Andrology最新文献

{"title":"Brain structural and functional differences in anejaculation and sleep disorders: A functional magnetic resonance imaging-based approach.","authors":"Qiushi Liu, Ming Wang, Dangwei Peng, Zihang Chen, Juncheng Ma, Jinying Yang, Tommaso B Jannini, Emmanuele A Jannini, Ci Zou, Hui Jiang, Xiansheng Zhang","doi":"10.1111/andr.70095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Sleep disorders (SDs) have been identified as an independent risk factor for ejaculatory dysfunctions; yet the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the comorbidity between anejaculation (AE) and SDs remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the potential pathways that connect SDs and AE, comparing findings across a sample of affected patients and healthy controls (HCs) to better elucidate these complex interactions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were obtained for 21 AE patients, 20 patients with anejaculation accompanied by sleep disorders (AESD), and 18 HCs. We analyzed group differences in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and functional connectivity (FC) values between brain regions of interest (ROIs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>FALFF significant differences were seen in the medial superior frontal gyrus as well as in the left middle occipital gyrus. ReHo analysis demonstrated significant differences among groups in the left middle occipital gyrus, left superior parietal lobe, and left middle temporal gyrus. Different cerebellar area 7b volumes in the AE group compared to the other groups were also reported. Additionally, the AESDs group demonstrated different FC signals in multiple brain areas compared to the other groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Rs-fMRI reported structural and functional differences in the brain activity across three groups. This study was the first to disentangle potential links between sleep disorders and AE, generating insights that may guide future therapeutic approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144635939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testicular vasal diameter: A new intra-operative predictor of vasectomy reversal success?","authors":"Trevor J Maloney, Daniel B Armstrong, Loran J Grant, Gartrell C Bowling, Michael Zamani, Nora Watson, Robert C Dean, Dorota J Hawksworth","doi":"10.1111/andr.70098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vasectomy reversal (VR) can be a challenging surgery and numerous factors have been identified to guide surgical decision-making to optimize success.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The objective of this study was to identify pre-operative and intra-operative factors associated with VR surgical method and success. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the role of testicular vas deferens diameter in surgical decision-making and success.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This study was a retrospective cohort of men >18 years of age who underwent a VR at our Institution from January 2008 to June 2023. Qualified patients underwent chart review and details recorded included age, obstructive interval, surgical technique, vasal lumen diameters, presence of sperm granuloma or surgical clips, sperm quality, and vasal fluid quality. Semen analysis (SA) parameters were also recorded. Pregnancy outcomes were ascertained via telephone interview. Descriptive statistics and correlations were analyzed with two-sample t-tests for continuous and chi-square or Fisher's exact tests for categorical characteristics. Logistic regression using generalized estimating equation (GEE) methods was used to estimate associations of diameter with surgery types unadjusted and adjusted for patient and intra-operative fluid characteristics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 710 patients underwent VR during the study period and 326 post-operative semen analyses were available for review. Average patient was 38 years old, with an obstructive interval of 10 years. Vasoepididymostomy (VE) had modestly larger observed mean testicular vasal lumen diameter (0.94 mm) versus vasovasostomy (VV; 0.88 mm; p = 0.10). However, diameter ≥1 mm was associated with >2 times higher odds of VE versus VV (odds ratio [OR] 2.12; p < 0.01) adjusted for several patient characteristics. VE was associated with lower frequency of positive post-operative semen analyses (64.4% VV/VE or bilateral VE vs. 92.4% bilateral VV), and longer obstructive interval (11.5 years VV/VE or bilateral VE vs. 7.84 years bilateral VV). There were higher rates of spermatozoa on post-operative SAs when bilateral VV was performed (VV/VV 92.3%; VV/VE 73.3%; VE/VE 51.5%; p < 0.001). Of the 207 patients with pregnancy data, 103 (49.8%) experienced pregnancy following VR.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>Intra-operative measurements of testicular vasal lumen diameter can be an adjunctive factor that may influence choice of VR technique. This finding can help guide pre-operative surgical counseling and VR success rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144607205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A prospective study of semen quality and fecundability among North American couples planning pregnancy.","authors":"Sharonda M Lovett, Greg J Sommer, Dmitrii Krivorotko, Amelia K Wesselink, Kenneth J Rothman, Elizabeth E Hatch, Michael L Eisenberg, Lauren A Wise","doi":"10.1111/andr.70084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Few studies have prospectively evaluated semen quality (using the most up-to-date clinically relevant definitions) and fecundability (the per-cycle probability of conception).