Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020672 (hypothermia)
 17,327 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Six men with infertile marriages associated with poor semen and raised testicular temperature were treated by an experimental appliance which exploits evaporation to obtain normal testicular temperatures. This was worn with little discomfort for as long as 24 h a day and for periods as long as 20 weeks. Three wives became pregnant while their husbands were on treatment. Semen analysis at the time of the missed menses showed improvements in all three men. In two patients who did not achieve a pregnancy, semen improvements were also seen after 12 weeks. The improvements in semen quality cannot be attributed to any agency other than the hypothermia; this strengthens the theory that raised temperature plays a role in male infertility. Scrotal hypothermia seems to be a suitable treatment in men with varicocele, varicocelectomy failure, and idiopathic infertility where intrascrotal temperature is raised.
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PMID:Chronic scrotal hypothermia as a treatment for poor semen quality. 610 60

Physiological scrotal hypothermia is necessary for normal spermatogenesis and fertility in mammals. Cirp is a recently identified cold-inducible RNA-binding protein that is inducible at 32 degrees C in mouse somatic cells in vitro. Cirp is constitutively expressed in the testis of mouse and structurally highly similar to RBM1, a candidate for the human azoospermia factor. To elucidate the role played by Cirp in spermatogenesis, we investigated its expression levels during spermatogenesis and after heat stress. In the mouse testis, cirp mRNA was detected in the germ cells, and the level varied depending on the stage of differentiation. Also, a high level of Cirp protein was detected immunohistochemically in the nucleus of primary spermatocytes. Expression of Cirp was decreased in the GC-2spd(ts) mouse germ cell line when culture temperature was raised from 32 degrees C to 37 degrees C. When mouse testis was exposed to heat stress by experimental cryptorchidism or immersion of the lower abdomen in warm (42 degrees C) water, the expression of Cirp was decreased in the testis within 6 hours after either treatment. In human testis with varicocele analyzed immunohistochemically, germ cells expressed less Cirp protein than those in the testis without varicocele. These results demonstrated that CIRP expression is down-regulated at elevated temperature in male germ cells of mice and humans. Analysis of Cirp expression in the testes will help elucidate the molecular mechanisms leading to male infertility.
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PMID:Decreased expression of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) in male germ cells at elevated temperature. 942 46