A new puncture needle with multiple holes for testicular sperm extraction / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate a new puncture needle with multiple holes (National Invention Patent of China: ZL 2010202466554) in testicular sperm extraction for infertile males.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study included 215 azoospermia patients, who underwent testicular sperm extraction with a new puncture needle with multiple holes (group A, n = 133), by open biopsy (group B, n = 37), or with a fine needle (group C, n = 45).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The first-time success rate was 100% in group A, 19% in B and 100% in C. The average operation time was obviously shorter in group A ([3 +/- 1] min) than in B ([15 +/- 3] min) and C ([7 +/- 2] min). The rate of postoperative complications was 3.0% in group A, significantly lower than in B (21.6%) and C (11.1%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The new puncture needle with multiple holes, with its advantages of accuracy, high first-time success rate, minimal invasiveness and low rate of complications, deserves to be generally applied in testicular sperm extraction.</p>

Effect of cuichan zhunsheng decoction for promoting cervical ripening in late pregnancy / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Cuichan Zhunsheng Decoction (CZD) on the cervical ripening factors in late pregnancy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety women with full-term pregnant ready for labor inducing were equally assigned to 3 groups. The treated group was orally treated with CZD, the control group was with pitocin by adding 1 U into 500 mL of 5% glucose for intravenous dripping in 6 h, and the placebo group was orally treated with simulator of CZD as placebo, with the medication lasted for 3 days. Changes of cervical length and width, and neck tube diameter were measured by vaginal B-ultrasonography to estimate the degree of cervical maturation referring to the clinical Bishop scale; meanwhile, changes in blood levels of prostaglandin E2alpha(PGE2alpha), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate on cervical ripening was 96.7% in the treated group, which was significantly superior to those in the control group (83.3%) and the placebo group (26.7%, P < 0.05). The blood levels of PGE2alpha, IL-8, and ET-1 after treatment in the treated group were significantly higher than those in the placebo group (P < 0.05), and levels of PGE2alpha and IL-8 were higher in the control group than in the placebo group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CZD can promote the cervical ripening through raising blood levels of PGE2alpha, IL-8 and ET-1, altering the structure of cervical tissue to reduce the cervical tension, which could increase the maturation of cervix, induce delivery sign, so as to elevate the vaginal delivery rate and reduce the percentage of caesarean birth.</p>

Clinical and experimental study on effect of cuichan zhusheng decoction on the structure and tension of pregnant cervix uteri / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Cuichan Zhusheng Decoction (CZD) on cervical maturation factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety women with full-term pregnancy and indication for labor inducing were assigned to three groups equally. The treated group was treated by water decoction of CZD, one dose (300 mL) daily, taken orally in the morning 30 min before breakfast, for successive 3 days, the administration would be discontinued if uterine contraction occurred for over 3 times/hour in the course. The control group was treated with pitocin by adding 1 U into 500 mL 5% glucose for intravenous dripping in 6 h, once every day for 3 successive days. The blank group was treated by placebo of CZD, administrated in same way as that in the treated group. The length and width of cervix and diameter of neck tube in all the women were measured on the very day of medication and 72 h later or parturient time by vaginal B-ultrasonography, and the cervical maturation degree was scored referring to the clinical Bishop scale. In the experimental study, the cervical tension of pregnant rats was measured with an in vitro cervical tension-meter, rats' cervical tissues were taken for pathologic examination to observe its morphological change.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate for promoting cervical maturation was 96.67% in the treated group and 83.33% in the control group. It was significantly superior in the treated group to that in the control group and the blank group (P<0.05). Moreover, the cervical score in the treated group was higher in comparing with that in the blank group showing statistical significance (P<0.05). Animal experiments displayed that after medication, the cervical tissue of rat loosened with significantly lessened, swollen, convoluted and ruptured collagen fiber, showing sparse disorderly lined-up reticular status. Degradation of collagen fiber, vascular dilatation and congestion with massive amount of inflammatory cells infiltration, increased matrix components, and many leucocyte and fibroblast in the stroma could be seen.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CZD can change the morphorlogic structure of cervical tissue, decrease cervical tension, so as to promote the cervical maturation and induce labor.</p>