</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To study semen quality in relation to fecundability.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We analyzed prospectively collected data from 763 male participants aged ≥21 years from Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), a North American preconception cohort study (2015-2024). Eligible participants for the semen testing substudy resided in the contiguous United States, had been attempting conception for ≤6 cycles at cohort entry, and had a female partner aged 21-45 years with regular menses. Participants used an at-home semen testing device to measure semen volume, sperm concentration, and motile sperm concentration. Participants contributed up to two semen tests during the preconception period (1376 total semen samples). We calculated sperm motility, total sperm count, and total motile sperm count. We evaluated results according to 2021 World Health Organization (WHO)-defined thresholds for low semen quality. Female participants reported their pregnancy status on bimonthly follow-up questionnaires for up to 12 cycles or until conception, whichever came first. We used proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for potential confounders.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After accounting for censoring using life-table methods, 80.7% of couples conceived within 12 cycles. FRs were 1.48 (95% CI, 1.05-2.08) for low semen volume (≤1.5 vs. >1.5 mL), 0.74 (95% CI, 0.56-0.97) for low sperm concentration (≤16 vs. >16 million/mL), 0.98 (95% CI, 0.81-1.19) for low sperm motility (≤42 vs. >42%), 0.58 (95% CI, 0.38-0.88) for low total sperm count (≤39 vs. >39 million), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.52-1.04) for low total motile sperm count (≤21 vs. >21 million). Associations between low total motile sperm count and fecundability were stronger among couples with <3 cycles of attempt time at cohort entry.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>In this prospective preconception cohort study of North American couples, most suboptimal semen parameters based on WHO criteria were associated with reduced fecundability, with the exception of low semen volume.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Semen quality at suboptimal levels may adversely affect fecundability.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144615796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modified cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix composition in the canine testis after long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist deslorelin treatment.","authors":"Aykut Gram, Murat Abay, Duygu Yaman Gram, Narin Liman, Linda Müller, Orsolya Balogh","doi":"10.1111/andr.70086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists are commonly used for fertility control in male dogs. Their effect on testicular histomorphology has not been clarified.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To elucidate the mechanisms underlying androgen withdrawal in response to long-acting GnRH agonist deslorelin 4.7 mg treatment on testicular histomorphology and key extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytoskeletal components.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Testes of deslorelin-treated dogs (n = 5) were evaluated at maximum downregulation of germinative and steroidogenic function, and compared with untreated (control) adult (n = 7) and prepubertal immature (n = 8) dogs. Morphological analysis was performed with Crossman's triple staining and periodic-acid-Schiff (PAS). Localization of smooth muscle α-actin (αSMA/ACTA2), desmin (DES), elastin (ELN), collagen type I (COL1A1), collagen type IV (COL4A1) was detected by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Deslorelin treatment resulted in complete absence of germ cells except for spermatogonia. Crossman's triple staining identified thickening of peritubular connective tissue characterized by small infoldings toward the lumen of atrophied seminiferous tubules, and the expansion of interstitial area. PAS staining revealed a thickened basement membrane and phagosome-like particles within the seminiferous tubules. In control dogs, αSMA/ACTA2, DES, ELN, COL1A1, and COL4A1 were localized to blood vessels and the peritubular wall of seminiferous tubules. ELN, COL1A1, and COL4A1 were also found in stromal compartments. A similar localization pattern with signals within a thickened peritubular area was found in deslorelin-treated dogs. Prepubertal dogs had similar distribution but weaker signal intensity in the peritubular wall of seminiferous tubules. Positive area percentages of αSMA/ACTA2, DES, ELN, and COL4A1 were the highest in deslorelin-treated dogs, while COL1A1 was the lowest in control, intermediate in deslorelin-treated, and highest in prepubertal dogs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Deslorelin treatment caused infertility with accumulation of collagen (COL4A1, COL1A1) and deposition of αSMA/ACTA2, DES, and ELN within the thickened lamina propria surrounding seminiferous tubules. Peritubular myocytes maintained their smooth muscle phenotype despite androgen withdrawal. The immature testis had lower abundance of most cytoskeletal and ECM proteins.