• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.553-561
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• 2018

Icariside II (ICA II) is used in erectile dysfunction treatment. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are efficient at improving erectile function. This study aimed to explore the action mechanism of ADSCs in improving erectile function. ADSCs were isolated from the adipose tissues of rats. Cell proliferation was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The expressions of mRNA and protein were determined separately through qRT-PCR and western blot. The endogenous expressions of related genes were regulated using recombinant plasmids and cell transfection. A Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay was performed to determine the interaction between miR-34a and STAT3. Rat models with bilateral cavernous nerve injuries (BCNIs) were used to assess erectile function through the detection of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and intracavernosal pressure (ICP). ICA II promoted ADSCs' proliferation and differentiation to Schwann cells (SCs) through the inhibition of miR-34a. Suppressed miR-34a promoted the differentiation of ADSCs to SCs by upregulating STAT3. ICA II promoted the differentiation of ADSCs to SCs through the miR-34a/STAT3 pathway. The combination of ICA II and ADSCs preserved the erectile function of the BCNI model rats. ADSCs treated with ICA II markedly preserved the erectile function of the BCNI model rats, which was reversed through miR-34a overexpression. ICA II promotes the differentiation of ADSCs to SCs through the miR34a/STAT3 pathway, contributing to erectile function preservation after the occurrence of a cavernous nerve injury.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.95-98
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• 2019

Obstructive azoospermia caused by acute epididymitis is usually permanent, and microsurgical vasoepididymostomy is the only reconstructive treatment option. There have been no reports of delayed recovery of sperm count after over 1 year in a patient with obstructive azoospermia related to history of acute epididymitis. We present a young male patient who had azoospermia and a history of acute epididymitis who experienced delayed recovery, with complete restoration of sperm production and the ability to conceive naturally.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2021

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of semen parameters in samples used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fertilization and pregnancy rates in infertile couples. Methods: In this prospective study of Infertile couples with male factor infertility that had undergone ICSI, fractions of the same semen samples obtained for microinjection (to ensure the best predictability) were evaluated to determine the semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) on the day of oocyte recovery. Results: In total, 120 couples completed the study and were subdivided into fertilized (n=87) and non-fertilized couples (n=33). The fertilized couples were further classified into pregnant (n=48) and non-pregnant (n=39) couples. Compared to non-fertilized and non-pregnant couples, fertilized and pregnant couples showed statistically significantly higher sperm viability and percentage of normal sperm morphology, as well as significantly lower sperm DFI values. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of data from the 120 ICSI cycles showed that sperm viability, normal sperm morphology percentages, and sperm DFI were significant prognostic indicators of fertilization at cutoff values of 40%, 7%, and 46%, respectively. A sperm DFI of 46% showed sensitivity and specificity of 95% and 90%, respectively, for predicting fertilization, and no clinical pregnancies occurred in couples with a sperm DFI above 46%. Conclusion: Semen parameters from the ICSI day sample, especially sperm viability, normal morphology, and DFI, had an impact on fertilization and pregnancy outcomes in ICSI cycles.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to describe a distinct subpopulation of azoospermic patients with isolated elevation of follicle-stimulating hormone (iFSH) and poor outcomes of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE). Methods: A retrospective analysis of microTESE outcomes was conducted among 565 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Testicular pathology was assessed by the dominant histological pattern and Bergmann-Kliesch score (BKS). Descriptive statistics were presented for the iFSH subgroup. Inhibin B levels, the sperm retrieval rate (SRR), and BKS were compared in iFSH patients and other NOA patients. Results: The overall SRR was 33.3% per microTESE attempt. The median BKS was 0.6 (interquartile range, 0-2). Of all NOA patients, 132 had iFSH, and microTESE was successful only in 11 of those cases, with an SRR of 8.3%, while the total SRR in other NOA patients was 38.1% (p<0.001). iFSH had a sensitivity of 32.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 27.4%-36.8%) and specificity of 94.1% (95% CI, 90.8-97.5%) as a predictor of negative microTESE outcomes. Conclusion: Patients with iFSH may harbor a distinct testicular phenotype with total loss of the germ cell population and poor outcomes of surgical sperm retrieval.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 1981

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2017

Objective: Sperm morphology plays an important role in infertility, especially in cases of defects in the heads of spermatozoa. Tapered-head or elongated-head spermatozoa are examples of morphological abnormalities. The aim of this study was to compare the semen parameters, levels of protamine deficiency, and frequency of apoptosis between patients with normozoospermia and those with teratozoospermia with tapered-head spermatozoa. Methods: Fifty-two semen samples (27 patients with tapered-head sperm and 25 fertile men) were collected and semen analysis was performed according to the World Health Organization criteria for each sample. Protamine deficiency and the percentage of apoptotic spermatozoa were evaluated using chromomycin A3 (CMA3) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assays, respectively. Results: Sperm concentration, motility, and normal morphology in the tapered-head spermatozoa (cases) were significantly lower than in the normozoospermic samples (controls). CMA3-reactive spermatozoa (CMA3+) in the case group were more common than in the controls. Apoptotic spermatozoa (TUNEL-positive) were significantly more common in the cases than in the controls. Conclusion: This analysis showed that tapered-head spermatozoa contained abnormal chromatin packaging and exhibited a high rate of apoptosis, which can be considered to be an important reason for the impaired fertility potential in teratozoospermic patients with tapered-head spermatozoa.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.177-182
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• 2018

