[Effect of bird-induced anus-lifting surgery combined with oral Relinqing Granules on LUTS/CP with damp heat syndrome: Evaluation by infrared thermal imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of bird-induced anus-lifting surgery (BIAL) combined with oral Relinqing Granules (RG) in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms / chronic prostatitis (LUTS/CP) with damp-heat syndrome using infrared thermal imaging (ITI). METHODS: This study included 165 cases of LUTS/CP with damp-heat syndrome treated in the Departments of Andrology and Urology of our hospital, which were divided into three groups of an equal number and treated by medication of oral tamsulosin hydrochloride at 0.2 mg, qd plus levofloxacin at 0.2 g bid (control), anus-lifting exercise (15 lifts once a day) combined with oral RG at 8 g tid (routine treatment) and BIAL (15 lifts once a day) combined with oral RG at 8 g tid (BIAL+RG), respectively, all for two weeks. We recorded the ITI indicators, NIH-CPSI and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores of patients before and after treatment, observed adverse reactions during the treatment, and compared them among the three groups of patients. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline, NIH-CPSI and SAS scores were significantly reduced in all the three groups after treatment (P < 0.05), even more significantly in the BIAL+RG (10.49 ± 2.97 and 49.73 ± 2.79) than in the control (21.15 ± 3.56 and 52.62 ± 5.38) and routine treatment groups (15.55 ± 2.77 and 52.35 ± 3.87) (P < 0.05). The ITI temperature at the related parts of the body was remarkably decreased in the three groups after treatment (P < 0.05), even lower in the BIAL+RG group (30.47 ± 1.61, 32.14 ± 1.25, 31.16 ± 1.58, 31.97 ± 1.19) than in the control (33.39 ± 0.6, 33.64 ± 1.07, 32.78 ± 0.58, 33.18 ± 0.78) and routine treatment groups (31.93 ± 1.14, 33.06 ± 0.8, 33.08 ± 0.82, 33.17 ± 1.05) (P < 0.05), with statistically significant difference from the baseline in the BIAL+RG group after 12 hours and 24 hours of treatment (ï¼»34.26 ± 0.06ï¼½ vs ï¼»32.65 ± 0.05ï¼½ and ï¼»32.72 ± 0.09ï¼½, P < 0.05), but not between the two time points (P > 0.05). The incidence rate of adverse reactions was markedly lower in the BIAL+RG and routine treatment groups than in the control (P < 0.05) but not significantly different between the BIAL+RG and routine treatment groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Bird-induced anus-lifting surgery combined with oral Relinqing Granules can safely and significantly improve infrared thermal imaging indicators and NIH-CPSI scores in LUTS/CP patients with damp-heat syndrome.

[Exploration of erectile dysfunction syndrome and syndrome differentiation based on latent structure].

OBJECTIVE: In order to exploring Erectile Dysfunction(ED) syndrome and syndrome differentiation based on latent structure to provide objective evidence to support Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) dialectic. METHODS: Cases and clinical experience in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in Chinese medicine in CNKI, Wanfang Database, cqVIP Database, were searched. Time from the database construction to January, 2023. Extraction and specification of symptom data with reference to national standards. Lantern 5.0 software was used to make the latent structure of the data based on LTM-EAST method. Latent probability, conditional probability, information coverage, mutual information and other data were combined to manually interpret the model and perform clustering analysis on the latent classes to analyze the symptomatic features and clinical evidence of erectile dysfunction and establish the rules of identification. RESULT: A total of 361 cases of erectile dysfunction were included, 21 latent variables were constructed, 9 comprehensive clustering models and 13 discriminative rules were established. The pathological factors of the obtained erectile dysfunction are dampness, heat, yin deficiency, blood stasis, spleen deficiency, kidney deficiency, liver depression, and qi stagnation. The certificate types are stasis of blood, liver qi stagnation, damp-heat entrapment (dampness is heavy, heat is heavy, damp-heat is heavy), yin deficiency (yin deficiency with heat, kidney yin deficiency), vital fire failure, qi deficiency (qi deficiency with heat, kidney qi deficiency), heart and spleen deficiency, panic injury to kidney, spleen and kidney deficiency. CONCLUSION: The common types of erectile dysfunction obtained are generally consistent with existing guidelines, but more subcategories exist in the certificate type. The presence of symptoms that cannot be well matched in some of the certificate types is presumed to be due to the complex pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction common compound evidence, many evidence models are seen in the main symptoms of liver qi stagnation evidence pulse strings, suggesting that clinical treatment should pay attention to the regulation of emotional and moral, to ease the patient's emotions. The corresponding dialectical rules can quantify the dialectical criteria and provide an objective basis for non-TCM professionals to clinically determine the TCM evidence type of patients.

