Archives of Andrology (ARCH ANDROLOGY)

Publications in this journal

• Article: Molecular evolution of the six internal genes of H5N1 equine influenza A virus.

  Abdel-Moneim AS, Shehab GM, Abu-Elsaad AA
  Archives of Andrology 01/2011; 156(7):1257-62..
• Article: Male fertility of kidney transplant patients with one to ten years of evolution using a conventional immunosuppressive regimen.

  R De Celis, N Pedrón-Nuevo
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  ABSTRACT: The reproductive functions and hormone serum levels of 55 male kidney transplant recipients were assessed. Patients underwent peritoneal dialysis before transplantation and were given immunosuppressive therapy afterward for 1 to 10 years. Spermatobioscopies were performed, and serum urea, creatinine, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), and testosterone (T) levels were determined. Average serum urea and creatinine levels were 54.6+/-1.4 and 3+/-1.3 mg/dL, respectively. The average serum hormone levels were 3.2+/-2 mIU/mL (LH), 6.3+/-1.7 mIU/mL (FSH), 11.7+/-1.5 ng/mL (PRL), and 23+/-1.4 pg/mL (T). Libido reduction was reported in 88% of patients within 8 months following transplantation. Normozoospermia was seen in 47.3% of the patients, asthenozoospermia in 18.2% oligozoospermia in 14.5%, while oligoteratozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, oligoasthenozoospermia, oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, and azoospermia were seen in the rest. Twenty-six patients procreated one or more children after transplantation; 36.6% of those children were premature but nonetheless healthy. No association existed between the post-transplant period and urea or creatinine levels. Significant differences were found when LH levels and sperm motility were assessed. Also, statistically significant differences were found when duration of dialysis, FSH levels, sperm counts, morphology, and motility between posttransplant fertile and infertile patients were correlated. In conclusion, there was an adequate recovery of sexual and reproductive functions in most patients subjected to kidney transplantation and conventional immunosuppressants.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 42(1):9-20.
• Article: Role of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in spontaneous gynecomastia of adolescents.

  S Villalpando, L Mondragón, C Barrón, E Pérez-Pastén, G Castañeda, R Alonso-Uriarte, V Cortés-Gallegos
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  ABSTRACT: To test a possible hormonal mechanism of gynecomastia at puberty, a group of pubertal spontaneous gynecomastia (PSG) and healthy young volunteers (HYV), Tanner's stage II-V, were studied. Peripheral blood samples were obtained for measuring follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estradiol (E-2) and estrone (E-1). No difference was established in steroids in pituitary hormonal concentration when both groups were compared on a sexual stage-matched control basis, except for T 2 SD in 5/9 subjects of PSG and DHT 2 SD in all of PSG. The T:DHT ratio varied from 5.0 to 15.4 in PSG and from 0.42 to 2.224 in HYV. Whether spontaneous gynecomastia might exist in an enzimatic blockade of 5 alpha-reductase and whether a decrease in the T:DHT ratio might favor the estrogen action for the progression of breast enlargement deserve further analysis.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 28(3):171-6.
• Article: Clinical and radiological evaluation of ejaculatory duct obstruction.

  Mehmet Ruhi Onur, Irfan Orhan, Yrfan Orhan, Fatih Firdolas, Fatih Fýrdolaş, Rahmi Onur, Ercan Kocakoç
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  ABSTRACT: Ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO) is a rare but surgically correctable cause of male infertility. With the advent and increased use of transrectal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging, abnormalities of the ejaculatory duct (ED) related to infertility have been diagnosed more frequently. Recently, with the increased awareness of functional obstruction of ED, reports have been focusing on the diagnosis of partial or functional EDO. We present 2 review of the ED pathologies, imaging modalities and treatment options.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 53(4):179-86.
• Article: Restoration of testicular transferrin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and spermatogenesis by exogenously administered purified FSH and testosterone in medically hypophysectomized rats.

