Protective effect of tadalafil against ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (tadalafil) on the testis following testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-four healthy adult male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into groups A (sham operation), B (testicular torsion + low-dose tadalafil), C (testicular torsion + high-dose tadalafil), and D (testicular torsion + placebo). Models were established in the latter three groups by 7200 torsion of the right testis for 2 hours. The animals in groups A and B were treated by gavage with tadalafil at the dose of 0. 5 mg per kg per day, those in group C at 2 mg per kg per day, and those in group D with saline at the same dose. After 3, 7, and 14 days of treatment, the torsioned testes were harvested for evaluation of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the testis tissue. The pathological changes in the testis were observed under the light microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 3, 7, and 14 days, the SOD activity was (254.46 +/- 7.43), (278.49 +/- 8.33), and (317.99 +/- 3.31) nU/mg prot in group B, and (277.12 +/- 8.80), (309.40 +/- 2.14), and (320.39 +/- 4.72) nU/mg prot in group C, all obviously higher than in D ([223.21 +/- 4.65], [231.45 +/- 4.16] and [248.28 +/- 5.74] nU/mg prot), while the MDA content was lower in the former two groups than in the latter. At 3 and 7 days, the SOD activity was significantly higher and the MDA level significantly lower in group C than in B (both P < 0.01) , while at 14 days, neither showed any remarkable differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). No obvious histopathological change was observed in the testis tissue of group A. At 3 and 7 days, pathological examination of the testis tissue revealed significant differences in the number of seminiferous epithelial layers, testicular histological score, and seminiferous tubule diameter in group B (P < 0.01), but the three indexes at 14 days in group B and at 7 days in group C exhibited no remarkable differences from those at 14 days in group A.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tadalafil can alleviate testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury following testis torsion/detorsion in a time- and dose-dependent manner.</p>

CMTM2 antagonizes cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive toxicity and regulates StAR expression in a transgenic mouse model / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of CMTM2 on cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced reproductive toxicity and the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein in the transgenic mouse model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty CMTM2 transgenic mice were equally divided into a CMTM2 + CP and a CMTM2 + NS group, the former intraperitoneally injected with CP at 50 mg per kg per d, while the latter with the equivalent dose of normal saline, both for 7 days. Another 20 wild C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to a WT + CP and a WT + NS group, treated the same way above. After 30 days, all the mice were sacrificed and their epididymides and testes removed for measurement of the serum testosterone level by radioimmunoassay, determination of sperm concentration and motility by light microscopy and detection of the expression of StAR by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of serum testosterone, sperm concentration and sperm motility were significantly decreased in the CMTM2 + CP group as compared with the CMTM2 + NS group ([42.98 +/- 3.25] nmol/L vs [46.74 +/- 3.38] nmol/L, [16.89 +/- 1.17 ] x 10(6)/ml vs [24.68 +/- 0.95 ] x 10(6)/ml, [72.75 +/- 1.25]% vs [85.14 +/- 1.12]%, P < 0.05), but remarkably less than in the WT + CP group ([37.97 +/- 4.17] nmol/L, [12.75 +/- 1.02] x 10(6)/ml, [50.52 +/- 1.37] %) (P < 0.05). However, the expression of StAR was significantly higher in the CMTM2 + CP than in the WT + CP group (1.16 +/- 0.07 vs 0.69 +/- 0.08, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CMTM2 antagonizes cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive toxicity via regulating the expression of StAR, and hence plays a protective role in the reproductive system.</p>

Establishment of a CMTM2 transgenic mouse model and the alteration of its serum testosterone level / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a transgenic mouse model systemically expressing the CMTM2 gene and study the effect of the CMTM2 expression on the reproductive system of mice in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Transgenic mice were generated by microinjection of pRevTRE-CMTM2 and the genotype was detected by PCR. The expression of CMTM2 was determined by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry, and the serum testosterone level was measured by radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The CMTM2 gene was highly expressed in the testis of the transgenic mouse models and in their offspring as well. The level of serum testosterone was significantly increased in the transgenic models as compared with the wild-type mice ([46.04 +/- 3.72] vs [42.43 +/- 3.80] nmol/L, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The transgenic mouse model was established successfully, which could highly express the CMTM2 gene. It is indicated that CMTM2 may influence steroidogenesis and testosterone secretion in transgenic mice.</p>

Inhibitory effect of CMTM5 on xenografted human prostatic cancer in nude mice / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the inhibitory effect of CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 5 (CMTM5) on xenografted human prostatic cancer in nude mice and its action mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We established a model of xenografted prostatic cancer by inoculating PC-3 cells subcutaneously into nude mice, and 3 weeks later injected CMTM5 adenovirus locally into the tumor followed by daily observation of the tumor volume and body weight of the experimental animals. All the rats were killed 2 weeks after CMTM5 injection and the tumor tissue harvested for detection of the inhibitory effect of CMTM5 on the expressions of VEGF and NF-kappaB proteins by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The tumor volume was significantly smaller and body weight of the CMTM5-treated mice were (573.39 +/- 175.24) mm3 and (0.55 +/- 0.11) g, respectively, significantly decreased as compared with those of the controls ([1482.50 +/- 327.86] mm3 and [1.31 +/- 0.29] g) (P = 0.03 and P = 0.027). Immunohistochemistry showed that the expressions of VEGF and NF-kappaB were obviously down-regulated in the CMTM5 group in comparison with the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CMTM5 suppresses the growth of prostate cancer by down-regulating the expressions of VEGF and NF-kappaB.</p>

Research advances in CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing member 5 / 中国医学科学院学报

CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing member(CMTM)is a novel generic family firstly reported by Peking University Center for Human Disease Genomics. CMTM5 belongs to this family and has exhibited tumor-inhibiting activities. It can encode proteins approaching to the transmembrane 4 superfamily(TM4SF). CMTM5 is broadly expressed in normal adult and fetal human tissues, but is undetectable or down-regulated in most carcinoma cell lines and tissues. Restoration of CMTM5 may inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of carcinoma cells. Although the exact mechanism of its anti-tumor activity remains unclear, CMTM5 may be involved in various signaling pathways governing the occurrence and development of tumors. CMTM5 may be a new target in the gene therapies for tumors, while further studies on CMTM5 and its anti-tumor mechanisms are warranted.