scholarly journals Treatment of Poor Sperm Quality and Erectile Dysfunction With Oral Pentoxifylline: A Systematic Review

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Lu ◽  
Hao Su ◽  
Jianzhong Zhang ◽  
Yutao Wang ◽  
Hongjun Li
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Erectile Dysfunction ◽  
Male Infertility ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Treatment Compliance ◽  
Infertility Treatment ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Infertile Men

Background: Pentoxifylline (PTX) is a member of methylxanthine chemicals and a type of non-selective phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, which has been used in male infertility treatment to improve sperm quality and erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment. Mutually tight associations existed between ED and male infertility. Using PTX might kill two birds with one stone by improving sperm quality and erectile function in infertile men with ED.Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched by October 2021. Based on available evidence from observational studies and randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), we conducted a systematic review to summarize the efficacy and safety of PTX in treating ED and male infertility. The protocol of the article was registered and updated in PROSPERO (CRD42021291396).Results: From 202 records, eight studies (7 RCTs) evaluating the role of PTX in ED and three studies (2 RCTs) assessing the efficacy of PTX in male infertility were included in the systematic review. Three studies (100.00%) and two studies (100.00%) reported the beneficial role of PTX in improving sperm progressive motility and normal sperm morphology rate, respectively. In contrast, only one study (33.33%) indicated the favorable role of PTX in enhancing sperm concentration. As for ED, three (60.00%) studies supported the treatment role of PTX alone in ED, and two studies (66.67%) favored the combination use of PTX and selective PDE5Is compared with selective PDE5Is alone. Safety analysis showed that PTX was a well-tolerated drug in ED and male infertility treatment.Conclusion: Given the association between ED and male infertility and satisfying findings from available evidence, PTX administration for the simultaneous treatment of poor sperm quality and mild ED in infertile men will highly enhance the treatment compliance. However, the finding should be treated carefully until validated by further studies.

scholarly journals The Impact of Radiofrequency Waves on Male Infertility: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leili Darvish ◽  
Azadeh Amraee ◽  
Marjan Akhavan Amjadi ◽  
Zahra Atarodi Kashani ◽  
Masoumeh Ghazanfarpour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Male Infertility ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Sperm Count ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Semen Parameters ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The Impact

Context: As the use of cellphones and other electronic devices increases, concerns about the possible effect of radiofrequency waves on health are growing. Long-term use of the cellphone may have negative effects on sperm quality. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to examine men's infertility due to the effect of radiofrequency waves. Methods: In this systematic review, language restrictions were not considered in searching the databases. Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PubMed, EMBASE, ProQuest, CINAHL, Science Direct, MEDLINE, and Scopus were used to obtain the data from them. All data were scanned from the year 2000 until 2019. Papers selected for retrieval were evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa and CONSORT scales. Results: A total of 14 articles that met the inclusion criteria were ultimately assessed. Motile sperm, sperm vitality and membrane integrity, morphology, volume, total sperm count, sperm concentration, and sperm fertility were found to be influenced by radiofrequency waves. Conclusions: The results showed that RF has detrimental effects on semen parameters and due to an increase in RF wave use currently and its role in male infertility, giving information to men about adverse complications of RF is necessary. Further studies are needed to design the less harmful devices.

scholarly journals Diagnostic Role of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in Prostate Cancer Staging: A Systematic Review

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Salam Awenat ◽  
Arnoldo Piccardo ◽  
Patricia Carvoeiras ◽  
Giovanni Signore ◽  
Luca Giovanella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Metastatic Disease ◽  
Cancer Staging ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Pet Ct

Background: The use of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted agents for staging prostate cancer (PCa) patients using positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is increasing worldwide. We performed a systematic review on the role of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in PCa staging to provide evidence-based data in this setting. Methods: A comprehensive computer literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases for studies using 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in PCa staging was performed until 31 December 2020. Eligible articles were selected and relevant information was extracted from the original articles by two authors independently. Results: Eight articles (369 patients) evaluating the role of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in PCa staging were selected. These studies were quite heterogeneous, but, overall, they demonstrated a good diagnostic accuracy of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in detecting PCa lesions at staging. Overall, higher primary PCa aggressiveness was associated with higher 18F-PSMA-1007 uptake. When compared with other radiological and scintigraphic imaging methods, 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT had superior sensitivity in detecting metastatic disease and the highest inter-reader agreement. 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT showed similar results in terms of diagnostic accuracy for PCa staging compared with PET/CT with other PSMA-targeted tracers. Dual imaging with multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging and 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT may improve staging of primary PCa. Notably, 18F-PSMA-1007-PET/CT may detect metastatic disease in a significant number of patients with negative standard imaging. Conclusions: 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT demonstrated a good accuracy in PCa staging, with similar results compared with other PSMA-targeted radiopharmaceuticals. This method could substitute bone scintigraphy and conventional abdominal imaging for PCa staging. Prospective multicentric studies are needed to confirm these findings.

