Cytotoxicity of nonylphenol on spermatogonial stem cells via phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.

BACKGROUND: With continuous advancement of industrial society, environmental pollution has become more and more serious. There has been an increase in infertility caused by environmental factors. Nonylphenol (NP) is a stable degradation product widely used in daily life and production and has been proven to affect male fertility. However, the underlying mechanisms therein are unclear. Thus, it is necessary to study the effect and mechanism of NP on spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). AIM: To investigate the cytotoxic effect of NP on SSCs via the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway. METHODS: SSCs were treated with NP at 0, 10, 20 or 30 µmol. MTT assay was performed to evaluate the effect of NP on the proliferation of SSCs. Flow cytometry was conducted to measure SSC apoptosis. The expression of Bad, Bcl-2, cytochrome-c, pro-Caspase 9, SOX-2, OCT-4, Nanog, Nanos3, Stra8, Scp3, GFRα1, CD90, VASA, Nanos2, KIT, PLZF and PI3K/AKT/mTOR-related proteins was observed by western blot, and the mRNA expression of SOX-2, OCT-4 and Nanog was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Compared with untreated cells (0 µmol NP), SSCs treated with NP at all concentrations showed a decrease in cell proliferation and expression of Bcl-2, Nanog, OCT-4, SOX-2, Nanos3, Stra8, Scp3, GFRα1, CD90, VASA, Nanos2, KIT, and PLZF (P < 0.05), whereas the expression of Bad, cytochrome-c, and pro-Caspase 9 increased significantly (P < 0.05). We further examined the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and found that the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, mTORC1, and S6K was significantly decreased by NP at all concentrations compared to that in untreated SSCs (P < 0.05). NP exerted the greatest effect at 30 µmol among all NP concentrations. CONCLUSION: NP attenuated the proliferation, differentiation and stemness maintenance of SSCs while promoting apoptosis and oxidative stress. The associated mechanism may be related to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Ethanol locks for the prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infection: a meta-analysis of randomized control trials.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence regarding the efficacy of ethanol locks in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBI) is inconclusive. METHODS: Electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (until April 2018),were systematically searched for relevant studies. Two reviewers independently screened the retrieved records and identified RCTs that met the inclusion criteria. Relevant data were extracted for pooled analyses using Review Manager 5.3 software. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the study quality, duration of the ethanol lock, disease type and CRBI definition. Eggs' method was applied to detect publication bias. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to check the stability of the meta-analysis results. RESULTS: Ten RCTs involving 2760 patients were included in the analysis. The overall pooled result indicated that ethanol locks significantly reduced the incidence of CRBI (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.51-0.86). Subgroup analysis suggested that an ethanol lock significantly decreased the incidence of CRBI in patients with hematological diseases (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.31-0.80). An ethanol lock significantly reduced the incidence of CRBI in a2-hour ethanol lock group (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.33-0.73). The meta-analysis showed that an ethanol lock significantly reduced the incidence of CRBI according to analysis of high-(RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.47-0.94) or low-(RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46-0.95) quality studies. Meta-analysis of studies with a strict CRBI definition showed that an ethanol lock can significantly prevent CRBI (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42-0.89). The results of sensitivity analysis suggested that the pooled result was stable. Meta-analysis of adverse events showed that an ethanol lock did not increase the incidence of thrombosis (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.51-2.18) or mortality (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.90-1.08) but did result in increased nausea (RR 1.54, 95% CI 1.01-2.35), dizziness (RR 4.21, 95% CI 2.40-7.39),elevated blushing rates (RR 3.27, 95% CI 2.05-5.22) and altered taste rates (RR 2.61, 95% CI 1.93-3.54). CONCLUSIONS: An ethanol lock may play a role in the prevention of CRBI, especially in immunocompromised patients with hematological diseases.

Circumcision with "no-flip Shang Ring" and "Dorsal Slit" methods for adult males: a single-centered, prospective, clinical study.

