Analysis of semen quality of 38 905 infertile male patients during 2008-2016 in Wenzhou, China.

This study analyzed the trend in semen quality of infertile male patients in Wenzhou, China, based on the data obtained from 38 905 patients during 2008-2016 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, China). The results showed that only 24.9% of the patients had normal semen quality. For the semen quality of infertile male patients, that of the workers and 40-year-olds was significantly worse than the other occupational and age groups. For all the infertile patients, low semen volume, asthenozoospermia, and teratozoospermia accounted for 8.4%, 50.5%, and 54.1%, respectively. During 2008-2016, the annual mean percentage of fast forward motile spermatozoa, percentage of total forward motile spermatozoa, and percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology decreased linearly with slopes of -2.11, -2.59, and -0.70, respectively. The proportion of patients with asthenozoospermia and multi-abnormal spermatozoa increased during 2008-2016 with slopes of 4.70 and 4.87, respectively, while for low semen volume, it decreased with a slope of -0.47 in the same time period. The proportion of patients with teratozoospermia increased from 2008 to 2011 and from 2011 to 2016 with slopes of 17.10 and 2.09, respectively. In general, the deteriorating trend of semen quality of infertile male patients in Wenzhou was obvious. Future efforts should be made to reveal the adverse influences on semen quality, such as occupational exposure, environmental quality, and living habits. Furthermore, more pervasive reproduction health education is necessary.

[A260G and A386G single nucleotide polymorphisms of the DAZL gene are not correlated with male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of the A260G and A386G single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the DAZL gene with male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province. METHODS: We collected the peripheral blood samples from 317 idiopathic infertile males with azoospermia or oligozoospermia and 246 normal fertile men, and genotyped the polymorphic loci of the A260G and A386G polymorphisms of the DAZL gene using the SNaPshot technique. RESULTS: The DAZL gene A260G was found genetically polymorphic in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province, with the gene frequencies and their distribution consistent to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of the AA, AG and GG genotypes of the A260G polymorphism were 92.3%, 7.3%, and 0.4% respectively in the normal controls and 94.3%, 5.7%, and 0% in the infertile patients, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.43, OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.413-1.46). Heterozygosis (AG) of A386G was found in 1 of the control males but not in the infertile patients, while homozygosis (GG) of A386G was not observed in either group (P = 0.259, OR = 0.698, 59% CI: 0.374-1.306). CONCLUSION: A260G and A386G SNPs of the DAZL gene are not associated with spermatogenic failure and neither represents a molecular marker for the genetic diagnosis of male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province.

[PDE5 inhibitors for the management of temporary penile erectile dysfunction during treatment with assisted reproductive technology].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors in the management of temporary penile erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). METHODS: This study included 75 male patients that experienced ejaculation failure due to temporary ED during ART treatment. We treated the patients with PDE5 inhibitors sildenafil, tadanafil and vardenafil, and then evaluated the hardness of penile erection using Erection Hardness Score (EHS) and analyzed the end-point efficacy. RESULTS: Sildenafil was administered to 28 of the patients, tadanafil to 25, and vardenafil to 22. Of the total number of patients, 61 (81.3%) achieved effective erection, but no significant differences were observed in the rate of effectiveness among the sildenafil (24 cases, 85.7%), tadanafil (20 cases, 80.0%) and vardenafil (17 cases, 77.3%) groups (P > 0.05). After medication, 53 (70.7%) of the patients successfully ejaculated, but there were no remarkable differences in the success rate among the sildenafil (21 cases, 75.0%), tadanafil (17 cases, 68.0%) and vardenafil (15 cases, 68.2%) groups (P > 0.05). Of the 75 patients, 37 received the recommended initial dose and 38 the maximum recommended dose of PDE5 inhibitors, but no significant differences were found in the rate of successful sperm retrieval between the former (28 cases, 75.7%) and the latter group (25 cases, 65.8%) (P > 0.05). Mild adverse events, including transient flush and dizziness, occurred in 5 cases (6.7%). CONCLUSION: PDE5 inhibitors can help temporary ED patients to achieve penile erection and ejaculation during ART treatment.

The CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V in Chinese males with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens.

Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) is a frequent cause of obstructive azoospermia, and mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene have also been frequently identified in patients with CBAVD. However, the distribution of the CFTR polymorphisms M470V, poly-T, TG-repeats and F508del mutation in the Chinese CBAVD population with presumed low cystic fibrosis (CF) frequency remains to be evaluated. Samples obtained from 109 Chinese infertile males with CBAVD and 104 normal controls were analyzed for the presence of CFTR (TG)m(T)n, M470V and F508del by PCR amplification followed by direct sequencing. Our study showed that the F508del mutation was not found in our patients. The 5T mutation was present with high frequency in Chinese CBAVD patients and IVS8-5T linked to either 12 or 13 TG repeats was highly prevalent among CBAVD patients (97.22% of 72 cases and 96.91% of 97 alleles with IVS8-5T). Moreover, a statistically significant relationship between TG12-5T-V470 haplotype and CBAVD was detected. This study indicated that the CFTR polymorphisms poly-T, TG-repeats and M470V might affect the process of CBAVD in the Chinese population.

[Sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition correlate to acrosin activity and seminal parameters].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition with acrosin activity and seminal parameters. METHODS: We collected 535 semen samples, assessed sperm DNA damage by sperm chromatin dispersion test, and analyzed the correlation of sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition with acrosin activity and seminal parameters according to the WHO criteria. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed in sperm DNA damage among sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity, sperm concentration and the percentage of grade a + b sperm (P < 0.01). Sperm DNA damage was positively correlated with age, sperm-nucleoprotein transition, sperm concentration and the percentage of grade d sperm (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but negatively correlated with acrosin activity (P < 0.001). Stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that age, sperm concentration, the percentage of grade d sperm, sperm-nucleoprotein transition and acrosin activity were independent variables related to the DNA fragmentation index (DFI). The abnormality rates of sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity, sperm concentration and graded a + b sperm were significantly higher in the sperm DNA damage group (DFI > or = 30%) than in the normal control (DFI < 30%) (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Sperm DNA damage is closely related with sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity and seminal parameters, which may become another important independent parameter for the evaluation of sperm quality.

[Meiotic segregation results of male reciprocal chromosome translocations].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the meiotic segregation results of male reciprocal chromosome translocation by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). METHODS: Multi-color FISH using 3 combined probes located in any 3 chromosome segments on both sides of two breakpoints was performed on the de-condensed sperm head to analyze the sperm chromosomal contents and segregation patterns. RESULTS: Four male reciprocal translocation carriers were included in the study, with the karyotypes of 46, XY, t(2;18) (p16; q23); 46, XY, t(4;6) (q34;q21); 46, XY, t(8;13) (q23;q21) and 46, XY, t(4;5) (4q31;5q13), respectively. The results showed that 4 carriers had different proportions of various segregated spermatozoa. The spermatozoa of alternate, adjacent-1, adjacent-2, 3:1, non-disjunction in meiosis II, and 4:0 or diploidy accounted for 27.1%-49.4%, 26.9%-37.6%, 2.7%-15.7%, 8.6%-32.7%, 0.2%-1.9%, and 0.1%-0.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: For each-reciprocal translocation carrier seems to have a particular meiotic segregation results, FISH analysis on sperm head should be done for each carrier in order to provide an accurate genetic counseling.

[The effect of antioxidant enzyme on germ cell apoptosis in cryptorchidism].

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) on germ cell apoptosis in cryptorchidism. METHODS: Forty-eight immature male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the cryptorchid and the control group randomly. Testes were harvested at 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation. Germ cell apoptosis was determined by TUNEL technique, at the same time the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the level of malonic diethyl aldehyde (MDA) were detected with spectrophotometer. RESULTS: At the 7th day, as compared with the control, testicular weight, SOD activities, CAT activities and the ratio of SOD/(CAT + GSHPx) were reduced significantly(P < 0.01), GSHPx activities had no apparent change(P > 0.05), while apoptosis index and the MDA level increased predominantly in cryptorchidism(P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Germ cell apoptosis in cryptorchidism related closely to the decrease of antioxidant enzyme activity.