Andrologia

This study is aimed at establishing the effects of varying sperm quality on IVF-ICSI/IMSI outcomes in unexpected poor ovarian responder subjects of POSEIDON groups 1 and 2. In the present study, 1,263 couples with female partners who fulfilled the POSEIDON group 1 and 2 criteria were recruited. All couples underwent ICSI or IMSI at Morula IVF Jakarta Clinic, Indonesia. Patients were subsequently classified into six groups, according to semen conditions of the respective male partners: (1) normozoospermic, (2) teratozoospermia, (3) oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT), (4) asthenozoospermia, (5) severe OAT, and (6) cryptozoospermia. Laboratory and clinical outcomes of the IVF-ICSI/IMSI program were then evaluated. Early and late embryonic development parameters including the number of fertilization, cleavage and blastocyst stages, and blastocyst quality differed significantly among the different sperm quality groups (). No difference was observed in the number of embryo transfers and clinical pregnancy among the studied groups (). Our study has demonstrated the effect of sperm quality on embryo development at the early and later stages; however, the clinical pregnancy was not impaired in the unexpected poor responders of POSEIDON groups 1 and 2.

In the present work, we examined the beneficial efficacy of chrysin as a natural flavonoid on testicular torsion/detorsion damages among adult male rats. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into six groups: sham, torsion/detorsion (TD) group, TDC30 group in which TD process was applied and treated with chrysin (30 mg/kg), TDC50 group in which TD process was applied and treated with chrysin (50 mg/kg), HC30 group in which animals were treated with chrysin (30 mg/kg), and HC50 group in which rats were treated with chrysin (50 mg/kg). Serum samples were tested for testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. The sperm parameters, histopathological analysis, and expressions of apoptosis-related genes were examined among different groups. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the testicles and serum were measured. Serum levels of SOD, GPx, FSH, LH, and “Bax” expression significantly increased in the TD group compared to the sham group (). Sperm parameters, serum testosterone level, Johnson’s scores, seminiferous tubule diameter, the height of the germinal epithelium (HE) measurements, and expression of “Bcl2” meaningfully decreased (). Administration of chrysin impeded ischemia/reperfusion damages in testis tissue and improved sperm quality. The result of our study indicates that treatment with chrysin can protect testis tissue from ischemia/reperfusion damages induced by TD procedure.

Introduction. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is characterized by the inability to achieve and/or maintain an erection during sexual activity. Vascular-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, aging, and hypertension are known risk factors that increase the prevalence of ED. The viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19, can evolve into mild to severe forms. Patients with comorbidities such as diabetes and obesity present a more severe state of the disease. The cytokine storm and reactive oxygen species associated with COVID-19 can lead to progressive systemic inflammation and vascular dysfunction. This study is aimed at assessing the in vitro effects of serum obtained from unvaccinated men who had the severe form of COVID-19 in isolated corpus cavernosum (CC) from healthy mice. Methods. Concentration-response curves to endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent substances were carried out in isolated CC from mice after being incubated (3 hours) with serum obtained from patients with and without (control group) the severe form of COVID-19. qRT-PCR and western blotting were also carried out. Results. The relaxing responses induced by acetylcholine (ACh), a nitric oxide donor (sodium nitroprusside), soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator (BAY 63-2521), and phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor (tadalafil) were significantly reduced in CC incubated with COVID-19 serum when compared with CC incubated with the control serum. Nonetheless, the relaxation induced by the sGC activator BAY 58-2667 was unaffected in CC stimulated with the COVID-19 serum. The coincubation of control or COVID-19 serum with a free radical scavenger (PEG-SOD; 150 UI/mL, 3 hours) significantly improved the relaxation induced by ACh. On the other hand, catalase did not improve ACh-induced relaxation in CC incubated with the sera. The gene expression for PDE5 and NADPH oxidase type 4 was increased in CC stimulated with COVID-19 serum in comparison to tissues stimulated with the control serum. The protein expression for sGC subunits was similar in both groups. Conclusion. Serum obtained from unvaccinated men who presented the severe form of COVID-19 impaired the relaxation induced by cyclic guanosine monophosphate-accumulating substances in CC from mice.