P–022 Improvement in sperm concentration and motility after oral antioxidant supplementation in infertile men with varicocele who have not undergone surgical repair: systematic review and meta-analys

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Ioannidou ◽  
J Bosdou ◽  
D Papanikolaou ◽  
D Goulis ◽  
A Lambropoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Random Effects ◽  
Surgical Repair ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Random Effects Model ◽  
Antioxidant Supplementation ◽  
Infertile Men ◽  
Single Study

Abstract Study question Does oral antioxidant supplementation improve sperm quality in infertile men with varicocele who have not undergone surgical repair? Summary answer Oral antioxidant supplementation improves sperm concentration and motility in infertile men with varicocele who have not undergone surgical repair. What is known already: Benefit from oral antioxidant supplementation has been shown in infertile men with varicocele following surgical repair. Similarly, oral antioxidant supplementation has been suggested in infertile men with varicocele who have not undergone surgical repair. However, its effect currently remains controversial. Study design, size, duration A literature search was performed until January 2021 aiming to identify prospective studies evaluating the use of oral antioxidant supplementation alone or in combination in men with varicocele who have not undergone surgical repair. Participants/materials, setting, methods Seven prospective studies were identified, published between 1987 and 2018, including 278 infertile men with varicocele who had not undergone surgical repair. The number of patients included ranged from 20 to 65. Sperm analysis, evaluating sperm concentration, motility and morphology was performed in these studies before and after oral antioxidant supplementation. Meta-analysis of weighted data was performed using random effects model. Results are reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Main results and the role of chance Seven studies were included in the systematic review. Oral antioxidant supplementation was performed by a combination of pentoxifylline, zinc and folic acid (single study), a combination of l-carnitine, fumarate, acetyl-l-carnitine, fructose, CoQ, vitamin C, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12 (single study), a combination of L-Carnitine, vitamin C, coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, zinc , and selenium, l-carnitine (single study), or sole treatment with acetyl-l-carnitine (single study), L-Carnitine (single study), Coenzyme Q10 (single study) or zinc sulfate (single study). For the purpose of meta-analysis, the effect of oral antioxidant supplementation was evaluated after three months of treatment. Oral antioxidant supplementation significantly increased sperm concentration (WMD +5.65x106/ml 95% CI: +1.11 to + 10.12 p = 0.01, random effects model) and motility (WMD +4.30%, 95% CI: +0.86 to + 7.74 p = 0.01, random effects model) in infertile men with varicocele who had not undergone surgical repair. On the other hand, no significance difference was observed in sperm morphology (WMD +3.9%, 95% CI: –0.16 to + 8.04 p = 0.06, random effects model) and volume (WMD +0.53ml, 95% CI: 0.0 to + 1.0 p = 0.052, random effects model). Limitations, reasons for caution The number of relevant trials and that of patients included is small to allow for solid conclusions to be drawn. Moreover, although different oral antioxidants have been administered in infertile who had not undergone surgical repair, subgroup analysis was not feasible. Wider implications of the findings: Currently, limited evidence supports the use of oral antioxidants in the treatment of men with varicocele, who have not undergone surgical repair. Although the benefit in sperm concentration and motility appears to be modest, it might be important regarding achievement of pregnancy in these men. Trial registration number Not applicable

scholarly journals Is there a place for nutritional supplements in the treatment of idiopathic male infertility?

2014 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Arcaniolo ◽  
Vincenzo Favilla ◽  
Daniele Tiscione ◽  
Francesca Pisano ◽  
Giorgio Bozzini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Male Infertility ◽  
Sperm Count ◽  
Nutritional Supplements ◽  
Semen Parameters ◽  
Male Factor ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Idiopathic Male Infertility ◽  
Infertile Men ◽  
Wide Variability

