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INTRODUCTION: Bladder neck-sparing modification of radical retropubic prostatectomy has been reported to lower the risk of urinary incontinence after prostatectomy. We reviewed the outcomes in men with prostate cancer who had undergone prostatectomy with either bladder neck preservation or bladder neck reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 103 patients who had undergone radical retropubic prostatectomy were assessed. The patients were divided into two groups of bladder neck preservation (51 patients) and bladder neck reconstruction (52 patients). We compared frequency of biochemical failure, bladder neck stricture, and urinary incontinence between these two groups. Biochemical failure was defined as a serum prostate-specific antigen level higher than 0.2 ng/mL and its rising trend in at least 2 postoperative subsequent measurements. Continence was defined as no need to use sanitary pads or diapers. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable in terms of age, serum prostate-specific antigen level, Gleason score, and prostate volume. After a mean follow-up period of 32.5 months, all patients with bladder neck preservation and 46 (88.5%) with bladder neck reconstruction were continent (P = .03). There were no significant differences in the frequency of biochemical failure and bladder neck stricture that required dilation between the two groups of patients. CONCLUSION: Bladder neck preservation during radical retropubic prostatectomy may improve long-term results of urinary continence and be effective in eradicating prostate cancer without increasing recurrence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varicocele (VC) is widely recognized as a prevalent etiological factor contributing to male infertility. It has been established that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a significant role in the progression and development of VC. Antioxidants may regulate ROS levels in these patients. Astaxanthin (ASX) is a carotenoid compound with notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The current study postulated that the administration of ASX following varicocelectomy (VCT) could potentially enhance antioxidant status and semen quality in these patients. A total of 40 infertile males with clinical VC and abnormal semen analyses were randomly assigned to take part in the current trial. For 3 months following surgery, the intervention group took ASX (6 mg/day) while the control group received a placebo. After intervention, semen parameters, antioxidant status, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were compared between the two groups. Regarding semen parameters, antioxidant treatment led to a significant improvement in total and progressive motility in the treatment group ( p  < 0.05). Additionally, ASX led to a considerable increase in the expression levels of NRF2, Keap1, SOD2, SOD3, and BCL2, though the enhancement in the expression level of SOD3 was not statistically significant ( p  > .05). However, ASX significantly decreased the BAX expression level ( p  < .05). Even though the level of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of seminal fluid (SF) increased significantly in the treatment group ( p  < .05), the level of total oxidative stress (TOS) in SF did not differ substantially between treatment and control groups ( p  > .05). Based on inflammatory factors in SF, ASX led to a considerable reduction in levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 ( p  < .05). Our findings demonstrated that ASX treatment provides an important contribution to VCT outcomes by modulating antioxidant status and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our results indicated that ASX may be beneficial as an adjuvant therapy for infertile men following VCT., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Chimerism, a rare human disorder, is assumed to be the result of an amalgamation of two separate zygotes in a single embryo. Studies have shown that the phenotypic spectrum of chimerism is variable and there is no definite genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with chimerism, therefore a majority of cases might remain undiagnosed. This study aims to investigate the possible mechanism of the chimerism in a 46,XX/46,XY infertile and phenotypically normal male, with 46,XX blood karyotype and normal spermatogenesis. We have used Interphase-FISH analysis to study the CEPX and CEPY regions on buccal and urine samples as well as molecular analysis of polymorphic short tandem repeats (STR) markers from 34 loci in order to discover the origin of 46,XX/46,XY. Analysis of X-linked and autosomal STR markers on blood, buccal tissue, urine, fibroblast and testis biopsy samples of the proband along with the blood sample of the patient's parents and siblings, showed divergent karyotypes in different tissues and tetragametic chimerism was diagnosed., (© 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Background: Teratoasthenozoospermia (TA) is a severe form of male infertility with no clear etiology., Objective: To compare the level of intracellular anion superoxide (O 2 -), heat shock protein A2 (HSPA2) and protamine deficiencies in ejaculated spermatozoa between teratoasthenozoospermic and normozoospermic men., Materials and Methods: In this case- control study, semen samples of 20 infertile men, with TA (with normal morphology lower than 4%&#95; and total motility lower than 40% ) as the case group and 20 normozoospermic fertile men as the control group were evaluated for intracellular O 2 - and HSPA2 by flow cytometry and protamine deficiency by Chromomycin A3 (CMA3) test., Results: The rate of CMA3+ spermatozoa in the case group was higher than controls (p=0.001). The percentages of HSPA2+ spermatozoa in the cases were significantly lower than controls (p=0.001). Also, intracellular O 2 - levels in the case group were significantly higher than controls (p=0.001) and had positive correlations with sperm apoptosis (r=0.79, p=0.01) and CMA3 positive sperm (r=0.76, p=0.01), but negative correlations with normal morphology (r=-0.81, p=0.01) and motility (r=-0.81, p=0.01). There was no significant correlation between intracellular O 2 - and HSPA2 in the case group (r=0.041, p=0.79)., Conclusion: We suggest that the increase in intracellular O 2 - , decrease in spermatozoa HSPA2 + , and high percentages of spermatozoa with immature chromatin might be considered as etiologies of infertility in TA patients., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest in this article.

