World Journal of Mens Health最新文献

{"title":"The Effects of a Red-Light Controllable Nitric Oxide Donor, NORD-1, on Erectile Dysfunction in Rats with Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes Mellitus.","authors":"Yuji Hotta, Kyoya Oyama, Takuma Yoshida, Naoya Ieda, Taiki Mori, Yasuhiro Horita, Tomoya Kataoka, Yoko Furukawa-Hibi, Susumu Ohya, Hidehiko Nakagawa, Kazunori Kimura","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230362","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230362","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) often exhibit refractory erectile dysfunction (ED). Red-light-controllable nitric oxide donor (NORD-1) and red-light irradiation have successfully enhanced erectile function in intact rats. In this study, we investigated whether the combination of NORD-1 and red-light irradiation effectively treated ED in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats with DM.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Seven-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. Rats in the DM and sham groups received intravenous STZ (50 mg/kg) and saline, respectively. One week after treatment, the blood glucose level of rats in the DM group was >250 mg/dL. Five weeks after the treatment, we performed a functional study by measuring intracavernous pressure (ICP) under cavernous nerve stimulation before and after NORD-1 treatment with and without light irradiation. Additionally, we performed an isometric tension study using the corpus cavernosum of rats treated with NORD-1 or the control compound, SiR650.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The ICP/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio was significantly lower in the DM group than in the sham group before and after NORD-1 treatment without light irradiation (both p<0.05). After NORD-1 treatment with light irradiation, the ICP/MAP ratio in the sham and DM groups was significantly enhanced than before and after NORD-1 treatment without light irradiation (all p<0.05). The ICP/MAP ratio in the DM group after NORD-1 with light irradiation was similar to that in the sham group under normal conditions before NORD-1 treatment. Moreover, the systemic blood pressure was not affected by NORD-1 or light irradiation. In the tension study, the corpus cavernosum of rats treated with SiR650 was not changed by red light in the sham or DM groups. However, the rats treated with NORD-1 were strongly relaxed by red light in both groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>NORD-1 and red-light irradiation could improve ED in the presence of DM without lowering blood pressure.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"197-204"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704171/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141077247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of Finasteride and Dutasteride on Risk of Prostate Cancer in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Pooled Analysis of 15 Real-world Databases.","authors":"Dae Yul Yang, Won-Woo Seo, Rae Woong Park, Sang Youl Rhee, Jae Myung Cha, Yoon Soo Hah, Chang Won Jeong, Kyung-Jin Kim, Hyeon-Jong Yang, Do Kyung Kim, Ji Yong Ha","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230327","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230327","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Finasteride and dutasteride are used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Finasteride blocks only the type 2 form of 5-alpha-reductase, whereas dutasteride blocks both type 1 and 2 forms of the enzyme. Previous studies suggest the possibility that dutasteride may be superior to finasteride in preventing prostate cancer. We directly compared the effects of finasteride and dutasteride on the risk of prostate cancer in patients with BPH using a pooled analysis of 15 real-world databases.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We conducted a multicenter, cohort study of new-users of finasteride and dutasteride. We include patients who were prescribed 5 mg finasteride or dutasteride for the first time to treat BPH and had at least 180 days of prescription. We excluded patients with a history of prostate cancer or a prostate-specific antigen level ≥ 4 ng/mL before the study drug prescription. Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the hazard ratio (HR) for prostate cancer after propensity score (PS) matching.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 8,284 patients of new-users of finasteride and 8,670 patients of new-users of dutasteride were included across the 15 databases. In the overall population, compared to dutasteride, finasteride was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer in both on-treatment and intent-to-treat time-at-risk periods. After 1:1 PS matching, 4,897 patients using finasteride and 4,897 patients using dutasteride were enrolled in the present study. No significant differences were observed for risk of prostate cancer between finasteride and dutasteride both on-treatment (HR=0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-1.00; p=0.051) and intent-to-treat time-at-risk periods (HR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.67-1.14; p=0.310).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Using real-world databases, the present study demonstrated that dutasteride was not associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer than finasteride in patients with BPH.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"188-196"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141077222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Secondary Cancer after Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer: A Nationwide Study.","authors":"Jae Heon Kim, Gi Hwan Bae, Jaehun Jung, Tae Il Noh","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230237","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230237","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Androgen signaling is associated with various secondary cancer, which could be promising for potential treatment using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). This study investigated whether ADT use was associated with secondary cancers other than prostate cancer in a nationwide population-based cohort.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A total, 278,434 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2017 were identified. After applying the exclusion criteria, 170,416 men were enrolled. The study cohort was divided into ADT and non-ADT groups by individual matching followed by propensity score matching (PSM). Study outcomes were incidence of all male cancers. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of events.