Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42314538›Full record

ArticleEBioMedicine2026

Ultrasound localisation microscopy tracks testicular microvascular adaptations to endocrine function in male infertility.

Nikoleta Papanikolaou, Jipeng Yan, Biao Huang, Rhianna Davies, Cecilia Dunsterville, Nipun Laksitha De Silva, Cara Go, Pasha Grachev, Rong Luo, Jacob Broughton-Venner and 7 more

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Article in EBioMedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Nikoleta PapanikolaouDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Jipeng YanDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK; State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
Biao HuangDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Rhianna DaviesDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Cecilia DunstervilleDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Nipun Laksitha De SilvaDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka.
Cara GoDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Pasha GrachevDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Rong LuoDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Jacob Broughton-VennerDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Suks MinhasDepartment of Urology, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.
Gavin BewickDepartment of Diabetes and Obesity, King's College London, London, UK.
Waljit DhilloDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Kevin MurphyDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Adrian LimDepartment of Imaging, Imperial College London and Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital Campus, London, UK.
Meng-Xing TangDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK. Electronic address: mengxing.tang@imperial.ac.uk.
Channa N JayasenaDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK. Electronic address: c.jayasena@imperial.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTesticular disorders, including male infertility and hypogonadism, are increasingly prevalent and current diagnostic tools have important limitations. The testicular microcirculation underpins testicular function. Ultrasound localisation microscopy (ULM) enables super-resolution mapping of microvascular structure and flow at clinically relevant organ depth.

methodsProspective case-control study of ULM-assessed testicular activity in men and rodents using clinical and research ultrasound systems. Study 1 compared healthy men (n = 10) with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH) (n = 9). Study 2 included men with HH receiving testosterone (n = 11), gonadotrophins (n = 9), or no treatment (n = 12). Study 3 assessed 12-month fertility treatment response in HH (n = 7). A rodent pubertal-blockade model was also studied (n = 5).

findingsULM markers discriminated HH from controls (vessel density p < 0.01; diameter p = 0.01; tortuosity p < 0.01) and correlated with testosterone (r = 0.53-0.67, p < 0.05) and inhibin B (r = -0.61, p < 0.01). Vessel density, diameter, area and flow-related index were reduced in azoospermia (p < 0.01). ULM distinguished HH treatment groups (vessel density p < 0.001; diameter p < 0.05), with density and diameter correlating with testosterone (r = 0.69, 0.62; p < 0.001) and inhibin B (r = 0.64, 0.65; p < 0.001). Vessel density (p < 0.001) and diameter (p < 0.01) were reduced in azoospermia irrespective of treatment. During fertility therapy, ULM parameters increased (p < 0.05) and detected testicular activation earlier than volume or inhibin B. In rodents, pubertal development showed dynamic microvascular remodelling driven by testis growth.

interpretationULM provides a treatment-responsive, biologically grounded biomarker of testicular function enabling patient stratification, early detection of therapeutic response, and potential for both refinement of clinical decision-making in HH, and application within other testicular disorders.

fundingMRC, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Funding Scheme and the NIHR/Imperial Clinical Research Facility, Diabetes UK, BBSRC, MRC, Imperial Private Healthcare Clinical Research Fellowship Scheme, NWLP Research Grant.

Indexed as

Infertility, MaleMicroscopyMicrovesselsTestisAdultAnimalsCase-Control StudiesHumansHypogonadismMaleRatsTestosteroneUltrasonographyTestosteroneMale hypogonadismMale infertilitySuper-resolution ultrasonography (SRUS)TestesUltrasound localisation microscopy (ULM)

Identifiers

PMID42314538
PMCPMC13310648

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.