUL4A overexpression play an oncogenic role in the pathogenesis of PCa, and CUL4A may be a potential therapeutic target for PCa.

[Correlation between di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and idiopathic oligoasthenospermia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the level of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and idiopathic oligoasthenospermia by measuring the content of DEHP in the semen samples of different subjects. METHODS: We obtained semen samples from 100 infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia, 50 working all the year round in the plastic greenhouse (group A) and the other 50 constantly dining from plastic meal boxes (group B). We also enrolled 50 normal male volunteers as controls (group C). We conducted semen analyses using a computer-assisted sperm analyzer, measured the DEHP concentration by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography, and subjected the data to statistic processing by t-test and correlation analysis. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of DEHP in the seminal plasma were (0.72 +/- 0.48), (0.71 +/- 0.49) and (0.21 +/- 0.18) mg/L in groups A, B and C, respectively, significantly higher in A and B than in C (both P < 0.05). The DEHP concentration was negatively correlated with sperm motility (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The DEHP level in the seminal plasma is higher in infertile men frequently exposed to plastic products than in normal males and excessive DEHP may be one of the important factors of idiopathic male infertility.

[Screening of Y chromosome microdeletions in infertile males with varicocele].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between Y chromosome microdeletions and human spermatogenesis in infertile men with varicocele (VC). METHODS: We divided 174 infertile VC patients into groups A (with azoospermia, n = 47) , B (with severe oligozoospermia, n=57) and C (with mild oligozoospermia, n=70), and enlisted 28 fertile males and 26 fertile females as normal controls. We collected DNA from the peripheral blood, amplified 6 sequence tagged sites in AZFa, AZFb and AZFc using multiplex PCR technique. Then we separated and scanned the amplified products by agarose gel electrophoresis to identify microdeletions and their types in comparison with the controls. RESULTS: Y chromosome microdeletions were observed in 12.64% of the patients (22/174), 11 cases in group A and the other 11 in group B, but none in group C and the normal controls. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In group A, 6 of the microdeletion cases were in the AZFc region, 1 in the AZFa region, 2 in the AZFb region and 2 in both AZFb and AZFc regions, while in group B, 8 cases were in the AZFc region, 2 in the AZFb region and 1 in both AZFb and AZFc regions. CONCLUSION: Infertility is correlated to Y chromosome microdeletions in VC patients. Y chromosome microdeletion screening should be performed for infertile VC patients, especially for those with azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia.