Epididymitis

Apart from the androgen receptor, transcription factors (TFs) that are required for the development and formation of the different segments of the epididymis have remained unknown. We identified TF families expressed in the developing epididymides, of which many showed segment specificity. From these TFs, down-regulation of runt related transcription factors (RUNXs) 1 and 2 expression coincides with epithelial regression in Dicer1 cKO mice. Concomitant deletion of both Runx1 and Runx2 in a mouse epididymal epithelial cell line affected cell morphology, adhesion and mobility in vitro...

PURPOSE: To evaluate, by quantitative and qualitative methods, the glomerular ultrastructure in Wistar rats fed a cafeteria diet. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups at 21 days of age: control (C, n = 10) and cafeteria diet (CAF, n = 8). The animals were followed up until 5 months of age, followed by euthanasia. The blood, kidneys, and fat deposits--epididymal, retroperitoneal, and subcutaneous--were extracted and analyzed. Data were analyzed by Student's t test, and p < 0...

We previously reported that solute carrier family 22 member 18 (Slc22a18) regulates lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Here, we provide additional evidence derived from experiments with adenoviral vector expression and genetic manipulation of mice. In primary cultured rat hepatocytes, adenoviral overexpression of mouse Slc22a18 increased triglyceride accumulation and triglyceride synthetic activity, which was decreased in an adenoviral knockdown experiment. Adenoviral overexpression of mouse Slc22a18 in vivo caused massive fatty liver in mice, even under normal dietary conditions...

BACKGROUND: The goal was to explore the aberrant human epididymal protein 4 (HE4) in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients and its association with C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid (UA), and homocysteine (HCY). METHODS: Analysis of serum HE4 and its relevance with associated indexes in 117 CHF patients was implemented. RESULTS: Serum HE4 in CHF patients was linked with the disease's severity and CRP, UA, and HCY. An assessment value was provided for it (p < 0...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of human epididymal protein 4 (HE4), a potential novel biomarker for lung cancer, and its combined detection with five other conventional biomarkers in lung cancer diagnosis and subtyping. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 115 lung cancer patients, 50 patients with benign pulmonary disease, and 50 healthy controls were included. Serum HE4, progastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen, cytokeratin-19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were analyzed using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and chemiluminescence immunoassay...

Centipede is an important traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of clinical application and a wide range of effects, and its use in the field of andrology is also expanding.In this study, the drug experience and clinical research progress of centipede in erectile dysfunction, chronic prostatitis, prostate cancer, varicocele, chronic epididymitis, epididymal nodules, functional non-ejaculation, scrotal eczema and other diseases were reviewed.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential mechanism of action of levocarnitine in the treatment of epididymitis based on network pharmacology and experimental research. METHODS: The target proteins related to epididymitis and levocarnitine were retrieved through multiple databases, and the common targets were obtained using Venny software. The protein-protein interactions were obtained using the STRING database. Cytoscape software was used for visualization, and key targets were selected after topological analysis...

The goals of the present study were to develop a simple method for obtain highly purified pig sperm hyaluronidase (pHyase) and to assess its activity, function, and safety. In mammals, sperm-specific glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored Hyase assists sperm penetration through the cumulus mass surrounding the egg and aids in the dispersal of the cumulus-oocyte complex. Recently, Purified bovine sperm hyaluronidase (bHyase) has been shown to enhance therapeutic drug transport by breaking down the hyaluronan barrier to the lymphatic and capillary vessels, thereby facilitating tissue absorption...

This study aimed to analyze the relationship between human epididymal protein 4 (HE4) and infiltration depth, postoperative recurrence, and metastasis of epithelial ovarian cancer (OVCA). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression level of HE4 in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 90 patients with epithelial OVCA admitted to our hospital from May 2017 to January 2018. Cox regression was used to analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of epithelial OVCA. The relationship between HE4 and the prognosis of epithelial OVCA was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic curve and Kaplan-Meier survival curve...

This study investigated the impact of incorporating various inactivated probiotic formulations, with or without recombinant lactoferrin (LF) expression, into a standard chow diet on metabolic-related disorders in obese mice. After inducing obesity through a 13-week high-fat diet followed by a standard chow diet, mice received daily oral administrations of different probiotics for 6 weeks using the oral gavage approach. These probiotic formulations consisted of a placebo (MRS), heat-inactivated Lactobacillus gasseri HM1 (HK-HM1), heat-killed LF-expression HM1 (HK-HM1/LF), sonication-killed HM1 (SK-HM1), and sonication-killed LF-expression HM1 (SK-HM1/LF)...

(1) Background: Spermatozoa acquired motility and matured in epididymis after production in the testis. However, there is still limited understanding of the specific characteristics of sperm development across different species. In this study, we employed a comprehensive approach to analyze cell compositions in both testicular and epididymal tissues, providing valuable insights into the changes occurring during meiosis and spermiogenesis in mouse and pig models. Additionally, we identified distinct gene expression signatures associated with various spermatogenic cell types...

Amyand's hernia is a rare condition characterized by an inguinal hernia containing the appendix, which can lead to complications. It is more common in children and it can be challenging to diagnose due to its location, often being mistaken for other conditions like strangulated hernias, orchitis-epididymitis, or testicular torsion. Imaging, including computed tomography and sonography, plays an important role in diagnosis, which is usually made intraoperatively. A case concerning a 3-month-old boy with a large acute scrotum that had been evolving for 4 days was presented...

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Xiaoluowan (II) on epididymitis. METHODS: 61 patients with epididymitis were divided into two groups, acute group (23 cases) and non-acute group (38 cases) . Both groups of patients were treated with Xiaoluowan (II) 6g twice a day orally, while acute group patients were given antibiotics intravenously. The treatment period is 4 weeks. The acute group evaluates the therapeutic efficacy comprehensively based on changes in clinical symptoms and signs, while recording changes in visual pain score (VAS)...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of Xiaoluanwan(II) in treating lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced epididymitis and its impact on the NLRP3 inflammasome. METHODS: The murine epididymitis model was established through local injection of LPS. The study included a control group (n=5), a model group (n=5), a model group treated with Xiaoluanwan(II) (Ⅱ) (n=5), and a saline group treated with Xiaoluanwan(II) (n=5). After 14 consecutive days of oral administration of Xiaoluanwan(II) or physiological saline, pathological changes in the epididymal tissues, expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome and Caspase-1, as well as associated protein levels were examined...

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Crataegus pinnatifida polysaccharide (CPP) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. The findings demonstrated that CPP improved free fatty acid (FFA)-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells and effectively reduced liver steatosis and epididymal fat weight in NAFLD mice, as well as decreased serum levels of TG, TC, AST, ALT, and LDL-C. Furthermore, CPP exhibited inhibitory effects on the expression of fatty acid synthesis genes FASN and ACC while activating the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes CPT1A and PPARα...

The epididymal function and gene expression in mammals are under the control of the testis. Sex steroids are secreted from the testis and act on the epididymis in an endocrine manner. There is another, non-sex steroidal secreted signaling, named lumicrine signaling, in which testis-derived secreted proteins go through the male reproductive tract and act on the epididymis. The effects of such multiple regulations on the epididymis by the testis have been investigated for many genes. The recent development of high-throughput next-generation sequencing now enables us a further comparative survey of endocrine and lumicrine action-dependent gene expression...

Mature spermatozoa with normal morphology and motility are essential for male reproduction. The epididymis has an important role in the proper maturation and function of spermatozoa for fertilization. However, factors related to the processes involved in spermatozoa modifications are still unclear. Here we demonstrated that CCDC28A, a member of the CCDC family proteins, is highly expressed in testes and the CCDC28A deletion leads to male infertility. We found CCDC28A deletion had a mild effect on spermatogenesis...

Diabetes increases the likelihood of germ cell damage, hypogonadism, and male infertility. Diabetes leads to lower zinc (Zn) levels, an important micronutrient for maintaining male fertility, and zinc deficiency can lead to decreased male fertility through multiple mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combined metformin and zinc administration on epididymis in diabetic mice; 10 of 50 male mice were randomly selected as the control group (group C), and the remaining 40 mice were randomly divided into untreated diabetes group (group D), diabetes + zinc group (group Z), diabetes + metformin group (group M), and diabetes + metformin + zinc group (group ZM) with 10 mice each...

The epididymal duct exhibits spontaneous phasic contractions (SPCs) to store and transport sperm. Here, we explored molecular identification of pacemaker cells driving SPCs in the caudal epididymal duct and also investigated properties of pacemaker currents underlying SPCs focusing on ANO1 Ca2+ -activated Cl- channels (CaCCs). Immunohistochemistry was performed to visualise the distribution of platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα)- or ANO1-positive cells in the rat caudal epididymal duct...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a major cause of metabolic disorders; to prevent obesity, research is ongoing to develop natural and safe ingredients with few adverse effects. In this study, we determined the anti-obesity effects of Rosa multiflora root extract (KWFD-H01) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. MATERIALS/METHODS: The anti-obesity effects of KWFD-H01in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and SD rats were examined using various assays, including Oil Red O staining, gene expression analyses, protein expression analyses, and blood biochemical analyses...