Relationship between volume of the seminal vesicles and sexual activity in middle-aged men

Spermatozoa-induced seminal vesiculitis in mice

BACKGROUND

Seminal vesiculitis is a common inflammation in the male genital tract. Etiologically, microbial infection and non-infectious factors can be responsible for seminal vesiculitis. The pathogenic triggers and mechanisms underlying non-infectious seminal vesiculitis remain unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To demonstrate that spermatozoa can induce seminal vesiculitis in mice, which could be attributable to spermatozoa-induced innate immune responses in seminal vesicular epithelial cells.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Spermatozoa from epididymis were injected into seminal vesicles at the tail of the gland. Histopathology of seminal vesicles were examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Infiltration of leukocytes were identified by immunohistochemistry. Seminal vesicular epithelial cells were isolated from 5-week-old mice and cell types were detected by immunofluoresence. Western blot and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to detect protein and gene expression levels.

RESULTS

In vivo, local injection of epididymal spermatozoa into seminal vesicles resulted in seminal vesiculitis characterized by tissue swelling and leukocyte infiltration. In vitro, spermatozoa induced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL10, and MCP1, and the activation of NF-κB in seminal vesicular epithelial cells.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Spermatozoa may induce seminal vesiculitis through the activation of innate immune responses in seminal vesicular epithelial cells, which provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying non-infectious seminal vesiculitis.

Protective Effects of Epigallocatechin Gallate for Male Sexual Dysfunction in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Sexual dysfunction is a common problem for men with diabetes. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is known to ameliorate erectile function in aging rats. However, there has not yet been a report to evaluate its effects on diabetic male rat sexual behavior in the literature. In this study, we investigated the effects of EGCG on male sexual behavior in diabetic rats. Diabetic rats were induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 65 mg/kg of streptozotocin. After streptozotocin injection for one week, animals were then orally treated with 40 mg/kg of EGCG or vehicle. Copulatory behavior and fasting blood glucose levels were recorded before treatment, as well as 7 and 14 days after treatment. Serum LH, testosterone, and PDE5a levels were measured by EIA assay after the last behavioral test. Data showed that diabetic rats who had diminished sexual functions demonstrated significantly increased latencies in mount, intromission, and ejaculation, as well as significant decreases in frequencies of intromission and ejaculation, compared to non-diabetic controls, indicating sexual function recovery. Lower blood glucose levels were also found in diabetic rats after EGCG treatment. Additionally, the lower LH and higher PDE5a levels in diabetic rats than controls were also noted. The findings declared that EGCG had a protective effect on male sexual behavior in diabetic rats.

Short duration treadmill exercise improves physical function and skeletal muscle mitochondria protein expression after recovery from FOLFOX chemotherapy in male mice

FOLFOX (5-FU, leucovorin, oxaliplatin) is a chemotherapy treatment for colorectal cancer which induces toxic side effects involving fatigue, weakness, and skeletal muscle dysfunction. There is a limited understanding of the recovery from these toxicities after treatment cessation. Exercise training can improve chemotherapy-related toxicities. However, how exercise accelerates recovery and the dose required for these benefits are not well examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercise duration on physical function, muscle mass, and mitochondria protein expression during the recovery from FOLFOX chemotherapy. 12-week-old male mice were administered four cycles of either PBS or FOLFOX over 8-weeks. Outcomes were assessed after the fourth cycle and after either 4 (short-term; STR) or 10 weeks (long-term; LTR) recovery. Subsets of mice performed 14 sessions (6 d/wk, 18 m/min, 5% grade) of 60 min/d (long) or 15 min/d (short duration) treadmill exercise during STR. Red and white gastrocnemius mRNA and protein expression were examined. FOLFOX treatment decreased run time (RT) (-53%) and grip strength (GS) (-9%) compared to PBS. FOLFOX also reduced muscle OXPHOS complexes, COXIV, and VDAC protein expression. At LTR, FOLFOX RT (-36%) and GS (-16%) remained reduced. Long- and short-duration treadmill exercise improved RT (+58% and +56%) without restoring GS in FOLFOX mice. Both exercise durations increased muscle VDAC and COXIV expression in FOLFOX mice. These data provide evidence that FOLFOX chemotherapy induces persistent deficits in physical function that can be partially reversed by short-duration aerobic exercise.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the luminal structure of human seminal vesicle

The seminal vesicles are the glands of male reproductive organs that produce the fluid and nutrient constituents of semen. It has been believed for a long time that the lumen of a seminal vesicle was a single-coiled tubular structure with irregular diverticula. There are several previous reports on the symmetry, differences in morphological sizes and classification of the seminal vesicles. However, a three-dimensional-coiled tubular structure is difficult to understand using a classical anatomical methodology, and hence, three-dimensional reconstruction is needed to understand the structure of the lumen. Thirty-one seminal vesicles harvested from 21 formalin-embalmed cadavers were investigated. The seminal vesicle along with the ampulla of the ductus deferens was separated, and the length and width of each seminal vesicle were measured. The vesicles were then embedded in coloured paraffin, and the resulting paraffin block was sectioned transversely and photographed at an interval of 500 μm, with the sectioned surfaces then utilized in three-dimensional reconstruction performed by 'Reconstruct' software. The mean length and width of the seminal vesicles were 39.4 mm and 13.4 mm, respectively, and the right seminal vesicle was a little larger than the one on the left. The size differed from previous reports, while the luminal structure was similar to the classification of Aboul-azm (Archives of Andrology, 3, 1979, 287-292) but differed from that of Pereira (AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology, 69, 1953, 361-379). The seminal vesicles typically comprised about 9 curls and had about 12 diverticula. The seminal vesicles resembled a skein of coral rather than comprising a single strand. These findings will help in improving the understanding of pathophysiologies of the seminal vesicles, such as recurrent inflammation of the gland.

Psoas muscle volume is correlated with sexual activity and erectile dysfunction among patients with localised prostate cancer

Several endocrinological and physical activities orchestrate men's sexual activities. To determine whether body composition calculated by computed tomography measurements is useful for estimating sexual function, we evaluated sexual function of localised prostate cancer patients using the Sexual Health Inventory for Men score, an original questionnaire, and computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The imaging was performed to determine body composition, particularly the psoas muscle. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors affecting sexual activity. The multivariate analysis showed that the volume of the psoas muscle was significantly correlated with sexual activity (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]) (2.507 [1.029-6.109], p = 0.043) and erectile dysfunction (0.261 [0.098-0.692], p = 0.006). We concluded that the psoas muscle is an important predictor of sexual activity and erectile function.