Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
 11,273 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.
 ...
PMID:Male sterilization. 132 23

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)
 ...
PMID:[Significance of the motile sperm presented in the testis]. 759 83

We reported a case of epididymal sarcoidosis. The patient was a 13-year-old boy with a chief complaint of right scrotal mass. On physical examination, a firm, nontender 7 mm mass was palpable in the right hemiscrotum and appeared to involve the head of the epididymis. Ultrasonography showed a highly echogenic mass in the epididymis. A routine chest X-ray revealed lymphadenopathy of the mediastinum and reticular shadows in bilateral lung fields. Because the lesion might be confined to the epididymis, a partial epididymectomy was performed. The histopathologic specimen showed noncaseating granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. Lung biopsies also revealed noncaseating granulomas. Subsequent pulmonary function studies revealed a mild obstructing ventiratory defect, therefore therapy was instituted with systemic steroids. There were no further recurrent scrotal masses. Although sarcoidosis is known to affect many organs, involvement of the genital system is relatively rare. Most of the patients with intrascrotal sarcoid lesions have an abnormal chest X-ray. We need to differentiate these lesions from advanced testicular cancer. This is the 5th case of intrascrotal sarcoidosis in Japanese literature.
 ...
PMID:[A case of epididymal sarcoidosis]. 825 53

Testicular microlithiasis was sonographically diagnosed in 16 patients. Using high-frequency transducers, the typical speckled pattern with multiple small bright echoes generated by intratubular calcifications appeared in the sonograms. The finding was bilateral in all but one patient who had previously undergone semicastration for testicular cancer and subsequent irradiation. In 6 cases a testicular tumor was present and visible in the sonogram. Sonography was performed in another 6 cases because of varicocele or epididymal cysts. The spermiograms and tumor marker levels of these patients were within the normal range, and there was no evidence of an extragonadal germinal tumor. Three patients presented with oligozoospermia, 1 thereof with hypogonadism. In 7 cases the sonographic diagnosis was histologically confirmed, i.e. multiple calcifications were found within the seminiferous tubules. The etiology and clinical significance of this rare phenomenon are unclear. Testicular microlithiasis is asymptomatic and also found in otherwise normal testes. However, in contrast to normal testes, a high percentage of testicular tumors is known to be associated with microcalcifications. In the presence of a definite sonographic diagnosis, exclusion of malignancy and sonographic follow-up are therefore indicated, as in the present series 44% of cases presented with testicular tumors.
 ...
PMID:Sonographic appearance of testicular microlithiasis. 837 48

Since the late 1960s, vasectomy has been a popular contraceptive option in Great Britain for couples who have achieved their desired family size. In recent years, however, considerable concern has been expressed about possible associations with cardiovascular disease and testicular and prostate cancer as well as long-term localized effects. This article reviewed the literature published during 1986-96 on these health concerns. Although vasectomized monkeys fed atherogenic diets appear to have a higher risk of peripheral artery disease, long-term studies of vasectomized men have failed to detect increased cardiovascular disease. No evidence has been found that vasectomy predisposes to testicular cancer or accelerates the growth of early testicular cancer. Studies demonstrating a 2-fold increase in the risk of prostate cancer after vasectomy were conducted in the US, where prostate cancer is common, and contained possible biases. European studies have not detected such an increased risk. Even if a relationship between vasectomy and prostate cancer is proven, further investigations would be required to determine if vasectomy causes prostate cancer through mechanisms such as hormonal changes, immunologic responses, or failure of growth inhibitors to reach the prostate due to obstruction of the reproductive tract, or whether vasectomized men are more exposed to the real causal agent. Moreover, even if the risk for vasectomized men in the UK is doubled, only 6/1000 men 65-74 years old would be expected to develop prostate cancer each year. The local effects of vasectomy on the reproductive tract are not fully determined. Distention of the epididymal duct occurs in most patients and granuloma formation is common. Vasectomy may also induce autoimmune orchitis. While many men develop structural changes in the reproductive tract after vasectomy, only a minority report discomfort. Although men considering vasectomy should be told that some studies have suggested a small increased risk of prostate cancer, they can be reassured that other health concerns are without foundation.
 ...
PMID:Is vasectomy harmful to health? 923 76

Spermatozoa were obtained from nine epididymal regions of six epididymides taken from five men undergoing castration for prostatic carcinoma (53-76 years) and from one man with testicular cancer (38 years). Spermatozoa were obtained by mincing tissue in phosphate-buffered saline, making air dried smears and staining with Hemacolor. The percentage of sperm heads categorised subjectively as normal (of uniform shape) or otherwise was calculated for each region. This confirmed that grossly swollen sperm heads (previously shown to be artefacts) were only present in proximal regions of the duct. A computer-aided sperm morphology analyser (Sperm Class Analyzer(R)) was used to provide objective measurements of sperm head area, perimeter, length and width of the uniform sperm heads and revealed that there was a gradual and statistically significant decline in sperm head size upon maturation, as occurs in other species. There was no significant difference between the morphometric parameters of spermatozoa obtained from the distal cauda epididymis and those obtained from the ejaculates of young normozoospermic patients.
 ...
PMID:Objective evaluation of the morphology of human epididymal sperm heads. 1076 33

