The role of the renin-angiotensin system in male reproduction / 中华男科学杂志

The circulating renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is well known for its role in the maintenance of blood pressure and electrolyte and fluid homeostasis. However, other local angiotensin-generating systems than the circulating RAS have been found in numerous tissues. The male reproductive system including the testis, epididymis, and prostate has several sites of intrinsic RAS activity. The local RAS in these tissues can be responsive to androgens, fat acid, drugs, and hypoxia. There has been evidence for the involvement of the RAS not only in male reproduction, but also in the development of prostate disease. Besides, the assessment of the local RAS activity may be helpful to the early diagnosis of tumor in the male reproductive system.

Efffect of addition of low-dose rosiglitazone to sulphonylurea therapy on glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>We designed a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, parallel, with metformin controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low dose rosiglitazone combined with sulphonylurea therapy in type 2 diabetic patients who were inadequately controlled with sulphonylurea alone.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients were treated with 4 mg rosiglitazone once daily plus sulphonylurea (test group) or 0.5 g metformin twice daily plus sulphonylurea (control group) for 12 weeks. The mean levels of HbA(1c), fasting and postprandial plasma glucose were recorded and compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean levels of HbA(1c) decreased by 1.09% and 0.95% in the test group (n = 102) and control group (n = 96) respectively. Fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels in the test group decreased by 25.0% and 35.6%, and in the control group, decreased by 17.7% and 23.8% as compared with the baseline (both P < 0.01). No liver damage was found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combination treatment of rosiglitazone and sulphonylurea can effectively improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients inadequately controlled with sulphonylurea alone.</p>

STUDY ON PITUITARY-GONADAL FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH KLINEFELTER'S SYNDROME / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Following a single intramuscular injection of HCG 2,000 U, blood was drawn at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours in 7 cases of Klinefelter's syndrome and 6 normal adult males to study the pituitary-gonadal function. It was found that the average basal values of plasma T and DHT just before injection were 174.93 +73.46 and 14.99 +3.03 ng/dl respectively in patients, much lower than that in normal controls (P