[The causal relationship between gut microbiota and male reproductive and sexual health].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to use the MR method to explore the causal relationship between 211 gut microbiota and male reproductive and sexual health. METHODS: The MiBioGen alliance published genome-wide association study (GWAS) related genetic variation data was used as instrumental variables (IVs) for gut microbiota, and the Finngen biobank GWAS related genetic variation data was used as IVs for male infertility, abnormal sperm, sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and testicular dysfunction. The inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method was used as the MR analysis method, the results were evaluated according to the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of the effect measures, and data sensitivity analysis was performed. RESULTS: The results showed that 6 types of gut microbiota were related to male infertility, 12 types were related to abnormal sperm, 5 types were related to sexual dysfunction, 4 types were related to erectile dysfunction, and 4 types were related to testicular dysfunction. And there was no abnormality in the data sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: The intestinal microbiota is closely related to male reproductive and sexual health.

[Huayu Jiedu Shengjing Decoction improves semen quality and reduces TCM syndrome scores in patients with varicocele-induced asthenospermic infertility].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of "Huayu Jiedu Shengjing Decoction" (HJSD) in the treatment of varicocele (VC)-induced asthenospermic infertility and its action mechanism. METHODS: Using computer-generated random numbers, we equally divided 88 patients meeting the study criteria into an experimental and a control group, the former treated orally with HJSD plus or minus, while the latter with Maizhiling Tablets and levocarnitine, both for a course of 12 weeks. After medication, we obtained TCM syndrome scores, sperm motility, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), the seminal cord venous ultrasonographic index, and levels of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the seminal plasma from the patients, compared the therapeutic effects between the two groups, and analyzed the correlation among the obtained parameters. RESULTS: The total effectiveness rate was dramatically higher in the experimental than in the control group (86.04% vs 73.74%, P < 0.01). The TCM syndromes scores, sperm motility, sperm DFI, and seminal plasma NO, ROS and SOD were all more significantly improved in the former than in the latter group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Huayu Jiedu Shengjing Decoction can improve semen quality and reduce TCM syndrome scores without adverse reactions in patients with VC-induced asthenospermic infertility, which may be attributed to its effect of improving antioxidation and local blood flow.

[Yishen Tongluo Prescription for repairing benzo(a)pyrene-induced sperm DNA damage in male rats: Effect and mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the repairing effect of Yishen Tongluo Prescription (YTP) on sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) in male rats exposed to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Thirty Wistar male rats were equally randomized into a blank control, a BaP-exposure and a YTP intervention group, those in the latter two groups exposed to BaP at 20 mg/kg/d for 60 consecutive days, and those in the YTP intervention group treated intragastrically with YTP from the 31st day of BaP exposure for a total of 30 days. After the last administration, the sperm DFI of the rats was detected by sperm chromatin structure analysis, the levels of FSH, LH and T in the serum and superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the testis were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared with the blank controls, the rats in the BaP-exposure group showed significantly increased DFI ( ï¼»4.23 ± 1.40ï¼½% vs ï¼»12.46 ± 3.07ï¼½%, P < 0.05), serum FSH (ï¼»1.76 ± 0.31ï¼½ vs ï¼»2.53 ± 0.28ï¼½ U/L, P < 0.05) and LH (ï¼»30.59 ± 2.14ï¼½ vs ï¼»39.72 ± 2.80ï¼½ U/L, P < 0.05), decreased levels of serum T (ï¼»5.33 ± 0.43ï¼½ vs ï¼»4.42 ± 0.38ï¼½ nmol/L, P < 0.05) and testicular SOD (ï¼»166.18 ± 3.74ï¼½ vs ï¼»113.23 ± 10.76ï¼½ U/ml, P < 0.05) and ATP (ï¼»41.23 ± 2.21ï¼½ vs ï¼»33.48 ± 2.74ï¼½ mol/L, P < 0.05), and elevated contents of MDA (ï¼»7.55 ± 0.93ï¼½ vs ï¼»10.59 ± 1.17ï¼½ nmol/ml, P < 0.05) and NO (ï¼»44.23±4.47ï¼½ vs ï¼»54.49 ± 3.13ï¼½ mol/L, P < 0.05). All the above parameters returned to normal after YTP intervention (DFI: ï¼»5.73 ± 2.46ï¼½%, FSH: ï¼»2.07 ± 0.45ï¼½ U/L, LH: ï¼»33.94 ± 4.44ï¼½ U/L, T: ï¼»4.96 ± 0.24ï¼½ nmol/L, SOD: ï¼»135.22 ± 7.26ï¼½ U/ml, ATP: ï¼»38.26 ± 2.14ï¼½ mol/L, MDA: ï¼»8.37 ± 1.29ï¼½ nmol/ml, NO: ï¼»48.36 ± 3.98ï¼½ mol/L), with statistically significant difference from those in the BaP-exposure group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Yishen Tongluo Prescription can repair BaP-induced sperm DNA damage in male rats, which may be attributed to its effects of suppressing oxidative damage.

[Mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Recipe reducing benzo(a)pyrene-induced sperm DNA damage: Exploration based on the BER pathway].

Objective: To explore the repairing effect of Yishen Tongluo Recipe (YTR) on sperm DNA damage and its action mechanism in male rats exposed to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). METHODS: Thirty-three adult male Wistar rats were equally divided into a normal control, a model control and a YTR intervention group. Sperm DNA damage was induced in the latter two groups of rats by exposing them to BaP at 20 mg/kg/d for 60 days, and the animals in the YTR group received a 30-day gavage administration of YTR suspension at 0.1 ml/10 g/d from the 31 day. Then the testis tissue of the rats was collected for examination of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) by fluorescence flow cytometry and determination of the expressions of APE1, FEN1, XRCC1 (and phosphorylated) proteins and mRNA in the BER pathway by Western blot and RT-PCR. RESULTS: After intervention, the sperm DFI was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) and the expressions of APE1, FEN1, XRCC1 (and phosphorylated) proteins and mRNA remarkably increased in the YTR group compared with the model controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Yishen Tongluo Recipe can reduce benzo(a)pyrene-induced sperm DFI in male rats by up-regulating the expression levels of APE1, FEN1, XRCC1 (and phosphorylated) proteins and improving the ability of sperm DNA base excision repair.

[Luobufukebiri Pills improve semen quality and seminal plasma-related biochemical indexes in patients with asthenospermia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of Luobufukebiri Pills (LP) on asthenospermia and its action mechanism. METHODS: A total of 206 patients with asthenospermia in Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March 2018 to December 2018 were randomly assigned to receive oral LP (the experimental group, n = 103) bid 10 pills each time or vitamin E soft capsules (the control group, n = 103) bid 100 mg each time for a course of 12 weeks. We compared the semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, levels of α-glucosidase (α-Glu), fructose (Fru), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the seminal plasma, and the number of pregnancies between the two groups of patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: All the patients finished the experiment except 1 in the control group due to personal reasons. After 12 weeks of medication, the patients in the experimental group showed significant increases over the baseline in sperm concentration (ï¼»36.27 ± 11.05ï¼½ vs ï¼»25.96 ± 8.63ï¼½ ×106/ml, P < 0.05), grade a sperm (ï¼»16.92 ± 5.72ï¼½% vs ï¼»9.34 ± 3.18ï¼½%, P < 0.05), grade a+b sperm (ï¼»36.08 ± 6.84ï¼½% vs ï¼»19.88 ± 4.65ï¼½%, P < 0.05), total sperm motility (ï¼»50.37 ± 10.38ï¼½% vs ï¼»24.62 ± 6.12ï¼½%, P < 0.05), and the levels of α-Glu (ï¼»46.94 ± 9.16ï¼½ vs ï¼»32.25 ± 8.30ï¼½ U/ml, P < 0.05), Fru (ï¼»28.08 ± 5.72ï¼½ vs ï¼»16.38 ± 4.62ï¼½ µmol/ml, P < 0.05) and SOD (ï¼»182.28 ± 18.44ï¼½ vs ï¼»100.37 ± 10.22ï¼½ U/ml, P < 0.05), but a decrease in the content of seminal plasma MDA (ï¼»10.37 ± 2.93ï¼½ vs ï¼»15.62 ± 4.68ï¼½ nmol/ml, P < 0.05). Increases were also observed in the control group over the baseline in grade a sperm (ï¼»12.40 ± 6.33ï¼½% vs ï¼»9.26 ± 2.94ï¼½%, P < 0.05), grade a+b sperm (ï¼»25.42 ± 5.24ï¼½% vs ï¼»19.43 ± 4.17ï¼½%, P < 0.05), total sperm motility (ï¼»40.22 ± 9.72ï¼½% vs ï¼»23.99 ± 5.77ï¼½%, P < 0.05), and levels of α-Glu (ï¼»40.31 ± 8.22ï¼½ vs ï¼»31.06 ± 7.51ï¼½ U/ml, P < 0.05) and SOD (ï¼»139.71 ± 14.08ï¼½ vs ï¼»102.11 ± 9.24ï¼½ U/ml, P < 0.05), but a decrease in the content of seminal plasma MDA (ï¼»12.72 ± 3.11ï¼½ vs ï¼»15.62 ± 4.68ï¼½ nmol/ml, P < 0.05). The total clinical effectiveness rate was remarkably higher in the experimental than in the control group (87.38% vs 58.82%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Luobufukebiri Pills are safe and effective for the treatment of asthenospermia, which may be attributed to their ability of improving oxidative stress damage.

