Semen parameters in men recovered from COVID-19 / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is emerging as a global health threat and shows a higher risk for men than women. Thus far, the studies on andrological consequences of COVID-19 are limited. To ascertain the consequences of COVID-19 on sperm parameters after recovery, we recruited 41 reproductive-aged male patients who had recovered from COVID-19, and analyzed their semen parameters and serum sex hormones at a median time of 56 days after hospital discharge. For longitudinal analysis, a second sampling was obtained from 22 of the 41 patients after a median time interval of 29 days from first sampling. Compared with controls who had not suffered from COVID-19, the total sperm count, sperm concentration, and percentages of motile and progressively motile spermatozoa in the patients were significantly lower at first sampling, while sperm vitality and morphology were not affected. The total sperm count, sperm concentration, and number of motile spermatozoa per ejaculate were significantly increased and the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm was reduced at the second sampling compared with those at first in the 22 patients examined. Though there were higher prolactin and lower progesterone levels in patients at first sampling than those in controls, no significant alterations were detected for any sex hormones examined over time following COVID-19 recovery in the 22 patients. Although it should be interpreted carefully, these findings indicate an adverse but potentially reversible consequence of COVID-19 on sperm quality.

The current situation of the drug supply and determinants of drug shortage in primary health centers:A case study of Anhui Province / 中国卫生政策研究

Objective: To investigate the current situation of drug supply and determinants of drug shortage in primary health institutions in Anhui province. Methods:Primary health institutions in Anhui province were selected as the main research subjects. One hundred and six (106) primary health institutions from three areas/districts in Anhui province namely northern Anhui,Central Anhui,and Southern Anhui were selected with stratified random sampling as the first sample,and 54 pharmaceutical producing enterprises and 62 pharmaceutical trading enterprises were selected with convenience sampling method as the second sample. The survey was conducted by issuing questionnaires to record views of the respondents to help understand the current situation of drug supply from the first sample and the main de-terminants and solutions of drug shortage from two samples. Results:13% of the primary health institutions still suffer from serious shortage of drug supply; the drug distribution rate varies greatly between units, and 19% of the primary health institutions have a drug distribution rate below 70%,and all primary health institution within the scope of inves-tigation experienced drug shortages. The frequency of choices of determinants of drug shortage were in sequence of or-der:drug demand instability (19.20%), drugs have a new and higher profit alternative (15.94%), etc.; The fre-quency of choices of solutions of drug shortage of primary health institution were in sequence of order:to improve the national list of essential medicines(12.78%),appropriate improvement in efficacy the low-priced varieties(with cura-tive effect) (12.03%),etc. Conclusions:Primary health institutions suffer from drug shortage issue widely,and the reasons for the shortage of drugs are more complicated;the government should continue to implement relevant policies, comprehensively improving the primary health institution drug supply mechanisms in all to prevent drug shortages.

Beneficial effect of total flavonoids of Chrysanthemum indicum on adjuvant arthritis by induction of apoptosis of synovial fibroblasts / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect on the extract of total flavonoids of Chrysanthemum indicum (TFC) on adjuvant arthritis synovial cells.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>SD rats were divided randomly into six groups including normal, model, TFC (84, 168, 336 mg x kg(-1)) and control drug Tripterygium glycosides (30 mg x kg(-1)) groups. Adjuvant arthritis rat model was induced by a single intradermal injection of 0.1 mL of the complete Freund's adjuvant into the right hind feet pads of the SD rats. The proliferation of synoviocyte was measured by MT; The apoptosis rates of synovial cells were evaluated using TUNEL and FCM analysis.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>TFC resulted in a dose-dependent way in inhibiting the proliferation of synovial and inducing the apoptosis of synovium and synoviocytes in vivo.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TFC can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in synovial cells, and exert therapeutical effect on rheumatoid arthritis.</p>