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PubMed2005

Longitudinal changes in semen parameters in young Danish men from the Copenhagen area.

BACKGROUND: Several recent studies have reported low sperm concentration in young men recruited from the general population, but it is unknown whether the semen quality of these young men reflects that of more mature men or is reduced due to relative immaturity. We conducted a longitudinal follow-up study to address this question. METHODS: We followed 158 young men (median age = 19.1 years at entry) for up to 4 years and requested quarterly semen samples (total 1838 semen samples) and yearly genital examinations. We examined longitudinal changes in sperm concentration, semen volume, percentage of immotile sperm and percentage of morphologically normal sperm. We used general linear models in which each man served as his own control which also controlled for age, smoking, urogenital infections or disorders, fever and abstinence time. RESULTS: We found no evidence that sperm concentration, total sperm count or percentage of morphologically normal sperm changed appreciably during the 4 years of follow-up. Semen volume appeared to increase slightly with age, perhaps due to greater acceptance of the study protocol by participants. Sperm motility also improved somewhat, although this may, at least in part, reflect a trend in motility measurement. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis of 1838 semen samples from 158 young men from the Copenhagen area, sperm concentration, total sperm count and sperm morphology did not change significantly during 4 years of follow-up, suggesting that previously reported low sperm concentration and poor sperm morphology among young Danish men are unlikely to be the result of immaturity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Environmental organochlorines and semen quality: results of a pilot study.

There have been numerous studies that suggest that sperm concentrations (sperm counts) are declining in men. However, other studies suggest that sperm counts are not declining or may be increasing in some areas. Although there is disagreement on whether there is a downward temporal trend in sperm counts, the studies provide evidence that sperm counts vary by geographic location. It has been hypothesized that the geographic variation in sperm concentrations may be due to environmental exposures, lifestyle factors, or some unknown causes. To determine whether contemporary ambient levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p-DDE are associated with altered semen quantity and quality, we selected a study population without specific exposure to PCBs or p,p-DDE. The present study presents the results from a pilot study on the relationship between serum PCBs and p,p-DDE and semen quality in 29 subjects recruited from the Massachusetts General Hospital Andrology Laboratory. Of the 29 subjects, 3 had sperm concentrations < 20 million/mL, 7 had < 50% motile sperm, 9 had < 4% normal morphology, and 6 were below normal in more than one semen parameter. The 18 subjects with normal spermatozoa concentration, motility, and morphology were used as comparison subjects. The mean (SE) concentration of the sum of PCBs and p,p-DDE was 242 ng/g lipids (34.0) and 354 ng/g lipids (120), respectively, for men with below normal motility as compared to 202 ng/g lipids (16.6) and 240 ng/g lipids (31.1), respectively, for the comparison subjects. The data showed general trends that were suggestive of an association between PCBs and p,p-DDE and abnormal motility, as well as with sperm concentration and morphology. A full-scale study is currently in progress.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Prediction of in vitro fertilization outcome by sperm penetration assay with TEST-yolk buffer preincubation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sperm penetration assay (SPA) value as a screening tool before in vitro fertilization (IVF). DESIGN: Follow-up study comparing sperm variables and IVF outcome. SETTING: Infertile couples in an academic research environment. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred forty-one infertile couples scheduled for IVF. INTERVENTIONS: Sperm penetrating assay with cold Tes-TRIS (TEST) Yolk buffer semen preincubation and IVF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percent of egg penetration recoded into poor and good category (0% to 20%, 21% to 100%) and compared with fertilization, embryo transfer, and pregnancy rate (PR) in IVF, as well as sperm count motility and morphology. RESULTS: Sperm penetrating assay predicted fertilization with a high negative (74%) and positive (82%) predictive rate and good specificity value (0.96). One of 31 patients in the poor SPA category (3%) fertilized less than 50% of eggs; no pregnancy occurred. In the good SPA category, 87 of 210 patients (41%) fertilized greater than or equal to 50% of eggs with 34.3% PR. Sperm penetrating assay correlated better with fertilization rate than did sperm count and motility but not morphology. CONCLUSIONS: Sperm penetrating assay is a useful screening assay before IVF together with sperm morphology.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship of testicular volume to semen profiles and serum hormone concentrations in infertile Japanese males.

OBJECTIVE: We studied the relationship between testicular volume and semen quality and also between testicular volume and seminiferous tubular or Leydig cell function in infertile Japanese males. METHODS: The testicular volumes of 486 infertile Japanese males were measured by an orchidometer. Semen samples were analyzed according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization. Serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay. The subjects were divided into 10 groups according to testicular volume, and the variables from each group were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Testicular volume had the strongest positive correlation with sperm density, followed in decreasing order by total sperm count per ejaculate, total motile sperm count per ejaculate, and percentage of motile sperm. Testicular volume had the strongest negative correlation with serum FSH concentrations, followed by serum LH concentrations. In contrast, no significant correlations were found between testicular volume and semen volume or serum testosterone concentrations. Multiple regression analysis of dependence of testicular volume on semen profiles and serum hormone concentrations revealed that the only significant factor was serum FSH concentration. Sperm density was under the limit of normal in patients with a testicular volume of less than 30 mL. In these patients, serum FSH concentrations were abnormally increased. Patients with a testicular volume of less than 10 mL were azoospermic, while volumes of less than 20 mL were associated with severe oligozoospermia. CONCLUSIONS: Testicular volume has a direct correlation with semen profiles, and the critical testicular volume indicating normal testicular function is approximately 30 mL. The measurement of testicular volume can be helpful for rapidly assessing fertility at the initial physical examination.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Adverse effects of environmental toxicants, octylphenol and bisphenol A, on male reproductive functions in pubertal rats.

It has been proposed that a global decline in sperm counts, semen quality, and several male reproductive disorders are associated with exposure to environmental chemicals. Thus, the present study examined the effects of two estrogenic chemicals, octylphenol (OP) and bisphenol A (BPA), on epididymal sperm counts and sperm motility, luteinizing hormone (LH)-releasing hormone (LHRH)-stimulated plasma LH and steroid hormones, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and accessory reproductive organs in pubertal male Wistar rats. Fifty-day-old rats in the OP group (n=11) and BPA group (n=11) received daily sc injections of the respective chemical at a dose of 3 mg/kg bw dissolved in 0.2 mL DMSO. Rats in the control group (DMSO group; n=10) received 0.2 mL DMSO alone. After 2 wk of treatment, a jugular blood sample was taken, and, on the next day, a second blood sample was taken 1 h after an sc injection of LHRH (250 ng). After 5 wk of treatment, rats were deeply anesthetized and heart blood was collected. Epididymal sperm motility and sperm head counts were determined. LHRH increased plasma LH to higher levels in all groups, but the increases were significant (p<0.01) in the BPA and OP groups. However, despite higher LH levels after LHRH injection, the incremental responses of testosterone and pro-gesterone in the OP and BPA groups were small compared to those in the DMSO group, which showed a small LH response. After 5 wk of treatment, plasma testosterone levels were significantly (p<0.01) reduced in the OP and BPA groups and this was accompanied by reduced (p<0.05) epididymal sperm counts. However, the chemical-treated groups had high basal progesterone levels. No significant effects of chemicals on sperm motility parameters were noted. The chemical-induced increases (p<0.05) of the weight of ventral prostate gland were coincided with elevated plasma IGF-I levels in the BPA (p<0.05) and OP (p<0.01) groups. The present results demonstrated that OP and BPA can reduce sperm counts resulting from lowered plasma testosterone in male rats just after puberty. The enlarged ventral prostate gland may possibly be associated with increased plasma IGF-I, raising the possibility of a link between these chemicals and prostate diseases because IGF-I has been implicated in the pathogenesis of human prostate cancers.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Evaluation of a testicular sperm head counting technique using rats exposed to dimethoxyethyl phthalate (DMEP), glycerol alpha-monochlorohydrin (GMCH), epichlorohydrin (ECH), formaldehyde (FA), or methyl methanesulphonate (MMS).

Single dosages of DMEP (1,000-2,000 mg/kg), GMCH (50 mg/kg), ECH (25 and 50 mg/kg), FA (100 and 200 mg/kg), and MMS (100-400 mg/kg) were administered orally to 10 week old male Wistar rats. The rats were necropsied on the 11th day following dosing. The testes were weighed, homogenised and sonicated; numbers of sperm heads (total and abnormal) were counted and percentage sperm head abnormalities were calculated. Testes weights were significantly reduced only in rats exposed to 1,500 and 2,000 mg DMEP/kg. Compared with controls, there were significant increases in the incidence of abnormal sperm at all dose levels of MMS and the higher dose levels of DMEP (1,500 and 2,000 mg/kg), ECH and FA. No toxicologically significant effects upon total sperm counts were seen following the oral administration of any of the five chemicals tested. However, an additional group of rats given 100 mg MMS/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) showed significant reductions in testes weight and total sperm head counts compared with control animals. It is concluded that this testicular sperm head counting technique is a useful tool in the detection of selective adverse effects of chemicals upon testicular sperm but requires further evaluation.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Standardization and quality control of sperm concentration and sperm motility counts in semen analysis.

The paper reports a study of standardization and quality control of sperm concentration counts and visual motility assessments in human semen analyses performed for infertility investigations and from internal quality control procedures. Sperm concentration determinations were performed in Improved Neubauer haemocytometers on volumetric dilutions made using a positive displacement pipettor for sampling the liquefied semen. In addition to a standard 1 + 19 dilution a second dilution of either 1 + 9, 1 + 19 or 1 + 49 was made according to whether the estimated sperm concentration was less than 20, 20-100 or greater than 100 X 10(6)/ml respectively. The duplicate determinations of sperm concentration were highly significantly correlated (P much less than 0.001) with less than 5% variability. Parallel visual sperm motility assessments were made by two pairs of technicians and showed highly significant correlations (P much less than 0.001) between technicians in the determination of the percentages of motile and progressive spermatozoa as well as the subjective rating of sperm progressivity. When these values were incorporated into a calculated motility index which gave added weight to the progressive spermatozoa and to their quality of progression the correlations between technicians remained highly significant (P much less than 0.001) with average differences of the order of 1.0%. Therefore, provided that sufficient attention is paid to technician training, regular standardization checks and the use of only proven reliable procedures, quantitatively accurate values for sperm concentration and motility can be obtained in routine semen analyses.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

[Combined use of steroid hormone and low dose gossypol for antifertility and its mechanism in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility and the morphological mechanism of combined use of steroid hormone (methyltestosterone and ethinyl estradiol) and low dose gossypol for antifertility in adult Wistar rats. METHODS: We used methyltestosterone 20 mg/(kg.d), ethinyl estradiol 100 micrograms/(kg.d), and gossypol 12 mg/(kg.d) to feed male rats for 6 weeks via gastric intubation to induce infertility, then used gossypol 12 mg/(kg.d) alone for another 12 weeks to maintain infertility. Testicular sperm counts, cauda epididymal sperm motility, and sperm silver staining were used to determine infertility and morphology of sperm at the end of the two phases. Testicular morphology of the rats was observed from HE and PAS staining of paraffin sections. F1 generation of the rats would be examined in a series of behavioral tests after their 6-week recovery periods. RESULTS: There was no substantial change in testicular sperm counts of drugs-treated rats both for 6 weeks and 6 plus 12 weeks compared with that of control. But cauda epididymal sperm motility of drugs-treated rats went down to zero at the end of two phrases. The result of sperm silver staining showed that epididymal sperm were all deleterious of either segregation of sperm nucha from sperm head, or separation in annular granule of sperm tail. The observation of testicular morphology suggested that spermatogenesis is only partially affected. The ratios of stages II-III (9.3 +/- 3.4)% and stages IX-X (3.6 +/- 0.6)% were remarkably dropped, but that of stages IV-VI (36.7 +/- 5.0)% obviously ascended comparing with (26.8 +/- 1.7)%, (6.0 +/- 0.4)%, (24.5 +/- 2.7)% of control at the end of 6 plus 12 weeks. Moreover, no adverse effect was found in viscera tissue sections. CONCLUSIONS: Steroid hormone made the procedure of spermatogenesis slower and low dose gossypol caused all sperm lose their activity in epididymis. Both affect the process of spermatogenesis from different endpoints and successfully induce infertility in short term. Low dose gossypol not only executes its antifertility function in epididymis, but also affects the quality of spermatozoal production in testis by impacting the procedures of both acrosomal formation and spermatozoal elongation, so it can completely maintain infertility in long term. The infertility was reversible that the infertile rats can be recovery in about 6 weeks. Their F1 generation were proved to be normal through a set of behavioral tests.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Protective effect of vitamin E against mercuric chloride reproductive toxicity in male mice.

Mercury intoxication has been associated with male reproductive toxicity in experimental animals and mercury may have the potential to produce adverse effects on fertility in men. Vitamin E may protect against toxic effects of mercury in the liver and other tissues. To investigate the protective role of vitamin E against mercuric chloride toxicity for the testis, epididymis, and vas deferens of adult male mice, animals were treated with either mercuric chloride 1.25 mg/kg/day, vitamin E 2 mg/kg/kg, or a combination of the two treatments. Control animals were treated with water. Treatments were administered by daily gavage for 45 days. An additional group of animals treated with mercuric chloride were permitted to recover for 45 days after mercuric chloride treatments. Parameters studied included serum testosterone, epididymal sperm count, motility, and morphology, epididymal and vas deferens adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), phosphorylase, sialic acid, glycogen and protein, testicular succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), phosphatases, cholesterol, ascorbic acid, and glutathione. Fertility was evaluated by sperm positive vaginal smears after overnight cohabitation with a female. Mercuric chloride produced a reduction in epididymal sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm viability, and there were no sperm-positive smears in this group. Biochemical tests from the male reproductive organs were also altered by mercuric chloride treatment. Coadministration of vitamin E with mercuric chloride prevented the changes in sperm and biochemical parameters and was associated with control rates of sperm positive smears after cohabitation. Animals given vitamin E with mercuric chloride also had lower concentrations of mercury in the testis, epididimyis, and vas deferens. Permitting animals to recover for 45 days after mercuric chloride treatment resulted in partial recovery of sperm and biochemical parameters. Vitamin E cotreatment has a protective role against mercury-induced male reproductive toxicity.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2004

Effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on spermatogenesis in male rats acutely exposed to high altitude (4340 m).

