Background. Leptin has an association with male infertility. However, only sporadic studies inconsistently reported the results. Aim and Objective. In this study, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between leptin and male infertility. Methods. This study was performed based on published articles related to leptin and infertile males. PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Ovid + Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Wiley Online Library, Chinese CNKI, Chinese Chong Qing VIP, Chinese Wan Fang, and China Biology Medicine databases were searched to identify all relevant studies. All eligible works of literature were analyzed by the “meta” or “metan” command in STATA version 12.0 software. The standardized mean difference (SMD) of leptin concentration in serum or semen and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for all studies. The heterogeneity was described with I². The sources of heterogeneity were explored via metaregression, and stratified analyses, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias were performed. Results. Nineteen studies were included in the current meta-analysis, involving 1138 cases of infertile men and 756 controls. The SMD of leptin concentration in serum was 2.002 (95% CI: 1.086, 2.918), Z-test (z) z = 4.29; , and I² was 97.3%, . The SMD of leptin concentration in semen was 3.274 (95% CI: 2.137, 4.411), z = 5.64; , and I² was 98.2%, . Notably, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was slightly higher in infertile men (SMD = 3.695, z = 2.33, , I² = 98.8%, ). Other hormones, such as luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone, were also slightly higher, but the results were not statistically significant. In addition, sperm count (SMD = −4.533, 95% CI: −6.565, −2.501) and sperm motility (SMD = −7.894, 95% CI: −10.616, −5.172) inversely correlated with leptin levels in infertile males. Sperm abnormal forms did not show a statistically significant SMD of −0.076 (95% CI: −3.410, 3.258). Conclusion. Leptin plays a potential role in association with male infertility. This study may effectively reveal the relationship between leptin together with other hormones and its association with male infertility. These results may also provide opinions on precautionary measures.

Background. Leptin (LEP) is believed to play a crucial role in male reproduction, while the molecular mechanisms through which LEP affects the male reproductive system are unclear. LEP acts by binding to a leptin receptor (LEPR) which mediates its physiological action, but there are only limited studies on the function of LEPR in human sperm. Purpose. This study aimed to determine the Gln223Arg polymorphisms of the LEPR gene in human spermatozoa and evaluate their possible relationship with semen variables. Methods. The study was performed on Chinese men: 115 healthy subjects and 108 patients with primary and 98 with secondary infertility. Semen samples were obtained from all patients, and semen variables were analyzed. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of Gln223Arg polymorphism in spermatozoa were determined by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-square test, the KruskalWallis test, and the MannWhitney test. Results. There were no significant differences in genotypic or allelic frequency distributions of Gln223Arg polymorphism among men with primary infertility, secondary infertility, and controls. Similarly, semen volume and sperm concentration did not differ with the different genotypes in all groups of men. The percentages of motile sperm for AA+AG genotypes in men with primary infertility (31.98) were significantly lower than those in secondary infertility, and control men with GG genotypes were 34.41 and 59.36, respectively. At the same time, the percentages of normal morphology sperm for AA+AG genotypes in men with primary infertility (2.93) were significantly lower than those in secondary infertility and control men with GG genotypes 3.71 and 6.54, respectively. Conclusion. This study reveals a possible association between the Gln223Arg polymorphism of the LEPR gene in spermatozoa affecting spermatozoal membrane integrity and having a direct role in sperm motility.

