Erectile failure is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. We evaluate 2l male diabetic patients with erectile failure. Evaluation was done by CBC,SMA-12, Penile digital systolic pressure index(PDI), Bulbocavernous reflex latency time (BCRL) and serum testosterone and prolactin levels. All of the patients showed normal serum testosterone and prolactin levels. Of 21 patients, only 1 patient showed decreased PDI who also prolonged BCRL. And 12 patients (57%) were showed prolonged BCRL without decreased PDI. This study suggests that penile neuropathy is the most prevalent abnormality in diabetics with erectile failure and may predate vascular abnormalities.
Blood Pressure ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Prolactin ; Reflex ; Testosterone

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the performance of Modular Analytics (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland) which is combined with automated chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer and automated chemical analyzer

in order to assess its utility for the improvement of efficiency of routine immuno-chemistry workstation. METHODS: Within- and between-day precision, linearity, and recovery rates were evaluated for 21 items (T3, T4, TSH, E2, LH, Testosterone, FSH, prolactin, AFP, CEA, CA125, CA19-9, total PSA, CRP, ASO, RF, Ig G, Ig M, Ig A, C3C, and C4). Commercialized controls(Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland) and patient sera for test specimens were used. Centaur(Bayer Diagnostic Division, New York, USA) and LX 2200(Eiken Chemical Co., Tokyo, Japan) were used as the control analyzers to evaluate the correlation. RESULTS: Within-day Coefficients of variation(CVs) was below 5% for all the analytes and between-day CVs was below 5.0% except ASO(8.01%). The linearity was excellent(r2>0.999; slope, 0.98-1.02; p<0.001). Recovery rates for all analytes were in the range of 95% to 103%. The correlation coefficients between modular and Centaur was exceeded 0.971, and between modular

and LX2200 exceeded 0.910, except RF(r=0.834). (P<0.05) CONCLUSION: The recently developed Modular Analytics proved to be highly precise and linear for quantitative analysis of hormones, tumor markers, and serum proteins in routine immuno-chemistry workstation. Correlations with Centaur and LX 2200 were thought to be good.
Blood Proteins ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Prolactin ; Testosterone ; Biomarkers, Tumor

OBJECTIVETo investigate the levels and roles of serum growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

METHODSSerum GH and PRL levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 54 neonates with HIE (20 mild, 19 moderate and 15 severe HIE) at the acute and convalescence stages. Twenty normal neonates were used as controls.

RESULTSSerum GH levels were significantly lower, but PRL levels were significantly higher in moderate and severe HIE neonates at the acute stage compared with those of controls and mild HIE neonates (P < 0.01). There were noticeable differences in serum levels of GH and PRL between the moderate and severe HIE cases (P < 0.01). During the convalescence stage, serum GH levels increased and PRL levels decreased in moderate and severe HIE neonates compared with those at the acute stage (P < 0.01); serum GH and PRL levels in each sub-group of HIE restored to the levels of controls. There was a closely negative correlation between GH and PRL levels at the acute stage of HIE (r = -0.8759, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSGH and PRL might be involved in the pathophysiological process of HIE. The levels of GH and PRL closely relate to the severity of HIE at the acute stage.

Female ; Human Growth Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; blood ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Prolactin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo establish a polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) precipitation method for screening macroprolactinemia in patients with high serum prolactin (PRL).

METHODSPEG6000 precipitation method was used to remove macroprolactin (MPRL) molecules in serum of PRL-elevated patients. The effect of PEG6000 precipitating serum MPRL was determined by Sephacryl S-100HR chromatography plus chemiluminescent immunoassay and SDS-PAGE plus Western Blot assay. The PEG6000 precipitation plus chemiluminescent immunoassay was applied to screen serum samples of PRL-elevated patients for macroprolactinemia. The clinical manifestations of patients with true-hyperprolactinemia, hyperprolactinemia/macroprolactinemia or true-macroprolactinemia were analyzed and compared.

RESULTSAfter precipitation with PEG6000, MPRL peak or hybridization signal in the serum samples was markedly decreased, while the big or small prolactin (BPRL or SPRL) levels were not affected. In 1538 PRL-elevated patients, 16.1% (247/1538) were detectable for macroprolactinemia, while the 83.9% (1291/1538) were identified as true-hyperprolactinemia. In 247 samples of macroprolactinemia, 93.5% (231/247) were determined as true-macroprolactinemia, while 6.5% (16/247) were identified as hyperprolactinemia plus macroprolactinemia. In 508 true-hyperprolactinemia patients, menoxenia, menolipsis/menostasia, dysgenesia or hypophysoma were manifested in 438 (86.2%), which were also manifested in 85.7% (6/7) of hyperprolactinemia/macroprolactinemia patients. However, only 11 cases in 71 true-macroprolactinemia patients (15.5%) presented above clinical diseases.

