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Introduction Transverse testicular ectopia is a rare anomaly in which both testes descend toward the same side of the hemiscrotum. Case presentation A 35‐year‐old man presented with right inguinal enlargement. Computed tomography showed a normal testis in the right hemiscrotum and a 58 mm heterogeneous mass in the right inguinal area. No testis was observed in the left hemiscrotum. The vascular structures extended from the right inguinal mass to the left renal vein. Consequently, the left testicular tumor was diagnosed as transverse testicular ectopia, and a left orchiectomy was performed. The histological diagnosis was seminoma stage pT2. Furthermore, left para‐aortic lymph node metastasis developed 10 months postoperatively. A complete response was obtained after systemic chemotherapy. Conclusion Awareness of seminomas in transverse testicular ectopia could facilitate appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, the location of the lymph node metastasis indicated that the ectopic testis could have originated from the left side.

Abstract Case A 40‐year‐old Japanese man with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) was found to carry rare variants in KCTD19, a newly identified causative gene for spermatogenic failure. This patient was identified through mutation screening of KCTD19 in 97 men with etiology‐unknown isolated NOA. Outcome The patient had two heterozygous variants in KCTD19 that affect consensus sequences of splice‐donor sites [c.300+2T>A and c.2667C>T (p.E889E)]. Both variants were predicted to cause exon skipping. Long‐read sequencing confirmed the compound heterozygosity of the variants. The patient exhibited small testes and a mildly elevated level of follicle‐stimulating hormone but no other phenotypic abnormalities. Testicular histology showed borderline findings between spermatocyte maturation arrest and severe hypospermatogenesis. Conclusion These results provide evidence that biallelic loss‐of‐function variants of KCTD19 represent rare causes of isolated NOA.

Introduction Regressed germ cell tumors are a rare disease commonly diagnosed with metastatic symptoms without local symptoms in the testis. Case presentation A 33‐year‐old man with azoospermia was referred to our hospital. His right testis was slightly swollen, and ultrasonography revealed hypoechogenicity of the right testis with decreased blood flow. Right high orchiectomy was performed. Pathologically, the seminiferous tubules were absent or highly atrophied with vitrification degeneration; however, no neoplastic lesion was confirmed. One‐month post‐surgery, the patient noticed a mass in the left supraclavicular fossa, of which a biopsy revealed seminoma. The patient was diagnosed with a regressed germ cell tumor and underwent systemic chemotherapy. Conclusion We reported the first case of a regressed germ cell tumor discovered due to complaints of azoospermia.

Calcite particles (Source; CaCO3, ∼0.4 μm in size) were 3D-printed into cube honeycombs (honeycombs) with ∼0.7 mm thick struts and ∼0.6 mm cellular window opening. The sintered honeycombs, regardless of the presence of a sintering aid in the printing slurry, gave ∼3 MPa or more in the compressive stress, which exceeded that of trabecular bone. The conversion of calcite to hydroxyapatite (HAp) was assessed in 0.1 M K2HPO4 (pH: 7.0 or 7.4) at 20 °C–80 °C due to the X-ray diffraction intensity of the calcite and HAp peaks, surface microstructure, and P(V) accumulation on the honeycomb strut surface. Although a premature HAp layer yielded on all samples within 1 h soaking, further conversion depended on the samples. The conversion continued on Source until the volume fraction of the HAp shell layer reached ∼35% (37 °C). It was hardly detected on the grains of sintered honeycombs (from the slurry with the sintering aid) within the whole soaking period (≤24 h). In contrast, the conversion on the sintered honeycombs (from the slurry without the aid) became vigorous when soaked for 5 h, and, it reached at 24 h the highest level that the as-printed honeycombs achieved. The critical factors controlling the conversion were calcite dissolution, the equilibria among the carbonate and phosphate ions, and the rates of migration of Ca(II) and P(V) through the inter-granular channels of pores within the struts. A particle stacking model was proposed for the most plausible interpretation of the present results.

