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ABSTRACT: It is still controversial whether the serum inhibin B level is a superior predictor of the presence of sperm in testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in azoospermic men compared with serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of serum inhibin B levels as a predictor of the outcome of TESE in Chinese non-obstructive azoospermic men and compared it with the traditional marker serum FSH and testicular volumes.
Basal values of serum hormone levels, testicular volumes and histological evaluation of 305 Chinese non-obstructive azoospermic men were analyzed. The level of inhibin B was measured using a three-step enzyme-linked immunoassay before sperm extraction, and the diagnostic accuracy of prediction of the outcome of TESE was compared for different markers by the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis.
Testicular sperm was successfully retrieved in 137 of 305 patients (44.9%). The serum level of inhibin B, the FSH and the testicular volume were significantly different between the successful TESE group and the unsuccessful group. According to the ROC curve analysis, for inhibin B, the cut-off value for discriminating between successful and failed TESE was 28.39 pg/ml (sensitivity 83.5%, specificity 79.1%). For FSH, the best cut-off value for discriminating was 11.05 pg/ml (sensitivity 83.5%, specificity 74.5%). The area under the ROC curve of serum inhibin B was similar to that of FSH. Combining the serum inhibin B with FSH levels did not improve the predictive value for successful TESE.
Serum inhibin B and FSH levels are correlated with spermatogenesis. However, inhibin B is not superior to FSH in predicting the presence of sperm in TESE. And the combination of them does not improve the diagnostic accuracy on TESE outcome.
Chinese medical journal 08/2012; 125(16):2885-9. · 0.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a critical role in the development and function of the heart. Previous studies have demonstrated that EGFR is involved in regulating electrical excitability of the heart. The present study was designed to investigate whether EGFR activation would mediate cardiac arrhythmias induced by reperfusion in anaesthetized rats.
Reperfusion arrhythmias were induced by 10 min ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by a 30 min reperfusion in anaesthetized rats. The incidence and severity of cardiac arrhythmias were significantly reduced by pre-treatment with the EGFR kinase inhibitor AG556. The phosphorylation level of myocardial EGFR was increased during ischaemia and at early reperfusion. Intramyocardial transfection of EGFR siRNA reduced EGFR mRNA and protein, and decreased the incidence of ventricular fibrillation induced by reperfusion. Interestingly, tyrosine phosphorylation levels of cardiac Na(+) channels (I(Na)) and L-type Ca(2+) channels (I(Ca,L)) were significantly increased at time points corresponding to the alteration of EGFR phosphorylation levels during reperfusion. AG556 pre-treatment countered the increased tyrosine phosphorylation level of Na(+) and L-type Ca(2+) channels induced by reperfusion. Patch-clamp studies proved that AG556 could inhibit I(Na) and I(Ca,L) in rat ventricular myocytes. No significant alteration was observed in tyrosine phosphorylation levels of cardiac Kv4.2 and Kir2.1 channels during reperfusion.
These results demonstrate for the first time that EGFR plays an important role in the genesis of arrhythmias induced by reperfusion, which is likely mediated at least in part by enhancing tyrosine phosphorylation of cardiac Na(+) and L-type Ca(2+) channels.
Cardiovascular research 01/2012; 93(1):60-8. · 5.80 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: It remains almost a helpless situation for the recurrent implantation failure and pregnancy loss caused by endometrial injury at present. The purpose of this study was to develop a rabbit model of endometrial mechanical injury that could provide a research platform for this difficult clinical predicament.
Three experiments were conducted. Experiment 1: Curettages in both uterus horns and copper wire inserting after curettage (double-injury) in one horn. The histological changes were monitored at 0, 24, 48, 72 hours, as well as in 1 and 2 weeks after operation. Experiment 2: Direct copper wire inserting in one horn and double-injury in other horn. The wires in both horns were removed after 2 weeks. The histological changes were recorded at 0, 1 and 2 weeks after wire removal. Experiment 3: Double-injury procedure in one horn was performed and wire was removed after 2 weeks; another horn was remained normal to serve as control. Histological changes were recorded, tissue areas were measured, and proliferation indices (PIs, %) were calculated at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after wire removal, respectively.
