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Biomedical subjects

Jonathan P Jarow

Publications and source records attributed to Jonathan P Jarow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Sperm harvesting and cryopreservation during vasectomy reversal is not cost effective.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether sperm harvesting and cryopreservation at the time of vasectomy reversal is cost-effective. DESIGN: Model of actual costs and results at five institutions. SETTING: Multicenter study comprising five centers, including university hospitals and private practices. PATIENT(S): Men undergoing vasectomy reversal. INTERVENTION(S): We established two models for vasectomy reversal. The first model was sperm harvesting and cryopreservation at the time of vasectomy reversal. The second model was sperm harvesting at the time of IVF only if the patient remained azoospermic after vasectomy reversal. Vasectomy reversal procedures modeled included bilateral vasovasostomy and bilateral epididymovasostomy. The costs for each procedure at the five institutions were collated and median costs determined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Median cost of procedure and calculated financial comparisons. RESULT(S): The median cost of testicular sperm extraction/cryopreservation performed at the time of bilateral vasovasostomy was $1,765 (range, $1,025-$2,800). The median cost of microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration or testicular sperm extraction with cryopreservation performed at the time of epididymovasostomy was $1,209 (range, $905-$2,488). The average of the median costs for percutaneous sperm aspiration or testicular sperm aspiration for those patients with a failed vasectomy reversal was $725 (range, $400-$1,455). CONCLUSION(S): Sperm retrieval with cryopreservation at the time of vasectomy reversal is not a cost-effective management strategy.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

Duplex ultrasonography detects clinically significant anomalies of penile arterial vasculature affecting surgical approach to penile straightening.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of aberrant penile arterial anatomy in men with Peyronie's disease (PD) and the potential impact on the surgical approach to penile straightening. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 63 consecutive men undergoing penile duplex ultrasonography in preparation for penile straightening surgery was performed. They were compared with a group of 61 men with erectile dysfunction (ED) undergoing penile duplex ultrasonography during the same period. RESULTS: Arterial anomalies distal to the pubic symphysis were noted in 44% of men with PD and 46% of men with ED. The most common anomaly observed was crossing cavernosal arteries seen in 37% of the men with PD and 39% of the men with ED. Distal perforators of the dorsal artery supplying the cavernosal bodies were observed in 10% and 8% of the men with PD and ED, respectively. No difference was found in the overall frequency or type of arterial anomalies between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Men with PD have a high prevalence of arterial anomalies, including distal perforating arteries. Their preoperative evaluation should include duplex ultrasonography with delineation of the penile arterial anatomy. This will aid in surgical planning and potentially prevent maneuvers that may adversely affect the cavernosal blood supply and place the patient at risk of postoperative ED.

Humans↗

Insight on pathogenesis of varicoceles: relationship of varicocele and body mass index.

OBJECTIVES: Varicoceles, present in 15% to 20% of men, are the most common abnormal finding among men presenting with infertility, yet controversy exists regarding their etiology. Anecdotal experience suggests that varicoceles are more prevalent in lean men, supporting the "nutcracker" effect of the superior mesenteric artery compressing the left renal vein over the aorta. We examined this hypothesis in a large adult population. METHODS: A total of 2106 men were evaluated for infertility or erectile dysfunction from 1990 to 1996. The men were examined for the presence and severity of a varicocele. The association between age, height, body mass index, year of evaluation, and reason for consultation and the presence and severity of a varicocele was examined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 47 years (range 18 to 85), and the median body mass index was 26.4 kg/m2 (range 15.4 to 53.3). A varicocele was present in 398 men (18.9%). Stratified by grade, 59 (14.8%) were grade III, 155 (38.9%) were grade II, and 184 (46.2%) were grade I. The prevalence of varicoceles in the erectile dysfunction group (12.7%) was significantly less (P <0.001) than in the infertile group (32.2%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a statistically significant inverse relationship between body mass index and the presence of a varicocele. CONCLUSIONS: Varicoceles were less likely to be diagnosed among obese men. Although this suggests that the "nutcracker" phenomenon or other biophysical effects of increased adiposity may play a role in the pathogenesis, other factors could not be excluded as contributing to our findings.

Adolescent↗

Transrectal US-guided seminal vesiculography and ejaculatory duct recanalization and balloon dilation for treatment of chronic pelvic pain.

Ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO) is an uncommon but correctable cause of infertility and male chronic pelvic pain. The condition is thought to be underdiagnosed, but the increased application of noninvasive imaging tools, specifically transrectal ultrasonography (US), has lead to greater recognition of EDO. Moreover, the development of minimally invasive therapies now offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment options with low morbidity for select patient groups. This report describes the technique of transrectal US-guided seminal vesiculography, percutaneous recanalization, and ejaculatory duct balloon dilation for EDO as a treatment for male chronic pelvic pain.

Adult↗

Low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin maintains intratesticular testosterone in normal men with testosterone-induced gonadotropin suppression.