CONCLUSIONThere is a certain proportion of true-macroprolactinemia (pseudo-hyperprolactinemia) in serum PRL-elevated patients. The PEG6000 precipitation method established in this study can efficiently distinguish true-hyperprolactinemia from pseudo-hyperprolactinemia in patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia ; blood ; diagnosis ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Prolactin ; blood ; Young Adult

Although elevated prolactin levels have been shown to inhibit penile erection, the relationship between prolactin and erection of the penile tip or base has not been extensively researched. We therefore investigated the prolactin's effects on erection of the penile tip and base, with a cross-sectional study of 135 patients with erectile dysfunction, based on scores of ≤21 on the International Index of Erectile Function-5. All patients were tested for nocturnal penile tumescence, blood pressure, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the associations between prolactin levels and erection at the penile tip and base. We found no obvious relationship between erection time at penile tip and prolactin levels, but observed a negative correlation between base erection time and prolactin level (hazard ratio: -2.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.13--0.22). With increasing prolactin concentration, multivariate analysis showed obvious reduction in base erection time among patients with normal Rigiscan results (hazard ratio: -3.10; 95% CI: -7.96-1.77; P < 0.05). Our data indicate that prolactin inhibits penile erection, particularly at the penile base. In addition, when the effective erection time of the penile base lasts longer than 10 min, prolactin has a more obvious inhibitory effect on penile base erection.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Erectile Dysfunction/blood* ; Humans ; Male ; Penile Erection ; Prolactin/blood* ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo detect serum prolactin (PRL) level in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its correlations to SLE activity and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

METHODSAn electrochemiluminescence assay was employed to examine the serum content of PRL in 40 SLE patients and 20 healthy subjects, and the levels of IL-6 secretion by the PBMCs were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSSLE patients showed a significantly higher serum level of PRL than healthy subjects, which was especially obvious in the active stage of the disease (P=0.000. Serum PRL in SLE patients was found to positively correlate to SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) (r=0.568, P=0.000). SLE patients with hyperprolactinemia showed a significantly higher level of IL-6 secretion by the PBMCs than those with normal serum PRL level (P=0.000). IL-6 secretion by the PBMCs isolated from SLE patients with normal PRL level and from healthy controls, especially the latter, increased significantly after stimulation of the cells with recombinant human PRL in vitro (P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONSerum PRL may play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE. An elevated PRL level is closely related to SLE activity and can be used to assess SLE activity. Increased serum PRL level can up-regulate the secretion of IL-6 by the PBMCs.

Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; secretion ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; blood ; Male ; Prolactin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore effect of acupuncture at Shaoze (SI 1) for treatment of postpartum hypolactation.

METHODSMulticentral randomized controlled and single blind clinical trial was adopted, and 276 cases were divided into a treatment group and a control group, 138 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at Shaoze (SI 1) and the control group with EA at Shangyang (LI 1). After treatment of 2 courses, the therapeutic effects and changes of cumulative score of TCM symptoms, mammary filling degree, lactation amount, prolactin level were evaluated and investigated.

RESULTSThe cured and markedly effective rate was 97.8% in the treatment group and 24.3% in the control group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The treatment group in improvement of the cumulative score of TCM symptoms and the mammary filling degree, and increasing the lactation amount and the prolactin level were better than the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at Shaoze (SI 1) has obvious therapeutic effect on hypolactation.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lactation Disorders ; blood ; therapy ; Pregnancy ; Prolactin ; blood ; Puerperal Disorders ; blood ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect differences between acupoint Tuina and simple instruction and education to improve the lactation of the parturient after delivery.

METHODSFifty-six cases of primipara were divided into an acupoint Tuina group (28 cases) and a control group (28 cases) according to the order of entering group, the acupoint Tuina group was treated with Tuina intervention at local acupoint of the breast and distant acupoint on the basis of the instruction and education of breast feeding; the control group was treated with simple instruction and education of breast feeding. The differences of lactation amount, the level of serum prolactin at 48 h after delivery and the time start to lactate of the parturient in both groups were observed.

RESULTSThe serum prolactin of the parturient at 48 h after delivery of (416.33 +/- 144.29) ng/mL in acupoint Tuina group was obviously higher than that of (320.06 +/- 187.55) ng/mL in control group, there were much more parturient with sufficient milk in acupoint Tuina group after treatment, and the time start to lactate was earlier than that of control group.

CONCLUSIONThe acupoint Tuina is good for parturient to lactate early and lactate more, it is necessary to make further research.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Lactation ; Massage ; Milk, Human ; secretion ; Prolactin ; blood ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the associations of hormone circulation with phthalate exposure in adult men.

METHODSSemen and serum samples were collected from 118 men who were suspected of infertility. Phthalate diesters including dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in both semen and serum samples were measured, along with serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), estradiol (E(2)) and prolactin (PRL).

RESULTSSerum PRL was positively associated with serum DBP and DEHP and semen DEHP in all models of Spearman correlation, linear regression and binary logistic regression. In linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders and excluding subjects with undetectable phthalates, a 10-fold increase in semen DEHP was associated with a 23% increase in serum PRL, as well as a 26% increase in serum DBP and a 20% increase in serum DEHP. In logistic regression models all subjects demonstrated a dose-response relationship between above reference value PRL and semen DEHP (odds ratio per tertile adjusted for potential confounders = 1.0, 1.70, 3.50; P for trend = 0.01), and serum DBP (1.0, 1.10, 2.62; P for trend = 0.04), and serum DEHP (1.0, 1.46, 4.69; P for trend < 0.01). A positive correlation between serum estradiol and semen DEHP (linear regression), and an inverse correlation between semen DBP and serum testosterone and T:E(2) ratio (Spearman correlation) were also established.

CONCLUSIONSerum PRL is suggested to be positively associated with both DBP and DEHP exposure in adult men.

Adult ; Environmental Exposure ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Phthalic Acids ; toxicity ; Prolactin ; blood

Animals ; Diestrus ; drug effects ; Female ; Hyperprolactinemia ; physiopathology ; Panax ; Prolactin ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; pharmacology