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Sperm Motility Parameters (sperm + motility_parameter)
Selected AbstractsMetal concentrations, sperm motility, and RNA/DNA ratio in two echinoderm species from a highly contaminated fjord (the Sørfjord, Norway),ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2008Ana I. Catarino Abstract The present study evaluated the effects of field metal contamination on sperm motility and the RNA/DNA ratio in echinoderms. Populations of Asterias rubens and Echinus acutus that occur naturally along a contamination gradient of sediments by cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in a Norwegian fjord (the Sørfjord) were studied. Sperm motility, a measure of sperm quality, was quantified using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. The RNA/DNA ratio, a measure of protein synthesis, was assessed by a one-dye (ethidium bromide)/one-enzyme (RNase), 96-well microplate fluorometric assay. Although both species accumulate metals at high concentrations, neither sperm motility parameters in A. rubens nor the RNA/DNA ratio in both species were affected. The Sørfjord is still one of the most metal-contaminated marine sites in Europe, but even so, populations of A. rubens and E. acutus are able to endure under these conditions. [source] Effect of leptin on motility, capacitation and acrosome reaction of human spermatozoaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 6 2009H. W. R. Li Summary Leptin is a polypeptide hormone with important roles in reproduction. It has been detected in human seminal plasma as well as on human ejaculated spermatozoa. This study aimed at studying the possible role of leptin in regulating human sperm functions. Immunofluorescent staining was used to study the expression of leptin and its receptor. The correlation between the concentration of leptin and soluble leptin receptor (ObRs) in seminal plasma as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay and sperm motility parameters measured by computer-assisted sperm analyais (CASA) was determined. The effects of recombinant leptin on human sperm motility, capacitation and acrosome reaction as measured by chlortetracycline staing were also studied. Leptin immunoreactivity was demonstrated at the equatorial and neck regions of human spermatozoa, whereas that of ObRs was shown up on the tail. After Percoll separation, spermatozoa with high density had more intense leptin immunoreactivity compared with those with low density. No significant correlation was found between seminal plasma concentration of leptin/ObRs and sperm motility parameters. After incubation with recombinant human leptin for either 3 h or overnight, there was no change in all the CASA motility parameters determined and percentages of capacitated and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. We concluded that leptin does not have a significant effect on motility and capacitation/acrosome reaction in human ejaculated mature spermatozoa. Its role in male reproduction is yet to be determined. [source] Some characteristics of sperm motility in European hake (Merluccius merluccius, L., 1758)JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 5 2010A.-L. Groison Summary The objective of this paper is to characterize some of the sperm motility parameters in European hake (Merluccius merluccius), which is considered to be a species with aquaculture potential. The total ATP, ADP and AMP concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography on hake sperm samples collected during the winter-early spring in the Bay of Biscay (France) (n = 22) and on hake sperm samples collected during the summer-early autumn in waters off Western Norway (n = 5). The Adenylate Energy Charge (AEC) was deduced from these data. Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) was used to measure a series of parameters characterizing the motility and the sperm swimming performances. Changes in salinity of the swimming medium affected all the measured motility parameters. The sperm velocity and the straightness of the movement were at maximum when sperm was activated with 100% filtrated sea water (100 SW) but decreased sharply later. When sperm was activated in filtrated sea water (50% diluted with distilled water: 50 SW) the values of these parameters increased (with a lower percentage of active cells) during the first 2.5 min and thereafter decreased slowly. In 50 SW, the initial velocity was lowered but the swimming period lasting 4.5 times longer than in 100 SW (but with a lower percentage of actively swimming cells). Initial sperm motility (percentage of swimming cells) in 100 SW was affected by sperm storage duration. Undiluted sperm could be stored at 4°C for 5 days and still show 13 ± 7% motility; the velocity and straightness of the movement were at maximum at the earliest period of measurement (0.5,1 day of storage) and then decreased gradually to reach their minima after 4 days of storage. Further, both the AEC and ATP content decreased