In vitro characterisation of fresh and frozen sex-sorted bull spermatozoa

peer-reviewedThis study sought to compare the in vitro characteristics of fresh and frozen non-sorted (NS) and sex-sorted (SS) bull spermatozoa. Experiment 1: Holstein–Friesian ejaculates (n = 10 bulls) were split across four treatments and processed: (1) NS fresh at 3 × 106 spermatozoa, (2) X-SS frozen at 2 × 106 spermatozoa, (3) X-SS fresh at 2 × 106 spermatozoa and (4) X-SS fresh at 1 × 106 spermatozoa. NS frozen controls of 20 × 106 spermatozoa per straw were sourced from previously frozen ejaculates (n = 3 bulls). Experiment 2: Aberdeen Angus ejaculates (n = 4 bulls) were split across four treatments and processed as: (1) NS fresh 3 × 106 spermatozoa, (2) Y-SS fresh at 1 × 106 spermatozoa, (3) Y-SS fresh at 2 × 106 spermatozoa and (4) X-SS fresh at 2 × 106 spermatozoa. Controls were sourced as per Experiment 1. In vitro assessments for progressive linear motility, acrosomal status and oxidative stress were carried out on Days 1, 2 and 3 after sorting (Day 0 = day of sorting. In both experiments SS fresh treatments had higher levels of agglutination in comparison to the NS fresh (P < 0.001), NS frozen treatments had the greatest PLM (P < 0.05) and NS spermatozoa exhibited higher levels of superoxide anion production compared with SS spermatozoa (P < 0.05). Experiment 1 found both fresh and frozen SS treatments had higher levels of viable acrosome-intact spermatozoa compared with the NS frozen treatments (P < 0.01).ACCEPTEDpeer-reviewe

Frailty and bone health in European men

© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. Background: frailty is associated with an increased risk of fragility fractures. Less is known, however, about the association between frailty and bone health.Methods: men aged 40-79 years were recruited from population registers in eight European centres for participation in the European Male Aging Study. Subjects completed a comprehensive assessment which included quantitative ultrasound (QUS) scan of the heel (Hologic-SAHARA) and in two centres, dual-energy bone densitometry (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, DXA). Frailty was defined based on an adaptation of Fried's phenotype criteria and a frailty index (FI) was constructed. The association between frailty and the QUS and DXA parameters was determined using linear regression, with adjustments for age, body mass index and centre.Results: in total, 3,231 subjects contributed data to the analysis. Using the Fried categorisation of frailty, pre-frail and frail men had significantly lower speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) compared to robust men (P 0.35) was associated with lower lumbar spine BMD (P < 0.05) when compared to those with low (FI < 0.2), but not lower femoral neck BMD. When analysed as a continuous variable, higher FI was linked with lower SOS, BUA and QUI (P < 0.05).Conclusions: optimisation of bone health as well as prevention of falls should be considered as strategies to reduce fractures in frail older people

Musculoskeletal pain is associated with very low levels of vitamin D in men: results from the European Male Ageing Study

Introduction: a study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that musculoskeletal pain is associated with low vitamin D levels but the relationship is explained by physical inactivity and/or other putative confounding factors.Methods: men aged 40–79 years completed a postal questionnaire including a pain assessment and attended a clinical assessment (lifestyle questionnaire, physical performance tests, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-(OH)D) levels from fasting blood sample). Subjects were classified according to 25-(OH)D levels as ‘normal’ (≥15 ng/ml) or ‘low’ (&lt;15 ng/ml). The relationship between pain status and 25-(OH)D levels was assessed using logistic regression. Results are expressed as ORs and 95% CIs.Results: 3075 men of mean (SD) age 60 (11) years were included in the analysis. 1262 (41.0%) subjects were pain-free, 1550 (50.4%) reported ‘other pain’ that did not satisfy criteria for chronic widespread pain (CWP) and 263 (8.6%) reported CWP. Compared with patients who were pain-free, those with ‘other pain’ and CWP had lower 25-(OH)D levels (n=239 (18.9%), n=361 (23.3) and n=67 (24.1%), respectively, p&lt;0.05). After adjusting for age, having ‘other pain’ was associated with a 30% increase in the odds of having low 25-(OH)D while CWP was associated with a 50% increase. These relationships persisted after adjusting for physical activity levels. Adjusting for additional lifestyle factors (body mass index, smoking and alcohol use) and depression attenuated these relationships, although pain remained moderately associated with increased odds of 20% of having low vitamin D levels.Conclusions: these findings have implications at a population level for the long-term health of individuals with musculoskeletal pain

