OBJECTIVETo detect the zinc content in serum, seminal plasma and spermatozoa of asthenozoospermic and oligoasthenozoospermic patients, and analyse the relationship between zinc changes and sperm density as well as sperm motility.

METHODSSperm quality analysis was made according to the WHO standard of Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Sperm-cervical Mucus Interaction (4th edition), and then 90 asthenozoospermic patients, 60 oligoasthenozoospermic patients and 20 fertile men with normal sperm quality were screened out as the objects to be researched. The zinc content in their blood, seminal plasma and spermatozoa was detected by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. And then a statistical analysis was made on the test results.

RESULTSThe blood zinc content among the 3 groups had no significant difference; the seminal plasma zinc of asthenozoospermic and oligoasthenozoospermic patients were significantly lower than that of fertile men (P < 0.05); the spermatozoa zinc content of oligoasthenozoospermic patients was significantly higher than that of asthenozoospermic patients and fertile men (P < 0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThere may be a positive relationship between the feebleness of sperm production and motility of asthenozoospermic and oligoasthenozoospermic patients and the lower content of seminal plasma zinc; however, the relationship between the higher spermatozoa zinc content and the function of sperm production and sperm motility is still not clear, on which a further study should be made.

Adult ; Asthenozoospermia ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Oligospermia ; metabolism ; Semen ; chemistry ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; chemistry ; Zinc ; analysis ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the possible correlation between the driver's occupation and male semen quality.

METHODSSemen samples were collected from 1,223 infertile men (78 drivers and 1,145 non-drivers) and 100 normal men, and their liquefaction, sperm density, sperm vitality, sperm motility and sperm shape were analysed.

RESULTSThe abnormal rates of semen quality in sterile male drivers were significantly higher than in non-drivers(P < 0.05) and in normal men(P < 0.01). The semen abnormal rates in drivers with more than 8 years' driving experience were higher than in those with less than 8 years' driving experience(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDriving occupation can result in abnormal semen quality.

Adult ; Automobile Driving ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; etiology ; Semen ; cytology ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility

OBJECTIVETo detect absorbed bioactive compounds of the water extract whose pharmacodynamic effect was craniocerebral protection for quality control assessment.

METHODSAnthraquinones in water extract of rhubarb (WER), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and in ipsilateral cortex of TBI rats following oral WER were respectively explored by ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) method developed in the present study. The effects of anthraquinones absorbed into injured cortex on superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity in TBI rats were detected. The antioxidative anthraquinones absorbed into target organ were evaluated for quality control of WER.

RESULTSAnthraquinones in WER were aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, and physcion. Only the last anthraquinone was found in CSF and in ipsilateral cortex under this chromatographic condition. Physcion increased SOD activity in TBI rats significantly.

CONCLUSIONSPhyscion was the main active compound of rhubarb against craniocerebral injury via antioxidant pathway. According to our strategy, the exploration of physcion suggested the possibility of a novel quality control of WER in treating TBI injury.

Absorption ; drug effects ; Animals ; Anthraquinones ; cerebrospinal fluid ; chemistry ; Biological Products ; analysis ; cerebrospinal fluid ; chemistry ; Brain Injuries ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Chromatography, Liquid ; instrumentation ; methods ; Emodin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Limit of Detection ; Linear Models ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reference Standards ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Water ; chemistry