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During a median follow-up of 4.5 years, a total of 11,059 deaths (6,329 in the ADT group and 4,730 in the non-ADT group) after PSM were found. After PSM, the overall all-cause of secondary cancer incidence risk of the ADT group was higher than that of the non-ADT group (HR: 1.312, 95% CI: 1.23-1.36; adjusted HR: 1.344, 95% CI: 1.29-1.40). The ADT group showed higher risk of overall brain and other central nervous system (CNS) cancer-specific incidence than the non-ADT group (adjusted HR: 1.648, 95% CI: 1.21-2.24). The ADT group showed lower risks of overall cancer-specific incidence for stomach, colon/rectum, liver/inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gall bladder/extrahepatic bile duct, lung, bladder, and kidney cancers than the non-ADT group. When the duration of ADT was more than 2 years of ADT, the ADT group showed higher risk of cancer-specific incidence for brain and other CNS cancers but lower risk of cancer-specific incidence for liver/IBD and lung cancers than the non-ADT group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrates that ADT could affect cancer-specific incidence for various cancers.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"123-133"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704168/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140861573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of Gut Microbiota in Male Erectile Dysfunction of Rats.","authors":"Zhunan Xu, Shangren Wang, Chunxiang Liu, Jiaqi Kang, Yang Pan, Zhexin Zhang, Hang Zhou, Mingming Xu, Xia Li, Haoyu Wang, Shuai Niu, Li Liu, Daqing Sun, Xiaoqiang Liu","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230337","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230337","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"213-227"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704160/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141077249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revolutionizing Andrology: The Advent of the Global Andrology Forum, a Groundbreaking Initiative.","authors":"Germar-Michael Pinggera, Jonathan Ramsay, Armand Zini, Widi Atmoko, Giovanni Maria Colpi","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.240108","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.240108","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704165/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142480687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diagnosis and Management of Peyronie's Disease: A Clinical Consensus Statement and Recommendations from the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology.","authors":"Dong Soo Kim, Hee Jo Yang, Hyun Cheol Jeong, Ki Hyuck Moon, Dong Sup Lee, Seung Hun Song, Won Ki Lee","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.240200","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.240200","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Peyronie's disease is an acquired condition characterized by penile deformities caused by fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, leading to symptoms such as penile pain, erectile dysfunction, and other associated issues. Despite extensive research, the pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood, and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols are lacking. While clinical guidelines from several professional societies exist, they do not consistently account for factors such as patient ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Thus, the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology (KSSMA) aimed to develop recommendations tailored to clinical practice in Korea. These recommendations summarize the latest evidence, including clinical practice guidelines from various international professional societies, and represent the consensus opinion of an expert group within the KSSMA. They encompass all aspects of Peyronie's disease, including the definition, diagnosis, non-surgical interventions, and surgical treatment options.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"50-59"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do Strength and Anthropometric Size of the Lower Body Correlate with Serum Testosterone Levels?","authors":"Tae Yong Park, Moon Young Choi, Doohwan Kong, Jeong Kyun Yeo, Min Gu Park","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230381","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230381","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Although lower body strength and size are often regarded as symbols of masculinity, their relationship to testosterone is unclear. This study aimed to determine the correlation between lower body strength, size, and testosterone levels.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Serum testosterone levels, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) were measured in 69 men with erectile dysfunction (age >40 years). The circumferences of the thigh and calf were measured, and the muscle strength of the knee joints was evaluated using an isokinetic dynamometer. Patients were classified into three groups according to testosterone levels (group 1, <230 ng/dL; group 2, 230 to 350 ng/dL; group 3, >350 ng/dL). Differences in calf and thigh circumference, bilateral knee extension, and flexion strength between the three groups were investigated using a one-way analysis of variance. Pearson's chi-square test was used to assess differences in lifestyle habits and underlying diseases. A partial correlation analysis was conducted to determine the association between testosterone levels and lower body size and strength.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no difference in BMI among the three groups, but waist circumference was significantly larger in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3. When comparing weight-adjusted values, bilateral thigh circumference showed a significant difference among the three groups. There was also a significant difference between the three groups in the weight-adjusted left calf circumference and in the weight-adjusted right knee extension strength. The partial correlation test showed a significant positive correlation between thigh and calf circumference values adjusted for weight and serum testosterone levels. Weight-adjusted knee extension strength demonstrated a significant positive correlation with serum testosterone levels.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Weight-adjusted thigh and calf circumferences, along with the thigh-to-waist ratio, showed a positive correlation with testosterone levels. Weight-adjusted knee extension strength was positively correlated with testosterone levels. Therefore, a robust thigh and strong lower body are related to testosterone.