Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

Stem cell treatment may enhance erectile dysfunction (ED) in individuals with cavernous nerve injury (CNI). Nevertheless, no investigations have directly ascertained the implications of varying amounts of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on ED. We compare the efficacy of three various doses of HUC-MSCs as a therapeutic strategy for ED. Sprague-Dawley rats (total = 175) were randomly allocated into five groups. A total of 35 rats underwent sham surgery and 140 rats endured bilateral CNI and were treated with vehicles or doses of HUC-MSCs (1 × 10 6 cells, 5 × 10 6 cells, and 1 × 10 7 cells in 0.1 ml, respectively). Penile tissues were harvested for histological analysis on 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, 60 days, and 90 days postsurgery. It was found that varying dosages of HUC-MSCs enhanced the erectile function of rats with bilateral CNI and ED. Moreover, there was no significant disparity in the effectiveness of various dosages of HUC-MSCs. However, the expression of endothelial markers (rat endothelial cell antigen-1 [RECA-1] and endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]), smooth muscle markers (alpha smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] and desmin), and neural markers (neurofilament [RECA-1] and neurogenic nitric oxide synthase [nNOS]) increased significantly with prolonged treatment time. Masson's staining demonstrated an increased in the smooth muscle cell (SMC)/collagen ratio. Significant changes were detected in the microstructures of various types of cells. In vivo imaging system (IVIS) analysis showed that at the 1 st day, the HUC-MSCs implanted moved to the site of damage. Additionally, the oxidative stress levels were dramatically reduced in the penises of rats administered with HUC-MSCs.
Male ; Animals ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Rats ; Penis/pathology* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/complications* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism* ; Actins/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To explore and verify the effect and potential mechanism of Brucea javanica Seed Oil Emulsion Injection (YDZI) and Shengmai Injection (SMI) on peripheral microcirculation dysfunction in treatment of gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: The potential mechanisms of YDZI and SMI were explored through network pharmacology and verified by cellular and clinical experiments. Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) were cultured for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured for tube formation assay. Twenty healthy volunteers and 97 patients with GC were enrolled. Patients were divided into surgical resection, surgical resection with chemotherapy, and surgical resection with chemotherapy combining YDZI and SMI groups. Forearm skin blood perfusion was measured and recorded by laser speckle contrast imaging coupled with post-occlusive reactive hyperemia. Cutaneous vascular conductance and microvascular reactivity parameters were calculated and compared across the groups. RESULTS: After network pharmacology analysis, 4 ingredients, 82 active compounds, and 92 related genes in YDZI and SMI were screened out. β-Sitosterol, an active ingredient and intersection compound of YDZI and SMI, upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2, P<0.01), downregulated the expression of caspase 9 (CASP9) and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1, P<0.01) in HMECs under oxaliplatin stimulation, and promoted tube formation through VEGFA. Chemotherapy significantly impaired the microvascular reactivity in GC patients, whereas YDZI and SMI ameliorated this injury (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS YDZI and SMI ameliorated peripheral microvascular reactivity in GC patients. β-Sitosterol may improve peripheral microcirculation by regulating VEGFA, PTGS2, ESR1, and CASP9.
Humans ; Microcirculation/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Stomach Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Emulsions ; Male ; Plant Oils/administration & dosage* ; Brucea/chemistry* ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Drug Combinations ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Injections ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Aged ; Network Pharmacology

Objective To investigate the effect of catalpol(CAT)on necrotic apoptosis in acute myocardial infarction(AMI)rats.Methods Rat AMI model was constructed by ligating the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery.Sixty SPF grade SD male rats were randomly grouped into sham surgery group(Sham group),AMI model group(Model group),low-dose CAT group(CAT-L group,30 mg·kg-1 CAT),high-dose CAT group(CAT-H group,60 mg·kg-1 CAT),and high-dose CAT+RIP1 activator recombinant RIP1 group(CAT-H+rRIP1 group,60 mg·kg-1 CAT+8 μg·kg-1 rRIP1),12 in each group.CAT was administered by gavage once a day for a total of 4 weeks.Recombinant RIP1 was administered via tail vein injection and the next day for a total of 4 weeks.Sham group and Model group were given equal amounts of physiological saline by gavage and tail vein injection,respectively.The CAT-L group and CAT-H group were injected with physiological saline via the tail vein the next day while receiving gastric lavage.TUNEL staining was applied to observe the apoptosis of rat cardiomyocytes.Western Blot was applied to detect the expression of RIP1/RIP3/MLKL signaling pathway related proteins in rat myocardial tissue.Results The apoptosis rates of myocardial cells in the sham group,model group,CAT-L group,CAT-H group,and CAT-H+rRIP1 group were(4.23±0.63)％,(33.48±3.94)％,(13.50±1.86)％,and(29.62±3.08)％,respectively;the expression levels of RIP1 protein in myocardial tissue were 0.21±0.02,0.86±0.09,0.43±0.04,and 0.72±0.07,respectively;the expression levels of RIP3 protein were 0.30±0.03,0.94±0.09,0.49±0.05,and 0.83±0.08,respectively;the phosphorylation levels of MLKL protein were 0.35±0.04,1.13±0.11,0.64±0.06,and 0.97±0.10,respectively.The above indexes in Model group were compared with those in Sham group,and those in CAT-H group were compared with those in Model group and CAT-H+rRIP1 group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion CAT may inhibit necrotic apoptosis of myocardial cells in AMI rats by down-regulating the RIP1/RIP3/MLKL signaling pathway.