This paper was aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness and safety of adult male circumcision using the Shang Ring™ (SR) with the no-flip technique compared with Dorsal Slit (DS) surgical method. A single-centered, prospective study was conducted at the West China Hospital, where patients were circumcised using the no-flip SR (n = 408) or the DS (n = 94) procedure. The adverse events (AEs) and satisfaction were recorded for both groups, and ring-removal time and percentage of delayed removals were recorded for the SR group. Finally, complete follow-up data were collected for 76.1% of patients (SR: n = 306; DS: n = 76). The average ring-removal time for the SR group was 17.62 ± 6.30 days. The operation time (P < 0.001), pain scores during the procedure (P < 0.001) and at 24 h postoperatively (P < 0.001), bleeding (P = 0.001), infection (P = 0.034), and satisfaction with penile appearance (P < 0.001) in the SR group were superior to those in the DS group. After two postoperative weeks, the percentage of patients with edema in the SR group (P = 0.029) was higher but no differences were found at 4 weeks (P = 0.185) between the two groups. In conclusions, the no-flip SR method was found to be superior to the DS method for its short operation time (<5 min), involving less pain, bleeding, infection, and resulting in a satisfactory appearance. However, the time for recovery from edema took longer, and patients may wear device for 2-3 weeks after the procedure.

Androgen-deprivation therapy alone versus combined with radiation therapy or chemotherapy for nonlocalized prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In this paper, we reviewed the long-term survival outcomes, safety, and quality-of-life of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) alone versus combined with radiation therapy (RT) or chemotherapy for locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). A literature search was performed using OvidSP. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the following criteria were included: including locally advanced or metastatic PCa, comparing ADT alone versus combined with any treatment method and reporting quantitative data of disease control or survival outcomes. Finally, eight RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Among these, three compared ADT versus ADT plus RT (n = 2344) and one compared ADT versus ADT plus docetaxel-estramustine (n = 413) in locally advanced PCa; two compared ADT versus ADT plus docetaxel (n = 1175) and two compared ADT versus ADT plus estramustine (n = 114) in metastatic PCa. For locally advanced PCa, the addition of RT to long-term ADT can improve the outcomes of survival and tumor control with fully acceptable adverse effects. Specially, the pooled odds ratio (OR) of overall survival (OS) was 1.43 (95% confidence interval 1.20-1.71) when compared ADT plus RT with ADT alone (P < 0.0001). For metastatic hormonally sensitive PCa, the concurrent use of docetaxel plus ADT was effective and safe (pooled OR of OS: 1.29 [1.01-1.65]: P = 0.04). In all, long-term ADT plus RT and long-term ADT plus docetaxel should be considered as proper treatment option in locally advanced and metastatic hormonally sensitive PCa, respectively. The major limitation for the paper was that only eight RCTs were available.

[Radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy for high-risk prostate cancer: An update].

Recently, the D'Amico classification system is widely used for the risk stratification of prostate cancer (PCa) , although no consensus has been reached for the definition of high-risk PCa. This system defines high-risk PCa as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level > 20 ng/ml, a Gleason score of 8-10, or a clinical stage ≥ T2c. Because high-risk PCa is prone to recurrence and metastasis after treatment, a proper initial therapy plays a crucial role. Currently, radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy are considered to be two most important options for the initial treatment of high-risk PCa although it remains controversial which is better.

Circumcision Status and Risk of HIV Acquisition during Heterosexual Intercourse for Both Males and Females: A Meta-Analysis.

In this study, we evaluated if male circumcision was associated with lower HIV acquisition for HIV (-) males and HIV (-) females during normal sexual behavior. We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases to identify studies that compared HIV acquisition for the circumcised and uncircumcised groups. The reference lists of the included and excluded studies were also screened. Fifteen studies (4 RCTs and 11 prospective cohort studies) were included, and the related data were extracted and analyzed in a meta-analysis. Our study revealed strong evidence that male circumcision was associated with reduced HIV acquisition for HIV(-) males during sexual intercourse with females [pooled adjusted risk ratio (RR): 0.30, 95% CI 0.24 0.38, P < 0.00001] and provided a 70% protective effect. In contrast, no difference was detected in HIV acquisition for HIV (-) females between the circumcised and uncircumcised groups (pooled adjusted RR after sensitivity analysis: 0.68, 95%CI 0.40-1.15, P = 0.15). In conclusion, male circumcision could significantly protect males but not females from HIV acquisition at the population level. Male circumcision may serve as an additional approach toward HIV control, in conjunction with other strategies such as HIV counseling and testing, condom promotion, and so on.