Semen analysis has long been used to evaluate male fertility. Recently, several sperm function tests have been developed. Of those, the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), which describes the status of the sperm DNA, is thought to be a suitable parameter for evaluating male fertility. However, there have been no large-scale studies on the sperm DFI of Japanese men. Therefore, we investigated the feasibility of using an in-house flow cytometry-based sperm DFI analysis based on the sperm DNA fragmentation test of sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) to assess male fertility in Japan. This study enrolled 743 infertile and 20 fertile Japanese men. To evaluate reproducibility, inter- and intraobserver precision was analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to set a cutoff value for the sperm DFI to identify men who could father children by timed intercourse or intrauterine insemination. The variability of the sperm DFI among fertile volunteers was determined. The relationship between semen parameters and the sperm DFI was assessed by Spearman's rho test. A precision analysis revealed good reproducibility of the sperm DFI. The cutoff value of sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile men was 24.0%. Semen volume had no relationship with the sperm DFI. Sperm concentration, sperm motility, total motile sperm count, and percentage of normal-shaped sperm were significantly and negatively correlated with the sperm DFI. The median sperm DFI was smaller in fertile volunteers (7.7%) than that in infertile men (19.4%). Sperm DNA fragmentation analysis can be used to assess sperm functions that cannot be evaluated by ordinary semen analysis.

Abstract Purpose Cryptorchidism is one of the most common causes of non‐obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in adulthood. Even if early orchidopexy is performed to preserve fertility potential, some patients still suffer from azoospermia. Fertility potential is significantly lower in bilateral than unilateral cryptorchidism. The aims of this study were to identify clinical parameters that predict the likely success of sperm recovery by microscopic testicular sperm extraction (micro‐TESE) and also the likely outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection using sperm from NOA patients who submitted to bilateral orchidopexy. Methods Fifty‐two NOA patients with a history of bilateral cryptorchidism underwent micro‐TESE. The following clinical parameters were evaluated as predictive factors for successful sperm recovery: age at micro‐TESE; age at orchidopexy; period from orchidopexy to micro‐TESE; luteinizing hormone (LH); follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH); testosterone; average testicular volume; and body mass index. Results In the successful sperm retrieval group, average testicular volume was significantly greater, while serum LH and FSH, and body mass index were significantly lower. In a multivariate analysis, average testicular volume was positively correlated with successful sperm recovery. Conclusion Our results indicate that testicular volume in NOA patients with bilateral cryptorchidism is a predictor for successful sperm recovery.

The risk of a gonadal tumor is high in testicular disorder of sexual development (DSD) with the Y chromosome, but cases of DSD without the Y chromosome are extremely rare. We reported a gonadal tumor in a phenotypically male individual with 46, XX testicular DSD. A testicular tumor was incidentally found in a 32-year-old phenotypic male who was presented to the hospital with male infertility. A diagnosis of 46, XX testicular DSD was made by the presentation of karyotype analysis of 46, XX with the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY) positive and gonadal tissue without female gonads. Surgery was performed due to a gradually growing tumor. The partial orchidectomy was performed with the diagnosis of a benign Leydig cell tumor in frozen biopsy.

As testicular torsion is a medical emergency, it requires quick diagnosis and treatment. Color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) is useful for the diagnosis of testicular torsion. An accurate diagnosis can be difficult when CDUS indicates the preservation of blood flow in the testis. We examined the accuracy of testicular torsion diagnosis in patients with acute scrotum made by doctors on duty using CDUS. The subjects included 26 patients who visited our department between January 2016 and June 2018 presenting with acute scrotal pain. Patients were placed into one of three groups based on testicular blood flow evaluated by CDUS. The first group had no testicular blood flow, the second had diminished blood flow, and the last group had normal or increased blood flow. Patients were also diagnosed through scrotal exploration. Finally, patients were further divided into two groups identified by CDUS frequency utilized during diagnosis (12 MHz groups and ≤8 MHz groups), and the diagnostic accuracy of the two groups was compared. Characterizing torsion by either the absence of or diminished, testicular blood flow in the CDUS evaluation, the sensitivity and specificity of the CDUS performed by doctors on duty accounted for 69.2% and 53.8%, respectively. No improvement in diagnostic accuracy was evident despite the usage of a 12-MHz ultrasonic transducer. In this study, the sensitivity of CDUS performed by doctors on duty was about 70%, suggesting that scrotal exploration should be performed promptly even if testicular blood flow is observed and testicular torsion is suspected from medical history and body findings.

Chitosan is a cationic polymer that forms polymerized membranes upon reaction with anionic polymers. Chitosan−carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) capsules are drug delivery carrier candidates whose mechanical strength and permeability must be controlled to achieve sustained release. In this study, the capsules were prepared from chitosan−γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS)−CMC. The mechanical stability of the capsules was improved by crosslinking the chitosan with GPTMS. The capsules were then coated with hydroxyapatite (HAp) by alternately soaking them in calcium chloride solution and disodium hydrogen phosphate solution to prevent rapid initial drug release. Cytochrome C (CC), as a model drug, was introduced into the capsules via two routes, impregnation and injection, and then the CC released from the capsules was examined. HAp was found to be deposited on the internal and external surfaces of the capsules. The amount of CC introduced, and the release rate were reduced by the HAp coating. The injection method was found to result in the greatest CC loading.

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Copyright of Journal of Henan University of Science & Technology, Natural Science is the property of Editorial Office of Journal of Henan University of Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research / Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu is the property of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background/Aim: Curcumin is a natural compound of turmeric, which inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation. This study examined whether treatment of LNCaP prostate cancer cells with the combination of curcumin and dutasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, affect proliferation and the amount of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Materials and Methods: LNCaP Cells were incubated with curcumin or the combination ofcurcumin and dutasteride and cell proliferation was measured at 72 h. LC-MS/MS was used to determine testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in prostate cancer cells. Results: Curcumin combined with dutasteride suppressed proliferation and affected apoptosis of LNCaP cells. The combination of curcumin and dutasteride also reduced the amount of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in LNCaP cells. The secretion of prostate-specific antigen was inhibited by the combination treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Treatment with the combination of curcumin and dutasteride may interfere with the intra-tumoral androgen activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When solution of a polymer with some inorganic ions is electrospun, the polymer fibrils will be elongated within the spinning direction and those ions are held in the inter-fibril spaces. When those electrospun fibers are calcined, ceramic fibers will be obtained. The present study has attempted to employ such spaces formed in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as nano- or micro-reactor spaces for precipitation of nano-crystalline particles. Exposing the spun PVA mats to ammonia vapor fixed metal ions in the form of hydroxide and, induced apatitic calcium phosphate crystallites when the precursor solution involved calcium and hydrogen orthophosphate ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica sol particles were coated on collagen fibrils at room temperature as they were soaked in a Stöber type precursor system, consisting of tetraethoxysilane–ethanol–water–ammonium hydroxide, with or without CaCl2. Calcination of the fibrils at 600 °C led to silica nanotube compacts of cm size. Transmission electron microscope analysis indicated that they consisted of hollow silica nanotubes, where the shell thickness and roughness increased with the calcium content. The Ca-containing compacts were active to depositing petal-like apatite crystallites when soaked in Kokubo's simulated body fluid. Moreover, they enhanced proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells, even produced collagen fibrils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Prepared via Stöber-type sol–gel routes were three types of silica particles of 2-containing ethanol/water solutions. Scanning and transmission electron micrograph analyses indicated that those silica particles consisted of ~10 nm primary particles, the Ca–silica particles (~500 nm) were larger than the Ca-free ones (~200 nm) and that their size increased with the Ca concentration in the precursor solutions. From 1H- and 29Si- magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and 29Si cross-polarization NMR spectra, the mechanism of primary particle agglomeration and degradation of the secondary particles in saline were discussed in terms of the content of H2O molecules and >Si–OH as well as hydrogen bonding interactions among them. In addition, the Ca–silica and core-shell silica deposited apatite in Kokubo’s simulated body fluid. Thus, the present Ca–silica and polymer-coated silica particles were suggested to be applicable to injectable bone fillers for bone generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature deposition of crystalline titania