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Ferroptosis is a form of cell death resulting from the disruption of iron metabolism within cells and excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides. Research indicates that, under the influence of various pathogenic factors, ferroptosis impacts the male reproductive system and fertility by affecting the synthesis of testicular hormones and regulation of cellular functions through different pathways and numerators. This paper provides an overview of the action mechanisms of ferroptosis in the testis and its correlation with pathogenicity, offering some new insights into the treatment of male reproductive system diseases.

Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP) is one of the most common diseases in urology and andrology, with a complex etiology and a high incidence rate. Traditional Chinese medicine plays an important role in the treatment of CNP and can produce therapeutic effects through various action mechanisms. This article presents an overview of recent studies on the specific mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine acting on CNP, including the mechanisms underlying its effects of anti-infection, anti-inflammation, immune regulation, improvement of urodynamics, endocrine regulation, improvement of microcirculation, and regulation of gut microbiota, aiming to provide some reference for the clinical application and basic studies of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of CNP.

With the increasing attention to the relationship between male reproductive system diseases and microcirculation disorders, pancreatic kininogenase, a drug to improve microcirculation, is becoming a focus in the studies of the treatment of male reproductive diseases. It is reported recently that pancreatic kininogenase has a similar effect to type-5 phosphodiesterase inhibitors and may become a new drug for the treatment of ED. This article mainly discusses the possible action mechanisms of pancreatic kininogenase from the aspects of kallikrein-kinin system and pancreatic kininogenase promoting semen liquefaction and improving sperm quality and erectile function.

Spermatogenesis is a complex and precise process of differentiation of germ cells, which involves three stages: mitosis of spermatogonia, meiosis of spermatocytes and formation of spermatozoa. The process is controlled by many factors, including regulation of cyclins in spermatogenic cells, which plays a pivotal role. Cyclins form heterologous dimer compounds with protein kinase activity by binding to cyclin-dependent kinases, then phosphorylate multiple proteins and promote the orderly conduct of each phase of the cell cycle. In recent years, cyclins A, B, D and E have been found to play important roles in the regulation of spermatogenesis. This article presents an overview on the roles of these four cyclins in regulating the progression of spermatogenesis.

Objective: To study the safety and efficacy of Bushen Daozhuo Granules (BDG) in the treatment of type Ⅲ prostatitis., Methods: This multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial included 478 patients with type Ⅲ prostatitis, 290 in the trial group and 188 as controls, the former treated with BDG at 200 ml bid and the latter with tamsulosin hydrochloride sustainedrelease capsules at 0.2 mg qd, both for 4 weeks. Before treatment, after 4 weeks of medication, and at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal, we obtained the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIHCPSI) scores and compared the safety and effectiveness rate between the two groups of patients., Results: Compared with the baseline, the NIHCPSI score was markedly decreased in the control group after 4 weeks of medication (21.42 ± 4.02 vs 15.67 ± 3.65, P < 0.05) but showed no statistically significant difference from that at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal (19.03 ± 3.86) (P>0.05), while the NIHCPSI score in the trial group was remarkably lower than the baseline both after 4 weeks of medication and at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal (10.92 ± 2.06 and 12.91 ± 2.64 vs 21.58 ± 3.67, P < 0.05). The trial group exhibited both a higher rate of total effectiveness and safety than the control (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: BDG is safe and effective for the treatment of type Ⅲ prostatitis.

Objective: To observe the effects of Yangjing Capsule (YJC) on the ultrastructure of seminal vesicles in aged male rats, and explore its mechanism of improving the secretion of seminal vesicles., Methods: Fifty male SD rats aged 18 -20 months were randomly and equally divided into a control group, a testosterone undecanoate group, and a high-dose, a medium-dose and a low-dose YJC group, all fed intragastrically for 30 days. Then the seminal vesicles of the rats were removed and the seminal fluid squeezed into the test tube to be weighed and measured for the concentration of seminal vesicle fluid fructose, and the bilateral seminal vesicles were placed in formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde fixatives for histological observation., Results: The seminal vesicle gland viscera coefficient, seminal vesicle fluid weight and fructose concentration of the rats were (1164.5 +/- 212.6) g/g x 10(6), (0.83 +/- 0.30) g and (4.35 +/- 0.31) mg/ml in the control group, (1510.5 +/- 313.1) g/g x 10(6), (0.82 +/- 0.25) g and (5.35 +/- 0.71) mg/ml in the testosterone undecanoate group, (1484.3 +/- 262.7) g/g x 10(6), (1.14 +/- 0.18) g and (5.30 +/- 0.45) mg/ml in the high-dose YJC group, (1396.6 +/- 268.9) g/g x 10(6), (0.83 +/- 0.24) g and (4.71 +/- 0.41) mg/ml in the medium-dose YJC group, and (1475.0 +/- 305.2) g/g x 10(6), (0.74 +/- 0.28) g and (4.50 +/- 0.23) mg/ml in the low-dose YJC group. Compared with the control, high-dose YJC significantly improved seminal vesicle secretion (P < 0.05), while medium- and low-dose only achieved a trend of improvement. After HE staining, the YJC groups showed more active epithelial hyperplasia, increased cellular layers, rich and transparent cytoplasm with abundant secretory granules, fat droplets and lipofuscin, blurred glandular cavity edge, and eosinophilic intraluminal secretions, as compared with the control group. The structural change was most significant in the high-dose group. Statistically significant differences were observed in the numerical density and bulk density of the secretory granules between the YJC and control groups (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Yangjing Capsule can improve the secretion of seminal vesicles by increasing the secretory granules of the main