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"205-212"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704164/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141077228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of Lipoic Acid in Testosterone Production in Males.","authors":"Saleem Ali Banihani","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230291","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230291","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Testosterone extends its impact beyond sexual function, playing a crucial role in shaping overall male health, including aspects such as muscle mass, bone density, mood regulation, and energy levels. Lipoic acid, a cofactor for specific enzymes, particularly dehydrogenases involved in cellular energy production, has been studied for its impact on testosterone. This comprehensive review systematically scoured PubMed and Scopus databases using the keywords \"lipoic acid\" and \"testosterone.\" It encompassed all relevant English papers published from November 1971 to the present, including full texts and abstracts, along with research elucidating the biochemical mechanisms linking lipoic acid to testosterone. In summary, lipoic acid consistently restores testosterone levels, offering promise as an intervention in testicular health, especially in cases of testicular toxicity caused by various harmful agents. Its mechanisms encompass nitric oxide enhancement, fortification of testicular antioxidants, elevation of luteinizing hormone, enhancement of steroidogenesis, and the maintenance of energy production. These mechanisms underscore the therapeutic potential of lipoic acid for testicular health.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"41-49"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704161/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141077308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trimethylamine Oxidation into the Proatherogenic Trimethylamine N-Oxide Is Higher in Coronary Heart Disease Men: From the CORDIOPREV Study.","authors":"Helena Garcia-Fernandez, Juan F Alcala-Diaz, Gracia M Quintana-Navarro, Javier Lopez-Moreno, Diego Luque-Cordoba, Eugenia Ruiz-Diaz Narvaez, Antonio P Arenas-de Larriva, Francisco M Gutierrez-Mariscal, Jose D Torres-Peña, Diego Rodriguez-Cano, Raul M Luque, Feliciano Priego-Capote, Jose Lopez-Miranda, Antonio Camargo","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230366","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230366","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more prevalent in men than women, but the mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. We aimed to evaluate differences in trimethylamine (TMA), a microbial metabolite and its oxidized form, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is thought to promote atherosclerosis, between men and women with coronary heart disease (CHD), using as a reference a non-CVD population.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This study was carried out within the framework of the CORDIOPREV study (NCT00924937; June 19, 2009), a clinical trial which included 827 men and 175 women with CHD, with a non-CVD population of 375 individuals (270 men and 105 women) as a reference group. Plasma TMA and TMAO were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. The carotid study was ultrasonically assessed bilaterally by the quantification of intima-media thickness of both common carotid arteries (IMT-CC).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found higher TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio in CHD men than CHD women (p=0.034 and p=0.026, respectively). No TMA sex differences were found in CHD patients. The TMA and TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio were lower, and no differences between sexes were found in the non-CVD population. TMAO levels in CHD patients were consistent with higher IMT-CC and more carotid plaques (p=0.032 and p=0.037, respectively) and lower cholesterol efflux in CHD men than CHD women (p<0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results suggest that CHD men have augmented TMAO levels compared with CHD women, presumably as a consequence of higher rate of TMA to TMAO oxidation, which could be associated with CVD, as these sex differences are not observed in a non-CVD population.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"249-258"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704170/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142332327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intratesticular Testosterone and Its Precursors among Azoospermic Men: A Pilot Study.","authors":"I-Shen Huang, Li-Hua Li, Wei-Jen Chen, Chi-Chang Juan, William J Huang","doi":"10.5534/wjmh.230265","DOIUrl":"10.5534/wjmh.230265","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The study aimed to comprehensively analyze testosterone and precursor concentrations in the testicular interstitial fluid (TIF) of men with azoospermia, exploring their significance in the testicular microenvironment and their correlation with testicular sperm retrieval outcomes.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We analyzed 37 TIF samples, including 5 from men with obstructive azoospermia (OA) and 32 from men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry quantified testosterone and precursor levels. Comparative assessments of the outcomes of testicular sperm retrieval were performed between the OA and NOA groups as well as among men with NOA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Men with NOA who had not undergone hormone treatment exhibited significantly higher intratesticular concentrations of testosterone (median 1,528.1 <i>vs.</i> 207.5 ng/mL), androstenedione (median 10.6 <i>vs.</i> 1.9 ng/mL), and 17-OH progesterone (median 13.0 <i>vs.</i> 1.8 ng/mL) than men diagnosed with OA. Notably, in the subgroup of patients with NOA subjected to medical treatment, men with successful sperm retrieval had significantly reduced levels of androstenedione (median androstenedione 5.7 <i>vs.</i> 18.5 ng/mL, p=0.004). Upon a more detailed analysis of these men who underwent hormone manipulation treatment, the testosterone/androstenedione ratio (indicative of HSD17B3 enzyme activity) was markedly increased in men with successful sperm retrieval (median: 365.8 <i>vs.</i> 165.0, p=0.008) compared with individuals with NOA who had unsuccessful sperm recovery. Furthermore, within the subset of men with NOA who did not undergo medical treatment before microdissection testicular sperm extraction but achieved successful sperm retrieval, the ratio of 17-OH progesterone/progesterone (indicative of CYP17A1 activity) was substantially higher.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study suggests distinct testosterone biosynthesis pathways in men with compromised spermatogenesis and those with normal spermatogenesis. Among NOA men with successful retrieval after hormone optimization therapy, there was decreased androstenedione and increased HSD17B3 enzyme activity. These findings have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":54261,"journal":{"name":"World Journal of Mens Health","volume":" ","pages":"142-153"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11704177/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141077296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}