Purpose: The purpose of this study is to study the main epidemiological, clinical, para clinical, pathological, therapeutic, and evolutionary features of patients with testicular neuroendocrine tumors (TNET). Materials and Methods: Nine case series and sixteen case reports were identified by searching PubMed database and qualified for inclusion in this study. We added the data of one case treated in the department of urology in Habib Bourguiba Hospital in Sfax, to the published cases. Results: A total of 132 cases were collected. Median age at diagnosis was 39 years old (range 10- 83 years). The most common presenting symptom was either a testicular mass or a swelling in 38.46% of cases. Carcinoid syndrome was documented in 10.60% of patients. The clinical examination revealed a palpable mass in 44.70% of patients. This mass was painless and firm in most cases. Serum tumor markers (β-gonadotrophine chorionique humaine, α-feto protein, and lactate dehydrogenase) were within normal limits in all patients except in one case. Most testicular neuroendocrine tumors (76.52%) were primary and pure. The tumors were positive for chromogranin (100%), synaptophysin (100%) and cytokeratin (93.10%). Metastases were detected at time of diagnosis in eight cases (6.06%). The main treatment was radical orchiectomy performed in 127 patients (96.21%). The 5-year overall survival rate was 78.70% and the 5-year specific survival rate was 84.30%. Conclusion: The diagnosis of testicular carcinoids is based on the immunohistochemistry study. The treatment of choice for these tumors is radical orchiectomy. Somatostatin analogues were reported to be effective in patients with carcinoid syndrome.

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This study aims to examine the effects of non-hydrolyzed octopus (Octopus vulgaris) muscle proteins (NHOPs) and their hydrolysates (OPHs) on alloxan induced diabetes in Wistar rats (AIDR). Animals were allocated into seven groups of six rats each: control group (C), diabetic group (D) and diabetic rats treated with acarbose (D + Acar), non-hydrolyzed octopus proteins (D + NHOPs) and octopus proteins hydrolysates (D + OPHs) groups. The diabetic rats presented a significant increase in glycemic status such as α-amylase activity (in plasma, pancreas and intestine), hepatic glycogen, blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, as well as a significant decrease in the levels of plasma insulin and total hemoglobin compared to control group. In addition, plasma and liver contents in total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol significantly increased in AIDR compared to control group. However, the daily administration of OPHs for 30 days improved the glucose tolerance test, the glycemic status of diabetic rats and corrected the lipid profiles. Further, a significant increase in the activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase as well as in the level of plasma bilirubin on diabetic status was observed, indicating considerable hepatocellular injury. OPHs treatment was found to attenuate the increased activities of the plasma enzymes produced by diabetes and caused a subsequent recovery towards normalization compared to the control group. By contrast, the NHOPs treatment was found to increase the glucose metabolic disorders in AIDR. These beneficial effects of OPHs were confirmed by histological findings in the hepatic and pancreatic tissues of diabetic treated rats. Indeed, they avoid lipid accumulation in the hepatocytes and protect the pancreatic β-cells from degeneration. Our results thus suggest that OPHs may be helpful in the preventing from diabetic complications by reversing hepatotoxicity.