A260G and A386G single nucleotide polymorphisms of the DAZL gene are not correlated with male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the association of the A260G and A386G single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the DAZL gene with male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected the peripheral blood samples from 317 idiopathic infertile males with azoospermia or oligozoospermia and 246 normal fertile men, and genotyped the polymorphic loci of the A260G and A386G polymorphisms of the DAZL gene using the SNaPshot technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The DAZL gene A260G was found genetically polymorphic in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province, with the gene frequencies and their distribution consistent to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of the AA, AG and GG genotypes of the A260G polymorphism were 92.3%, 7.3%, and 0.4% respectively in the normal controls and 94.3%, 5.7%, and 0% in the infertile patients, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.43, OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.413-1.46). Heterozygosis (AG) of A386G was found in 1 of the control males but not in the infertile patients, while homozygosis (GG) of A386G was not observed in either group (P = 0.259, OR = 0.698, 59% CI: 0.374-1.306).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A260G and A386G SNPs of the DAZL gene are not associated with spermatogenic failure and neither represents a molecular marker for the genetic diagnosis of male infertility in the Chinese population of Zhejiang Province.</p>

PDE5 inhibitors for the management of temporary penile erectile dysfunction during treatment with assisted reproductive technology / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors in the management of temporary penile erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study included 75 male patients that experienced ejaculation failure due to temporary ED during ART treatment. We treated the patients with PDE5 inhibitors sildenafil, tadanafil and vardenafil, and then evaluated the hardness of penile erection using Erection Hardness Score (EHS) and analyzed the end-point efficacy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sildenafil was administered to 28 of the patients, tadanafil to 25, and vardenafil to 22. Of the total number of patients, 61 (81.3%) achieved effective erection, but no significant differences were observed in the rate of effectiveness among the sildenafil (24 cases, 85.7%), tadanafil (20 cases, 80.0%) and vardenafil (17 cases, 77.3%) groups (P > 0.05). After medication, 53 (70.7%) of the patients successfully ejaculated, but there were no remarkable differences in the success rate among the sildenafil (21 cases, 75.0%), tadanafil (17 cases, 68.0%) and vardenafil (15 cases, 68.2%) groups (P > 0.05). Of the 75 patients, 37 received the recommended initial dose and 38 the maximum recommended dose of PDE5 inhibitors, but no significant differences were found in the rate of successful sperm retrieval between the former (28 cases, 75.7%) and the latter group (25 cases, 65.8%) (P > 0.05). Mild adverse events, including transient flush and dizziness, occurred in 5 cases (6.7%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PDE5 inhibitors can help temporary ED patients to achieve penile erection and ejaculation during ART treatment.</p>

FISH analysis of meiotic segregation results of the spermatozoa from male pericentric inversion carriers / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the meiotic segregation results of the spermatozoa from male pericentric inversion carriers by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using chemical depolymerization and multicolor FISH, we analyzed the meiotic segregation results of the spermatozoa from 4 male pericentric inversion carriers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 4 males studied, 46,XY,inv(9) (p11q12) was found in 2, 46,XY,inv(9) (p11q13) in 1 and 46,XY,inv(6) (p22q24) in the other; the lengths of the inverted segments represented 16.0, 16.0, 21.0 and 76.0% of the size of the whole chromosome involved; and the frequencies of recombinant sperm were 0.2, 0.4, 0.3 and 43.9%, del(p)/dup(q) accounting for 22.4% and del(q)/dup(p) 21.5%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Males with pericentric inversion may produce spermatozoa with recombinant chromosomes and the rate of recombination varies principally according to the size proportion to the whole chromosome involved. The results of FISH analysis of chromosomal unbalanced spermatozoa can provide accurate personalized information on the genetic risk of fertility.</p>

Sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition correlate to acrosin activity and seminal parameters / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the correlation of sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition with acrosin activity and seminal parameters.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected 535 semen samples, assessed sperm DNA damage by sperm chromatin dispersion test, and analyzed the correlation of sperm DNA damage and sperm-nucleoprotein transition with acrosin activity and seminal parameters according to the WHO criteria.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Statistically significant differences were observed in sperm DNA damage among sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity, sperm concentration and the percentage of grade a + b sperm (P < 0.01). Sperm DNA damage was positively correlated with age, sperm-nucleoprotein transition, sperm concentration and the percentage of grade d sperm (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), but negatively correlated with acrosin activity (P < 0.001). Stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that age, sperm concentration, the percentage of grade d sperm, sperm-nucleoprotein transition and acrosin activity were independent variables related to the DNA fragmentation index (DFI). The abnormality rates of sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity, sperm concentration and graded a + b sperm were significantly higher in the sperm DNA damage group (DFI > or = 30%) than in the normal control (DFI < 30%) (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sperm DNA damage is closely related with sperm-nucleoprotein transition, acrosin activity and seminal parameters, which may become another important independent parameter for the evaluation of sperm quality.</p>