The experiments revealed that the injured endometrium by simple curettage or copper wire could be fully repaired. While the endometrial regeneration was severely impaired by double-injury, both areas of endometrium and uterine cavity decreased (P < 0.05); both PIs of glandular epithelial and stromal cells increased and reached maximum at 4 weeks (P < 0.05), but returned by 8 weeks.
This study demonstrated that a rabbit model of endometrial injury could be effectively established through a double-injury procedure of curettage and copper wire with comparable clinical index.
Chinese medical journal 06/2011; 124(11):1708-13. · 0.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered to be the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The involvement of an abnormal menstrual cycle in the etiology of PCOS remains unclear. We aimed to analyze the characteristics of abnormal menstrual cycles and their association with PCOS in community and hospital patient populations.
Women with PCOS identified from 2111 permanent female residents in the community of Beijing and 506 outpatients obtained from the reproductive clinic of Peking University Third Hospital were recruited for this study, comprising the PCOS community group and the PCOS hospital group, respectively. Each group was further divided into four subgroups according to the length of menstrual cycles: <21 days; 21-34 days; 35-60 days; and >60 days. Women in each group were interviewed using a questionnaire to assess factors including age, age of menarche, menstrual cycle history, related family history, and modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mF-G) score. All women received transvaginal ultrasound scan and had fasting blood samples taken for endocrine evaluation. A two-tailed P value of <0.05 was considered significant.
In the community population, the prevalence of abnormal menstrual cycle was 27.19% (574/2111). The prevalence of PCOS in the community was 6.11% (129/2111) according to Rotterdam criteria. In the community group, the most common menstrual cycle length was 35-60 days, whereas for the hospital group, it was >60 days. In both the community and hospital groups, the most common phenotype of PCOS was that of Oligo/amenorrhea+PCO+ hyperandrogenism (HA) (O+P+H) (P=0.000). With increasing cycle length of 35-60 days to >60 days, the percentages of Oligo/amenorrhea+PCO (O+P) and O+P+H were found to significantly decrease in the community group and significantly increase in the hospital group (P=0.000 for each). In the hospital group, as the menstrual cycle length increased from 35-60 days to >60 days, the rate of spontaneous abortion increased significantly (P=0.000), meanwhile the rate of poorly-secreted endometrium and abnormal endometrial hyperplasia increased significantly (P=0.000).
The prevalence of PCOS in the Beijing community of women was 6.11%. Oligo/amenorrhea was the most common type of abnormal menstrual cycle and may be an indicator for PCOS and endometrial lesions. Gynecologists should seek relevant medical information from women in the community to promptly diagnose PCOS and then follow up patients for potential development of subsequent complications.
Chinese medical journal 08/2010; 123(16):2185-9. · 0.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To study the infection status of hepatitis B virus in ovarian granulosa cells of female hepatitis B carriers.
The follicular fluid of 6 female carriers of hepatitis B (HBsAg+, HBeAg+, HBcAb+) was used to extract granule cells and prepare smears. The samples were detected via in situ hybridization by digoxin-labeled HBV-DNA probe. The color reaction system of alkaline phosphates was used. And the positive hybridization signal was purple blue.
Three granulosa cell samples, located at the nuclei of granulosa cells, were HBV-DNA positive.
HBV DNA exists in the granulosa cells of hepatitis B patients. Thus HBV infection may be vertically transmitted to the offspring via the infected reproductive cells.
Zhonghua yi xue za zhi 07/2010; 90(25):1778-80.
