[Jiarong Tablets combined with Testosterone Undecanoate Capsules for late-onset hypogonadism in males: A multicentered clinical trial].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jiarong Tablets (JRT) combined with Testosterone Undecanoate Capsules (TUC) in the treatment of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in males. METHODS: This randomized open multicentered clinical trial included 200 cases of LOH meeting the inclusion, which were equally randomized into a control (aged ï¼»51.09 ± 5.6ï¼½ yr) and a trial group (aged ï¼»50.46 ± 5.2ï¼½ yr) to be treated with oral TUC (40 mg, bid) and TUC+JRT (0.92 g, tid) respectively for 12 successive weeks. We obtained the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) and IIEF-5 scores, serum total testosterone (TT) content, red blood cell (RBC) count, hepatic and renal function indexes and glucose and total PSA levels before and after treatment, and compared them between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Totally, 191 of the LOH patients completed the experiment, 95 in the control and 96 in the trial group. After 12 weeks of treatment, the patients in the trial group, compared with the controls, showed significant improvement in the AMS score (20.6 ± 5.7 vs 31.9 ± 6.1, P < 0.05), IIEF-5 score (20.3 ± 3.1 vs 16.3 ± 3.8, P < 0.05) and serum TT level (ï¼»16.1 ± 3.9ï¼½ vs ï¼»12.7 ± 3.4ï¼½ nmol/L, P < 0.05). There were no significant adverse events or abnormalities in the RBC count, hepatic and renal functions, or glucose and total PSA levels in the two groups of patients before and after medication. CONCLUSIONS: JRT combined with TUC is safe and effective and superior to TUC alone in the treatment of LOH in males.

Decreased testosterone secretion index and free testosterone level with multiple symptoms for late-onset hypogonadism identification: a nationwide multicenter study with 5980 aging males in China.

Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is a syndrome in middle-aged and elderly men caused by age-related testosterone deficiency. Age-related change of total testosterone (TT) of Asian males is different from Caucasian population, suggesting difference for LOH identification in Asians. A nationwide cross-sectional study involving six centers in China was conducted. Totally 6296 men aged 40-79 were recruited. After exclusions 5980 men were left for analyses. The serum TT level, was neither decreased with aging nor correlated with most hypogonadal symptoms. Instead, ten hypogonadal symptoms were found to be significantly correlated with free testosterone and testosterone secretion index, thus were chosen to form a concise scale. Further analysis identified a level of free testosterone <210 pmol/L, testosterone secretion index <1.8, and the concise scale score ≧17 could be diagnosed as having significantly aggravated LOH. This study developed an evidence-based criteria for LOH identification in Chinese population and may be adopted in other Asians. It includes the impaired testosterone secretion ability and deficiency of bioavailable testosterone, which should be the main cause in LOH pathogenesis despite normal TT levels, as well as correlated multiple hypogonadal symptoms. Our results may guide the LOH treatment to increase testicular function of testosterone secretion and bioavailable testosterone.

[Infection of Chlamydia trachomatis and apoptosis of spermatogenic cells].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between infection of Chlamydia Trachomatis(Ct) and apoptosis of spermatogenic cells. METHODS: Apoptotic spermatogenic cells were examined by Wright-Giemsa staining and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate(dUTP)-biotin nick-end labeling(TUNEL) technique. RESULTS: Apoptosis rate of Ct infective group was significantly higher than that of normal group(P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Ct infection may cause the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, which affords an objective evidence for illustrating the mechanism of Ct-infection-induced male infertility.