Vasectomy has been recognized as a simple and highly effective contraceptive method. In order to recommend further research on vasectomy, researchers conducted a systematic review of the literature on the safety and effectiveness of vasectomy between 1964 and 1998. Early failure rates are 1%; however, effectiveness and complications vary with experience of surgeons and surgical technique. Early complications, which include hematoma, infection, sperm granulomas, epididymitis-orchitis, and congestive epididymitis, occur in 1-6% of men undergoing vasectomy. Incidence of epididymal pain is poorly documented. Animal and human data suggest that vasectomy does not increase atherosclerosis and that increases in circulating immune complexes following vasectomy are transient. The weight of the evidence regarding prostate and testicular cancer suggests that men with vasectomy are not at increased risk of these diseases. The findings indicate that publications to date continue to support the conclusion that vasectomy is a highly effective form of contraception. Future research should include evaluations of the long-term effectiveness of this method, evaluating criteria for post-vasectomy discontinuation of alternative contraception for use in settings where semen analysis is not practical, and characterizing complications including chronic epididymal pain.
 ...
PMID:Safety and effectiveness of vasectomy. 1126 66

Vanadocenes are potent apoptosis-inducing cytotoxic agents against human testicular cancer cells in vitro. The present study investigated the ability of four vanadocenes-vanadocene diazide (VDA), vanadocene dicyanate (VDCN), vanadocene dioxycyanate (VDOCN), and vanadocene monochloro oxycyanate (VDCO)-to induce male germ cell apoptosis in vivo in mouse testes by repetitive intratesticular injection of vanadocenes (7.5 mg/kg/testis) for 28 days. Germ cell loss in vivo was measured by epididymal sperm count, testes weights, and histologic evaluation of the testes. Repetitive intratesticular injection of vanadocenes led to decreased sperm counts and reduced testicular weights. Histopathological examination revealed seminiferous tubular atrophy, inhibition of spermatogenesis, and the preferential loss of maturing and elongated spermatids. In situ evaluation by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated FITC-deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) of seminiferous tubule cross sections and laser confocal microscopy showed characteristic apoptotic cells identified primarily as pachytene spermatocytes delineating the periphery of the seminiferous tubules. The ability of vanadocenes to induce germ cell apoptosis in vivo may have potential utility in the treatment of testicular seminomas in humans.
 ...
PMID:Vanadocene-mediated in vivo male germ cell apoptosis. 1090 82

Oxovanadium(IV) [VO] complexes of 1,10-phenanthroline are a new class of potent apoptosis-inducing cytotoxic agents against human testicular cancer cells in vitro. The present study investigated the in vivo ability of four(bis)-chelated 1,10-phenanthroline [phen] complexes of sulfato-oxovanadium(IV)-VO(phen)(2), VO(Cl-phen)(2), VO(Me(2)-phen)(2) and VO(NO(2)-phen)(2)-with and without substitutions, to induce testicular germ cell apoptosis. Male germ cell loss in mice was measured by determining the epididymal sperm count, testicular weight and histological evaluation of the testes. Repetitive intratesticular injection (7.5 mg kg(-1) testis(-1)) of bis-chelated 1,10-phenanthroline complexes of oxovanadium(IV) with 4,7-dimethyl [VO(Me(2)-phen)(2)] and 5-dinitro [VO(NO(2)-phen)(2)] substitution led to decreased sperm counts and reduced testicular weights. Histopathological examination of testicular sections from VO(Me(2)-phen)(2)- and VO(NO(2)-phen)(2)-treated mice revealed a marked inhibition of spermatogenesis and preferential loss of maturing, as well as elongated spermatids. In situ evaluation of seminiferous tubule cross-sections by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated FITC-deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) and laser scanning confocal microscopy showed characteristic apoptotic germ cells delineating the periphery of the seminiferous tubules. The ability of bis-chelated 4,7-dimethyl- and 5-dinitro-substituted 1,10-phenanthroline complexes of oxovanadium(IV) to induce germ cell apoptosis in vivo may have potential utility in the treatment of human testicular germ cell tumors.
 ...
PMID:Bis(4,7-dimethyl and 5-dinitro-1,10-phenanthroline) sulfato-oxovanadium(IV)-mediated in vivo male germ cell apoptosis. 1148 68

Infertility affects 13-18% of couples and growing evidence from clinical and epidemiological studies suggests an increasing incidence of male reproductive problems. The pathogenesis of male infertility can be reflected by defective spermatogenesis due to pituitary disorders, testicular cancer, germ cell aplasia, varicocele and environmental factors or to defective sperm transport due to congenital abnormalities or immunological and neurogenic factors. Recent studies suggest an increased incidence of genetic disorders related to male infertility which may affect different levels, interfering with germ cell generation and maturation or leading to the production of non-functional spermatozoa. The identification of genetic causes of male infertility raises the issue of the transmission of defects to the offspring, a situation that is becoming more important given the increasing use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a procedure in which the natural selection of the spermatozoa is by-passed. Fertilization can occur in vitro using ejaculated, epididymal or testicular spermatozoa, either fresh or frozen-thawed, providing opportunities hitherto not possible for men to be genetic fathers.
 ...
PMID:Male infertility. 1275 96


1 2 Next >>