A Preliminary Study Of The Testis Reproductive Function Regulation

Objective:To analysis the final reproductive outcome in the patients with the losing of unilateral testis retrospectively.Methods:The clinical data of cases with testicular torsion in one side were retrospectively analyzed and summarized within15years (from1996to2010).Results:within15years, total22cases with testicular torsion in one side were collected and analyzed, and orchiectomy was undergone in13cases and restoration in9cases. Among the restoration patients, one case was performed with maneuver and eight cases were with operation and fixation.16cases have married and planned to pregnancy more than two years. Retrospective analysis for their diagnosis, treatment and following-up of reproductive outcome were proceeded in this study, there were no significant difference on married age, sexual frequency and erectile function between orchiectomy and restoration groups. The baby giving rates were70.0%(7/10) and83.3%(5/6) in orchiectomy and restoration groups respectively. The mean pregnant duration were2.5years and1.1years in orchiectomy and restoration groups respectively.Conclusion:Testicular restorable ischemia in patients with testicular torsion may not decrease long-term reproductive function. For the testicular torsion patients with unilateral castration, even though their long-term baby giving rate was slightly lower and the baby giving duration was longer than in patients with restorable ischemia, but no significant difference existed in reproductive function. Purpose:To investigate the variation of reproductive functions in adult rats with the loss of one testis.Methods:The unilateral castration was performed on mature rats as unilateral castration (UC) group and sham operation performed as control group. Experimental rats from two groups were sacrificed at different time points in turn. The data from series of time points were monitored and collected within research period, including anatomical variation of contra-lateral testis, total testosterone level in serum and homogenization of contra-lateral testicular tissue, sperm count from contra-lateral epididymis, and histological analysis of contra-lateral testis. Statistical analyses were used in comparing the difference between the data from two groups.Results:Totally20rats of8-weeks old were operated with Unilateral Castration as UC group, and20rats as control group, and all experimental rats were alive normally within research period of22days. The contra-lateral testicular weight and volume did not show significant difference compared with control group. Compared with control group, total testosterone in serum decreased from2th to6th day, with a minimal value0.46mmol/L (P<0.05) at2th day, and returned to preoperative level at6th day with mean value1.06mmol/L without significant difference comparing to control group. Total testosterone level in homogenization of contra-lateral testicular tissue increased continuously after operation, with maximal value2.52mIU/ml at11th day, and mean value2.34mIU/ml, significantly higher than0.28mIU/ml in control group (P<0.05). Sperm total count from contra-lateral epididymis in UC group began to increase from15th day to21th day. The mean sperm count3.66×109in contra-lateral epididymis in UC group was more than3.57×109in control group with a significant difference (P<0.05). Histological analysis of contra-lateral testis showed some degree of decreasing in the diameter of seminiferous lumina and the diameter of seminiferous tubule, increasing in the number of spermatids and the thickness of spermatogenic epithelium, but did not show any significant difference.Conclusions:Contra-lateral testis might show some degree of compensatory effectiveness on reproductive functions in mature rats with the loss of one testis within a period of time. BACKGROUD Infertility is a major medical and social problem, and elementary research on the spermatozoal proteins or its functions are relatively sparse and there are very few confirmative and effective options for the treatment of male infertility. Thus, it is essential to find candidate proteins that affect male infertility. This study was designed to detect the proteins with differential expression in sperm from infertile patients and normal donors.METHODS Semen samples from patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia (n=114) and from fertile men with normal spermiograms (n=37) were collected. Semen sample analysis, sperm protein extraction, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and Western blotting analysis were performed. Results were analysed by SPSS16.0statistical software.RESULTS Western blotting analysis of spermatic proteins displayed a major differential expressed protein in spermatozoa of both fertile and idiopathic asthenozoospermia patients. Densities and volumes of the aimed protein in the patientsshowed significant decrease compared to that in normal donors (P=0.034and P=0.036, respectively). The aimed protein was further confirmed as DEAD-box protein4(DDX4, VASA). The expression and correction value (CV) of DDX4(VASA) in the patientsreduced significantly than that in normal donors (P=0.037and P=0.031, respectively).CONCLUSIONS The present study found that expression level of spermatic protein DDX4(VASA) associates with spermatic motility, implying that DDX4(VASA) maybe a candidate marker for evaluation of spermatic motility.