Purpose::Cerebral edema (CE) is the main secondary injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs). It is challenging to be predicted timely. In this study, we aimed to develop a prediction model for CE by identifying its risk factors and comparing the timing of edema occurrence in TBI patients with varying levels of injuries.Methods::This case-control study included 218 patients with TBI caused by RTAs. The cohort was divided into CE and non-CE groups, according to CT results within 7 days. Demographic data, imaging data, and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Quantitative variables that follow normal distribution were presented as mean ± standard deviation, those that do not follow normal distribution were presented as median (Q 1, Q 3). Categorical variables were expressed as percentages. The Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for CE. Logistic curve fitting was performed to predict the time to secondary CE in TBI patients with different levels of injuries. The efficacy of the model was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve. Results::According to the study, almost half (47.3%) of the patients were found to have CE. The risk factors associated with CE were bilateral frontal lobe contusion, unilateral frontal lobe contusion, cerebral contusion, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and abbreviated injury scale (AIS). The odds ratio values for these factors were 7.27 (95% confidence interval ( CI): 2.08 -25.42, p = 0.002), 2.85 (95% CI: 1.11 -7.31, p = 0.030), 2.62 (95% CI: 1.12 -6.13, p = 0.027), 2.44 (95% CI: 1.25 -4.76, p = 0.009), and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.10 -2.04, p = 0.009), respectively. We also observed that patients with mild/moderate TBI (AIS ≤ 3) had a 50% probability of developing CE 19.7 h after injury (χ 2= 13.82, adjusted R2 = 0.51), while patients with severe TBI (AIS > 3) developed CE after 12.5 h (χ 2= 18.48, adjusted R2 = 0.54). Finally, we conducted a receiver operator characteristic curve analysis of CE time, which showed an area under the curve of 0.744 and 0.672 for severe and mild/moderate TBI, respectively. Conclusion::Our study found that the onset of CE in individuals with TBI resulting from RTAs was correlated with the severity of the injury. Specifically, those with more severe injuries experienced an earlier onset of CE. These findings suggest that there is a critical time window for clinical intervention in cases of CE secondary to TBI.

Objective To clarify the understanding of types of laboratories and manufacturers for GB 9706.1-2020 Medical electrical equipment-Part 1:General requirements for basic safety and essential performance by laboratory proficiency testing for creepage distance and electrical clearance test.Methods An operation guide was formed according to the testing program in GB 9706.1-2020,and the homogeneity and stability of the samples were evaluated according to CNAS-GL003:2018 Guidance on Evaluating the Homogenneity and Stability of Samples Used for Proficiency Testing.Robust statistic methods were used to assess the quantitative parameters of the test results of the participating laboratories according to the requirements in GB/T 28043-2019 Statistical methods for use in proficiency testing by interlaboratory comparison;the results reported by the expert laboratories were used as the specified values of the qualitative parameters.SPSS 25.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Results All the results of the crreepage distance and electrical clearance tests met the requirements for homogeneity and stability.Of the 46 laboratories involved in,37 ones did have comprehensive satisfactory determinations while the remained 9 ones not.Conclusion Some laboratories don't behave well in understanding the standard,which have to be reformed accordingly to enhance their proficiencies.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(10):54-59]