with storage time, with the AEC decreasing from 0.78 ± 0.07 (mean ± SD) at stripping time to 0.20 ± 0.09 after 2 days of storage. Over the same period ATP content decreased from 85 ± 80 to 5 ± 4 nanomoles 10,9 spermatozoa, these data presenting a high variability. [source] Prostaglandins in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792) sperm biology , searching for answersJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 4 2008R. K. Kowalski Summary The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of prostaglandins E2 and F2, (PGE2 and PGF2,) in the blood, testis and seminal plasma of mature male rainbow trout and in the ovarian fluid to assess the effects of these prostaglandins on sperm motility parameters when present in activation media. Also prolonged incubation with prostaglandins on sperm motility and calcium influx were studied. The profile of PGE2 and PGF2, differed in concentration between blood, testicular supernatant and seminal plasma. PGE2 was predominant in the blood sample (0.29 ng ml,1) and testicular supernatant (3.1 ng ml,1) whereas their level in seminal plasma was lower than PGF2, (0.23 ng ml,1). The concentrations of PGF2, in blood, testis and seminal plasma were 0.04, 0.99, 1.3 ng ml,1, respectively. In the ovarian fluid the concentrations of both prostaglandins were higher than in the male reproductive tract. Adding both prostaglandins to activation buffer (at concentrations 15 and 70 ng ml,1) had no effect on any CASA parameters. Calcium influx related to rainbow trout sperm incubations with PGE2, and PGF2, was not detected. After 24 h incubation of sperm in artificial seminal plasma solution without and with prostaglandins all sperm samples increased their motility potential and intracellular calcium concentration. Therefore, this effect was not related to the presence of prostaglandins. In summary PGE2, and PGF2, were present in the rainbow trout male reproductive tract, and their profile varies from that of blood, testis and seminal plasma. The specific role of both prostaglandins in salmonid sperm biology remains unclear. [source] Expression of aquaporins in the efferent ductules, sperm counts, and sperm motility in estrogen receptor-, deficient mice fed lab chow versus caseinMOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2006Ricardo Ruz Abstract Estrogens play an important role in the male reproductive tract, and this is especially so for the efferent ductules, where ,-estrogen receptors (ER,) have been localized. Mice deficient in ER, (,ERKO mice) are infertile, and the effect appears to be due in part to retention of water at the level of the efferent ductules. In the present study, we examined the consequences of ER, deletion on the distribution of certain aquaporins (AQPs), water protein channels, in the efferent ductules and on sperm numbers and motility. In addition, the effects of feeding mice a regular lab chow diet, which contains phytoestrogens, known to affect male reproductive tract functions, and a casein diet, which lacks phytoestrogens, were also assessed. Light microscope immunolocalizations of AQP-1 and AQP-9 revealed dramatic reduction and patchier staining in ,ERKO mice with distal areas of the efferent ductules being more affected than proximal areas. No other changes in immunolocalizations were noted as a consequence of diet. Computer-assisted sperm analyses demonstrated a 62% reduction in cauda epididymal sperm/ml in ,ERKO mice fed lab chow, whereas 87% fewer sperm/ml were observed in ,ERKO mice fed casein, suggesting an enhanced role for sperm production and concentration in a diet containing phytoestrogens. All sperm motility parameters were altered to some degree in ,ERKO mice fed lab chow. Alterations in sperm motility parameters were also detected, but were less dramatic in ,ERKO mice fed casein. These data suggest that the decrease in AQP expression in the efferent ductules of ,ERKO mice contributes in part to water retention in this tissue, eventually leading to backflow of water into the testis, with subsequent decreases in sperm concentration and motility. The data also suggest that phytoestrogens, which are present in regular lab chow, can influence the male reproductive tract with and without the presence of ER,, promoting efferent ductule and epididymal functions when ER, is expressed, but inhibiting these same functions when ER, is missing. Taken together the data underscore the importance of estrogens and ER, in maintaining sperm maturation and preventing male infertility. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Effects of FSH receptor deletion on epididymal tubules and sperm morphology, numbers, and motilityMOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2005Amit Grover Abstract Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) interacts with its cognate receptor (R) on Sertoli cells within the testis and plays an important role in the maintenance of spermatogenesis. Male FSH-R knockout (FORKO) mice show fewer Sertoli cells and many that are structurally abnormal and as a consequence fewer germ cells. Lower levels of serum testosterone (T) and androgen binding protein (ABP) also occur, along with reduced fertility. To assess the effects of FSH-R depletion as an outcome of testicular abnormalities, sperm from the cauda epididymidis were counted and examined ultrastructurally. As reduced fertility may also reflect changes to the epididymis, the secondary responses of the epididymis to lower T and ABP levels were also examined by comparing differences in sizes of epididymal tubules in various regions of FORKO and wild type (WT) mice. Sperm motility was evaluated in FORKO mice and compared to that of WT mice by computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Quantitatively, the data revealed that epithelial areas of the caput and corpus epididymidis were significantly smaller in FORKO mice compared to WT mice. Cauda epididymal sperm counts in FORKO mice were also much lower than in WT mice. This resulted in changes to 9 out of 14 sperm motility parameters, related mostly to velocity measures, which were significantly lower in the FORKO mice. The greatest change was observed relative to the percent static sperm, which was elevated by 20% in FORKO mice compared to controls. EM analyses revealed major changes to the structure of the heads and tails of cauda luminal sperm in FORKO mice. Taken together these data suggest a key role for the FSH receptor in maintaining Sertoli cells to sustain normal sperm numbers and proper shapes of their heads and tails. In addition, the shrinkage in epididymal epithelial areas observed in FORKO mice likely reflect direct and/or indirect changes in the functions of these cells and their role in promoting sperm motility, which is noticeably altered in FORKO mice. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Effects of H2O2 exposure on human sperm motility parameters, reactive oxygen species levels and nitric oxide levelsANDROLOGIA, Issue 3 2010S. S. Du Plessis Summary Research has revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) negatively affect sperm function, both in vivo and in vitro. Sperm preparation techniques for assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are potential causes for additional ROS production. This study aimed to correlate the concentration of exogenous H2O2 with sperm motility parameters and intracellular ROS and nitric oxide (NO) levels to reiterate the importance of minimising ROS levels in ART. Human spermatozoa from 10 donors were incubated and exposed to different exogenous H2O2 concentrations (0, 2.5, 7.5 and 15 ,m). Subsequently, motility was determined using computer-aided semen analysis, while ROS (2,7-dichlorofluorescin diacetate) and NO (diaminofluorescein-2/diacetate) were analysed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Results showed that H2O2 did affect the sperm parameters. Exogenous H2O2 was detrimental to motility and resulted in a significant increase in overall ROS and NO levels. A significant increase in static cells was seen as well. It is important to elucidate the mechanisms between intracellular ROS levels with sperm motility parameters. While this experiment demonstrated a need to reduce exogenous ROS levels during ART, it did not illustrate the cause and effect relationship of intracellular ROS and NO levels with sperm motility. Further research needs to be conducted to define a pathological level of ROS. [source] Influence of autogenous leucocytes and Escherichia coli on sperm motility parameters in vitroANDROLOGIA, Issue 2 2003T. Diemer Summary. Urogenital infections are considered important factors in male infertility. In this in vitro study we have evaluated the impact of leucocytes in association with an artificial infection with Escherichia coli on the motility of human spermatozoa. Ejaculates and blood samples were obtained from healthy donors with normal semen parameters. Ejaculates were prepared by swim-up technique and five fractions were isolated for incubation. Leucocyte subtypes were separated from blood samples by gradient centrifugation. Purified sperm suspensions were adjusted to a concentration of 20 × 106 ml,1 and incubated with lymphocytes/ monocytes, polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN), and E. coli. Samples were incubated for up to 6 h at 37 °C. Motility analysis was performed using a computer-assisted sperm analyzer (CASA). Spermatozoa incubated with 3 × 106 PMN ml,1 revealed a significant (P=0.003) decrease in progressive motility after 2 h. This decrease remained weakly significant (P=0.024) after 4 and 6 h. Lymphocytes and monocytes had no effect on sperm motility. Spermatozoa incubated with granulocytes and E. coli demonstrated highly significant alterations in motility after 4 and 6 h of incubation (P < 0.001). The PMN indicate an effect on motility of spermatozoa under experimental conditions. However, the results suggest that bacteria are the primary agents that interfere with sperm motility. [source] | |||||||||||||