Objective: Infertility affects 15% of couples in fertile age. Male factor is a cause of infertility in almost half of cases, mainly due to oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT). The purpose of this study is to review the effects of nutritional supplements as medical treatment for idiopathic male infertility. Material and methods: A Pub Med and Medline review of the published studies utilizing nutritional supplements for the treatment of male infertility has been performed. Results: Clinical trials on Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin C. Arginine, Carnitine, N-Acetyl-Carnitine, Glutathione, Coenzyme Q10, Selenium and Zinc were reviewed. Although there is a wide variability in selected population, dose regimen and final outcomes, nutritional supplements both alone and in combination seems to be able to improve semen parameters (sperm count, sperm motility and morphology) and pregnancy rate in infertile men. Conclusions: There are rising evidences from published randomized trials and systematic review suggesting that nutritional supplementation may improve semen parameters and the likelihood of pregnancy in men affected by OAT. This improvement, however, is not consistent and there is a wide variation in the treatment regimens used. Well designed and adequately powered RCTs are needed to better clarify the role of nutritional supplements as treatment for male infertility.

scholarly journals Bereavement care for ethnic minority communities: A systematic review of access to, models of, outcomes from, and satisfaction with, service provision

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catriona Rachel Mayland ◽  
Richard A. Powell ◽  
Gemma Clarke ◽  
Bassey Ebenso ◽  
Matthew J Allsop
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Minority Populations ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Ethnic Minority Populations ◽  
Bereavement Care

AbstractObjectivesTo review and synthesize the existing evidence on bereavement care, within the United Kingdom (UK), for ethnic minority communities in terms of barriers and facilitators to access; models of care; outcomes from, and satisfaction with, service provision.DesignA systematic review adopting a framework synthesis approach was conducted. An electronic search of the literature was undertaken in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract and CINAHL via EBSCO, Global Health, Cochrane library, the Trip database and ProQuest between 2000 and 2020. Search terms included bereavement care, ethnic minority populations and the UK setting.ResultsFrom 3,185 initial records, following screening for eligibility, and full-text review of 164 articles, seven studies were identified. There was no research literature outlining the role of family, friends and existing networks; and a real absence of evidence about outcomes and levels of satisfaction for those from an ethnic minority background who receive bereavement care. From the limited literature, the overarching theme for barriers to bereavement care was ‘unfamiliarity and irregularities’. Four identified subthemes were ‘lack of awareness’; ‘variability in support’; ‘type and format of support’; and ‘culturally specific beliefs’. The overarching theme for facilitators for bereavement care was ‘accessibility’ with the two subthemes being ‘readily available information’ and ‘inclusive approaches’. Three studies reported on examples of different models of care provision.ConclusionsThis review reveals a stark lack of evidence about bereavement care for ethnic minority populations. In particular, understanding more about the role of family, friends and existing support systems, alongside outcomes and satisfaction will begin to develop the evidence base underpinning current provision. Direct user-representation through proactive engagement and co-design approaches may begin to determine the most appropriate models and format of bereavement care for ethnic minority communities to inform service design and delivery.

scholarly journals Prognostic Role of miR-221 and miR-222 Expression in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Ravegnini ◽  
Sarah Cargnin ◽  
Giulia Sammarini ◽  
Federica Zanotti ◽  
Justo Lorenzo Bermejo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
High Expression ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
Free Survival

Background: A wealth of evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) can modulate specific genes, increasing our knowledge on the fine-tuning regulation of protein expression. miR-221 and miR-222 have been frequently identified as deregulated across different cancer types; however, their prognostic significance in cancer remains controversial. In view of these considerations, we performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of published data investigating the effects of miR-221/222 on overall survival (OS) and other secondary outcomes among cancer patients. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Cochrane Library databases was performed. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to assess the strength of association. Results: Fifty studies, analyzing 6086 patients, were included in the systematic review. Twenty-five studies for miR-221 and 17 studies for miR-222 which assessed OS were included in the meta-analysis. High expression of miR-221 and miR-222 significantly predicted poor OS (HR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.14–1.93, p = 0.003 and HR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.43–2.54, p < 0.001, respectively). Subgroup analysis revealed that the finding on miR-221 was not as robust as the one on miR-222. Furthermore, high miR-222 expression was also associated with worse progression-free survival and disease-free survival pooled with recurrence-free survival. Conclusions: The meta-analysis demonstrated that high expression of miR-222 is associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients, whereas the significance of miR-221 remains unclear. More work is required to fully elucidate the role of miR-221 and miR-222 in cancer prognosis, particularly in view of the limitations of existing results, including the significant heterogeneity and limited number of studies for some cancers.

scholarly journals FSH for the Treatment of Male Infertility

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Livio Casarini ◽  
Pascale Crépieux ◽  
Eric Reiter ◽  
Clara Lazzaretti ◽  
Elia Paradiso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Male Infertility ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism ◽  
Male Reproduction ◽  
Clinical Approach ◽  
Idiopathic Infertility ◽  
Infertile Men ◽  
First Case ◽  
New Compounds