Characteristics of androgen deficiency in late-onset hypogonadism: results from the European Male Aging Study (EMAS)

&lt;b&gt;Context:&lt;/b&gt; Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) has been defined as a syndrome in middle-aged and elderly men reporting symptoms in the presence of low testosterone (T).&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Objective:&lt;/b&gt; The objective of the study was to seek objective biochemical and end-organ evidence of androgen deficiency in men classified as having LOH according to our previously published criteria.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Design, Setting, and Participants:&lt;/b&gt; The design of the study included cross-sectional data from the European Male Aging Study on 2966 community-dwelling men aged 40-79 years in eight European countries.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Main Outcome Measure(s):&lt;/b&gt; Waist circumference, body mass index, muscle mass, estimated heel bone mineral density (eBMD), hemoglobin, insulin sensitivity, physical activity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance index, and cardiovascular disease were measured.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Sixty-three men (2.1%) were classified as having LOH: 36 moderate and 27 severe. They were older and more obese than eugonadal men and had, in proportion to the graded T deficiency, lower muscle mass, eBMD, and hemoglobin, with poorer general health. Both moderate and severe LOH was associated with lower hemoglobin, mid-upper arm circumference, eBMD, physical function (measured by the Short Form-36 questionnaire), slower gait speed and poorer general health. Only men with severe LOH showed significant associations with larger waist circumference (+¦= 1.93cm; 0.04-3.81), insulin resistance (+¦= 2.81; 1.39-4.23), and the metabolic syndrome (odds ratio 9.94; 2.73-36.22) after adjustments for confounders. Men with low testosterone only (irrespective of symptoms) showed lesser magnitudes of association with the same end points.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; LOH is associated with multiple end-organ deficits compatible with androgen deficiency. These data support the existence of a syndrome of LOH in only a minority of aging men, especially those with T below 8 nmol/liter

Association of hypogonadism with vitamin D status: the European Male Ageing Study

&lt;p&gt;Objective: Interrelationships between hormones of the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular (HPT) axis, hypogonadism, vitamin D and seasonality remain poorly defined. We investigated whether HPT axis hormones and hypogonadism are associated with serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in men.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Design and methods: Cross-sectional survey of 3369 community-dwelling men aged 40–79 years in eight European centres. Testosterone (T), oestradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; LH, FSH, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone by immunoassay. Free T was calculated from total T, SHBG and albumin. Gonadal status was categorised as eugonadal (normal T/LH), secondary (low T, low/normal LH), primary (low T, elevated LH) and compensated (normal T, elevated LH) hypogonadism. Associations of HPT axis hormones with 25(OH)D were examined using linear regression and hypogonadism with vitamin D using multinomial logistic regression.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results: In univariate analyses, free T levels were lower (P=0.02) and E2 and LH levels were higher (P&#60;0.05) in men with vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D &#60;50 nmol/l). 25(OH)D was positively associated with total and free T and negatively with E2 and LH in age- and centre-adjusted linear regressions. After adjusting for health and lifestyle factors, no significant associations were observed between 25(OH)D and individual hormones of the HPT axis. However, vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with compensated (relative risk ratio (RRR)=1.52, P=0.03) and secondary hypogonadism (RRR=1.16, P=0.05). Seasonal variation was only observed for 25(OH)D (P&#60;0.001).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusions: Secondary and compensated hypogonadism were associated with vitamin D deficiency and the clinical significance of this relationship warrants further investigation.&lt;/p&gt