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of rete testis thickness (RTT) and testicular shear wave elastography (SWE) to differentiate obstructive azoospermia (OA) from nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). We assessed 290 testes of 145 infertile males with azoospermia and 94 testes of 47 healthy volunteers at Shanghai General Hospital (Shanghai, China) between August 2019 and October 2021. The testicular volume (TV), SWE, and RTT were compared among patients with OA and NOA and healthy controls. The diagnostic performances of the three variables were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. The TV, SWE, and RTT in OA differed significantly from those in NOA (all P ≤ 0.001) but were similar to those in healthy controls. Males with OA and NOA were similar at TVs of 9-11 cm 3 ( P = 0.838), with sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, and area under the curve of 50.0%, 84.2%, 0.34, and 0.662 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.502-0.799), respectively, for SWE cut-off of 3.1 kPa; and 94.1%, 79.2%, 0.74, and 0.904 (95% CI: 0.811-0.996), respectively, for RTT cut-off of 1.6 mm. The results showed that RTT performed significantly better than SWE in differentiating OA from NOA in the TV overlap range. In conclusion, ultrasonographic RTT evaluation proved a promising diagnostic approach to differentiate OA from NOA, particularly in the TV overlap range.
Male ; Humans ; Azoospermia ; Rete Testis ; China ; Testis

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common genetic cause of human male infertility. However, the effect of the extra X chromosome on different testicular cell types remains poorly understood. Here, we profiled testicular single-cell transcriptomes from three KS patients and normal karyotype control individuals. Among the different somatic cells, Sertoli cells showed the greatest transcriptome changes in KS patients. Further analysis showed that X-inactive-specific transcript ( XIST ), a key factor that inactivates one X chromosome in female mammals, was widely expressed in each testicular somatic cell type but not in Sertoli cells. The loss of XIST in Sertoli cells leads to an increased level of X chromosome genes, and further disrupts their transcription pattern and cellular function. This phenomenon was not detected in other somatic cells such as Leydig cells and vascular endothelial cells. These results proposed a new mechanism to explain why testicular atrophy in KS patients is heterogeneous with loss of seminiferous tubules but interstitial hyperplasia. Our study provides a theoretical basis for subsequent research and related treatment of KS by identifying Sertoli cell-specific X chromosome inactivation failure.
Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Sertoli Cells/metabolism* ; Klinefelter Syndrome/genetics* ; Endothelial Cells ; Testis/metabolism* ; X Chromosome/metabolism* ; Mammals/genetics*

The regulation of spermatogonial proliferation and apoptosis is of great significance for maintaining spermatogenesis. The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of the testis was performed to identify genes upregulated in spermatogonia. Using scRNA-seq analysis, we identified the spermatogonia upregulated gene origin recognition complex subunit 6 (Orc6), which is involved in DNA replication and cell cycle regulation; its protein expression in the human and mouse testis was detected by western blot and immunofluorescence. To explore the potential function of Orc6 in spermatogonia, the C18-4 cell line was transfected with control or Orc6 siRNA. Subsequently, 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays, flow cytometry, and western blot were used to evaluate its effects on proliferation and apoptosis. It was revealed that ORC6 could promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of C18-4 cells. Bulk RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicated that Orc6 was involved in the activation of wingless/integrated (Wnt)/ β-catenin signaling. Western blot revealed that the expression of β-catenin protein and its phosphorylation (Ser675) were significantly decreased when silencing the expression of ORC6. Our findings indicated that Orc6 was upregulated in spermatogonia, whereby it regulated proliferation and apoptosis by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Patients with congenital unilateral absence of the vas deferens (CUAVD) manifest diverse symptoms from normospermia to azoospermia. Treatment for CUAVD patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA) is complicated, and there is a lack of relevant reports. In this study, we describe the clinical features and evaluate the treatments and outcomes of CUAVD patients with OA. From December 2015 to December 2020, 33 patients were diagnosed as CUAVD with OA in Shanghai General Hospital (Shanghai, China). Patient information, ultrasound findings, semen analysis, hormone profiles, and treatment information were collected, and the clinical outcomes were evaluated. Of 33 patients, 29 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Vasoepididymostomy (VE) or cross VE was performed in 12 patients, the patency rate was 41.7% (5/12), and natural pregnancy was achieved in one of the patients. The other 17 patients underwent testicular sperm extraction as the distal vas deferens (contralateral side) was obstructed. These findings showed that VE or cross VE remains an alternative treatment for CUAVD patients with OA, even with a relatively low rate of patency and natural pregnancy.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Vas Deferens/abnormalities* ; Azoospermia/surgery* ; Epididymis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; China ; Semen