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) supports spermatogenesis acting via its receptor (FSHR), which activates trophic effects in gonadal Sertoli cells. These pathways are targeted by hormonal drugs used for clinical treatment of infertile men, mainly belonging to sub-groups defined as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism or idiopathic infertility. While, in the first case, fertility may be efficiently restored by specific treatments, such as pulsatile gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) or choriogonadotropin (hCG) alone or in combination with FSH, less is known about the efficacy of FSH in supporting the treatment of male idiopathic infertility. This review focuses on the role of FSH in the clinical approach to male reproduction, addressing the state-of-the-art from the little data available and discussing the pharmacological evidence. New compounds, such as allosteric ligands, dually active, chimeric gonadotropins and immunoglobulins, may represent interesting avenues for future personalized, pharmacological approaches to male infertility.

scholarly journals Antioxidants and Polyphenols: Concentrations and Relation to Male Infertility and Treatment Success

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tali Silberstein ◽  
Iris Har-Vardi ◽  
Avi Harlev ◽  
Michael Friger ◽  
Batel Hamou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Male Fertility ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Treatment Success ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Infertility Treatment ◽  
Fertility Treatment ◽  
Fertilization Rates ◽  
Total Antioxidant ◽  
Antioxidant Concentration

Oxidative stress is induced by reactive oxygen substances (ROS) that are known to affect male fertility. The aims of this study were to prospectively investigate and characterize total antioxidant and specifically polyphenols concentrations and their relations to sperm quality and fertility treatment success. During their infertility treatment, sixty-seven males were prospectively recruited to this study. After separation of the sperm from the semen sample, the semen fluid samples antioxidants and polyphenols concentrations were determined. Antioxidant concentration was significantly associated with sperm concentration and total motile count. Antioxidants concentration in the group of male with sperm concentration ≥ 15 × 106was significantly higher than in the group of male with antioxidants concentration < 15 × 106(830.3 ± 350 μM and 268.3 ± 220 μM, resp.,p<0.001). Polyphenols concentration did not differ between the groups of sperm concentration above and below 15 × 106(178.7 ± 121 μM and 161.7 ± 61 μM, resp.,p-NS). No difference was found between fertilization rates and antioxidants or polyphenols concentrations. This is the first study that reports on polyphenols concentration within semen fluid. More studies are needed in order to investigate polyphenols role in male fertility.

scholarly journals Prognostic Role of Tissue and Circulating MicroRNA-200c in Malignant Tumors: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 1188-1200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingjie Shao ◽  
Yiting Geng ◽  
Wendong Gu ◽  
Jin Huang ◽  
Honglei Pei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Circulating Microrna ◽  
Prognostic Role ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
High Level

Background: Recently, many studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNA) exhibit altered expression in various cancers and may serve as prognostic biomarkers. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of miR-200c expression in different cancers. Methods: Studies were recruited by searching PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library (last search update was May 2014) and assessed by further quality evaluation. Results: A total of 25 studies dealing with various carcinomas were identified for systematic review. Among them, 18 studies were ultimately included in the meta-analysis. Our results indicated that the expression of tissue miR-200c was not associated with OS and PFS in various carcinomas; however, downregulation of tissue miR-200c did predict poor OS of patients with stage I disease (HR=0.41, 95% CI 0.25-0.68, P=0.001). Furthermore, overexpression of blood miR-200c was significantly related to poor OS and PFS (HR=3.07 95% CI 1.58-5.96 P=0.001, HR=2.26 95% CI 1.66-3.08 P<0.001, respectively), especially in patients with advanced disease. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis clarified that low expression of miR-200c in primary tissue was significantly associated with poor survival in cancer patients at early stage, whereas a high level of blood miR-200c predicted poor prognosis in patients with advanced tumors.

scholarly journals Can musical intervention improve memory in Alzheimer’s patients? Evidence from a systematic review

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirlene Vianna Moreira ◽  
Francis Ricardo dos Reis Justi ◽  
Marcos Moreira
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Memory Deficit ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Randomized Controlled

ABSTRACT Treatment with music has shown effectiveness in the treatment of general behavioural and cognitive symptoms of patients with various types of dementia. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of treatment with music on the memory of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed (Medline), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Lilacs databases up to June 2017 and included all randomized controlled trials that assessed memory using musical interventions in patients with AD. Results: Forty-two studies were identified, and 24 studies were selected. After applying the exclusion criteria, four studies involving 179 patients were included. These studies showed the benefits of using music to treat memory deficit in patients with AD. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review focusing on randomized trials found in the literature that analysed the role of musical interventions specifically in the memory of patients with AD. Despite the positive outcome of this review, the available evidence remains inconsistent due to the small number of randomized controlled trials.

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