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Changes in ciliation and cell height in human tubal epithelium in the fertile and post-fertile years.

A total of 162 fallopian tubes was obtained from a sample of subjects comprising fertile women with regular ovulatory cycles, post-menopausal women taking no hormonal drugs and post-menopausal women receiving oestrogen therapy in various forms. During the menstrual cycle the highest percentage of ciliated cells was found, in all of the three tubal portions studied, around ovulation time. The epithelial height decreased significantly subsequent to ovulation. After more than 1 yr had elapsed following the menopause, the percentage of ciliated cells and epithelial height decreased significantly. Very low values were observed in women 10 yr after the menopause. In women receiving oestrogen therapy for more than 10 yr following the onset of menopause - conjugated equine oestrogens (CEE), 1.25 mg/day - the percentage of ciliated cells was significantly higher than that in subjects not receiving hormonal therapy. Similar data were obtained in the case of women taking oestriol (2 mg/day). The data presented demonstrate that oestrogen therapy influences the ciliation and height of oviductal epithelium.

Cell Count↗

Sperm membrane protein profiles of fertile and infertile men: identification and characterization of fertility-associated sperm antigen.

BACKGROUND: Male infertility is the major cause of conception failure in about 25% of all infertile couples. Understanding the causes of male infertility depends to a certain extent on the proteins present on the spermatozoa. The study aim was to investigate first, whether there is any difference in the expression of sperm membrane proteins between fertile and infertile males; and second, whether there is any functional significance of these proteins in the spermatozoa. METHODS: Six different protocols were employed to extract sperm membrane proteins. A 57 kDa protein was identified and purified using different chromatographic techniques. The homogeneity and isoelectric point of the protein was confirmed by 2D-electrophoresis. The protein was characterized by immunofluorescence, ELISA, flow cytometry, SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. The role of 57 kDa protein in sperm-oocyte binding was studied in vitro. RESULTS: All six sperm extracts of normozoospermic and infertile subjects showed 16-18 major and 12-15 minor protein bands. However, in one of the methods, the lysis buffer containing N-octyl-beta-D-glycopyranoside (NOG) resulted in an additional protein band at the 57 kDa region in 95% of normozoospermic samples. The protein was either absent (approximately 80%) or negligible (approximately 20%) in infertile subjects. The protein was localized to the head of non-acrosome-reacted spermatozoa (NAR), and shifted to the equatorial segment in acrosome-reacted (AR) spermatozoa. The antibody directed against purified 57 kDa protein inhibited binding of human sperm to zona-free hamster oocytes in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that lack and/or low expression of 57 kDa protein may be one of the reasons for infertility in men. Therefore, the protein could be used as a marker for sperm quality in men.

Animals↗

Respiration in Cells and Mitochondria of Male-Fertile and Male-Fertile and Male-Sterile Nicotiana spp.

Three cytoplasmic male-sterile Nicotiana cultivars together with corresponding male-fertile progenitors and restored lines were investigated in order to find possible correlations between respiratory characteristics and male sterility. Oxygen consumption measurements were performed on cells from suspension cultures as well as on mitochondria isolated from green leaves. Inhibitors, which have been reported to specifically block either the cytochrome (KCN) or the alternative (propyl gallate and sali-cylhydroxamic acid [SHAM] respiratory pathways, were used in order to measure the capacity and activity of the two pathways. One of the inhibitors, SHAM, was found unsuitable to measure the activity of the alternative pathway due to the lack of specificity of SHAM for this pathway. A great difference in the capacity of the alternative pathway was detected between the two types of cell materials tested. Mitochondria isolated from green leaves showed a capacity of the alternative pathway of 5 to 20% of total mitochondrial repiration, while the capacity of cells from suspension cultures generally ranged from 50 to 80%. In addition to this, in organello synthesis of mitochondrial proteins revealed differences between mitochondria isolated from green leaves and from cell suspensions. No correlation, however, could be found between respiratory characteristics and male sterility.

Journal Article↗

Cyclic changes in hormones, carbohydrates and indole metabolism in cervical mucus of normal, fertilizing cows and the relationship with non-fertility.

In the cervical mucus of 'normal' cows the cholesterol content was very low at D--0; at D + 12 it was about fifty times as high; then it decreased to about half its value at D + 17 and then to the low value at D--0. Usually small amounts of oestrogen, testosterone, pregnanedione and progesterone were found at D--0; on D + 12 more pregnanedione was found and less oestrogen, while at D + 17 more oestrogen occurred and less pregnanedione. The fructose and glucose content was very low at D--0; then it increased until D + 12, when glucose was dominant, while at D + 17 it had decreased and rather large amounts of glucuronic acid and of sorbitol occurred. On D + 12 a blue fluorescing indole metabolite was sometimes found. Deviations from these patterns, were found particularly in the winter months, and coincided with lowered fertility. Indole metabolism was stronger in the winter months than in the summer months and occurred more in cows than in heifers.

Animals↗

Early fertility and lifetime fertility.

Teenage mothers are likely to have more children than those who postpone childbearing, but these differences are not as great as they used to be. There is also a pattern of convergence between black women and white women.

Adolescent↗