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ABSTRACT: Some membrane transporters in liver, such as P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2), MRP3, and MRP5 can lead to a complex multidrug resistance (MDR) to antineoplastic agents. How to inhibit these proteins is still an issue. Tetramethylpyrazine is a bioactive constituent isolated from the root of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, a Chinese herb. Recent studies showed that it can enhance the chemosensitivity effects of a drug on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, acting as a multidrug resistance modulator. In this study, the reversal effect of TMP on MDR was evaluated and its activity mechanism in vitro was explored. The IC50 value shows that TMP reversed the multidrug resistance of BEL-7402/ADM cells 9.23-fold (P<0.01) at the concentration of 600 microM. The mean fluorescence intensity of ADM in BEL-7402/ADM cells with TMP was found to be 163.78+/-39.5% (P<0.01) versus in BEL-7402/ADM cells without TMP by flow cytometry and 126.73+/-28.72% in BEL-7402/ADM cells with TMP versus in BEL-7402/ADM cells without TMP (P<0.01) by high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. It was also found that the mRNA level of multidrug resistant gene MDR1, MRP2, MRP3 and MRP5 and the level of the proteins they encode were decreased after treatment with TMP, indicating that TMP can effectively reverse the MDR in BEL-7402/ADM cells, and its activity mechanism may be correlated with the down-regulation of expression in these transporters.
Oncology Reports 01/2010; 23(1):211-5. · 1.84 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To compare clinical outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle by using fresh and cryopreserved-thawed testicular and epididymal spermatozoa in azoospermic patients.
Between September 2006 and May 2007, 208 azoospermic patients underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) were treated in Center of Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital. Those couples were divided into two groups based on their wishes, including 171 cases in fresh group and 37 cases in cryopreserved-thawed group. The cryopreserved testicular or epididymal spermatozoa were thawed and recovered before ICSI procedure in thawed group. The outcomes of ICSI in each group were compared, including clinical outcomes (two pronuclear fertilization, high quality embryo, clinical pregnancy and embryo implantation) and pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous miscarriage, gestational weeks and neonatal birth weight).
(1) The utilization rate were 92% (23/25) in cryopreserved-thawed testicular spermatozoa and 100% (12/12) in epididymal spermatozoa. (2) Between fresh and cryopreserved-thawed groups, no statistical difference was observed in two pronuclear fertilization rate [62.25% (973/1563) vs. 64.53% (282/437), P = 0.960], high quality embryo rate [78.9% (768/973) vs. 79.1% (223/282), P = 0.985], clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer [44.4% (60/135) vs. 46.9% (15/32), P = 0.688] and embryo implantation rate [29.3% (84/287) vs. 33.3% (23/69), P = 0.508]. (3) No significant difference between fresh and cryopreserved group was found in spontaneous miscarriage rate (11% vs.7%, P = 1.000), gestational weeks (single birth: 39.0 weeks vs.38.7 weeks, P = 0.538; twins: 36.8 weeks vs.36.3 weeks, P = 0.571) and birth weight (single birth: 3409 g vs.3350 g, P = 0.699; twins: 2584 g vs. 2635 g, P = 0.703).
It suggested that tissue from the azoospermic patients who underwent diagnostic testicular and epididymal biopsy should be cryopreseved for IVF-ET.
Zhonghua fu chan ke za zhi 10/2009; 44(10):740-4.
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ABSTRACT: Recently the combination of acupuncture with assisted reproductive technology (ART) to increase the outcomes of ART is being widely studied. In this article, the literatures concerning random controlled clinical trials since 2002 are reviewed and the designs of the trials, especially the timing of acupuncture, are evaluated. Over the past 5 years, the related clinical trials have primarily showed that acupuncture done immediately before and after embryo transfer might increase the assisted reproduction rates, but still requiring further high quality trials with large samples; in addition, different stimulation modes could produce different result, and so far there has not been a consensus as to the optimal time-point for the acupuncture intervention during the in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) course. Since the effects of acupuncture change with women's endocrine cycles, it is important and possible to make a breakthrough in ART outcomes if acupuncture is performed at a suitable time point during the cycle of IVF/ET combined with ART.
Journal of Chinese Integrative Medicine 01/2009; 6(12):1211-6.
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Sheng li ke xue jin zhan [Progress in physiology] 05/2006; 37(2):153-5.