Xylanase inhibitors inhibit the activities of microbial xylanases and seriously compromise the efficacy of microbial xylanases added to modify cereals. Cereal endogenous xylanases are unaffected by these xylanase inhibitors, but little information is available regarding their effects in improving cereal quality, a neglected potential application. As a strategy for circumventing the negative effects of xylanase inhibitors, the objective of this study was to use genetic engineering to obtain sufficient amounts of active endo-1,4-β-D-xylanase from wheat to analyze the characteristics of its structure. The endo-1,4-β-D-xylanase from wheat was heterologously expressed. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), western blotting, MALDI-TOF/TOF (MS) analyses, and enzyme activity determination confirmed 2 active endo-1,4-β-D-xylanases (EXY3 and EXY4) were successfully obtained. The molecular weights (MW) and isoelectric point (pI) of EXY3 were 36.108kDa and 5.491, while those of the EXY4 protein were 41.933kDa and 5.726. They both contained the same catalytic domain of GH10 xylanases from G266 to V276 and have the same catalytic site, Glu273. They shared the same putative N-glycosylation sites (N62-T63-S64 and N280V281S282) and 3 putative O-glycosylation sites (Ser8, Ser9, and Thr21), but EXY4 had an additional O-glycosylation site (Thr358). EXY3 was smaller than EXY4 by 51 amino acids because of a nonsense mutation and premature termination. They both had the 8-fold beta/alpha-barrel (TIM-barrel) fold. The specific activities of EXY3 and EXY4 were 152.0891 and 67.2928 U/mg, respectively. This work demonstrates a promising way to obtain wheat xylanases by genetic engineering; the properties of the enzymes indicate their potential application in cereal-based industries.

This study aimed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of intramural pregnancy (IMP). A retrospective analysis was conducted of 8 cases of IMP admitted between November 2016 and June 2024. Data on patients’ clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis were systematically reviewed. All 8 patients experienced IMP following embryo transfer due to tubal factor infertility. Among them, 2 had adenomyosis. All patients had a history of pelvic surgery, including 4 with tubal pregnancy surgery and 2 with uterine cavity surgery. A total of 11 embryos were transferred among the 8 patients, with 8 being high-quality embryos. The fertilization methods included in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The onset of symptoms occurred between 23 and 54 days after embryo transfer. Upon admission, none of the 8 patients exhibited obvious abdominal pain. Preoperative diagnosis included 5 cases of tubal pregnancy and 3 cases of IMP. There were no cases of uterine rupture prior to treatment. All cases were confirmed via combined hysteroscopic and laparoscopic exploration. Among the cases, 6 interstitial pregnancy lesions protruded toward the uterine serosa, 1 slightly into the uterine cavity, and 1 showed no protrusion into either the uterine cavity or the serosa. Cases with gestational lesions slightly protruding into the uterine cavity primarily underwent hysteroscopic resection of the gestational lesion, whereas lesions protruding into the uterine serosa were treated with laparoscopic resection. For cases where the lesion neither protruded into the uterine cavity nor into the serosa, ultrasound-guided local methotrexate (MTX) injection was the primary treatment approach. These cases either received or did not receive systemic MTX treatment as adjuvant therapy. After treatment for gestational lesions, no additional surgeries were performed, and serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels returned to normal within 20 to 90 days. IMP is a rare condition associated with a risk of uterine rupture. Clinical presentations are often atypical, and imaging studies are critical for early diagnosis. Treatment approaches are individualized and may involve surgical resection of gestational lesions, ultrasound-guided embryonic reduction, or local/systemic administration of MTX.

This study investigates the impact of butorphanol combined with propofol general anesthesia on laboratory indicators and reproductive outcomes in elderly patients undergoing oocyte retrieval and explores the rationality and safety of its clinical application. A total of 3418 elderly infertile patients underwent transvaginal oocyte retrieval from November 2020 to October 2022. The patients were divided into a control group (non-anesthesia group, n = 250) and a study group (butorphanol combined with propofol general anesthesia group, n = 3168). The basic information (age and body mass index [BMI] of both partners, fertilization method), laboratory indicators (number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, blastocyst formation rate, usable blastocyst rate), and early pregnancy outcome indicators (clinical pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, early miscarriage rate) were compared between the 2 groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the age, BMI, and fertilization methods of the couples between the 2 groups ( P > .05). The study group had a higher number of oocytes retrieved than the control group, with a statistically significant difference ( P < .05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in fertilization rate, blastocyst formation rate, and usable blastocyst rate between the 2 groups ( P > .05). There were no statistically significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, and early miscarriage rate between the 2 groups ( P > .05). Butorphanol combined with propofol general anesthesia can increase the number of oocytes retrieved in elderly patients undergoing oocyte retrieval without affecting other laboratory indicators or pregnancy outcomes, and it can be safely applied in clinical practice.