Characteristics of Chinese Medicine Education Under British Education System in New Zealand.

With the globalisation of Chinese medicine (CM), the local CM education institutions were established in many other countries outside of China. These CM education institutions have formed a new mode in CM education after integrating with local culture, law and national conditions. This article takes New Zealand CM education institutions as an example to discuss the characteristics of CM education under the British education system, aiming to provide ideas on CM education in China and other countries.

[Protective effect of Yishen Tongluo Recipe against benzo(a)pyrene-induced sperm DNA methylation changes in male rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effect of Yishen Tongluo Recipe (YTR) against aberrant sperm DNA methylation in male rats exposed to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). METHODS: Thirty male SD rats of the SPF grade were randomly divided into three groups of equal number: solvent control, BaP exposure and YTR intervention. The animals of the solvent control group were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5% DMSO while those of the other two groups with BaP at 0.1 mg/kg/d, all for 60 days, and at 31 days of BaP exposure, those of the YTR group were treated intragastrically with YTR for 30 days. Then, the left epididymides were harvested from all the rats and sperm suspensions collected and centrifuged for extraction of sperm DNA. The methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq) technique was used to detect the whole-genome DNA methylation in different groups. RESULTS: Exposure to BaP induced the up-regulation of 828 genes encoding mRNA in the sperm DNA, while YTR intervention produced a significant protective effect on the transforming growth factor ß3 (TGF-ß3), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1), and down-regulated the expressions of 3 227 genes. BaP exposure also caused the up-regulation of 783 genes encoding lncRNA in the sperm DNA, and YTR treatment exhibited an evident protective effect on 62 of the up-regulated genes, induced the down-regulation of 3 378 genes, and showed a protective effect on 56 of the down-regulated genes. CONCLUSIONS: YTR has a protective effect against aberrant sperm DNA methylation in male rats exposed to BaP, which may be associated with lncRNA.

[Mental health of prostatitis patients in China: A statistical analysis of literature].

OBJECTIVE: To know the basic status of researches on the mental health of prostatitis patients in China by statistical analysis of the literature published in the past two decades and provide some reference for such studies. METHODS: Using the bibliometrics method, we performed statistical analyses on the publication years, journals, and authors of the articles published in the core journals concerning the mental health of prostatitis patients in China as well as on the topics of the identified studies using their titles, key words and abstracts. RESULTS: Totally, 226 related studies were identified, of which 31 (by 29 authors) were published in the Chinese core journals. As for the topics of the included studies, 102 (45.13%) focused on the role and significance of psychotherapy in the treatment of prostatitis, 52 (23.01%) on the correlation of psychological factors with prostatitis, and 23 (10.18%) on the correlation of psychopathic factors with prostatitis complicated by sexual dysfunction. Most of the articles on the mental health of prostatitis patients were published in National Journal of Andrology. CONCLUSIONS: Studies on the mental health of prostatitis patients in China are carried out in varied institutions and different directions but, however, need to be furthered and deepened. For this condition, a comprehensive therapeutic mode of "prevention-communication-treatment" is coming into being, and the methodology for related researches is gradually turning from linear to stereoscopic.

