Unconsummated marriage: relationship between honeymoon impotence and vaginismus

Unconsummated marriage is a common problem in the andrology clinics in eastern communities. The aetiology of this problem is attributed to factors like erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and vaginismus. The aim of this study is to examine the role of vaginismus in erectile dysfunction of newly married men refractory to conventional treatment. 40 men were include in this study. All had erectile dysfunction dating since marriage with history of normal erectile function before marriage and failure of PDE5 inhibitors treatment as well as intracorporal injection home therapy. Twenty-five female partners were diagnosed for vaginismus. Following treatment all but two women [drop outs] were improved. However when women were ready for intercourse 12 men were still having erectile dysfunction and needed to use tadalafil for a short term before having normal erectile function. We concluded that vaginismus is important etiological factor in unconsummated marriage and it should be considered when treating men presenting with honeymoon erectile dysfunction

Beta-endorphin in serum and seminal plasma in infertile men / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>AIM</b>To access beta-endorphin levels in serum as well as seminal plasma in different infertile male groups.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Beta-endorphin was estimated in the serum and seminal plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in 80 infertile men equally divided into four groups: non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), obstructive azoospermia (OA), congenital bilateral absent vas deferens (CBVAD) and asthenozoospermia. The results were compared to those of 20 normozoospermic proven fertile men.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was a decrease in the mean levels of beta-endorphin in the seminal plasma of all successive infertile groups (mean +/- SD: NOA 51.30 +/- 27.37, OA 51.88 +/- 9.47, CBAVD 20.36 +/- 13.39, asthenozoospermia 49.26 +/- 12.49 pg/mL, respectively) compared to the normozoospermic fertile control (87.23 +/- 29.55 pg/mL). This relation was not present in mean serum level of beta-endorphin between four infertile groups (51.09 +/- 14.71, 49.76 +/- 12.4, 33.96 +/- 7.2, 69.1 +/- 16.57 pg/mL, respectively) and the fertile control group (49.26 +/- 31.32 pg/mL). The CBVAD group showed the lowest seminal plasma mean level of beta-endorphin. Testicular contribution of seminal beta-endorphin was estimated to be approximately 40%. Seminal beta-endorphin showed significant correlation with the sperm concentration (r = 0.699, P = 0.0188) and nonsignificant correlation with its serum level (r = 0.375, P = 0.185) or with the sperm motility percentage (r = 0.470, P = 0.899).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The estimation of beta-endorphin alone is not conclusive to evaluate male reproduction as there are many other opiates acting at the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis.</p>

Reactive oxygen species and antioxidants relationship in the internal spermatic vein blood of infertile men with varicocele / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>AIM</b>To assess the relation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants in the internal spermatic vein blood compared to the peripheral venous blood.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-eight infertile oligoasthenozoospemic patients associated with varicocele were investigated. During inguinal varicocelectomy, blood samples of internal spermatic as well as median cubital veins were withdrawn. Three ROS factors (malondialdehyde [MDA], hydrogen peroxide H(2)O(2), nitric oxide [NO]) and four antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [Cat], glutathione peroxidase [GPx] and vitamin C) were estimated in these blood samples.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mean levels of tested ROS factors were significantly higher in the internal spermatic venous blood compared to those in the peripheral one (mean+/-SD) (MDA 18.7+/-1.4 nmol/mL vs. 15.4+/-1.4 nmol/mL, H(2)O(2) 43.6+/-8.0 micromol/mL vs. 30.8+/-8.1 micromol/mL, NO 2.3+/-0.5 nmol/L vs. 1.6+/-0.4 nmol/L, P<0.01). Mean levels of tested antioxidants were significantly lower in the internal spermatic venous blood compared to those in the peripheral one (superoxide dismutase 1 690.7+/-130.0 U/mL vs. 1 818.5+/-143.0 U/mL, catalase 38.9+/-6.1 mol/L vs. 47.9+/-10.2 mol/L, GPx 20.4+/-8.1 U/mL vs. 23.0+/-8.4 U/mL, vitamin C 0.3+/-0.1 vs. 0.4+/-0.1 mg/dL, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Internal spermatic venous blood of infertile male cases associated with varicocele demonstrated elevated levels of ROS and decreased levels of antioxidants compared to peripheral venous circulation.</p>