Objective: To observe the effect of Yangjing Capsule on the expressions of P-Erk1 and P-Akt1 in the corpus cavernosum of aged rats and to explore its action mechanism., Methods: Forty 24-month-old SD rats were equally randomized into an experimental and a control group, 10 selected from each group for detection of the eNOS expression before medication. The rats in the experimental group (n = 10) were treated intragastrically with Yangjing Capsule, while those in the control with physiological saline, both at 0.5 g per kg body weight per day for 4 weeks. Then all the rats were killed, and the corpus cavernosum tissues harvested for determination of the expressions of eNOS, P-Erk1 and P-Akt1 by HE staining, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry., Results: Obvious distension was observed in the experimental group, but not in the control. The expression of eNOS in the rat corpus cavernosum was significantly higher after treatment than before treatment in the experimental group (24.10 +/- 2.40 vs 18.80 +/- 2.04, P < 0.05), but presented no obvious difference in the control (18.15 +/- 1.98 vs 19.35 +/- 1.50, P > 0.05), and it was remarkably higher in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05). The expression of P-Erk1 was markedly lower in the experimental than in the control rats (0.71 +/- 0.13 vs 0.83 +/- 0.17, P < 0.01), but that of P-Akt1 exhibited no remarkable difference in the same condition of GAPDH between the two groups (0.58 +/- 0.17 vs 0.48 + 0.13, P > 0.01)., Conclusion: Both P-Erk1 and P-Akt were expressed in the corpus cavernosum of the aged rats. Yangjing Capsule could improve the sexual function of aged rats, which might be associated with the lowered expression of P-Erk1.

Objective: To search for an effective therapy for functional anejaculation (AE)., Methods: Fifty-five AE patients were randomized into a treatment group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 25), the former treated with Yangjing Capsule (once 5 pills, tid) and low-dose tadalafil (5 mg, qd alt, 1 h before bedtime), while the latter with oral ephedrine (25 mg before bedtime). Meanwhile, the patients were advised to expose themselves to sexual stimulation, reduce the frequency of sexual intercourses and quit masturbation. The medication lasted 1-3 months, followed by observation of the therapeutic effects., Results: The total effectiveness rate was 83.34% in the treatment group, 11 cases cured, 8 obviously improved, 6 improved and 5 unimproved, significantly higher than 40.00% in the control group, 4 cases cured, 3 obviously improved, 3 improved and 15 unimproved (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Yangiing Capsule plus low-dose tadalafil is safe and effective for the treatment of functional anejaculation.

Objective: To observe the effects of Yixin Kangtai Capsule (YKC) on sperm concentration and motility, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in aged SD rats, and to explore its possible mechanisms of action., Methods: We randomly assigned fifty 24-month-old male SD rats to five groups of equal number: blank control, testosterone undecanoate, high-dose YKC, medium-dose YKC and low-dose YKC, and treated them intragastrically with physiological saline at 10 ml/kg, testosterone un-decanoate suspension at 4 mg/kg, and YKC at 0.6 g/kg, 0.3 g/kg and 0.15 g/kg, respectively, once a day for 30 days. Then we harvested the epididymides, which were stripped of fat and envelope, cut into pieces and placed in the saline at 37 degrees C for 10 to 15 minutes. Then we detected the sperm parameters with the Weili CASA sperm analysis system, measured the levels of serum SOD and MDA, and, following HE staining, observed the histomorphological changes of the testicular tissue under the light microscope., Results: Compared with the controls, the rats treated with high-, medium- and low-dose YKC exhibited significantly increased sperm concentration ([152.3 +/- 24.0] x 10(6)/ml vs [334.5 +/- 97.7], [302.7 +/- 158.9] and [221.4 +/- 75.6] x 10(6)/ml, P < 0.05) and markedly improved sperm motility ([26.5 +/- 2.0]% vs [35.5 +/- 5.9], [33.1 +/- 5.4] and [28.4 +/- 2.1]%, P < 0.01). High-dose YKC significantly increased the level of serum SOD ([22.0 +/- 5.3] U/ml, P < 0.01) and reduced the content of MDA ([13.6 +/- 4.6] nmol/ ml, P < 0.01). Testicular histology showed that YKC induced more active proliferation of cells, and increased the number of dividing cells and that of mature sperm in the lumen, with little interstitium, abundant blood vessels, and well-developed stromal cells., Conclusion: Yixin Kangtai Capsule can improve spermatogenesis in aged SD rats by regulating the levels of SOD and MDA.

Clinically many patients with non-obstructive azoospermia cannot benefit from assisted reproductive technology for absence of spermatozoa. However, the achievement in the studies of spermatogonial stem cells has brought hope to this cohort. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of the proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells, in such aspects as related genes, growth factors, and so on.