Lepidium meyenii (Maca) is a Peruvian hypocotyl that grows exclusively between 4000 and 4500 m in the central Andes. Maca is traditionally employed in the Andean region for its supposed fertility-enhancing properties. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that Maca can prevent high altitude-induced testicular disturbances. Adult male rats were exposed for 21 days to an altitude of 4340 m and treated with vehicle or aqueous extract of Maca (666.6 mg/day). The lengths of the stages of the seminiferous epithelium and epididymal sperm counts were obtained at 0, 7, 14 and 21 days of exposure. The stages of the seminiferous tubules were assessed by transillumination. A dose-response study was also performed at sea level to determine the effect of Maca given to male rats at doses of 0, 6.6, 66.6 and 666.6 mg/day for 7 days on body weight, seminiferous tubule stages and epididymal sperm count. The length of stage VIII and the epididymal sperm count were increased in a dose-dependent manner in Maca-treated rats but treatment reduced the length of stage I. At the highest dose, sperm count increased 1.58 times, the length of stage VIII increased 2.4 times and the length of stage I was reduced 0.48 times compared with the value at dose 0. Exposure to high altitude resulted in a reduction in epididymal sperm count after 7 days and lower values were maintained up to 21 days. Altitude reduced spermiation (stage VIII) to half and the onset of spermatogenesis (stages IX-XI) to a quarter on days 7 and 14 but treatment with Maca (666.6 mg/day) prevented these changes. Data on transillumination and epididymal sperm count in the Maca-treated group exposed to high altitude were similar to those obtained at sea level. Maca increased the sperm count on day 21 of exposure to high altitude to values similar (1095.25 +/- 20.41x10(6) sperm, means +/- S.E.M.) to those obtained in the Maca-treated group at sea level (1132.30 +/- 172.95x10(6) sperm). Furthermore, in the Maca-treated group exposed for 21 days to high altitude, epididymal sperm count was higher than in the non-treated group at sea level (690.49 +/- 43.67x10(6) sperm). In conclusion, treatment of rats with Maca at high altitude prevented high altitude-induced spermatogenic disruption.

Altitude↗
PubMed2005

Sub-chronic exposure to dibromoacetic acid, a water disinfection by-product, does not affect gametogenic potential in mice.

Water disinfection by-products, such as dibromoacetic acid (DBA), are formed when drinking water is treated with chlorination, bromination, or ozonation. Epidemiological studies have linked these byproducts to adverse effects in humans such as cancer, developmental defects, and reproductive toxicities. DBA has been shown to produce reproductive toxicity in rodents at relatively high doses. The present study used a mouse model to determine the developmental and reproductive effects of sub-chronic, low-dose exposure to DBA. Pregnant mice (10/dose group) were exposed with DBA in drinking water at 0, 5, or 50 mg/kg/day from gestation day 15 though nursing. Upon weaning at 3 weeks, one group of pups (pre-pubertal group: 7-10 pups of each gender/treatment group) were euthanized and weights of liver, paired kidneys, testes, and ovaries were measured. In the 50 mg dose group, weights of testes and liver in males and weights of liver and kidneys in females were significantly higher (p < 0.05). The remaining pups (15-17 of each gender/dose group) continued to be dosed similarly through adulthood. At 7 weeks of age (neo-pubertal group), animals were euthanized and tissues weighed and processed for evaluation of reproductive organs and gametogenic potential. Except for decreased (p < 0.05) testes and kidney weights in 50 mg dose group males, there were no differences in organ weights. No significant differences were noted between control and dosed animals in daily sperm production, testicular sperm counts, epididymal sperm reserves, morphology of seminiferous epithelium, or ovarian follicle counts.

Acetates↗
PubMed1993

Should the testicular artery be preserved at varicocelectomy?

A surgical method of varicocelectomy, in which the internal spermatic veins together with the testicular artery are ligated as a whole in the retroperitoneal space, has been proposed as a simple and reliable procedure. We evaluated the effects of ligating the testicular artery at varicocelectomy on fertility. A total of 34 subfertile patients with a left varicocele was randomized into an artery-preserved or artery-ligated group at open varicocelectomy and the change in semen quality was prospectively studied. The artery-preserved group showed improvements in sperm density and total sperm count, while the artery-ligated group showed improvements in sperm density, total sperm count and sperm motility. The results indicated identical improvement in semen quality in both groups of patients. Testicular volume, measured by a punched-out orchidometer, did not change in any of the patients in the ligated group, except for 1 with a grade 3 varicocele, although this decrease could not be detected by sonography. The effects of artery-preserving and artery-ligating varicocelectomy on postoperative pregnancy rates were investigated by examining 116 patients retrospectively. The pregnancy rates of 37.8% and 23.8% in the artery-preserved and artery-ligated groups, respectively, were not significantly different. Despite the theoretical advantage of artery preservation, our study did not show any significant difference between artery-preserving varicocelectomy and the artery-ligating operation when improvements in semen quality and postoperative pregnancy rate were evaluated.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of herpes simplex virus DNA in human spermatozoa by in situ hybridization technique.