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144607204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of kidney transplantation on sex hormones, sperm parameters, and fertility rate in males: A systematic review.","authors":"Berk Hazir, Hakan Bahadir Haberal, Meylis Artykov, Muhammet Irfan Donmez, Alicia López-Abad, Alessio Pecoraro, Beatriz Bañuelos Marco, Thomas Prudhomme, Alberto Piana, Daniar Osmonov, Murat Gul, Angelo Territo","doi":"10.1111/andr.70097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70097","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is reported to be associated with the impairment of sex hormones, including decreased testosterone levels and increased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and prolactin levels. Additionally, patients with ESRD often experience impaired spermatogenesis, leading to infertility. However, variations in study methodologies and reported outcomes make it challenging to draw definitive conclusions. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of kidney transplantation (KT) on these issues, which can be useful in counseling male patients with ESRD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search was conducted in Web of Science, Medline (via PubMed), and Embase (via Scopus) to identify peer-reviewed studies evaluating the impact of KT on sex hormones and reproductive parameters. A systematic review (SR) was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This review included English-language articles published between January 1975 and December 2024. Excluded from this search were reviews, editorials, book chapters, conference abstracts, case reports, and case series with up to four patients were excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 2939 publications were initially identified, and 23 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 738 patients for analysis. Most studies reported a significant increase in testosterone levels 3, 6, and 12 months post-KT. LH and prolactin levels exhibited a trend parallel to that of testosterone. A statistically significant decrease in LH levels was observed at both 1 and 12 months post-KT, while prolactin levels showed a significant reduction at all evaluated time points from 1 to 12 months. In contrast, FSH levels fluctuated over time and did not demonstrate statistical significance at any assessment point. Additionally, KT led to improvements in testis biopsy findings, and all categories of sperm parameters.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This SR demonstrates that KT improves sex hormone levels, sperm parameters, and sexual function in male kidney recipients. However, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the sexual health of male kidney recipients, the establishment of an international database with prospectively collected data is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144607211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gonadotropin storage and trafficking.","authors":"Asia Ingram, T Rajendra Kumar","doi":"10.1111/andr.70094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gonadotropins are synthesized in gonadotropes of the anterior pituitary, and they orchestrate reproductive function in vertebrates. LH and FSH share a common α-subunit that is non-covalently associated with a hormone - and receptor-specific β-subunit. Despite synthesized in the same cell, i.e., gonadotrope the trafficking and secretion patterns of LH and FSH are distinct. FSH is mostly constitutively secreted, whereas LH is stored in dense core granules and is released as a bolus via the regulated pathway in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To comparatively review the storage and secretion patterns of gonadotropins in vertebrates.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Gonadotropin storage patterns are comparatively analyzed in vertebrates starting from primitive fish all the way up to higher mammals. The published work on gonadotropin trafficking/secretion patterns using in vitro and in vivo approaches is critically discussed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Primitive fish (lampreys and hagfish) express a single gonadotropic hormone. From these early vertebrates, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) have evolved as two distinct hormones. In several species, including teleost fish, monohormonal gonadotropes are present that express either LH or FSH. In higher vertebrates, the majority of the gonadotropes (>90%) are bihormonal and contain both LH and FSH. Both in vitro (cell transfection and expression) and in vivo (transgenic mouse) studies identified that the LHβ caroboxy terminus heptapeptide is a gonadotrope-specific regulated pathway sorting determinant.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>When FSH is genetically rerouted from the constitutive trafficking mode and is engineered (LHβ heptapeptide fused to FSHβ subunit) to exit via the regulated pathway in gonadotropes of transgenic mice, it resulted in enhanced ovulations due to suppression of atresia and apoptosis and increased pro-survival pathways in ovaries. However, rerouted FSH expressing male mice did not demonstrate any gain of function phenotypes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Understanding the basic molecular mechanisms of gonadotropin storage/trafficking and secretion may eventually lead to clinical benefits of enhancing female reproductive function and reproductive lifespan.