  N Itoh, A Nanbu, H Tachiki, K Akagashi, T Nitta, N Mikuma, T Tsukamoto, Y Kumamoto
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  ABSTRACT: To investigate the relation between testicular transferrin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) secreted by Sertoli cells and the differentiation of germ cells in the rat, testosterone and/or purified FSH was administered to rats medically hypophysectomized by an LH-RH agonist. Spermatogenesis was quantitatively analyzed and concentrations of intratesticular transferrin and IGF-1 were measured by radioimmunoassays. The last step of spermatogenesis was quantitatively restored by combined administration of testosterone and purified FSH. Intratesticular IGF-1 concentrations were significantly increased by combined administration of testosterone and purified FSH. From these observations, it is surmised that IGF-1 may have a stimulatory effect on the last step of spermatogenesis.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 33(3):169-77.
• Article: Corrosion casts of convoluted testicular arteries in mice and rats.

  Hayato Terayama, Munekazu Naito, Yoichi Nakamura, Akira Iimura, Masahiro Itoh, Yuichi Tamatsu, Kazuyuki Shimada
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  ABSTRACT: The preparation of vascular corrosion casts enables us to observe the minute features of blood vessels. For mice and rats, reports on the macroscopical appearance of testicular arteries with the cast technique have been quite limited. Therefore, in the present study, we tried to prepare corrosion casts of such arteries in order to observe the three-dimensional structures in mice and rats. Vascular casts of testicular arteries were produced by intravenous injection of a polymethylmethacrylate solution, followed by treatment of the whole animal bodies with NaOH. Additionally, the gross appearance of human testicular arteries in cadavers was compared with that of the vascular casts. The results showed that the testicular arteries of humans, mice, and rats run from the abdominal aorta to the testes, with various configurations (straight, meandering, spiral, or coiled forms), and each species exhibits a specific pattern. The specific forms of testicular arteries may play several roles in protection of normal spermatogenesis, such as allowing wide mobility of the testes on physical attack, heat emission with the entwined pampiniform plexus, and reduction of the blood flow rate. The great extension of the testicular arteries during the fetal period from the upper abdomen to the scrotum when the testes descend might be another feature of the specific development of their running configuration.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 51(6):471-80.
• Article: Minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

  K-H Tsui, G-H Sun, S-T Huang, T-M Wang, S-H Lee, P-L Chang
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  ABSTRACT: Radical prostatectomy is still the gold standard for treating patients with clinically localized cancer. A total of 33 consecutive patients underwent minilaparotomy radical prostatectomy by a single surgeon. The minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy was performed via an eight-centimeter lower midline incision and a Book Walter retractor for surgical assistance. Mean patient age was 65 years (range 47 to 74). Tumor stages were observed as 12.1% of total for T1c, 21.2% for T2a, 45.5% for T2b, 6% for T3a and 15.2% for T3b. Satisfactory continence was achieved in 80% of the patients. 85% of patients revealed a prostate-specific antigen at a serum concentration of less than 0.2 ng/ml. Minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy compares favorably with standard radical retropubic prostatectomy.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 50(1):23-5.
• Article: Sperm apoptosis in nonpregnant luteal phase sera after in vitro fertilization as assessed by comparative genomic hybridization.

  C L Bouma, W C Patton, J D Jacobson, A King, P J Chan
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  ABSTRACT: Toxicity in serum has been reported in cases of recurrent spontaneous abortions and endometriosis. The null hypothesis was that serum toxicity was not involved in failed pregnancies after in vitro fertilization procedures. The objective was to expose donor sperm to pregnant versus nonpregnant patient sera and analyze for sperm DNA damaging effects using a novel comparative genomic hybridization method. Luteal phase sera (N = 21 cases) were drawn one week after embryo transfer. Colloid-washed donor sperm were incubated (48 h, 37 degrees C, 5% CO2 in air) in 0% or 50% sera. Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) of control sperm were stained in Hoechst 33342 and hybridized to Sybr Gold-stained ssDNA of sera-treated sperm. Image analyses were performed and fluorescent intensities analyzed. Nonpregnant patient sera (57% of cases) were associated with DNA fragmentation (64.4 +/- 8.8 pixels; mean +/- S.E.M.) when compared with pregnant patient sera (106.3 +/- 8.4 pixels). There were no differences in the sera of biochemical (108.2 +/- 15.3) versus clinical pregnancy cases (105.3 +/- 11.4). The results suggest that nonpregnant patient sera contained factor(s) that cause DNA fragmentation leading to pregnancy losses.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 50(1):41-4.
• Article: Quality control, quality assurance, and proficiency testing in the andrology laboratory.