The impact of depression on spermatogenic function and protein expression was investigated by reference to a bioinformatics database for the prediction of key targets and pathways. Experimental validation was performed using a rat model established using the chronic restraint stress method. Organ coefficients and semen parameters were measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to compare testicular tissue between model and control rats. Western blotting and RT–qPCR were conducted to evaluate protein and mRNA expression. As a result, depression and male infertility (MI) were found to share 81 common targets, and the PI3K/Akt/FOXO1 signaling pathway was involved in both conditions. Animal experiments showed testis and epididymis coefficients to be lower in the model group. HE staining showed damage to the seminiferous tubules of model rats. PI3K and p-Akt mRNA and protein were present at lower levels and FOXO1 at higher levels in the model group. Depression led to reduced spermatogenic function in rats and might be associated with differential expression of the PI3K/Akt/FOXO1 signaling pathway.

Introduction. Medications such as antioxidants and recombinant FSH are prescribed to improve sperm DFI (DNA fragmentation index) and treat infertility. Due to the high cost and duration of medications, in this study, we decided to investigate the effectiveness of combining these two medications with lower doses and in less time, compared to previous studies prescribing them individually, to reduce sperm DFI in infertile men. Methods. This study, a retrospective observational before and after trial, included a group () of men aged 18-50 years with suffering from male factor infertility in an andrology clinic in Tehran, Iran, from 2019 to 2020. Patients received the combination of two medications, recombinant FSH every 5 days (75 IU subcutaneously) and an antioxidant every day (selenium, vitamin E, CoQ10, and folic acid) for 2 months. The patient’s sperm DFI and sperm parameters have been measured before and after the medication and were reported in patient’s files. In all patients, we compare the sperm DFI and sperm parameters before and after the treatment to evaluate the effect of the combination therapy. Results. The sperm DFI was significantly reduced ( value ≤0.001) in the patients treated by the combined medication. The sperm DFI improvement was 50.16% in the total population. However, there were no significant changes in other sperm parameters such as sperm concentration, total motility, progressive motility, immotile sperms, and abnormal morphology. Total sperm count and nonprogressive motility had significant changes statistically. Conclusion. Sperm DFI is an important indicator for evaluating the quality of semen. In this study, we demonstrate that the combination of recombinant FSH and antioxidants in a shorter time and with lower doses is effective in reducing DFI significantly. But in terms of other sperm parameters, it does not make a significant difference.

The prevalence of alcohol abuse and HIV/AIDS is high in males of reproductive age; unfortunately, a high incidence of alcohol intake has been reported in HIV/AIDS patients including those on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Incidentally, alcohol and cART use have each been implicated in male reproductive dysfunction. Therefore, the interactive effects of alcohol and cART on reproductive hormone levels, testicular connective tissue, and androgen receptor and Ki-67 expression were evaluated in HIV naïve adult male Sprague Dawley rats. Adult male rats were divided into four groups: control, alcohol (A), cART, and A+cART. Animals were terminated after 90 days of treatment; then, the blood and testis were extracted for analysis. Special staining for testicular connective tissue, immunoassay for reproductive hormones, and immunohistochemistry for androgen receptor and Ki-67 were conducted. The study found significantly () increased thickness of seminiferous tubule basement membrane in the cART group and testicular capsule in the A+cART group. Collagen, reticulin, and elastin fibers decreased significantly in all the treated groups, except for reticulin in the testis of A group animals. With exception of luteinizing hormone in the cART group, all the treated groups had significantly elevated levels of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones, but no significant () difference was found in their testosterone and inhibin B levels. The number of Sertoli and Leydig cells expressing androgen receptor reduced significantly in all the treated groups, except for A group’s number of Sertoli cells expressing androgen receptor. Further, in all the treated groups, Ki-67 expression significantly reduced relative to control. In this study, with exception of seminiferous tubule basement membrane, all study parameters were greatly altered in the A+cART group; we suggest that the exacerbated androgen receptor depletion recorded in the A+cART group might have led to the observed severe testicular structural alteration and spermatogenesis derangement.