The role of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in male infertility has been investigated using the localizing ability of in situ hybridization technique. Sperm samples obtained from 80 men attending a maternity center because of fertility problems were classified by spermogram and analyzed for the presence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA using digoxigenin-labelled DNA probes. HSV DNA was detected in the nuclei of spermatozoa in 37 semen samples (46%), HSV-1 specifically in 21 cases (26%) and HSV-2 in 16 cases (20%). HSV infection was almost three times more common in semens with a sperm count lower than 20 million/ml in relation to semens with a sperm count higher than 20 million/ml (70% versus 25.5%, P = 0.0001). The mean sperm count and motility for HSV positive semens were 23.5% and 36% respectively, whereas those of HSV negative semens were 53.2% and 47% respectively (P(count) = 0.0005 and P(motility) = 0.01). The number of HSV positive sperm cells ranged from 2 cells per specimen to 60% of the sperm cells. The mean number of HSV-2 labelled sperm cells per sample was 3.7% and that of HSV-1 1.5%. The percentage of hybridization positive sperm cells was also inversely correlated with sperm count and motility. Acyclovir therapy of eight males with HSV positive semens resulted in three successful pregnancies. In conclusion, HSV seems to play an important role in male infertility and the detection of this virus in the semen will not only allow substantial therapeutic interventions for the restoration of fertility but it will also contribute to the control of the transmission of HSV infection.

Acyclovir↗
PubMed1999

Declining semen quality: can the past inform the present?

By using instrumentation initially designed for counting white blood cells, sperm counts have been utilized by clinicians since 1929, particularly to evaluate cases of suspected infertility. Although this basic biological parameter might be assumed to be stable over time, several studies over the past 20 years have suggested a decline in sperm count or density. The most controversial of these analyses was published in 1992. A flood of criticism followed this analysis of 61 studies that found a 50% decline in sperm density between 1938 and 1990. Critics suggested that historical methods (of counting sperm or conducting studies) were variable and unreliable, differing from modern methods both qualitatively and quantitatively. To address this issue we analyzed these studies for trends in counting methods or their variability. We found neither. Alternative analyses produced some differences in trend estimates, but statistical factors alone could not account for the total decline in sperm density. We reviewed study populations to identify trends in population characteristics, such as abstinence time, that might explain the decline. However, controlling analytically for such factors only increased the rate of decline. We conclude that historical data on sperm density, despite large random error, are surprisingly reliable. Nonetheless, understanding causes of temporal and geographic differences in sperm density must await contemporary data.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Electroejaculation does not impair sperm motility in the beagle dog: a comparative study of electroejaculation and collection by artificial vagina.

Sperm samples obtained by electroejaculation (EEJ) in men with anejaculatory infertility have a markedly lower quality than those obtained by normal ejaculation. An electrical effect of the EEJ procedure has been implicated by some investigators as a direct cause of low sperm quality. To determine whether the EEJ procedure causes direct sperm damage, we compared ejaculates obtained from dogs by EEJ and by artificial vagina (AV). In seven adult beagle dogs, semen was collected weekly, alternating between the two procedures. The average (antegrade) sample from AV had a volume of 2.6 ml., sperm concentration of 150.1 x 10(6) per ml., total sperm count of 381.7 x 10(6) and motility of of 26.3%. The average antegrade sample from EEJ had a volume of 1.8 ml., a concentration of 129.6 x 10(6) per ml., a total sperm count of 166.8 x 10(6) and a motility of 30.1%. Of these differences only the total sperm counts and the total motile sperm counts were statistically significant (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the antegrade motilities, total sperm counts (antegrade plus retrograde-381.7 versus 243.4 x 10(6), for AV and EEJ, respectively) or the total motile sperm counts from the two procedures (103.9 versus 78.0 x 10(6)). There were no differences in the average curvilinear velocity (VCL) measured by computer-assisted sperm motion analysis (56.9 mu. per second for AV, 47.4 mu. per second for antegrade EEJ specimens and 41.7 mu. per second for retrograde EEJ specimens). Since routine semen parameters between artificial vagina and electroejaculation did not differ in dogs, we conclude that the electroejaculation procedure is not responsible for the gross semen abnormalities reported in electroejaculation of anejaculatory men.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Rapid determination of sperm cell concentration in bovine semen by flow cytometry.

A flow cytometric technique is described for determining sperm concentration in fresh or extended semen with improved accuracy, precision, repeatability, ease of conduct, and rapidity. The technique is designed to measure the ratio of a known number of fluorescent beads admixed with sperm stained with either acridine orange or propidium iodide. A significant advantage of the technique is the distinct resolution between sperm and other particles (e.g., somatic cells, fat droplets, and bacteria in the semen or extender) that interfere in other counting protocols. Field testing of this protocol over the past 3 yr has demonstrated its superiority over the Coulter counter, hemacytometer, and spectrophotometer for accuracy in counting sperm in extended semen and the accuracy of counting sperm in straws based on preextension spectrophotometric determination of sperm concentration. Sperm chromatin quality can be determined simultaneously with this sperm counting procedure. This approach to counting sperm provides an excellent procedure for quality control of sperm numbers in processed semen.

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed2006

Effects of hyperglycemia on sperm and testicular cells of Goto-Kakizaki and streptozotocin-treated rat models for diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a degenerative disease that has deleterious effects on male reproductive function, possibly through an increase in oxidative stress. This study was conducted in order to clarify the mechanisms by which oxidative stress influences animal models for both type 1 (streptozotocin-treated rats, STZ) and type 2 (Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats) diabetes. We determined the extent of lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, lactate levels, adenine nucleotides, adenylate energy charge and the activity of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and lactate dehydrogenase, in isolated testicular cells of control and diabetic rats. We have also correlated these parameters with sperm count and motility. Sperm concentration and motility were decreased in STZ-treated rats. ATP levels were lower in rats treated with STZ for 3 months, in contrast to GK and rats treated with STZ for 1 month, suggesting an adaptative response. STZ-treated rats showed increased lipid peroxidation after 1 week and 3 months of treatment. Glutathione reductase (G-red) activity was found to be higher in GK rats. Glutathione peroxidase activity was lower in GK and rats treated with STZ for 1 month, which is in accordance with the proposal of functional recovery in these animals. We conclude that hyperglycemia has an adverse effect in sperm concentration and motility via changes in energy production and free radical management. Furthermore, both animal models, particularly GK rats and rats treated with STZ for 1 month, present some metabolic adaptations, increasing the efficiency of mitochondrial ATP production, in order to circumvent the deleterious effects promoted by the disease.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2005

Disruption of murine Tenr results in teratospermia and male infertility.

Gametes rely heavily on posttranscriptional control for their differentiation. Translational control, alternative splicing, and alternative processing of the 3' end of mRNAs are all common during spermatogenesis. Tenr, which encodes a highly conserved 72-kDa protein, is expressed solely in germ cells of the testis from the mid-pachytene stage until the elongating spermatid stage. TENR contains a double-stranded RNA binding domain, is localized to the nucleus, and is phylogenetically related to a family of adenosine deaminases involved in RNA editing. We show here that targeted mutation of the Tenr gene causes male sterility. Tenr mutant males have a reduced sperm count, and Tenr-/- sperm show a decrease in motility and an increase in malformed heads. Despite their sterility, some epididymal sperm from Tenr mutants have normal morphology. The ability of Tenr mutant sperm to fertilize zona pellucida-free oocytes and to bind to, but not fertilize, zona pellucida-intact oocytes suggests that the normal-appearing sperm are not able to penetrate the zona pellucida. These data suggest that TENR plays an essential function in spermatid morphogenesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