  Brooks A Keel
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  ABSTRACT: The primary goal of any andrology laboratory should be the performance of accurate, reproducible, high-quality, and clinically relevant laboratory testing. An underlining objective of such a goal is to better serve the ordering physician, and the patient, by continually improving laboratory performance. Quality control (QC) is the procedure that determines accurate and reproducible testing. Proficiency testing (PT) is the process allowing physicians to compare results from one laboratory to another. Quality assurance (QA) is the mechanism ensuring high-quality, clinically relevant testing. Together, QC, QA, and PT serve as the foundation responsible for a program that continually improves the overall quality of the testing, allowing the physician ordering the test to be more effective in treating the patient. Several examples are presented to assist the implementation of effective QC and QA programs aimed at continually improving performance in the andrology laboratory.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 48(6):417-31.
• Article: Recovery and cryopreservation of Spanish ibex epididymal spermatozoa.

  Julián Santiago-Moreno, Adolfo Toledano-Díaz, Jesús Dorado, Antonio Pulido-Pastor, Miguel Angel Coloma, Antonio López-Sebastián
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  ABSTRACT: A Tris-citric acid-glucose (TCG) diluent containing low concentrations (6%) of egg yolk, and a TCG extender containing lactose (without egg yolk), were compared for use in the cryopreservation of Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) epididymal spermatozoa. To optimize the collection of epididymal spermatozoa, two spermatozoa recovery methods were tested: i) by using small cuts in the cauda epididymides and ii) by the application of air pressure (from a syringe) inside the vas deferens. The percentage of viable spermatozoa recovered was lower (P < 0.05) with the air pressure method. No significant differences were seen in the efficacy of the two diluents as determined by percentage viability of thawed sperm, membrane integrity (as determined by the hypo-osmotic swelling test), or acrosome integrity. The use of the TCG-lactose medium strongly reduced sperm motility (P < 0.001). The sperm samples that had been diluted with TCG-6% egg yolk extender showed a greater incidence (P < 0.05) of morphological abnormalities. TCG-lactose alone, does not well preserve motility when cryopreserving Spanish ibex epididymal spermatozoa.
  Archives of Andrology 07/2009; 53(6):309-16.
• Article: Chromosomal abnormalities and polymorphisms in Mexican infertile men.

  E I Cortés-Gutiérrez, R M Cerda-Flores, M I Dávila-Rodríguez, R Hernández-Herrera, J Vargas-Villarreal, C H Leal-Garza
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  ABSTRACT: A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of chromosome abnormalities and normal variable chromosome features (polymorphisms) in infertile men from northeastern Mexico. Karyotyping was carried out in 326 men with diagnosis of infertility. The sperm counts showed 204 patients with oligozoospermia, 87 with azoospermia and 35 normozoospermia. Five patients with oligozoospemia and two with azoospermia presented chromosome abnormalities. Nonzoospermic men did not show chromosomal abnormalities. Polymorphisms of heterochromatin and satellite length showed a significant increased in oligozoospermic and azoospermic men with respect to normozoospermic men, respectively. This study reports the prevalence of chromosome abnormalities, polymorphisms of heterochromatin length, and polymorphisms in satellites in Mexican infertile men. The prevalence in this study was similar to other studies in world literature.
  Archives of Andrology 01/2004; 50(4):261-265.
• Article: Time-related decline in sperm motility patterns in men with cytotoxic antibodies.

