In vitro antioxidation effect of Quercetin on sperm function from the infertile patients with leukocytospermia.

PROBLEM: Quercetin has been shown to display intensive antioxidant activity against ROS-mediated damage in chilled semen, and the effects and molecular mechanisms of Quercetin on sperm function in the infertile patients with leukocytospermia remain largely unknown. METHODS: Semen samples were collected from the infertile men with leukocytospermia (n = 56) and fertile men (n = 44). Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) was used to determine sperm motility before and after Quercetin incubation (10 µmol/L). Changes in H2 O2 , sperm mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), cytochrome B (Cty B), and NADH dehydrogenase 5 (NADH5) contents were measured. Furthermore, hyperactivated motility (HA) and acrosome reaction rates were detected after the stimulation by progesterone with or without Quercetin, respectively. RESULTS: Quercetin could significantly improve sperm motility from the leukocytospermic patients. The level of H2 O2 was significantly decreased in the supernatant of leukocytospermic patients after Quercetin treatment. The content of mtDNA in sperm was significantly decreased, whereas the contents of Cyt B and NADH 5 in sperm were significantly increased. Sperm hyperactivated motility and acrosome reaction induced by progesterone were enhanced by Quercetin in sperm from the infertile men with leukocytospermia. CONCLUSION: These data indicate Quercetin could display protective effects against oxidative damage on sperm from the infertile men with leukocytospermia.

Deficient human ß-defensin 1 underlies male infertility associated with poor sperm motility and genital tract infection.

Genital tract infection and reduced sperm motility are considered two pivotal etiological factors for male infertility associated with leukocytospermia and asthenozoospermia, respectively. We demonstrate that the amount of human ß-defensin 1 (DEFB1) in sperm from infertile men exhibiting either leukocytospermia or asthenozoospermia, both of which are associated with reduced motility and reduced bactericidal activity in sperm, is much lower compared to that in normal fertile sperm. Interference with DEFB1 function also decreases both motility and bactericidal activity in normal sperm, whereas treatment with recombinant DEFB1 markedly restores DEFB1 expression, bactericidal activity, sperm quality, and egg-penetrating ability in sperm from both asthenozoospermia and leukocytospermia patients. DEFB1 interacts with chemokine receptor type 6 (CCR6) in sperm and triggers Ca(2+) mobilization, which is important for sperm motility. Interference with CCR6 function also reduces motility and bactericidal activity of normal sperm. The present finding explains a common defect in male infertility associated with both asthenozoospermia and leukocytospermia, indicating a dual role of DEFB1 in defending male fertility. These results also suggest that the expression of DEFB1 and CCR6 may have diagnostic potential and that treatment of defective sperm with recombinant DEFB1 protein may be a feasible therapeutic approach for male infertility associated with poor sperm motility and genital tract infection.

[Vardenafil significantly alleviates erectile dysfunction in aged men with diabetes].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of vardenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in aged men with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: One hundred outpatients with diagnosed ED (40 diabetic and 60 non-diabetic) received vardenafil at the initial dose of 20 mg and sustained dose of 10 mg once a week for 8 weeks, and their erectile functions were evaluated by IIEF and EQS. RESULTS: The scores on IIEF and EQS in the diabetic ED group were 18.9 +/- 0.2 and 25.1 +/- 1.4 after the vardenafil treatment, significantly higher than 8.1 +/- 0.5 and 9.1 +/- 1.3 before the treatment (P < 0.01), and the non-diabetic group scored 21.1 +/- 0.2 and 34.2 +/- 1.2 on IIEF and EQS after the treatment, as compared with the statistically lower scores of 10.1 +/- 0.3 and 10.1 +/- 1.7 before it (P < 0.01). The total rate of effectiveness was 65% in the diabetic and 73.30% in the non-diabetic group, with statistical differences (P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Vardenafil can significantly improve erectile function and is well tolerated in the aged males with diabetic ED.