In previous studies of testicular biopsy tissue from healthy men, intratesticular testosterone (ITT) has been shown to be much higher than serum testosterone (T), suggesting that high ITT is needed relative to serum T for normal spermatogenesis in men. However, the quantitative relationship between ITT and spermatogenesis is not known. To begin to address this issue experimentally, we determined the dose-response relationship between human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and ITT to ascertain the minimum dose needed to maintain ITT in the normal range. Twenty-nine men with normal reproductive physiology were randomized to receive 200 mg T enanthate weekly in combination with either saline placebo or 125, 250, or 500 IU hCG every other day for 3 wk. ITT was assessed in testicular fluid obtained by percutaneous fine needle aspiration at baseline and at the end of treatment. Baseline serum T (14.1 nmol/liter) was 1.2% of ITT (1174 nmol/liter). LH and FSH were profoundly suppressed to 5% and 3% of baseline, respectively, and ITT was suppressed by 94% (1234 to 72 nmol/liter) in the T enanthate/placebo group. ITT increased linearly with increasing hCG dose (P < 0.001). Posttreatment ITT was 25% less than baseline in the 125 IU hCG group, 7% less than baseline in the 250 IU hCG group, and 26% greater than baseline in the 500 IU hCG group. These results demonstrate that relatively low dose hCG maintains ITT within the normal range in healthy men with gonadotropin suppression. Extensions of this study will allow determination of the ITT concentration threshold required to maintain spermatogenesis in man.

Adolescent↗

Optimizing incubation conditions for the preservation of sperm motility in processed semen samples.

To determine the optimal conditions to maintain sperm motility and viability for prolonged periods, semen specimens were processed and cultured in different temperature and conditions. We conclude that processing of semen and incubation of sperm in protein-supplemented N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) human tubal fluid medium at room temperature best preserved viability and motility of sperm.

Adult↗

The androgen microenvironment of the human testis and hormonal control of spermatogenesis.

It is well established for both rat and man that the total testosterone concentration within the testis is far higher than that in serum. We know for the rat that intratesticular testosterone can be reduced by 50-60% without an adverse effect on spermatogenesis but that the required intratesticular testosterone concentration is still 10-fold greater than serum testosterone concentration. This kind of information, if available for the human, could prove invaluable for understanding and treating select men with infertility and in the development of male hormonal contraceptives. Unfortunately, we know little about the androgen content of intratesticular fluid within the human testis and nothing about the relationship between intratesticular androgens and human spermatogenesis. Using a newly developed minimally invasive technique for repetitive testicular sampling, our recent studies of the human have demonstrated that, as in the rat, there is a gradient between the concentration of testosterone in serum and within the testis; intratesticular testosterone levels were found to be 100-fold higher than serum testosterone levels in normal men. Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy, we have shown that intratesticular 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels are only 2% that of testosterone and, thus, despite greater affinity for the androgen receptor, intratesticular DHT is not significant in normal men. In order to assess how much of the testosterone within the human testis is bioactive, we adapted a highly sensitive recombinant protein mammalian cell-based bioassay to measure androgen bioactivity. The androgen bioactivity in the normal human testis is roughly two-thirds that of the total testosterone measurable by radioimmunoassay, despite the fact that the concentrations of the major androgen-binding proteins (sex hormone-binding globulin- and androgen-binding protein) are insufficient to account for this difference. This finding suggests that androgens may bind to other, as-yet-unknown molecules in the human testis. How, or if, this relates to spermatogenesis in the rat, or to man-to-man differences in the response to hormonal contraceptives, is not clear. We do not yet know how much testosterone is required within the human testis to either maintain or restore quantitatively normal spermatogenesis because, as yet, experimental studies comparable to those performed in the rat have not been feasible for the human.

Androgens↗

Endocrine causes of male infertility.

Although endocrinopathies are not often seen in infertile men, these disorders are clinically significant; they often have potentially serious medical significance, regardless of fertility issues. Correction of these disorders represents a possible way to restore normal fertility for the male partner. Male fertility is critically dependent upon a normal hormonal milieu. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is quite sensitive to disruption by endocrine disorders and other generalized medical disorders. Thus, male infertility is occasionally the presenting sign for significant underlying medical disease; it is important to properly evaluate these patients.

Endocrine System Diseases↗

Clinical efficacy of sildenafil citrate and predictors of long-term response.

PURPOSE: We assessed the long-term clinical efficacy of sildenafil citrate (SC) and predictors of satisfactory outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients were evaluated with a self-administered questionnaire or by telephone interview before, and 3 months and 2.5 years following the initiation of SC therapy. Current SC use, other therapies and overall level of sexual satisfaction were assessed. Sexual function was measured using an abbreviated version of the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 197 men 97 (49%) were using SC at 2.5 years. Patients with a history of diabetes mellitus or prostate surgery were least likely to be satisfied with SC therapy. Men with vasculogenic etiologies for erectile dysfunction were more likely to be on SC and had better sexual function scores at 2.5 years than men with a history of prostate surgery. The 3-month International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire score was an excellent predictor of sexual satisfaction in men who continued to use SC at 2.5 years. Of the 100 men who discontinued treatment with SC 56% chose not to pursue any other treatment. CONCLUSIONS: SC remains a highly effective and durable oral agent for erectile dysfunction. Improved sexual function and sexual satisfaction were well maintained 2.5 years following the initiation of SC therapy, especially in patients with vasculogenic or psychogenic etiologies of erectile dysfunction. Patients who discontinued SC reported significantly decreased sexual function than their counterparts but under used alternative therapies to improve erectile dysfunction.

Adult↗