Objective: To investigate the effects of in vitro myo-inositol (Myo-Ins) supplementation of cryopreserved human semen on the cryo-survival rate (CSR). Methods: Semen samples were obtained from 41 infertile men. Following routine semen analysis, each sample was divided into two equal aliquots (0.5 mL each). One aliquot was treated with 1 mg of Myo-Ins dissolved in $10{\mu}L$ of sperm preparation medium. The second aliquot was treated with $10{\mu}L$ of the same medium (control). Both aliquots were incubated for 20 minutes prior to freezing to slow the freezing process. The frozen samples were examined for post-thaw percentages of total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), and the CSR, defined as the percentage of post-thaw TM divided by the percentage of pre-freeze TM and multiplied in 100. The results were expressed as median and interquartile range (25th and 75th percentiles). Results: The pre-freeze TM (50% [30%-50%]) and PM (35% [20%-35%]) were significantly higher than the post-thaw TM and PM in the MyoIns group (15% [10%-35%] and 10% [5%-20%]; p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) and the control group (10% [6%-30%] and 5% [3%-15%]; p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The CSR of the 41 semen aliquots supplemented with Myo-Ins (40% [25%-70%]) was significantly higher than that of the control samples (30% [13%-58%], p=0.041). The CSR of the 26 abnormal semen samples that were supplemented with Myo-Ins (38% [20%-50%]) was significantly higher than that of the control samples (23% [12%-30%], p=0.031). Conclusion: In vitro Myo-Ins supplementation of ejaculated human sperm from infertile men resulted in a significant increase in the CSR in samples with abnormal pre-freeze sperm parameters.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2020

Objective: The sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) guides the clinician's choice of an appropriate assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure. The DFI can be determined using commercially available methodologies, including sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) kits and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA). Currently, when DFI is evaluated using SCD kits, the result is analyzed in reference to the SCSA-derived threshold for the choice of an ART procedure. In this study, we compared DFI values obtained using SCSA with those obtained using SCD and determined whether the difference affects the choice of ART procedure. Methods: We compared SCSA to two SCD kits, CANfrag (n=36) and Halosperm (n=31), to assess the DFI values obtained, the correlations between tests, the technical repeatability, and the impact of DFI on the choice of ART. Results: We obtained higher median DFI values using SCD kits than when using SCSA, and this difference was significant for the CANfrag kit (p<0.001). The SCD kits had significantly higher coefficients of variation than SCSA (p<0.001). In vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) would be chosen for a significantly higher proportion of patients if a decision were made based on DFI derived from SCD rather than DFI determined using SCSA (p=0.003). Conclusion: Our results indicate that SCD kit-specific thresholds should be established in order to avoid the unnecessary use of IVF/ICSI based on sperm DNA damage for the management of infertility. Appropriate measures should be taken to mitigate the increased variability inherent to the methods used in these tests.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.247-256
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• 1999

Ginseng has been used in maintaining physical vitality throughout the far-eastern countries and recently its metabolism and actions on neurologic, cardiovascular, and endocrinologic systems are studied. Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been used in various ailments, and to prove its efficacy for erectile dysfunction an international study on Asians other than Korean was performed. Patients with borderline organic and psychogenic erectile dysfunction were included. KRG were given daily, and placebo were given as controls. Treatment lasted a total of 3 months. Surveys including libido, erection, ejaculation, sexual activity, and sexual satisfaction were given. Serum testosterone and erectile function study were taken. Among the 64 patients, 37 patients were followed with KRG. Five had diabetes, 5 hypertension, 5 hypercholesterolemia, 6 low testosterone, 6 psychogenic, and 11 idiopathic. The improvement after KRG administration was $70.2\%$ on objective questionnaire and $75.7\%$ on subjective analysis. When KRG were given, all parameters surveyed have shown improvements compared to the placebo. The effects of KRG in Chinese and Singapores were similar to the Koreans. Serum testosterone levels were nonnalized in 6 patients with KRG, who's serum testosterone levels were reduced from pre-study. Two patient reported constipation, and 2 gastric upsets in the KRG group. In conclusion, KRG has beneficiary action on male erectile capabilities with little side effects. KRG is effective in Koreans and also Asians. The exact action mechanism and the active ingredients in KRG need to be studied.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 1999

Although anejaculation is a relatively uncommon occurrence in the general population, over 12,000 new cases are reported annually. Anejaculation may result from spinal cord injury, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, diabetes mellitus, transverse myelitis, multiple sclerosis, or psychogenic disorders. At least 30% of men with this problem are or will be married and many will seek help to remedy their infertile state. The evolution of technique and instrumentation over the last 30 years has made electroejaculation an accessible and acceptable form of therapy. Recent successes in inducing ejaculation by means of rectal probe electrostimulation or vibratory stimulation combined with assisted reproductive techniques, such as zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), and in vitro fertilization (IVF), have provided these men means of producing their own biologic offspring. We have experienced a successful pregnancy with electroejaculation and in vitro fertilization in a infertile patient whose husband had an ejaculatory disturbance due to a spinal cord injury. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.