OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of the secretory proteins of the ventral prostate on the glycoproteins in the oviductal fluid of golden hamsters.

METHODSMale golden hamsters were divided into four groups: sham operation (SH), total removal of accessory sex glands (TX), and retainment of the ventral prostate only (VP). Oviductal fluid was collected from female hamsters at 0.5, 2, 4 and 6 h after mating with the males of different operated groups with or without ventral prostate. Glycoproteins were probed with a panel of lectins and their changes in the oviductal fluid were analyzed by Western blot.

RESULTSThe 47 000, 52 000, 81 000 and 128 000 WGA-binding proteins were observed in the oviductal fluid of the 6 h TX group, the 32 000, 35 500, 47 000 and 52 000 WGA-binding glycoproteins noted in the 6 h VP group, the 47 000, 68 000, 95 000 and 128 000 pisum sativum agglutinin (PSA)-binding glycoproteins shown in the 6 h TX and VP groups, two extra 32 000 and 37 500 bands detected in the 6 h VP group, the 47 000 and 52 000 dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA)-binding glycoproteins present in the 6 h VP but absent in the 6 h TX group.

CONCLUSIONVentral prostate secretory proteins affect acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine/galactose and mannose in the oviductal fluid collected 6 hours after mating. And these glycoproteins may play an important role in the development of embryos.

Animals ; Copulation ; physiology ; Cricetinae ; Fallopian Tubes ; metabolism ; Female ; Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Male ; Mesocricetus ; Prostatic Secretory Proteins ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the expression of CD117 in human testicular germ cell tumors and its value in the differential diagnosis of seminoma and nonseminoma.

METHODSSeventy-four human testicular germ cell tumor specimens were studied by ABC kit immunohistochemical staining detection using CD117 monoclonal antibodies. The immunoreaction scores (IRS) of all the specimens were calculated and analysed for their clinical significance.

RESULTSAmong the 74 germ cell tumors, 31 out of 32 (9 6.9%) seminomas showed positive staining of the CD117 mostly on the cell membrane. Four of 31 (12.9%) nonseminomas displayed a weak positive staining of CD117 only in the cytoplasm of a few cells. In 10 of 11 mixed germ cell tumors, a relatively weak expression of CD117 was shown only in the seminoma component. The CD117 expression was diagnostically decreased from seminoma to mixed seminoma and to nonseminoma successively, with IRS of 6.82 +/- 2.76, 1.25 +/- 0.42 and 0.60 +/- 0.16, respectively. There was a significant difference in the CD117 expression between seminoma and nonseminoma (P < 0.05). CD 117 proteins were positively expressed in all the 20 specimens of the normal testis.

CONCLUSIONThe detection of CD117 by immunohistochemical staining using CD117 monoclonal antibodies is a newly developed useful method for differentiating seminoma and nonseminoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; biosynthesis ; Seminoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Testicular Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo analyze the countermeasures against chronic prostatitis (CP) among the male college students in Guangzhou City.

METHODSA self-designed questionnaire was used for an investigation among 1 431 male college students randomly chosen from four colleges in Guangzhou City. The countermeasures against CP were compared between the students with CP and those without.

RESULTSCompared with the non-CP students, the CP patients are more reluctant to attend related health education lectures (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). When suspicious of having CP, 59.33%, 43.82% and 29.63% of the students chose to be diagnosed by anonymous consultation, themselves and strange doctors, respectively, with no significant difference among the three groups (P < 0.05). After diagnosis, 62.78%, 40.88% and 29.98% of them sought strange doctors, self-management and anonymous treatment, respectively. When a friend got CP, only 59.61% of them chose to keep his secret.

CONCLUSIONThe male college students in Guangzhou City tend to conceal the truth when suffering from CP. Their attendance at related health education lectures largely depends on the topic and the scholarship of the lecturer.

Adult ; Attitude to Health ; China ; Chronic Disease ; Health Education ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis ; prevention & control ; psychology ; Students ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Universities

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of Livin, an apoptosis inhibitor gene, in prostate cancer, and to investigate its clinical and pathological implications.