Biochemical and physical modifications during the freeze-thaw process adversely influence the restoration of energy-dependent sperm functions required for fertilization. Resveratrol, a phytoalexin, has been introduced to activate 5' AMP-activated protein kinase which is a cell energy sensor and a cell metabolism regulator. The cryoprotection of resveratrol on sperm cryoinjury via activation of AMP-activated protein kinase also remains to be elucidated. Our aim, thus, was to investigate: (i) the presence and intracellular localization of AMP-activated protein kinase protein; (ii) whether resveratrol may exert a protective effect on certain functional properties of fresh and post-thaw human spermatozoa through modulation of AMP-activated protein kinase. Spermatozoa from normozoospermic men were incubated with or without different concentrations of Compound C as an AMP-activated protein kinase inhibitor or resveratrol as an AMP-activated protein kinase activator for different lengths of time and were then cryopreserved. AMP-activated protein kinase is expressed essentially in the entire flagellum and the post-equatorial region. Viability of fresh spermatozoa was not significantly affected by the presence of Compound C or resveratrol. However, although Compound C caused a potent inhibition of spermatozoa motility parameters, resveratrol did not induce negative effect, except a significant reduction in motility at 25 μm for 1 h. Furthermore, resveratrol significantly increased AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased reactive oxygen species and apoptosis-like changes in frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Nevertheless, it was not able to compensate decreased sperm viability and motility parameters following cryopreservation. In contrast, Compound C showed opposite effects to resveratrol on AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, reactive oxygen species, apoptosis-like changes, mitochondrial membrane potential, and motility parameters. These findings, although preliminary, suggest that resveratrol-induced improvement of cryopreserved sperm functions may be mediated through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase, indicating the importance of AMP-activated protein kinase activity for human spermatozoa functions. Further investigations are required to elucidate the mechanism by which resveratrol ameliorates oxidative stress-mediated damages in an AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent mechanism., (© 2016 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Oxidative stress has negative impacts on the clinical outcomes of assisted reproduction techniques. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes the viability of nerve cells and is known to decrease oxidative stress and apoptosis in different cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of BDNF treatment on human sperm functions that are known to be essential for fertilisation. Our findings showed that treatment of human spermatozoa with 0.133 nM BDNF significantly increased the percentages of both total (P = 0.001) and progressive (P < 0.01) motile sperm cells compared to those observed in the nontreated (control) group. We also showed that the mean fluorescence intensity of DCFH-DA, as an indicator of intracellular reactive oxygen species, was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in spermatozoa treated with BDNF compared to the control group. Treatment of spermatozoa with BDNF significantly decreased the percentages of both dead (P = 0.001) and apoptotic-like sperm cells (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. On the other hand, BDNF treatment significantly increased the percentage of viable sperm cells compared to the control (P = 0.001). In conclusion, BDNF has protective effects against oxidative stress in spermatozoa and could improve sperm functions that are essential for sperm-egg fusion and subsequent fertilisation., (© 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Cryopreservation of spermatogonial stem cells is considered as a useful procedure for preserving fertility in children with testis cancer. SSCs were isolated from testes mice, and then antioxidant was added to the freezing medium. The Bax expression level in antioxidant groups was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower than the control group and a significant rise of Bcl2 expression was detected in the antioxidant groups. ROS production with antioxidant was significantly lower compared with the control group. Cryopreservation with the addition of the antioxidants can help increase the number of SSCs and improve the quality and viability of these cells after cryopreservation.