  X Shuxiang, C C Tsai, H O Williamson, S Mathur
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  ABSTRACT: Sperm motility patterns in semen from 10 fertile nonautoimmune men (fertile control group) and 33 infertile men with various titers of cytotoxic sperm antibodies in their seminal plasma (group 1: titers less than or equal to 16, n = 6; group 2: titers 64 to 512, n = 12; group 3: titers greater than or equal to 1024, n = 15) were evaluated every 2 hours for 12 hours and finally at 24 hours. A significant decline in sperm swimming speed and linearity was observed at 6 hours in semen from 27 infertile men with sperm antibodies. Beginning at 8 hours, semen from sperm antibody-positive men in group 2 showed a significant decline in percentage motile sperm (p less than 0.001) compared to the fertile controls. The percentage motility in semen of donors in groups 1 and 3 was significantly lower than that in semen of fertile donors at 10 hours (p less than 0.05), 12 hours (p less than 0.01), and 24 hours (p less than 0.001). The mean velocity in groups 2 and 3 was significantly less than that in fertile controls at 10 and 12 hours (p less than 0.05). The linearity of sperm motility started to decline 4 hours after semen samples were obtained from sperm antibody-positive groups 2 and 3 in contrast to sperm antibody-negative fertile or infertile groups (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that the presence of cytotoxic sperm antibodies in the seminal plasma adversely affects sperm linearity as early as 4 hours after semen collection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 24(3):267-75.
• Article: Oxytocinase activity in human spermatozoa and its possible role in fertilization.

  A C Roy, S S Ratnam
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  ABSTRACT: Human spermatozoa were extracted with 1% Triton X-100 and analyzed for oxytocinase (E.C. 3.4.11.3) activity by means of two synthetic peptides. S-benzyl-L-cysteine-p-nitroanilide (BCN) and L-leucine-p-nitroanilide (LN), separately as substrates. The specific activity (mean +/- SD) of this proteolytic enzyme at Vmax in eight different extracts was 0.150 +/- 0.072 and 1.392 +/- 0.602 mIU/10(6) cells using BCN and LN, respectively. The enzyme showed optimal activity at pH 7.2 when BCN was the substrate, and at pH 7.4 with LN as the substrate. Spermatozoal oxytocinase activity may be involved directly or indirectly in the reproductive mechanisms leading to sperm acrosome reaction and fertilization.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(1):1-4.
• Article: Pregnancy after brompheniramine treatment of a diabetic with incomplete emission failure.

  W B Schill
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  ABSTRACT: Ejaculation disorders in diabetic men are most frequently caused by retrograde ejaculation resulting from a damage of the sympathetic nerves at the level of the bladder neck. This results in incomplete or complete emission failure because of insufficient sperm transport. Diabetic ejaculatory sterility can be treated with anticholinergic drugs. The reported case shows that as a result of its antihistaminic and anticholinergic properties, brompheniramine can be successfully used in the treatment of men with diabetic ejaculatory sterility, particularly in patients with incomplete emission failure.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(1):101-4.
• Article: Lack of correlation of selenium level in human semen with sperm count/motility.

  A C Roy, R Karunanithy, S S Ratnam
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  ABSTRACT: Considering the importance of selenium (Se) in male fertility, its concentration was measured in 211 semen samples from 211 normozoospermic, oligozoospermic, asthenozoospermic, and azoospermic men using the hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. No significant correlation of any kind existed between Se level in the seminal plasma and sperm count or motility. In view of the known poor correlation of these two frequently used semen parameters with the incidence of pregnancy, the assessment of the fertilizing potential of normozoospermic ejaculates with low Se levels is warranted.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(1):59-62.
• Article: Systemic sperm autoimmunity in spinal-cord injured men.