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144607203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adjuvant-induced arthritis induces epithelial proliferation and differential expression of SVS2 and SVS3 in the seminal vesicles.","authors":"Thamires Miyako Ito Sigole, Camila Reis Santos, Isabela Fiorentino Souza Nascimento, Erick J R Silva, Agnaldo Bruno Chies, Maria Angélica Spadella","doi":"10.1111/andr.70085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease triggered by chronic and systemic activation of the immune system, with consequences for male fertility. However, the influence of RA on sexual accessory glands remains poorly investigated.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study evaluated the late impact of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) on the morphophysiology of the seminal vesicles and verified whether these effects can be influenced by androgen deprivation.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Adult male Wistar rats were allocated into four experimental groups and subjected to induction of AIA (via injection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the right hind paw), orchiectomy (ORX), both procedures (ORX/AIA), or neither (SHAM). Forty days after AIA induction, the seminal vesicles were processed for histopathological and morphometric-stereological analysis. Collagen deposition was measured, and immunostaining was conducted to determine PCNA, SVS2, and SVS3 expression. Serum testosterone was determined at 15 and 40 days after AIA induction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Body mass and wet weight of the seminal vesicles decreased in the AIA-induced and orchiectomized groups, and testosterone levels decreased in the AIA group. Collagen deposition in the seminal vesicle stroma increased in the orchiectomized rats, but not in the AIA rats. Induction of AIA promoted cellular proliferation in the distal region of the seminal vesicles in both intact and orchiectomized rats, and levels of two significant secretory proteins in the vesicle also changed with AIA: SVS2 increased, while SVS3 decreased. Conversely, orchiectomy decreased the expression of both SVS2 and SVS3.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The late impact of AIA on seminal vesicle parameters appears to be compensated by an increase in epithelial cell proliferation and changes in secretory activity, in an androgen-dependent manner.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The data suggest that transient arthritic hypoandrogenism and the direct action of joint inflammatory mediators may influence the seminal vesicle activity. Further research is required to better address the repercussions of arthritis on male fertility.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144574682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety interaction study of tunodafil hydrochloride and alcohol: A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, three-cycle crossover study in Chinese healthy men.","authors":"Dingyuan Hu, Suping Niu, Fan Huang, Lu Jin, Qun Gu, Yanting Li, Chongyou Lee, Zhenwei Xie, Xiangxing Liu, Fang Men, Wenyan Zhao, Shuang Li, Yian Liu, Qian Wang, Huaying Fan, Jiaojiao Zhang, Shuangshuang Lin, Liming Chen, Yi Fang","doi":"10.1111/andr.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacodynamic effects of administering tunodafil hydrochloride with alcohol on blood pressure and heart rate in healthy Chinese males, and to investigate the mutual pharmacokinetic interactions and safety of the combination.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The trial was a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, three-cycle crossover design, with one administration in each cycle and a 7-day washout interval between cycles. Eighteen healthy men were randomized to receive tunodafil hydrochloride with an alcoholic beverage, placebo with an alcoholic beverage, or tunodafil hydrochloride with a placebo beverage in each cycle. The primary endpoints included plasma concentrations of tunodafil, metabolite M459, and alcohol, as well as supine blood pressure and heart rate measurements. The secondary endpoint was the incidence of adverse events.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pharmacokinetic results demonstrated that the combined drug and alcohol group did not affect plasma alcohol concentration compared to alcohol alone. However, co-administration led to increased systemic exposure of tunodafil and its metabolite M459: AUC_0-∞ rose by 42.89% and 28.75%, while C_max increased by 74.46% and 39.32%, respectively, compared to the drug alone group. Pharmacodynamic analysis indicated that the reduction in blood pressure was primarily driven by alcohol consumption, with no significant additional effect from tunodafil co-administration. In contrast, heart rate elevation was notably amplified when both drug and alcohol were given together, exceeding the effects of either substance alone. Safety results reported 149 grade-one adverse events.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study concluded that tunodafil hydrochloride, when taken with alcohol, does not interfere with alcohol metabolism but moderately enhances the tunodafil and metabolite exposure. Alcohol remained the dominant factor in lowering blood pressure, while tunodafil contributed to an additive increase in heart rate. The combination does not significantly increase adverse events.