ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06560086Updated Aug 19, 2024

Ketoconazole Contributes to Cryptorchidism Outcome Via Modulating Macrophage Trem2

An interventional study of Ketoconazole and Luteinizing Hormone in Cryptorchidism, sponsored by Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to male participants aged 8 Weeks to 13 Weeks, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-19.

Sponsored by Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Dec 2024, 1 year 11 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Registered 6 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Feb 2024, registered Aug 2024).
  • Started Feb 2024; still recruiting 2 years 9 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
8 Weeks to 13 Weeks
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

Reduced hormone insulin-like 3, exclusively secreted by Leydig cells, has been identified as the recognized mechanism for cryptorchidism. Testicular macrophages residing in the testicular interstitium were thought to play a vital role in maintaining hormone secretion of Leydig cells. However, the contribution of macrophages to cryptorchidism remained poorly understood. Here, after 14 days of ketoconazole treatment, levels of both Trem2 and insulin-like 3 significantly decrease in human embryonic testes compared to the untreated control group. Conversely, 14 days of luteinizing hormone stimulation lead to elevated levels of Trem2 and insulin-like 3 in the testes compared to the untreated control group. Additionally, researchers find a positive correlation between Trem2 and insulin-like 3 expression in a human ex vivo tissue culture model. In summary, the study will propose Trem2 as a novel target for maintaining normal testicular descent by regulating the testicular immune microenvironment.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cryptorchidism

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • cryptorchidism
  • testicular macrophages
  • Leydig cells
  • immune micro-environment
03

In context

Cryptorchidism

40 studies on the registry are indexed under Cryptorchidism; 14 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 10 is below the median of 70 across 26 interventional studies indexed under Cryptorchidism.

Browse Cryptorchidism studies →

Lead sponsor

Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University is the lead sponsor of 97 studies on the registry; 57 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
8 Weeks to 13 Weeks
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

    1. Termination of pregnancy is not related to the health of the fetus.
    1. The fetus is intact in development and free of malformations and abnormalities.
    1. Estimation of gestational age based on parietal-rump length must be between 8 and 13 weeks of gestation.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

    1. The termination of pregnancy is related to the health of the fetus
    1. The fetus is not intact in development.
    1. The fetus has malformations, abnormalities
    1. Estimation of gestational age based on parietal-rump length must not be within 8-13 weeks of gestation.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
10 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Intact aborted fetal testicular tissue treated with ketoconazole

    A fetal developmental stage is precisely determined. Then, fetal tissues are extracted for in vitro cultivation. Intact aborted fetal testicular tissues are cultured in a medium containing 10-6 mol/L ketoconazole, which is the injectable solution powder. Ketoconazole is administered starting on the first day and then every other day, for a total of 7 times over the 14-day in vitro culture period.

    Drug: Ketoconazole

  • Experimental
    Intact aborted fetal testicular tissue treated with luteinizing hormone

    A fetal developmental stage is precisely determined. Then, fetal tissues are extracted for in vitro cultivation. Intact aborted fetal testicular tissues are cultured in a medium containing 1 IU/mL luteinizing hormone, which is the injectable solution powder. Luteinizing hormone is administered starting on the first day and then every other day, for a total of 7 times over the 14-day in vitro culture period.

    Drug: Luteinizing Hormone

  • No intervention
    Intact aborted fetal testicular tissue treated with none

    A fetal developmental stage is precisely determined. Then, fetal tissues are extracted for in vitro cultivation. Intact aborted fetal testicular tissues are cultured in a medium.

Interventions

  • A fetal developmental stage is precisely determined. Then, fetal tissues are extracted for in vitro cultivation. Intact aborted fetal testicular tissues are cultured in a medium containing 10-6 mol/L ketoconazole, which is the injectable solution powder. Ketoconazole is administered starting on the first day and then every other day, for a total of 7 times over the 14-day in vitro culture period.

  • A fetal developmental stage is precisely determined. Then, fetal tissues are extracted for in vitro cultivation. Intact aborted fetal testicular tissues are cultured in a medium containing 1 IU/mL luteinizing hormone, which is the injectable solution powder. Luteinizing hormone is administered starting on the first day and then every other day, for a total of 7 times over the 14-day in vitro culture period.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Relative expression of Trem2 and insulin-like 3 protein

    Ketoconazole promotes a decrease in Trem2 and a decrease in insulin-like 3, and they are strongly correlated.

    Time frame: The date of 14 days cultured

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 19, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06560086
Lead sponsor
Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 19, 2024
Start date
Feb 3, 2024
Primary completion
Dec 1, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 19, 2024

Study contacts

Wenliang Ge
Contact
gewl@ntu.edu.cn
13962854122
Wenliang Ge
study director · Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Studies of the drugs tested here: Ketoconazole · Luteinizing Hormone

Start the discussion