[Evaluation of greenlight photoselective vaporization of prostate and plasmakinetic resection of prostate for the treatment of eldly benign prostatic hyperplasia men with high surgical risk: a prospective randomised control trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects and safety between greenlight photoselective vaporization of prostate (PVP) and plasmakinetic resection of prostate (PRP) in eldly benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) men with high surgical risk. METHODS; Fifty three eldly BPH patients, who had the indication of surgical treatment but complicated with at least one internal disease, were randomly divided into PVP group and PRP group. The clinical data of all the patients were collected and compared between the two groups, including pre-operative and post-operative international prostate symptom score (IPSS), postvoid residual urine (PVR), urine flow rate (Qmax), quality of life (QOL) as well as prostate volume (PV), operational time, operative bleeding volume, postoperative recovery, peri-operative complications. RESULTS: The complete follow-up data of 44 patients were achieved: 21 of PVP, 23 of PRP. There were significant differences between two groups in operative bleeding, bladder irrigation time, indwelling catheter time and hospital stay (P < 0.002). The peri-operative bleeding was lower in PVP group, while the bladder irrigation time, indwelling catheter time and hospital stay were shorter in PVP group. The operation time showed no difference (P = 0.12). No significant differences were found 3 months postoperatively between two groups in all the data associated with urination (IPSS, Qmax, PVR, QOL), P > 0.05. Complications (urethrostenosis, retrograde ejaculationwere acceptable in both groups. CONCLUSION: For surgical treatment of eldly men with high surgical risk, both PVP and PRP are safe and effective with the internal disease being sufficient control.

[Circumcision with no-flip Shang Ring technique for adult males: analysis of 168 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effects of the no-flip procedure with the Chinese Shang Ring when circumcising adult males with redundant prepuce or phimosis, and to discuss its advantages and disadvantages. METHODS: Using the no-flip Shang Ring technique, we performed circumcision for 167 adult males aged 18 -72 (mean 27.8) years with redundant prepuce or phimosis, and analyzed the clinical data, including the operation time, postoperative complications, ring-removal time, and postoperative appearance of the penis. RESULTS: Complete follow-up data of 94 cases (56.29%) were obtained. The mean operation time was (5.03 +/- 0.71) minutes and the average ring-removal time was (18.83 +/- 6.70) days. The primary postoperative complications were edema (35 cases [37.23%] at 2 weeks and 9 cases [9.57%] at 4 weeks), including 2 severe cases (2.13%), and infection (3 cases [3.19%]). The pain scores were 2.01 +/- 2.46 during the procedure and 4.52 +/- 2.53 at 24 hours postoperatively. Slipping of the outer ring occurred in 1 case, and delayed removal of the ring in 30 cases (31.91%). CONCLUSION: Adult male circumcision with the no-flip Shang Ring technique is recommended for its short operation time, simple procedure, fewer postoperative complications, less pain, and better incision appearance.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic management method of Castleman's disease in the adrenal gland: two cases report and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Castleman's disease (CD) is a rare and complex disease of lymphoid tissues typically involving a mediastinal mass. CD in the adrenal area is an even rarer occurrence. In the present study, two extremely rare cases of adrenal Castleman's disease at our hospital are reported, and the relevant literatures were reviewed. Significant findings: A 51-year-old woman had abdominal pain for 1 month. Physical examination revealed a mass in the left abdominal. A computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the presence of the mass. Additionally, a left suprarenal mass was detected in a 56-year-old male patient during a regular medical checkup. He had no symptoms when he arrived at our hospital. The two patients underwent mass excision via a retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach. Postoperative histopathological examination of both patients' specimens suggested a diagnosis of the hyaline vascular-type of CD. CONCLUSIONS: These two rare cases confirm that CD can occur in the adrenal gland area. In addition, we also demonstrate that retroperitoneoscopic surgical management is effective in the treatment of the disease.

[No-flip method versus external method for Shang Ring circumcision: a meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect and safety of the no-flip method versus the external method in Shang Ring circumcision. METHODS: We searched relevant randomized controlled trials published in China and abroad comparing the no-flip method and external method of Shang Ring circumcision. Based on the Cochrane Handbook for systematic review, two reviewers independently eval- uated the quality of the included studies and abstracted relevant data, followed by a meta-analysis using the statistical software Review Manager 5.1.0. RESULTS: Totally 7 studies with 1 200 cases were included. Compared with the external method, the no-flip method was associated with a lower total rate of complications (RR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.87, P = 0.02), a lower incidence of postop- erative edema (RR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.81, P = 0.02), and a lower 24 h postoperative pain score (MD = -0.35, 95% CI: -0.55, -0.14, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The no-flip method of Shang Ring circumcision was superior to the external method for its advantages of fewer complications, lower incidence of postoperative edema, and mild postoperative pain. However, our findings need further support by more high-quality randomized controlled trials.