Prostatitis and male factor infertility: A review of the literature

Prostatitis and male infertility are frequent disorders, and the role of prostatitis in male infertility has been under discussion for more than 30 years. Many researchers have shown relevant links between the two. Although a causal relationship has not been definitely demonstrated, increasing evidence shows that chronic prostatitis has a relevant negative impact on male fertility potential, at least in certain subgroups. In the following review, we focus on the present state of knowledge on the role of chronic prostatitis as an etiologic factor in male infertility.     

Prostatitis versus pelvic pain syndrome: Immunologic studies

The pathogenesis of chronic pelvic pain syndrome continues to be an enigma. The observation of inflammatory cells in urine, ejaculate, prostate fluid, and prostate tissue combined with changed local expressions of cytokines, immunoglobulins, complement, and other inflammatory markers led to the hypothesis of an involvement of the immune system in this clinical entity. This review presents a survey of the immunology-related data available for chronic pelvic pain syndrome and attempts to explain them in the context of causes and consequences.     

Effect of the anxiolytic drug buspirone on prolactin and corticosterone secretion in stressed and unstressed rats

Buspirone is an atypical anxiolytic drug that exerts its action at a receptor site other than the GABA-benzodiazepine-chloride ionophore complex. The present study examined the effect of buspirone on plasma prolactin and corticosterone levels in both control and stressed rats. In unstressed rats, buspirone produced dose-dependent increases in plasma prolactin and corticosterone levels. The minimal doses of buspirone which led to significant elevations in plasma prolactin and corticosterone levels were 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg (IP), respectively. The effect of buspirone on both hormones was maximal 30 minutes after injection. The plasma levels of prolactin and corticosterone were significantly elevated in rats that were stressed using a conditioned fear paradigm. Buspirone produced a dose-dependent attenuation of the stress-induced increase in prolactin secretion. The stress-induced increase in corticosterone secretion was inhibited by the 0.5 mg/kg (IP) dose but not by the 2.0 mg/kg (IP) dose of buspirone, which increased corticosterone secretion both in stressed and unstressed rats. These data suggest that the effect of buspirone on plasma prolactin and corticosterone levels may be mediated by two different mechanisms of action.     

Differential effects of serotonin (5-HT1A and 5-HT2) agonists and antagonists on renin and corticosterone secretion

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of distinct serotonin (5-HT1A and 5-HT2) agonists and antagonists on renin and corticosterone secretion. Low doses of the selective 5-HT1A agonists 8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (5.0-500.0 micrograms/kg, i.p.) and ipsapirone (TVX Q 7821; 0.5-2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), and of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) agonist MK-212 (2.0 mg/kg, i.p.), did not elevate plasma renin activity (PRA) and concentration (PRC) 30 min postinjection. Administration of a higher dose of MK-212 (10.0 mg/kg, i.p.) and of higher doses of ipsapirone (5.0-10.0 mg/kg, i.p.), as well as the 5-HT releaser, fenfluramine (5.0 mg/kg, i.p.), resulted in large increases in PRA and PRC. The effects of MK-212 and fenfluramine on PRA and PRC were blocked by pretreatment with the selective 5-HT2 antagonist, LY53857, in a dose-dependent (0.3-1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) manner. LY53857 (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) by itself did not affect PRA or PRC. LY53857, furthermore, unmasked a renin-suppressive effect of MK-212, since injection of MK-212 (10.0 mg/kg, i.p.) following LY53857 administration led to a reduction in PRA and PRC. MK-212 (2.0 and 10.0 mg/kg), the high doses of 8-OH-DPAT (500.0 micrograms/kg), ipsapirone (1.0-10.0 mg/kg), and fenfluramine (5.0 mg/kg) all produced an increase in plasma corticosterone levels. The effects of MK-212 and fenfluramine on corticosterone were not inhibited by pretreatment with LY53857. These data suggest that 5-HT1A receptors do not play a role in the regulation of renin secretion, whereas stimulation of 5-HT2 receptors enhances renin release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Low molecular weight glycosaminoglycan blockade of beta-amyloid induced neuropathology

Previous studies have shown different roles for proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology. Using a rat model of beta-amyloid induced neuropathology, we tested whether low molecular weight glycosaminoglycans (Certoparin and C6) could be useful as preventative agents and/or as a potential therapeutic treatment for AD. Chronic subcutaneous low molecular weight glycosaminoglycan injections beginning either before or after an intra-amygdaloid beta-amyloid-(25-35) injection blocked abnormal intracellular tau changes and reactive astrocytosis but did not affect beta-amyloid's aggregation state. Also, low molecular weight glycosaminoglycan injections beginning 1 day prior to sacrifice did not block the effects of beta-amyloid nor did injections of a disaccharide, suggesting chronic low molecular weight glycosaminoglycan treatment is needed to block the effects of beta-amyloid. Furthermore, these data indicate that there is a molecular weight range of active low molecular weight glycosaminoglycans in this model; and supports the investigation of low molecular weight glycosaminoglycans as a preventative and/or therapeutic treatment of beta-amyloid induced neuropathology.     

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of C3, a heparin-derived oligosaccharide mixture, in non-human primates

The heparin-derived oligosaccharide C3 (C3) is currently underdevelopment for the prevention and treatment of vascular dementia and senile dementia of Alzheimer's type. C3 exhibits a molecular weight of 2200-2500 Da with a narrow distribution. The objective of the present study was to assess the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of C3 in non-human primates. C3 was administered as an intravenous or subcutaneous bolus dose of 1.0 or 2.5 mg/kg. Anti-factor Xa activity, Heptest clotting time and activated partial thromboplastin time were measured to determine pharmacodynamic effects of C3 in plasma. The pharmacokinetics of C3 was primarily characterized by measuring plasma anti-factor Xa activity as a surrogate marker. The rate of absorption and elimination of C3 after administration did not change with increasing dose. The volume of distribution of C3 was small, reflecting a major distribution inside the intravascular space (110-130 ml/kg), and was independent of dose. The total clearance (16.0-21.0 ml/h/kg) and half-life (4-6 h) of C3 were also dose-independent. Within the observed dose range, a 2.5 times of the C3 dose resulted in an area under the plasma concentration-time curve that was approximately 16-27% greater than expected on the basis of linear disposition. These differences could be attributed to the endogenous release of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) by C3 at higher doses, which is associated with the vascular effects of C3.     

Gastric electromechanical dysfunction in Parkinson's disease

This study was designed to evaluate gastric myoelectrical and mechanical activities in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) patients. Twenty patients with IPD (14 male and 6 female, mean age 42 +/- 9 years) were studied. Patients were divided into two groups: group A--early stage of disease (no. = 6) and group B--advanced IPD (no. = 14). Electrogastrography (EGG) was performed in fasting and postprandial conditions (Synectics system). The cross-sectional area of the gastric antrum was measured by sonography (Hitachi EUB-240). The antral area in fasting conditions was 2.1 +/- 0.4 and 4.2 +/- 1.2 cm2 and gastric emptying was 75 +/- 5 and 125 +/- 12 min in groups A and B respectively. EGG showed dysrhythmias (range 1-6 cycles per minute) in about 75% of both groups of IPD patients without increase in signal amplitude after a meal. Our results suggest that gastric motility is particularly impaired in patients with advanced IPD. It may be caused by the primary degenerative process in the autonomic nervous system of the gut.     

Binaural advantages in using a cochlear implant for adults with profound unilateral hearing loss

Background: Recent studies of cochlear implants (CIs) in profound unilateral hearing loss (UHL) patients have demonstrated a restoration of some binaural hearing.

Aims/Objectives: The objective was to evaluate three possible advantages of binaural hearing in CIs adult users with UHL including single-side deafness (SSD) and asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) subgroups.

Material and methods: A prospective study was conducted that included 70 sequentially implanted patients. Subgroups of these subjects included 64 with a postlingual onset of a profound hearing loss on the implanted side and 6 with a prelingual onset of that loss. Three binaural effects – redundancy, head shadow, and squelch – were evaluated.

Results: Significant differences between the ‘CI on’ and ‘CI off’ conditions were found for all three binaural effects for the study group as a whole and for the postlingual subgroup. However, results for the subjects in the prelingual subgroup did not demonstrate any of the binaural advantages.

Conclusion and significance: Patients with a postlingual onset of a profound hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing or only a moderate loss in the other ear are able to make the effective use of a CI in the profound-loss ear in conjunction with acoustic stimulation of the other ear.