films on intrinsically bioinert materials to induce the bioactivity is of practical interest, not only because it meets the demand of providing organic biomaterials with bioactivity, which cannot tolerate high-temperature thermal treatments, but also because it reserves abundant Ti–OH groups facilitating the apatite deposition. In this paper, rutile films with thickness varied from 0.1 μm to 1.7 μm were deposited on commercially available pure titanium substrates from 1.5 M titanium tetrachloride aqueous solution kept at 60 °C for 3–60 h. The rutile films grew to give a preferred (101) crystalline plane in the X-ray diffraction pattern. After soaking in a simulated body fluid of the Kokubo solution (SBF) for 2 days, the rutile films with thickness over 0.6 μm were covered with a layer of apatite. All the films with various thickness induced apatite deposition in SBF after soaking for 5 days. The bioinert polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was also found to exhibit remarkable in vitro bioactivity as to induce apatite deposition from SBF within 2 days, after depositing the rutile film on the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Titania consisting of rutile and anatase was precipitated on and inside of cotton fibrils when cotton was soaked in an aqueous solution of 30 mM TiOSO4 and 30 mM H2O2 kept at 80°C for 24 h. As the resultant titania-cotton fibrils were soaked in a simulated body fluid (Kokubo solution), apatite was deposited on the fibrils to yield cotton-titania-apatite composites within 1 d. Thus, the present study provided a simple technique to prepare titania-apatite composites and coatings on organic materials at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bioactivity has been exhibited by a limited range of ceramics since the invention of Bioglass®. Recently, some bioactive polymeric organic-inorganic hybrids were introduced, including not only organically modified silicates (Ormosils) synthesized from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and tetraethoxysilane but also those with gelatin and 3-glycidoxypropyl-tremethoxysilane. Preparation of the bulk and porous hybrids and their polymeric structures analyzed by Si NMR spectroscopy were presented. In vitro bioactivity or apatite deposition in a simulated body fluid of the Kokubo recipe were also described for those hybrids. Freeze-drying techniques introduced porosity (up to 90%) and pores extending in a preferred direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and versatile treatment was developed to provide various metallic biomaterials such as Ti, NiTi, Ta and SUS 316L stainless steel with in vitro bioactivity or ability to deposit carbonate-incorporated apatite in a simulated body fluid (Kokubo solution). A well-crystallized anatase layer deposited on the metallic biomaterials surfaces after soaking them at 60 °C for 24 h in an aqueous solution of titanium tetrafluoride (40 mM) whose pH was adjusted to 1.9 with HCl. The as-coated anatase layers did not deposit apatite. When heated at 300 °C they were so bioactive as to deposit apatite within 5 day(s) in the Kokubo solution. The trace amount of fluorine weakly bound in the as-coated anatase layers was suggested to be one of the factors that suppressed the bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium and its alloys are frequently employed in medical and dental clinics due to their good tissue compatibility, including commercially available pure Ti, Ti6A4V, or Ti-15Zr-4Ta-4Nb. Yet, they may behave very differently when in contact with our plasma because of their own chemical composition. The present study was designed to compare the in vitro behavior of highly pure Ti (>99.99%; hpTi) with those of the above titanium specimens when they were subjected to heating in air (HT), H2O2 and heating (CHT), and heating in air after forming grooves on the surface (GT). Since one of the measures of material-tissue compatibility has been in vitro apatite formation in artificial plasma, like simulated body fluid (SBF) of the Kokubo recipe, the apatite deposition in SBF on their surface and in their grooves were examined in terms of the X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersion X-ray analysis. The results showed that hpTi was as active in in vitro apatite deposition as the other reference titanium samples mentioned above. Moreover, GT specimens of hpTi induced apatite deposition on the platform of the grooves as well as in the grooves. Therefore, hpTi was concluded to have better activity, and to be clinically applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica nanotube fibrous meshes were fabricated as multiple functional matrices for both delivering bone morphological protein-2 (BMP-2) and supporting osteoblast attachment and proliferation. The meshes were fabricated via a collagen-templated sol–gel route and consisted of tubular silica with open ends. BMP-2 was loaded to the meshes by soaking in BMP-2 solution. The meshes effectively enabled the attachment and proliferation of osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells and delivered bioactive BMP-2 to stimulate cell differentiation. These results demonstrate the potential use of the meshes in bone generation applications.