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144574683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New three-dimensional nuclear morphometry tool quantifies impact of slow freezing on sperm hypercondensed chromatin.","authors":"Oriana Carcy, Sophie Desset, Tristan Dubos, Chloé Puceat, Maïssa Andrieux, Marine Compagnon, Gilles Sireta, Bruno Pereira, Florent Cachin, Aline V Probst, Christophe Tatout, Florence Brugnon, Hanae Pons-Rejraji","doi":"10.1111/andr.70096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Perm freezing compromises nuclear integrity. Standardized tools to assess three-dimensional (3D) chromatin alterations are lacking.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to present a novel protocol for 3D nuclear morphometric analysis of human spermatozoa to measure slow freezing and thawing-induced alterations.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Human sperm cells were examined before and after freezing using a consistent 3D nuclear morphometric analysis protocol that distinguishes between live and dead spermatozoa. Morphometric assessments were performed by microscopy and image analysis with the NucleusJ2.0/NODeJ software, without introducing denaturing agents. The analysis included measurements of nuclear volume, elongation, flatness, and the volume of hypercondensed chromatin (Hc) regions, along with the relative fluorescence intensity of these zones (RHF intensity). Additional parameters evaluated comprised sperm vitality, motility, DNA fragmentation, and chromatin decondensation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A quantitative analysis of 4919 sperm nuclei from 10 patients demonstrated significant modifications in the hypercondensed chromatin (Hc) zones, with a marked decrease in sperm vitality and motility (p  <  0.001) and a significant increase in DNA fragmentation (p  <  0.05). At the chromatin level, slow freezing induced a higher number of Hc zones per nucleus (p  <  0.01), a reduction in the average volume of these zones (p  <  0.0001), and a reduced relative fluorescence intensity (p  <  0.01). Notably, these chromatin alterations were most pronounced in viable spermatozoa.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>This study is the first to provide standardized 3D nuclear morphometry measurements for human sperm, offering a novel biomarker to assess male fertility and cryopreservation susceptibility, with potential clinical applications for improving patient care. Slow freeze-thaw cycle induced significant alterations in sperm chromatin, disrupting nuclear organization and forming several smaller, less compacted hypercondensed chromatin zones.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144558872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proteomic profiling of porcine seminal extracellular vesicles reveals potential in vivo fertility biomarkers.","authors":"Isabel Barranco, Pablo Martínez-Díaz, Ana Parra, María José Martínez-Alborcia, Xiomara Lucas, Heriberto Rodríguez-Martínez, Jordi Roca","doi":"10.1111/andr.70089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Predicting male fertility in farm animals remains a challenge. Seminal plasma (SP) contains a high amount of heterogeneous seminal extracellular vesicles (sEVs), believed involved in reproductive processes and maybe key to understanding male fertility.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To identify the sEV proteins that are differentially expressed between more and less fertile boars and that could be candidates for fertility biomarkers in boars used in artificial insemination (AI) programs.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Small (S) and large (L) sEV subsets from SP samples of AI boars with differences in fertility: high (H) or low (L) farrowing rate (FR) and large (L) or small (S) litter size (LS). The S- and L-sEV subsets were isolated by size exclusion chromatography and characterized according to the Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV2023) guidelines. Proteomic analyses (three biological replicates per fertility group and sEV subset) were performed using a Bruker timsTOF fleX™ instrument with data-independent acquisition parallel accumulation-serial fragmentation (diaPASEF) technology.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 470 and 726 proteins were quantified in S-sEVs and 1801 and 1834 proteins in L-sEVs from FR and LS boars, respectively. Differentially expressed sEV proteins (log₂fold change ≥±1, p ≤ 0.05 and effect size d of Cohen >2.0) were found between the fertility groups: seven in S-sEVs and 52 in L-sEVs between H-FR and L-FR boars, and 47 in S-sEVs and 52 in L-sEVs between L-LS and S-LS boars. Many of these differentially expressed sEV proteins are involved in reproductive processes, particularly in sperm function and sperm-zona pellucida binding, but also in embryo development and implantation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The sEV proteome differs between more and less fertile boars, with many of the differentially expressed proteins known as involved in reproductive processes. This would suggest that sEVs may be involved in male fertility and that some of the differentially expressed sEV proteins could be potential fertility markers for AI boars.</p>","PeriodicalId":7898,"journal":{"name":"Andrology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144558873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}