Background: The aim of this study is to compare serum and seminal level of leptin in the context of infertility in men according to BMI. We also investigated the possible correlation of circulating level of leptin with fertility indices., Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 193 men who consecutively attended a referral outpatient infertility clinic of Shariati Hospital. The leptin level in serum and seminal plasma were quantified by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in fertile men (n = 95) and infertile men (n = 98). All participant were ageand BMI-matched. Semen was also analyzed in terms of volume, sperm concentration (106/mL), motility (%), and morphology in all subjects prior to study. Based on body mass index (BMI) value, all participants were divided into three groups; lean, body mass index (BMI) 19 - 24.99kg/m2, overweight, BMI 25 - 29.99 kg/m2, and obese BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2., Results: Fertile and infertile men were significantly compatible regarding sperm concentration; however, we found no significant difference in case of the leptin level in serum and semen between the two studied groups (p-value = 0.5 and p-value = 0.1, respectively). In the infertile group, serum leptin level was significantly correlated with BMI (r = -0.291; p = 0.004 for the fertile group). Moreover, there was an inverse correlation between serum leptin level and sperm motility (r = -0.241; p = 0.014) in infertile men. Interestingly, among the infertile group, we observed an augmented serum level of leptin in obese men in comparison with lean (p = 0.009) and overweight (p = 0.07) individuals., Conclusions: Our findings along with other studies support this concept that increased BMI is of clinical relevance in the context of infertility in men since our data revealed an inverse correlation between seminal leptin level and BMI in infertile men. Specifically, alteration in serum level of leptin was obviously different in infertile men in terms of overweight and obesity. However, more studies are required to unravel obscure issues in this regard.

Assessment of sperm ubiquitination and DNA fragmentation as sperm functional markers are proposed to complement routine semen analysis. This study focuses on the evaluation of these markers in infertile men with varicocele or exposed to occupational background. The results were compared with normozoospermic men. Semen parameters in both groups were lower than those in the control group. Ubiquitination median, as a marker for functionality of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, was also lower in both groups. The ubiquitination median showed a significant positive correlation with motility in both groups, while it showed only a negative correlation with sperm morphology in the varicocele group. DNA fragmentation showed a significant correlation with semen parameters, in total varicocele and also total exposure groups. In conclusion, significant difference of sperm ubiquitination between normal and study groups further validates that sperm ubiquitination as a potential molecular marker for sperm evaluation in addition to routine semen analysis in clinical laboratories., (© 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

The Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) aims to systematically map the entire human proteome with the intent to enhance our understanding of human biology at the cellular level. This project attempts simultaneously to establish a sound basis for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and preventive medical applications. In Iran, current efforts focus on mapping the proteome of the human Y chromosome. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) is unique in many aspects and comprises 95% of the chromosome's length. The MSY continually retains its haploid state and is full of repeated sequences. It is responsible for important biological roles such as sex determination and male fertility. Here, we present the most recent update of MSY protein-encoding genes and their association with various traits and diseases including sex determination and reversal, spermatogenesis and male infertility, cancers such as prostate cancers, sex-specific effects on the brain and behavior, and graft-versus-host disease. We also present information available from RNA sequencing, protein-protein interaction, post-translational modification of MSY protein-coding genes and their implications in biological systems. An overview of Human Y chromosome Proteome Project is presented and a systematic approach is suggested to ensure that at least one of each predicted protein-coding gene's major representative proteins will be characterized in the context of its major anatomical sites of expression, its abundance, and its functional relevance in a biological and/or medical context. There are many technical and biological issues that will need to be overcome in order to accomplish the full scale mapping.

Objective: To investigate the pelvic floor muscle motion in men with and without chronic prostatitic/chronic pelvic pain syndrome using transabdominal ultrasound. No study has directly evaluated pelvic floor muscle mobility in individuals with and without chronic pelvic pain syndrome., Methods: A convenience sample of 40 males participated in the study. Subjects were categorized into 2 groups: those with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (n = 20) and those without chronic pelvic pain syndrome (n = 20). The amount of bladder base movement on ultrasound (normalized to body mass index) was measured in all subjects and considered as an indicator of pelvic floor muscle mobility., Results: Statistical analysis (independent t-test) revealed significant difference in transabdominal ultrasound measurements for pelvic floor muscle function between the 2 groups (P = .03, 95% CI -0.26 to -0.01)., Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that pelvic floor muscle mobility differs in the 2 groups., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report on a 25-year-old man with ectrodactyly and genital anomalies whose parents are first cousins. Their second child died 4 days after birth with severe limb defects and imperforate anus. Our patient may represent clinical variability of the acro-cardio-facial syndrome., (Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)