METHODSThe expressions of Livin were detected in 62 cases of neoplastic prostate tissues and 10 cases of normal prostate tissues by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (SP method).

RESULTSThe Livin gene was highly expressed in neoplastic prostate tissues, but not in normal ones. Positive expression of Livin proteins was observed in 37 of the 62 (59.7%) tumor samples and accounted for 28.6%, 60.0% and 83.3% in the high, middle and low differentiation prostatic carcinoma groups respectively, with significant difference between the high and low groups. Livin positivity was also significantly correlated with tumor stages, increasing with tumor progression.

CONCLUSIONLivin may play an essential role in prostate carcinogenesis and serve as a marker for the prognosis of prostate cancer.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Aged ; Disease Progression ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo assess the effects of the nuclear status of day 2 preembryos on day 3 embryo quality and implantation potential and to weigh its clinical value in the human in-vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) program.

METHODSEmbryos obtained from 409 fresh conventional IVF-ET/ICSI cycles from July to October 2006 were assessed retrospectively. Day 2 preembryos were classified according to the number of nuclei in each blastomere in 3 groups: grade A with only mononucleated blastomeres, grade B with one or more blastomeres containing no visible nucleus, and grade C with one or more multinucleated blastomeres. Comparisons were made of the rates of arrested embryos and excellent embryos on day 3 as well as of the pregnancy outcome and implantation potential of those in whom cohorts of similar nuclear scoring embryos were transferred.

RESULTSThere were fewer arrested embryos and more excellent embryos on day 3 in grade A than in grade B and C (P < 0.01), and so were there in grade B than in grade C (P < 0.01). Among the 234 cycles in which all the transfer embryos were derived from a similar day 2 nuclear scoring, 51 cycles originated from grade A embryos (group A) and 183 from grade B (group B), with similar clinical pregnancy rates between the two groups, while the implantation rate was higher in group A than in B (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDay 2 nuclear scoring can be used to predict the devel- opment and implantation potential of embryos. A combined evaluation of day 2 nuclear scoring and day 3 embryo morphology helps identify the most viable embryos and reduce the number of embryos for transfer.

Adult ; Blastomeres ; Cell Nucleus ; physiology ; Cleavage Stage, Ovum ; Embryo Implantation ; physiology ; Embryo Transfer ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of the cryoprotectant containing glucose and that containing sucrose on the motility of post-thaw human sperm.

METHODSThe cryoprotectant containing glucose and that containing sucrose were applied to 50 semen samples and the motility of the post-thaw human sperm was compared before and after cryopreservation and between the study groups.

RESULTSThe forward motility and total motility of the sperm were (58.4 +/- 5.7)% and (63.4 +/- 6.1)% before cryopreservation, (43.8 +/- 7.6)% and (48.4 +/- 7.6)% after thawing with the cryoprotectant containing glucose, and(42.6 +/- 8.9)% and (48.0 +/- 8.5)% after thawing with the cryoprotectant containing sucrose. Decreased sperm motility was observed after cryopreservation, with statistic significance (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the forward and total motility of the post-thaw sperm between the two cryoprotectants.

CONCLUSIONCryopreservation inflicts obvious damage on sperm. Sucrose is a feasible sperm cryoprotectant.

Adult ; Cryopreservation ; methods ; Cryoprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Glucose ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; Semen Preservation ; methods ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sucrose ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of inhibin B betaB subunits in human testicular tissues.

METHODSEighty-three cases of the azoospermia underwent testicular biopsy. In accordance with the pathological alterations of spermatogenesis, the samples were divided into four groups: Sertoli-cell-only syndrome (n = 21); hypospermatogenesis (n = 20), maturation arrest (n = 24) and almost normal spermatogenesis (n = 18). Immunohistochemical staining for inhibin B betaB subunits was conducted on the paraffin-embedded sections of different spermatogenesis to localize inhibin B betaB subunits in the seminiferous tubules.

