OBJECTIVESTo study the correlation and effect of smoking on the semen quality of men.

METHODS61 men, non-smoker, who had one or more children as normal fertility control group and adult males attending the infertility clinic, including 110 non-smokers and 191 smokers, were recruited for the study. The smokers were divided into subgroups according to the amount and duration of smoking. Semen parameters(volume, sperm density, viability, motility and morphology) were examined and seminal plasma contents of Zn, Cu and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined.

RESULTSThe semen volume, pH, sperm density, viability and forward progression, as well as the seminal plasma contents of Zn, Cu and SOD were much lower in the medium, heavy and long-term smokers than in the non-smokers(P < 0.01). The sperm density, viability and forward progression, and the seminal plasma Zn, Cu and SOD levels were negatively correlation with the amount and duration of cigarette smoking(P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe effect of smoking on semen parameters of infertile men were dose-effect and time-effect relationship. Medium, heavy and long-term smoking adversely affected the semen quality in a population of men visiting the infertility clinic.

Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; pathology ; Male ; Semen ; physiology ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Statistics as Topic

AIMTo identify the factors influencing diagnosis and treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP) among Chinese urologists.

METHODSA sample of 656 urologists from 29 provinces of China were asked to complete a questionnaire that explored attitudes towards CP as well as diagnosis and treatment patterns in the management of CP. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis schemes were used to determine the factors that influence the diagnosis and treatment of CP.

RESULTSA total of 656 questionnaires were given out. All were returned and 410 of those were included in the final univariate and multivariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that belief of bacterial infection in the etiology of CP (odds ratio [OR], 2.544; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.650-3.923; P < 0.001) was the most significant factor influencing the routine performance of bacterial culture test. Using the same model, the type of hospital (OR, 2.799; 95% CI, 1.719-4.559; P < 0.001) and the routine use of the 4- or the 2-glass test (OR, 3.194; 95% CI, 2.069-4.931; P < 0.001) were determined to be significant factors influencing the use of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) new classification system. According to the same model, belief of bacterial infection in the etiology of CP (OR, 3.415; 95% CI, 2.024-5.762; P < 0.001) and the routine use of bacterial culture test (OR, 2.261; 95% CI, 1.364-3.749; P < 0.01) were important factors influencing the routine prescription of antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONOur findings suggest that attitudes towards CP, and the characteristics of individual urologists' practices may influence the diagnosis and treatment of CP among Chinese urologists.

Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; China ; Chronic Disease ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; Prostatitis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVEIn order to investigate Hantavirus (HV) infection of captured rodents and to understand the genotypes and the molecular characteristic of Hantaviruses in Shenzhen.

METHODSThe captured rodents were classified and the density of distribution was calculated. A total of 472 animals were captured, among which Rattus norvegicus was the dominant group. The total viral RNA was extracted from the lung tissues positive with HV antigens by immunofluorescent assay and gene sequence of M fragment was amplified with RT-nested-PCR by using the Hantavirus genotype specific primers. The amplified genes were then sequenced, and subjected to genotyping and homology analysis.

RESULTSThe results of genotype analysis showed that the Hantaviruses taken from twenty-one lung specimens in Rattus norvegicus in Shenzhen city belonged to the Hantavirus type II (SEOV). Results in homology analysis suggested that the homology among twenty-one samples should be rather high with 95.4% of nucleotide sequence identity and they belonged to the same subtype. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that they were branched into at least six different lineages, and were highly homologized with SZ2083. We also found that these virus strains had not shown more highly homology of nucleotide sequence in nearest district, whereas revealed consistency in farther district.

CONCLUSIONThe major hosts of Hantaviruses in Shenzhen city were Rattus norvegicus and the epidemic strains were genotyped as SEO-type. Nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence from different rodents were highly homologous, while nucleotide mutation had also been observed. Further studies are required to explore the possible viruses' sequence mutation.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Viral ; Genotype ; Hantavirus ; classification ; genetics ; Hantavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Viral ; Rats ; Rodent Diseases ; epidemiology ; virology ; Sequence Homology

To explore the anti-HSV-1 effect of silencing gD gene expression by RNA interference, five 21-nucleotide duplex small interfering RNAs(siRNAs) targeting the HSV1 gD sequence were designed and the gD-EGFP fusion gene expression vector was constructed, then co-transfected into Vero cell, and screened the effective siRNA through analyzing the intensity of the EGFP fluorescence. Finally, the anti-HSV1 effect was confirmed by plaque reduction assay, real-time PCR and daughter virus titration of HSV1 infected Vero cells transfected with siRNAs. The study demonstrated that siRNAs could effectively and specifically inhibit gD gene expression in HSV1-infected cells, but only had a little effect on HSV1 infection, so taking gD as the target of siRNA against HSV1 needs further study.
Animals ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; genetics ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Vero Cells ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the chromium (Cr) levels in blood and urine among general population in China between 2009 and 2010, and thereby to analyze its prevalent features.

METHODSFrom year 2009 to 2010, a total of 11 983 subjects of general population aged between 6 and 60 year-old were recruited from 24 districts in 8 provinces in eastern, central and western China mainland, by cluster random sampling method. The information about their living environment and health status were collected by questionnaire, and 11 983 blood samples and 11 853 urine samples were also collected. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied to test the Cr level both in blood and urine; and the Cr distribution in blood and urine among groups of population in different ages, genders and districts, were then analyzed.

RESULTSAmong general population in China, the geometric mean (GM) of Cr concentration in blood was 1.19 µg/L, with median at 1.74 µg /L and 95% percentile at 5.59 µg/L. The Cr concentration in blood among males and females were separately 1.18 µg/L and 1.20 µg/L(P > 0.05); while its GM in the groups of population aged 6 - 12, 12 - 16, 16 - 20, 20 - 30, 30 - 45 and 45 - 60 years old were 1.00, 1.22, 1.01, 1.40, 1.27 and 1.30 µg/L (P < 0.01), respectively; and the figures in populations from eastern, central and western China were 1.00, 1.70 and 1.98 µg/L (P < 0.01), respectively. Among general population, the GM of Cr concentration in urine was 0.53 µg/L, with median was lower than 0.42 µg/L and 95% percentile at 3.53 µg/L. The Cr concentration in urine among males and females were separately 0.52 µg/L and 0.53 µg/L (P > 0.05);while its GM in the groups of population aged 6 - 12, 12 - 16, 16 - 20, 20 - 30, 30 - 45 and 45 - 60 years old were 0.56, 0.60, 0.52, 0.50, 0.52 and 0.46 µg/L (P < 0.01), respectively;and the figures in populations from eastern, central and western China were 0.58, < 0.42 and 0.60 µg/L (P < 0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe study reported the Cr levels in blood and urine among general population in China, and thereby provided basic data evidence for the following Cr biological monitoring studies in near future.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; China ; Chromium ; blood ; urine ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Population Surveillance ; Young Adult