  I H Hirsch, J Sedor, H J Callahan, W E Staas
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  ABSTRACT: Historically, spinal-cord injured men have been considered virtually sterile because of ejaculatory dysfunction commonly resulting from their injury. Assisted ejaculatory techniques, however, have overcome the problem of sperm transport and have allowed both the establishment of pregnancy through artificial insemination and the assessment of their semen quality. Most studies have noted the presence of asthenozoospermia in the setting of normal sperm concentration following electroejaculation or vibratory stimulated ejaculation. Thus far, little attention has been given to the basis for the frequent finding of asthenozoospermia, and the possibility of sperm autoimmunity in this group has not been adequately studied. In nine spinal-cord injured men, reproductive evaluation was performed consisting of hormonal measurements, testicular biopsy, and indirect immunobead tests for sperm autoimmunity. A mean sperm concentration was 144 +/- 185 x 10(6)/ml. However, the mean motile concentration was 33 +/- 62 x 10(6)/ml. Indirect serum immunobead showed positive IgG or IgA titers in 3 of 8 patients. Because of the disproportionately high incidence of an immunologic factor in spinal-cord injured men compared to able-bodied infertile men, sperm autoimmunity should be considered among the important causes underlying seminal dysfunction following spinal cord injury.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(1):69-73.
• Article: Antisticking protein factors in buffalo blood serum.

  S Banerjee, M Mandal, G C Majumder
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  ABSTRACT: Buffalo blood serum is a potent source of antisticking factor (ASF) that inhibits with high affinity adhesion of goat epididymal spermatozoa to the glass surface of hemocytometer counting chamber. The serum is also capable of inhibiting glass-sticking of spermatozoa of the buffalo, ram, and bull. The serum ASF activity is nondialyzable and stable to heat treatment at 100 degrees C for two minutes. The activity of the serum ASF was lost completely when treated with trypsin (50 micrograms/ml) at 37 degrees C for thirty minutes indicating the polypeptide nature of the ASF. Serum ASF activity consists of at least two factors (A and B) as shown by concanavalin A-agarose affinity chromatography. ASF-A and -B represent nearly 75% and 25% of the total serum ASF activity. ASF-B is a glycoprotein as it binds with high affinity to concanavalin A. The sera of species such as man, goat, and rat possess ASF activity.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(2):131-6.
• Article: Effect of pineal indoles on testicular histology of mice.

  T B Ng, V E Ooi
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  ABSTRACT: The effect of late afternoon injections of melatonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, 5-methoxytryptophol, and 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid on testicular histology in mice were examined. Melatonin and 5-methoxytryptophol injections caused a reduction in the diameters of seminiferous tubules. The tests of melatonin-treated animals underwent some detectable regressive changes in the seminiferous tubules, whereas administration of 5-methoxytryptamine or 5-methoxytryptophol appeared to cause atrophy in some tubules. The percentage of aspermic tubules in melatonin-treated and methoxytryptamine-treated mice was significantly higher than that of the control. In involuted testes, some seminiferous tubules contained only Sertoli cells together with spermatogonia and spermatocytes, but no discernible spermatids and spermatozoa. Regressing spermatids and cell debris were frequently observed in the tubules. The tested of mice that received daily injections of 5-hydroxytryptophol and 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid were indistinguishable from those of the controls.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(2):137-45.
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  Article: Evaluation and treatment of a male factor component to unexplained infertility.

  J H Check, K Nowroozi, M Lee, H Adelson, D Katsoff
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  ABSTRACT: The standard semen analysis frequently fails to identify subfertile males even when findings are normal and conversely often fails to identify fertile males with subnormal semen analyses. This has created the need to produce other tests of sperm physiology that will better distinguish a fertile from a subfertile specimen. Understanding more about the nature of the sperm defect should lead to the establishment of more specific and effective therapies. Until that time, it would still be reasonable to try some of the available empirical therapies even though they may work merely by a placebo mechanism.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(3):199-211.
• Article: Hypoosmotic swelling test of sperm.

  K Takahashi, A Uchida, M Kitao
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  ABSTRACT: For the diagnosis and evaluation of the therapy for male infertility and for predicting the outcome of AIH and IVF-ET, technically simple, replicable tests that can be performed virtually anywhere and that have definite reliability are required. The results of the HOS test correlate well with the functions of the sperm cell membrane, indicating such aspects as motility, and it is thought to be a particularly effective test of human sperm fertility. Because the HOS test reflects the functions and integrity of the sperm cell membrane, it should be possible to use it to predict the potential for fertilization of frozen sperm.
  Archives of Andrology 02/1990; 25(3):225-42.