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Background: The monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) has become a novel inflammation marker with a possible association with erectile dysfunction (ED); however, there are fewer studies exploring the association between MHR and ED. Aim: This study sought to explore the association between MHR and ED. Methods: This study population was drawn from participants in two 2-year cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2002 and 2003-2004). MHR was calculated as the ratio of monocyte count (103 cells/μL) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL). The relationship between MHR and ED was explored using survey-weighted logistic regression models with MHR as a continuous variable and divided into tertiles (tertile 1 [T1]: <0.01; T2: 0.01-0.014; T3: >0.014). We also used a smooth curve fit (penalized spline method) to characterize the dose-response relationship between MHR and ED. In addition, subgroup analyses based on age, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease were performed to further analyze the data. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to further assess the stability of the results. Outcomes: The main outcome measure was the difference in ED prevalence between MHR levels. Results: A total of 1361 participants were enrolled, with 513 (T1), 438 (T2), and 410 (T3) participants in the 3 MHR groups. After adjusting for all potential covariates, survey-weighted logistic regression analyses showed a significant association between MHR and ED (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-3.05). When MHR was used as a categorical variable, the adjusted OR for ED prevalence increased significantly with increasing MHR after adjusting for all potential covariates (T3 vs T1: OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.29-3.55). The dose-response curves showed that the prevalence of ED increased with increasing MHR. Clinical Implications: Easy to access and low cost, MHR is a convenient clinical tool that helps clinicians in the prevention and treatment of ED. Strengths and Limitations: The present study is the first to examine the association between MHR and ED nationally representative data. However, the study population was derived from a U.S. database, so the findings are limited to the U.S. population. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that MHR levels were independently associated with ED and that ED patients had higher MHR levels, suggesting that MHR may be a valuable predictor for identifying people at higher risk for ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients was reported rarely and with small sample. Aim The study sought to explore the prevalence of ED in men with AS and to determine whether AS is a risk factor for ED. Methods A systematic search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Database, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The search was restricted to the articles published up to October 2022. Assessment tools adapted for prevalence studies were used to evaluate the quality of cross-sectional studies, and the quality of case-control studies was assessed by Newcastle–Ottawa scale. The relative risk (RR) and the standard mean difference (SMD) were used to evaluate the association between AS and ED. The subgroup analyses were conducted to identify the resources of heterogeneity. The sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the stability of the pooled estimates. Data were analyzed and graphed using STATA 16.0. Outcomes The pooled prevalence of ED in AS patients was calculated and the RR and the SMD were used to evaluate the association between AS and ED. Results A total of 393 AS patients, enrolled in the 8 included studies, were assessed for the prevalence of ED. The pooled ED prevalence estimate was 44% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25% to 63%, P <.001) with the statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 95.1%, P <.001). After pooling the data for RR, the results showed that men with AS were at a significantly higher risk for ED when compared with the general population without AS (RR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.28 to 3.25, P =.003; heterogeneity: I2 = 72.6%, P =.003). The pooled results of 5 studies, which provided the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score, demonstrated that patients with AS had significantly lower values in the IIEF erectile function domain as compared with the healthy control subjects (SMD, −0.60; 95% CI, −0.80 to −0.41; P <.001; heterogeneity: I2 = 34.4%, P =.192). Additionally, the other domain of the IIEF also showed lower values when compared with the general population without AS (P <.05). Clinical Implications The present meta-analysis provides evidence of the management of ED in men with AS. Strengths and Limitations This is the first meta-analysis to provide the prevalence of ED in AS patients and to demonstrate that AS is a risk factor for ED. However, the results after pooling the included studies showed significant heterogeneity. Conclusion Our meta-analysis demonstrated the high prevalence of ED in men with AS and that AS is a potential risk factor for ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To carry out a real-life retrospective, multicenter survey on the prevalence, subtype, and proposed treatments of premature ejaculation in China. Methods: Real-life data were provided by 8 major Centers from China, selected as active in basic and clinical research on PE and participating to international meetings of sexual medicine and andrology. Centers provided a filled survey containing relevant information concerning PE prevalence, pathogenesis and treatment. Results: In 2019, among 156,486 patients coming to the centers, 32,667 visits having PE as the chief complaint were performed (20.9%). Almost all patients received treatment prescriptions (32,641 patients, 99.92%); 23,273 patients came back for a follow-up visit in the subsequent 12 months (71.2% of those who initially received treatment). Dapoxetine, either alone or in combination with another therapy, was the most prevalent treatment, prescribed to 22,767 patients (69.7% of treated patients), followed by Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (39.4%). At follow-up, 8174 patients were unsatisfied with treatment, and a new treatment was proposed (35.12%). Dapoxetine was the best treatment, with an overall 27.1% switching rate when used either alone or in combination: while the switching rate for Dapoxetine alone was 44.2%, the association of the same drug with psychotherapy resulted in much lower rates (19.5%) and reached a minimum of 12% when also combined with TCM demonstrating how cultural aspects and medical attitudes may dramatically impact on the therapy of a multifaceted, complex, and culture-grounded sexual symptom such as PE. Conclusions: Taking switching rates as surrogate markers of treatment failure, this real-life study – the largest in the field - shows that in a more patient-oriented (as in Chinese medical culture), and less symptom-oriented (as in Western medical attitudes), Dapoxetine is a successful treatment for PE patients, with higher reliability when used alone or as part of combined and integrated therapies. Conflicts of Interest: EAJ is or has been a speaker and/or paid consultant for Bayer, Ibsa, Lundbeck, Menarini, Merk-Serono, Otsuka, Pfizer, Shionogi, and Viatris. AS has been a paid consultant for Menarini. All others declare not to have any competing interest for the present manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that NITRATE REGULATORY GENE2 (NRG2), which we identified using forward genetics, mediates nitrate signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. A mutation in NRG2 disrupted the induction of nitrate-responsive genes after nitrate treatment by an ammonium-independent mechanism. The nitrate content in roots was lower in the mutants than in the wild type, which may have resulted from reduced expression of NRT1.1 (also called NPF6.3 , encoding a nitrate transporter/receptor) and upregulation of NRT1.8 (also called NPF7.2 , encoding a xylem nitrate transporter). Genetic and molecular data suggest that NRG2 functions upstream of NRT1.1 in nitrate signaling. Furthermore, NRG2 directly interacts with the nitrate regulator NLP7 in the nucleus, but nuclear retention of NLP7 in response to nitrate is not dependent on NRG2. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that genes involved in four nitrogen-related clusters including nitrate transport and response to nitrate were differentially expressed in the nrg2 mutants. A nitrogen compound transport cluster containing some members of the NRT / PTR family was regulated by both NRG2 and NRT1.1 , while no nitrogen-related clusters showed regulation by both NRG2 and NLP7. Thus, NRG2 plays a key role in nitrate regulation in part through modulating NRT1.1 expression and may function with NLP7 via their physical interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]