Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0376358 (prostate cancer)
 59,338 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Between 250,000 and 300,000 US men undergo vasectomy each year. The Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception has performed almost 400,000 vasectomies worldwide since 1982. 2 hospital-based case control studies indicate a 1.7-5 fold increased risk of prostate cancer in vasectomized patients, but other studies do not find this association. Besides, there is no biologic basis for such an association. A theoretical relationship does exist between testicular cancer and vasectomy, however, since testicular biopsy studies reveal abnormalities, perhaps secondary to back pressure. No epidemiologic studies have yet found such a link, though. In China, some 8 million men have undergone the no-scalpel vasectomy developed in the 1970s. This technique has fewer complications than the traditional technique (e.g., a hematoma rate of only .08%). Indeed, hematomas are the most common complication. Other complications include epididymitis, congested epididymis, and sperm granuloma. The open-ended vasectomy (proximal testicular end of vas left open and closure of the distal end) reduces postoperative testicular and epididymal discomfort and increases the likelihood of vas reversal (1 surgeon reports a success rate of 100%). Regardless of the vasectomy technique, vas reanastomosis is more likely to be successful if performed within 5 years after the vasectomy (e.g., 1 study reported a pregnancy rate of 52% for reanastomosis within 5 years vs. 30% for 5 years; p .02). Physicians recommend a postvasectomy semen analysis after 20 ejaculations to determine if azoospermia has been achieved. If not, another analysis is needed after 10 more postvasectomy ejaculations. If motile sperm still exist, the vasectomy has failed. Yet, many men (36-45% in the US) do not return for analysis. Return visits are often difficult, impractical, and embarrassing for men, so physicians should suggest patients use condoms until after they have achieved a predetermined number of ejaculations to ensure protection against pregnancy.
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PMID:Male sterilization. 132 23

The epididymal penetration of roxithromycin was studied in order to evaluate the drug for use in the treatment of epididymo-orchitis. Seventeen patients hospitalized for surgery as part of treatment for prostatic adenoma or prostatic cancer were premedicated orally with roxithromycin 150 mg bd for three days followed by 150 mg pre-operatively (3 h before surgical incision). Roxithromycin concentrations in serum and epididymis were determined by microbiological assay. The mean epididymal concentrations were 6.48 +/- 4.88 and 5.98 +/- 3.92 mg/kg for left and right epididymis respectively and the corresponding mean tissue/serum ratios 0.88 +/- 0.57 and 0.84 +/- 0.53. The wide intersubject variation in the concentration of roxithromycin found in serum and tissue is commonly seen with other macrolide antibiotics. The concentrations observed in this study in serum and tissue were greater than the MIC90s for Chlamydia trachomatis (0.25 to 1 mg/L), and Ureaplasma urealyticum (0.5 mg/L).
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PMID:Disposition of roxithromycin in the epididymis after repeated oral administration. 139 28

Previously, we established an anti-androgen receptor (AR) monoclonal antibody. Using the antibody, we investigated immunohistological AR localization in human testes, epididymides, seminal vesicles and scrotal skins. The testes, epididymides and scrotal skins were obtained from a prostate cancer patient without pre-hormonal therapy undergoing bilateral orchiectomy. The seminal vesicles were obtained from a bladder cancer patient undergoing radical cystectomy. The tissues were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and kept at -80 degrees C until used. Cryostat-frozen sections were cut at 5 microns and stained by an indirect method. We obtained the following results. 1) In the testes, nuclei of Leydig cells were stained though Sertoli cells were not stained. AR localization in Leydig cells which produce testosterone suggests autocrine or intracrine mechanism in the testis. 2) In the epididymides, nuclei of epithelial cells of epididymal ducts were stained, while muscles and connective tissues were not stained. In the seminal vesicles, nuclei of glandular epithelial cells were stained. 3) In the scrotal skins, the cells of squamous cell layer have positive stainings. The cells in the upper portion of squamous cell layer were stained more intensely than the cells in the lower portion. The basal layer was not stained. The cells of the outer root sheath of hair follicles in the scrotal skins were also stained. 4) In androgen target organs, AR-positive cells and AR-negative cells were mixed in the epithelium of a glandular duct, which suggests heterogeneity of AR localization in the androgen target organs.
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PMID:[Localization of androgen receptor in male sex organ, accessory sex organs and external genital skin]. 147 18

Norfloxacin, a "second generation" compound of the quinolone group, was administered orally, before surgery, every 12 h during successive three-day periods at dose of 400 mg to ten patients hospitalized for prostatic adenoma or for prostatic cancer. On the day of surgery, a 400 mg-last dose was administered. Unchanged norfloxacin was assayed by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The Cmin value was 1.2 +/- 0.77 mg/l. Concurrent norfloxacin concentrations in plasma and epididymal tissue (left and right) were determined, about 4 h after the last drug intake, the epididymal level was 3.4 +/- 1.9 micrograms/g. This value was above the MIC90 for most sensitive organisms. The ratio (+/- SD) of drug concentration in epididymal tissue and in plasma was 3. 74 +/- 2.10 (range 1.66-10.2). The epididymal level of norfloxacin was strongly correlated with, area under curve (p less than 0.001) and plasma concentration (p less than 0.01).
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PMID:[Diffusion of norfloxacin in epididymal tissue]. 188 87

The concentrations of testosterone and its tissular metabolites were determined in testicular and epididymal tissue obtained from eleven male subjects (aged 65-85 years) after orchiectomy for prostatic cancer. The steroids were measured in different tissular compartments, i.e. testis, caput, corpus and cauda epididymis. The values (mean +/- SD; ng/g wet weight) were: Testosterone 724.0 +/- 286.0, 32.08 +/- 2.56, 41.45 +/- 1.77 and 32.24 +/- 2.14; 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone 6.95 +/- 1.99, 9.76 +/- 2.33, 16.87 +/- 0.21 and 15.79 +/- 2.67; 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol 6.07 +/- 2.33, 2.17 +/- 0.24, 1.93 +/- 0.02 and 1.17 +/- 0.20; 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol 56.66 +/- 20.97, 3.55 +/- 0.19, 2.21 +/- 0.27 and 3.34 +/- 0.32; estradiol-17 beta 5.36 +/- 3.0, 1.08 +/- 0.014, 1.44 +/- 0.038 and 1.47 +/- 0.03, respectively. Incubation of human testicular tissue with [3H]androst-5-ene-3 beta, 17 beta-diol or [3H]dihydrotestosterone showed that both androstane-diols were exclusively formed from dihydrotestosterone. Since high concentrations of 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol are found in testicular tissue it is suggested that this steroid may be an index of seminiferous tubular function.
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PMID:Concentrations of unconjugated 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol and their precursor in human testicular tissue. Comparison with testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, estradiol-17 beta, and with steroid concentrations in human epididymis. 358 50

Androgen metabolism in human epididymis was studied by incubating tissue fragments with isotopically labeled testosterone (T) and androstenedione (A) under batch and superfusion conditions. Epididymides were obtained from 16 patients with prostatic cancer, 5 of them treated with diethylstilbestrol (2.5 mg/d) for several months prior to castration. Results from batch incubations with [3H]T (100 nM) for 2 h at 25 degrees C indicated a markedly lower 5 alpha-reductase activity in tissues from estrogen-treated patients, as evaluated by measuring the amounts of radioactive 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstanediols and 5 alpha-androstanedione present in tissue and medium at the end of the incubation period. Superfusion experiments confirmed this estrogen effect and also showed a shift of the interconversion between A and T towards the reductive direction and a diminished tissue retention of DHT after estrogen treatment. These effects may contribute to the marked regression of the epididymal epithelium that was noted in the estrogen-treated patients, which is thought to be mainly the result of the inhibition of androgen biosynthesis caused by chemical hypophysectomy.
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PMID:Androgen metabolism in the human epididymis. Effect of in vivo estrogen administration. 374 23

By means of specific radioimmunoassays unconjugated testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol, 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol and estradiol-17 beta as well as testosterone-glucosiduronate were estimated in the plasma of the spermatic vein and artery simultaneously with the determination in peripheral venous and arterial plasma in ten male patients undergoing orchiectomy for prostatic cancer. The following results were obtained: A positive concentration gradient was found for all steroids. The testicular "secretion" of 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol was established for the first time. The venous-arterial transfer of the mentioned steroids within the plexus pampiniformis yielded the following figures: 5.1%; 17.4%; 6.5%; 5.4% 5.1% and 6.5%, respectively. The testicular and/or epididymal origin of the different steroids was calculated to be of the following order of magnitude (mean values): Dihydrotestosterone 28%, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol 45%, 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol about 100% estradiol-17 beta 63% and testosterone-glucosiduronate 3%.
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PMID:Comparison of steroid concentrations in venous and arterial blood across the human testis. Unconjugated 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol: an important androgen metabolite of the human testicular-epididymal unit. 708 81

Generally it is believed that mammalian sperm mature during their transit through the whole epididymis. However spermatozoa aspirated from the epididymal duct or vasa defferentia have been recently reported to move actively in azoospermic patients with seminal tract obstruction. We examined whether the testicular sperm move which would provide useful information in the diagnosis of male infertility. Testicular biopsy materials were obtained from 38 testes of 37 patients as follows; 19 cases with azoospermia, 11 with oligozoospermia, and 8 orchiectomized for prostatic cancer (3), testicular cancer (2), epididymal abscess (1), and cryptorchid (2). All materials were obtained from either open biopsy or from the normal portion of the orchiectomized testis. The material was minced with a sharp knife or scissors in an Eppendorf tube containing Ham's F12 solution. Then a couple of drops of sperm suspension were placed on a warmed (37 degrees C) slide glass which was then covered with a coverglass. The prepared slide was immediately examined by phase-contrast microscopy. Another part was used for preparing a touch smear for confirming the presence of testicular sperm and then was fixed in Bouin's solution and stained with H-E. Spermatogenesis was evaluated by Johnsen's mean score (JMS). Eleven of the 19 azoospermic cases revealed the presence of testicular sperm, and ten of them demonstrated the presence of motile sperm. The mean JMS in these cases was 8.8 (normal spermatogenesis). After surgical exploration or vasography, these patients were diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia (post-vasectomy (4 cases), congenital absence of vas deferens (2 cases), secondary epididymal duct obstruction (4 cases)).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Significance of the motile sperm presented in the testis]. 759 83

Human epididymal spermatozoa taken from caput, corpus, and cauda were investigated to determine their fertilizing capacity (22 epididymides from 11 patients who had undergone orchidectomy because of prostatic cancer). The following functions, which have been reported to correlate positively with the fertilization rate, were determined: motility and progressive motility, chromatin condensation (assessed by aniline blue staining), acrosin activity, and induction of acrosome reaction by low temperature. In addition, stimulation of motility by pentoxifylline and phosphatidylcholine was examined. The results showed that motility, progressive motility, normal chromatin condensation, and inducible acrosome reaction increased from the caput to the cauda epididymidis, whereas acrosin activity was normal in all sections. Stimulation of progressive motility, especially that of caput spermatozoa, could be achieved by both pentoxifylline and phosphatidylcholine, the latter being definitely superior. In conclusion, our study confirmed that human spermatozoa in physiological status undergo several steps of maturation during the epididymal transit. Stimulation of sperm motility by phosphatidylcholine may be helpful for patients in whom epididymal spermatozoa are used for assisted reproduction.
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PMID:Function of human epididymal spermatozoa. 772 72

A recent classification of alterations of midpiece and flagellum describes the phenomenon of abnormal staining behaviour of human sperm flagella during Papanicolaou and Shorr staining. In these techniques, human sperm tails normally stain red; however, if epididymal function is disturbed, the flagella appear bluish, while they are devoid of other recognizable defects. Such spermatozoa were shown to be immotile, the motility disturbance being referred to as epididymal dysfunction. To define the physiological substrates of this descriptive phenomenon, caput spermatozoa from 10 epididymides of five patients who had undergone orchiectomy because of prostatic cancer were investigated. These spermatozoa showed severe motility disturbances, and almost all their flagella stained atypically. Attempts to stimulate such spermatozoa by pentoxifylline achieved a slight improvement in motility. However, addition of seminal plasma from fertile donors resulted in a significant improvement in motility, accompanied by an increase in the number of normally stained flagella. Even better results were achieved by incubation with liposomes made from soybean lipids, mainly phosphatidylcholine. It is concluded that poor motility and atypical staining behaviour of human caput sperm tails can at least partly be related to a lack of phospholipids in the flagellar membrane. Substitution of phospholipids may be a therapeutic approach in procedures using caput spermatozoa, although in addition to the improvement of sperm motility, the enhancement of fertilizing capacity remains to be established.
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PMID:Disturbances of sperm flagella due to failure of epididymal maturation and their possible relationship to phospholipids. 840 89


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