[Efficacy observation on chronic pelvic pain syndrome of damp-heat stagnation pattern treated with acupoint catgut embedding therapy].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy difference in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain syndrome of Sev-damp-heat stagnation pattern between acupoint catgut embedding therapy and western medication. METHODS: enty cases were randomized into a catgut embedding group (40 cases) and a western medication group (30 cases) at the ratio of 4 : 3. In the catgut embedding group, the catgut embedding therapy was applied to Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Quchi (LI 11), Huiyin (CV 1), Zusanli (ST 36), Zhongji (CV 3), Shenshu (BL 23), etc. The treatment was given once every two weeks, the treatment for 4 weeks was as one session and totally 2 sessions were required. In the western medication group, tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules 0. 2 mg, oral administration, once a day, and Indometacin sustained release tablets, 75 mg, once a day, 3 tablets each time were prescribed. The symptom score of TCM, score of NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), lecithin body number in prostatic fluid, (SAS) score of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and score of Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were compared before and after treatment in the patients of the two groups. The efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: (1)The total effective rate was 91. 9% (34/37) in the catgutembedding group and was 86. 2% (25/29) in the western medication group. The efficacy in the catgutembedding group was better than that in the western medication group (P<0. 05). (2) The symptom score of TCM was all reduced significantly after treatment in the two groups (both P<0.01), and the result in the catgut embedding group was superior to the western medication group (6.42 +/-2. 81 vs 10. 99+/-3. 11 ,P<0. 01). (3) Lecithin body number was increased apparently in the two groups after treatment (both P<0.01), and the result in the catgut-embedding group was superior to the western medicine group (33.56+/-5.88 vs 29. 78+/-7. 06,P<0. 05). (4) Total score of NIH-CPSI, score of pain, score of SAS and score of SDS were all improved apparently after treatment in the two groups (all P<0. 01), and the results in the catgut embedding group were superior to the western medication group (P<0. 01, P<0. 05). CONCLUSION: The acupoint catgut embedding therapy achieves the superior efficacy on chronic pelvic pain syndrome of damp-heat stagnation pattern as compared with conventional western medicine. This therapy relieves clinical symptoms, improves the states of anxiety and depression and increases lecithin body number obviously.

[Common TCM syndrome pattern of chronic pelvic pain syndrome relates to plasma substance p and beta endorphin].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of the common Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome pattern of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) with the contents of substance p and beta endorphin in the plasma, and provide reference data for the clinical diagnosis, differentiation and treatment of CPPS by TCM. METHODS: We observed 98 cases of CPPS, which were classified into a lower-part damp-heat invasion group (group A, n = 32), a blood stasis-induced collateral obstruction group (group B, n = 34), and a damp-heat stagnation group (group C, n = 32) according to the TCM syndrome differentiation. Another 35 normal healthy young men were enrolled as controls. We measured the contents of substance p and beta endorphin in the plasma by immunoradiometry and ELISA, and analyzed their relationship with the TCM syndrome pattern. RESULTS: The contents of plasma substance p were significantly higher in groups A ([1135.76 +/- 166.45] pg/ml), B ([1 337.84 +/- 170.81] pg/ml), and C ([1 210.01 +/- 162.27] pg/ml) than in the control ([574.99 +/- 113.09] pg/ml) (all P < 0.01), while the contents of plasma beta endorphin in groups A ([212.70 +/- 29.49] pg/ml), B ([157.99 +/- 24.01] pg/ml), and C ([180.81 +/- 20.20] pg/ml) were remarkably lower than that in the control ([274.73 +/- 27.64] pg/ml) (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In the plasma of CPPS patients, the content of substance p is significantly elevated and that of beta endorphin markedly reduced, which suggests that they may be involved in the inflammatory reaction of CPPS. The levels of plasma substance p and beta endorphin can be used as valuable reference for the TCM classification of chronic prostatitis.

[Analyse of zinc and acid phosphatase in seminal plasma and sperm parameters of infertile male].

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the relationship among zinc, acid phosphatase levels in seminal plasma and sperm parameters in infertile male. METHODS: The activities of zinc and acid phosphatase in seminal plasma were detected and leucocytes was stained and counted in 169 infertile men and 21 normal fertility as control. RESULTS: Acid phosphatase levels in infertile groups were significantly lower than those in the normal control when grouped both in terms of sperm vitality and density( P < 0.01), but no statistical differences were observed among infertile groups (P > 0.05). Further, zinc levels in necrospermia groups were lower than those in the control (P > 0.05). The leucocyte numbers in infertile groups were larger than those in the control when grouped according to sperm density (P < 0.001), and the same results were obtained when grouped in terms of sperm vitality except in the necrospermia group (P > 0.05). Acid phosphatase and zinc levels were not correlated with leucocyte counting (r = 0.088, P = 0.162; r = 0.119, P = 0.057). CONCLUSION: The descent of acid phosphatase and ascent of leucocyte number in seminal plasma can result in the fall of sperm vitality and density, and can be used to be diagnostic indexes of male infertility. Seminal zinc levels in infertile groups were lower than those in the control, but there was no statistical significance.