RESULTSImmunohistochemically, positive products of inhibin B betaB subunits were found in both the seminiferous tubules and interstitial tissues of the testis as brown or yellow particles in the cytoplasm. Leydig cells and early intermediate spermatogenic cells showed a very strong positivity; Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubules were mostly positive; peritubular myoid cells showed a weak positive staining; but no positive expression of inhibin B betaB subunits was found in late spermatids and mature sperm.

CONCLUSIONInhibin B may be produced by both Sertoli cells and early spermatogenic cells in the seminiferous tubules.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inhibin-beta Subunits ; biosynthesis ; Male ; Testis ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of the epidermal growth factor on the mRNA expression of endothelin-1 and its receptors (ET(A)R, ET(B)R) in hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) PC-3 cell lines.

METHODSPC-3 cells were cultured in vitro. After the treatment with EGF, the mRNA expressions of endothelin-1, ET(A)R and ET(B)R were detected by RT-PCR in PC-3 cell lines. The levels of the mRNA expression of endothelin-1 and its receptors were examined at different time points by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe expressions of endothelin-1 and ET(A)R mRNA but not the mRNA expression of ET(B)R was observed in PC-3 cell lines. After 24 hours of treatment with EGF, the expressions of endothelin-1 and ET(A)R in PC-3 cell lines were both up-regulated and there was significant difference (P < 0.05) between the experimental and control groups. Different expression levels of endothelin-1 and ET(A)R mRNA were noted at different time points of EGF intervention, up-regulated with the increase of treatment time, and with significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEGF can up-regulate the mRNA expressions of endothelin-1 and ET(A)R in PC-3 cell lines and play a great role in prostate cancer progression, which may offer a substructure of molecular biology for the treatment of HRPC.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Endothelin-1 ; genetics ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptor, Endothelin A ; genetics ; Receptor, Endothelin B ; genetics ; Receptors, Endothelin ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo investigate the pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP / CPPS) by constructing the rat model of intraprostatic urinary reflux associated prostatitis caused by partial urethral obstruction.

METHODSFifty-four SD male rats were divided into an experiment group (n = 30) and a partial urethral obstruction (PUO) sham operation group (n = 24). Shinsuke Takechi's surgical method was adopted to achieve PUO and induce intraprostatic urinary reflux in the experiment group. While in the sham operation control group, the prostates were harvested at 1, 3 and 7 days after release from 3-day PUO, their morphological changes observed with the light microscope and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) examined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSInflammation was observed in the prostate of the experiment group at 1, 3 and 7 days after release from PUO and alleviated with the passing of time, while the control group remained normal. The expression of COX-2 in the prostate was significantly higher in the experiment group than in the control (P < 0.05) and the staining of COX-2 became stronger with the lapse of time (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAn animal model of intraprostatic urinary reflux associated prostatitis was constructed. The up-regulated expression of COX-2 induced by intraprostatic urinary reflux may be closely related with the development of CP / CPPS.

Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; biosynthesis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Prostate ; enzymology ; pathology ; Prostatitis ; enzymology ; etiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Urethral Obstruction ; complications

OBJECTIVETo set up a stable primary culture system of Leydig cells with higher purity.

METHODSWe separated Leydig cells from other testicular cells, such as Sertoli and germ cells, by enzymatic digestion in combination with Percoll density gradient centrifugation and identified Leydig cells by 3beta-HSD staining.

RESULTSThe purity achieved by this method was above 95% and the total number of Leydig cells obtained from one testicle was about 1 x 10(6). The cytoplasm of Leydig cells was stained in deep blue by 3beta-HSD staining, and these cells possessed testosterone-secreting capability.

CONCLUSIONLeydig cells can be separated by enzymatic digestion combined with Percoll density gradient centrifugation, and 3beta-HSD staining to identify Leydig cells is simple and feasible with high purity.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Cells, Cultured ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; methods ; Histocytochemistry ; Leydig Cells ; cytology ; enzymology ; physiology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley