Testis size,epididymis weight,and sperm competition in rhesus macaques

The intensity of sperm competition is often measured using the gonadosomatic index (testes/body weight). But sperm competition could be mediated more by size of the epididymis than by size of the testicles, and little information is available on the relationship between testicular and epididymal size. We found that both organs were positively correlated in size among male rhesus macaques. Body weight accounted for over 70% of the variance in testicle size and volumetric estimates of testicle size accurately reflected testicle weight. We conclude that methods for ascertaining testicle size are accurate, but the covariation in size between testicles and epididymis will hamper understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved in sperm competition in primates. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Small RNA shuffling between murine sperm and their cytoplasmic droplets during epididymal maturation

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Long‐term ethanol consumption promotes changes in β‐defensin isoform gene expression and induces structural changes and oxidative DNA damage to the epididymis of rats

Chronic alcohol ingestion causes sexual dysfunction, impairs sperm motility and fertility, and changes semen quality. Considering the key role of epididymis in sperm development, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of long‐term ethanol consumption on epididymis changes, including alterations in β‐defensin isoform gene expression, oxidative stress, and pathological changes, such as cell proliferation and fibrosis in the epididymis of rats. In this study, male Wistar rats were equally divided into control and ethanol (4.5 g/kg BW) groups. After six weeks of treatment, the results revealed the proliferation of epididymis cells, fibrosis in the epididymis tissue, and a significant rise in the level of 8‐OHdG and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase in the ethanol group, compared with the control group. Moreover, the ethanol group showed an increase in the gene expression of epididymal β‐defensin isoforms 15 and 21 and a reduction in the gene expression of β‐defensin isoforms 27 and 30, compared with the controls. These findings indicate that ethanol‐induced epididymal damage and sperm abnormalities might be partly associated with changes in β‐defensin isoforms and epididymal structure, mediated by the increased activities of 8‐OHdG and NADPH oxidase.     

联合检测血清糖类抗原标志物在女性绝经前后卵巢浆液性癌诊断中的价值

目的:探讨联合检测血清糖类抗原标志物在女性绝经前后卵巢浆液性癌诊断中的价值。方法:采用回顾性研究方法,选择2016年8月到至2018年2月在我院肿瘤科进行检测的绝经前后卵巢浆液性癌患者60例(癌变组)与绝经前后健康体检者60例(健康对照组),检测其血清癌胚抗原(carcino-embryonic antigen,CEA)、人附睾蛋白4(human epididymis protein 4,HE4)和糖链抗原125(carbohydrate antigen 125,CA125)的水平,并分析其与患者的临床病理特征与随访预后的相关性。结果:癌变组血清CEA、HE4、CA125水平及阳性表达率都均显著高于健康对照组(P0.05)。在癌变组60例患者中,随着病理分期增加、分化程度的减少、淋巴结转移与死亡情况的发生,血清CEA、HE4、CA125的阳性表达率显著升高,对比差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。同时在120例人群中,联合诊断为卵巢浆液性癌者54例,联合诊断的敏感性与特异性分别为90.0%和100.0%。结论:绝经前后女性卵巢浆液性癌患者血清糖类抗原标志物-CEA、HE4、CA12水平均呈现高表达,可能作为绝经前后女性卵巢浆液性癌诊断与预后预测的参考指标。     

HE4、NF-κBp65和MMP-9在卵巢上皮性肿瘤中的表达及其临床意义

目的探讨HE4、NF-κBp65以及MMP-9的表达与上皮性卵巢肿瘤临床病理生物学行为的关系以及对患者预后的影响。方法应用免疫组化对80例卵巢上皮性癌、10例交界性上皮性肿瘤及10例良性上皮性肿瘤组织进行HE4、NF-κB p65及MMP-9蛋白的检测。结果 HE4、NF-κBp65及MMP-9蛋白的阳性表达率在卵巢癌组均高于交界性及良性肿瘤组（P〈0.05）。三个指标的表达与EOC的组织学分级、腹腔脏器及淋巴结转移以及PTNM临床分期有关（P〈0.05）;在EOC中,NF-κBp65分别与HE4、MMP-9的表达呈正相关（r1=0.673,P〈0.05;r2=0.775,P〈0.05）。多因素分析,PTNM分期、MMP-9的表达是影响卵巢癌术后患者预后的独立因素（P〈0.05）;HE4阳性组与阴性组5年生存率分别为12.7%和84.0%,MMP-9阳性组与阴性组5年生存率分别为8.7%和70.6%,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论 NF-κBp65可能通过上调HE4、MMP-9的表达促进EOC的浸润和转移,联合检测HE4、NF-κBp65以及MMP-9的表达可能作为预测和评价患者预后的生物学指标。     

Ultrastructure of the reproductive system of the black swamp snake (Seminatrix pygaea). VI. Anterior testicular ducts and their nomenclature

In this study, the anterior testicular ducts of the North American natricine snake Seminatrix pygaea are described using light and electron microscopy. From the seminiferous tubules, the rete testis passes into the epididymal sheath, a structure along the medial border of the testis heavily invested with collagen fibers. The rete testis consists of simple, nonciliated cuboidal epithelium (principal cells). The intratesticular ducts of the rete testis are narrow (50–70 μm) at their junction with the seminiferous tubules, widen (80–100 μm) as they extend extratesticularly, and divide into smaller branches as they anastomose with the next tubules, the ductuli efferentes. The ductuli efferentes are lined by simple cuboidal epithelium but possess nonciliated principal cells as well as ciliated cells. These are the only ducts in the male reproductive system with ciliated cells. The ductuli efferentes are narrow (25–45 μm), divide into numerous branches, and are highly convoluted. The ductus epididymis is the largest duct in diameter (240–330 μm), and the diameter widens and the epithelium thins posteriorly. The ductus epididymis is lined by nonciliated, columnar principal cells and basal cells. No regional differences in the ductus epididymis are apparent. Ultrastructural evidence suggests that all of the nonciliated principal cells in each of the anterior testicular ducts function in both absorption and secretion. Absorption occurs via small endocytic vesicles, some of which appear coated. Secretion is by a constitutive pathway in which small vesicles and a flocculent material are released via a merocrine process or through the formation of apocrine blebs. The secretory product is a glycoprotein. Overall, the characteristics of the anterior testicular ducts of this snake are concordant with those of other amniotes, and the traditional names used for snakes are changed to conform with those used for other sauropsids and mammals. J. Morphol., 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

人附睾蛋白4在卵巢癌中的应用进展

卵巢癌是妇科常见的恶性肿瘤,其死亡率居妇科恶性肿瘤之首,早期发现有助于提高患者的五年生存率。人附睾蛋白(HE4)属于蛋白酶抑制剂家族,是一种新的卵巢癌肿瘤标志物。HE4在卵巢癌组织中及患者血清中处于高表达状态。研究表明在早期诊断方面HE4比糖类抗原125(CA125)有更高的灵敏度和特异度,在疾病的治疗过程中可以预测肿瘤细胞减灭术的满意度及患者对铂类的反应,在卵巢癌的复发及预后的监测中HE4也有很大的临床应用价值。     

Primary Cell Cultures for Understanding Rat Epididymal Inflammation

Treatment‐induced epididymal inflammation and granuloma formation is only an occasional problem in preclinical drug development, but it can effectively terminate the development of that candidate molecule. Screening for backup molecules without that toxicity must be performed in animals (generally rats) that requires at least 2 to 3 weeks of in vivo exposure, a great deal of specially synthesized candidate compound, and histologic examination of the target tissues. We instead hypothesized that these treatments induced proinflammatory gene expression, and so used mixed‐cell cultures from the rat epididymal tubule to monitor the induction of proinflammatory cytokines. Cells were exposed for 24 hr and then cytotoxicity was evaluated with the MTS assay and mRNA levels of Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and growth‐related oncogene (GRO) were measured. We found that compounds that were more toxic in vivo stimulated a greater induction of IL‐6 and GRO mRNA levels in vitro. By relating effective concentrations in vitro with the predicted C_eff, we could rank compounds by their propensity to induce inflammation in rats in vivo. This method allowed the identification of several compounds with very low inflammatory induction in vitro. When tested in rats, the compounds produced small degrees of inflammation at an acceptable margin (approximately 20×), and have progressed into further development     

超声造影技术联合血清CA12-5、CEA、HE-4检查诊断卵巢良恶性肿瘤的临床价值研究

摘要 目的：研究超声造影技术联合血清糖类抗原125（CA12-5）、癌胚抗原（CEA）及人附睾分泌蛋白4（HE-4）检查诊断卵巢良恶性肿瘤的临床价值。方法：将我院从2019年1月～2020年3月收治的83例卵巢肿瘤患者纳入研究。将其按照病理学诊断结果分成恶性组40例与良性组43例,按照是否发生淋巴结转移将恶性组分为转移亚组18例和未转移亚组22例。比较恶性组和良性组各项超声造影指标水平和血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4水平,比较转移亚组和未转移亚组血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4水平。通过受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析超声造影技术联合血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4在卵巢良恶性肿瘤中的诊断能效。分析血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4与卵巢恶性肿瘤患者淋巴结转移的关系。结果：恶性组超声造影增强强度及增强速率均高于良性组,而增强时间短于良性组（P＜0.05）。恶性组血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4水平均高于良性组（P＜0.05）。超声造影技术联合血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4诊断卵巢肿瘤良恶性的曲线下面积、灵敏度及特异度分别为0.947、0.96、0.93,高于超声造影技术单独检测或血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4联合检测。转移亚组患者的血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4水平均高于未转移亚组患者（P＜0.05）。结论：超声造影技术联合血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4检查诊断卵巢良恶性肿瘤的价值较高,且联合检测血清CA12-5、CEA及HE-4水平有助于判断淋巴结转移情况,具有较高的临床应用价值。     

桂枝茯苓丸联合米非司酮对子宫肌瘤患者血液流变学及血红蛋白、人附睾蛋白4的影响

目的:研究桂枝茯苓丸联合米非司酮对子宫肌瘤患者血液流变学及血红蛋白(Hb)、人附睾蛋白4(HE4)的影响。方法:选取2016年3月到2017年5月西安交通大学医学院附属三二〇一医院收治的172例子宫肌瘤患者,随机分为观察组(n=86)和对照组(n=86)。对照组给予米非司酮治疗,观察组在对照组的基础上联合桂枝茯苓丸治疗,对比两组疗效,比较两组治疗前及治疗后的Hb、HE4、肌瘤体积、血液流变学指标以及不良反应。结果:观察组的总有效率为97.67%,高于对照组的89.53%(P0.05);治疗后,两组的Hb水平均明显高于治疗前,且观察组高于对照组(P0.05),两组的HE4水平均低于治疗前,观察组低于对照组(P0.05),肌瘤体积均小于治疗前,且观察组小于对照组(P0.05);治疗后两组的全血高切黏度(HBV)、全血低切黏度(LBV)、血浆黏度(PV)及血小板聚集率(PAR)均低于治疗前,且观察组低于对照组(P0.05);观察组、对照组不良反应的总发生率分别为13.95%、10.47%,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:桂枝茯苓丸联合米非司酮治疗子宫肌瘤患者的疗效较好,可改善其血液流变学及Hb、HE4等指标水平,安全性较好,值得推广。