Sperm motility

About: Sperm motility is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 13874 publications have been published within this topic receiving 416587 citations. The topic is also known as: sperm movement & GO:0097722.

Development of an assay to assess the functional integrity of the human sperm membrane and its relationship to other semen characteristics

Abstract: The objective of this study was to develop a relatively simple test to evaluate the functional integrity of the membranes of human spermatozoa. As in some other species, human spermatozoa 'swell' under hypo-osmotic conditions due to the influx of water and the expansion of the membranes. A mixture of equal parts of fructose and sodium citrate (150 mosmol) with calculated ionic strength of 0.15 resulted in a maximal number of clearly identifiable swollen spermatozoa. Only small variations were seen when different aliquants of the same semen samples were separately evaluated. A high correlation (r = 0.94) was obtained between expected and observed values of swollen spermatozoa when known amounts of heat-treated spermatozoa, unable to undergo swelling, were added to untreated spermatozoa. A good correlation (r = 0.90) was also observed between the % spermatozoa in a semen sample that were capable of undergoing swelling and the % of denuded hamster oocytes that were penetrated by capacitated spermatozoa from the same semen sample. By contrast, the correlations between % sperm swelling in ejaculates and % normal sperm forms, % motile spermatozoa and % spermatozoa that do not stain with eosin-Y (supravital stain) in the same ejaculates were 0.30, 0.61 and 0.52, respectively. Therefore, the hypoosmotic swelling technique to evaluate the functional integrity of the sperm membrane appears to give high repeatability and accuracy and is closely correlated to the in-vitro fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. It may be a useful addition to the standard semen analysis.

Oxidative stress and male infertility—a clinical perspective

Abstract: Oxidative stress occurs when the production of potentially destructive reactive oxygen species (ROS) exceeds the bodies own natural antioxidant defenses, resulting in cellular damage. Oxidative stress is a common pathology seen in approximately half of all infertile men. ROS, defined as including oxygen ions, free radicals and peroxides are generated by sperm and seminal leukocytes within semen and produce infertility by two key mechanisms. First, they damage the sperm membrane, decreasing sperm motility and its ability to fuse with the oocyte. Second, ROS can alter the sperm DNA, resulting in the passage of defective paternal DNA on to the conceptus. This review will provide an overview of oxidative biochemistry related to sperm health and will identify which men are most at risk of oxidative infertility. Finally, the review will outline methods available for diagnosing oxidative stress and the various treatments available.

Capacitation of Rabbit Spermatozoa in vitro

Abstract: This research was carried out to define in vitro conditions that would enable ejaculated rabbit sperm to fertilize ova in vitro. During 20 mm exposure of sperm cells to defined media of increasing NaCI concentrations, progressive removal or alteration of sperm surface seminal plasma antigenic components was initiated and completed as reflected by an immunological assay at approximately 300 and 380 mOsm/kg, respectively. Hypertonic (380 mOsm/kg) medium effected complete removal or alteration of these components as determined by the immunological assay during the first 5 mm of sperm treatment. Isotonic (305 mOsm/kg) treatment was shown to have effected removal or alteration of some but not all of the antigenic sperm coating seminal plasma components detectable by this means during 20 mm of exposure. Sperm within the perivitelline apace, presence of pronuclei. and 2- and 4-cell cleavage stages were taken as evidence for fertilization. None of 34 ova incubated for 27 h in vitro with once-washed sperm showed evidence of fertilization. Following treatment of sperm with hypertonic (380 mOsm/kg) medium prior to in vitro insemination, proportions of ova showing evidence of fertilization ranged from 8.1 percent (12 to 148 ova) to 72.2 percent (52 of 72 ova); and, following treatment of sperm with isotonic (305 mOsm/kg) medium, fertilization of ova ranged from 0 percent (0 to 19 ova) to 73.9 percent (SI of 69 ova) when results were considered according to individual male sperm donors. No large differences were found by the immunological assay that could be linked to variability of fertilizing ability of sperm from different bucks. Differences in metabolic characteristics of sperm cells was suggested as a likely reason for differences in fertilizing ability of sperm from different bucks. In experiments using sperm and ova from the same sources, no differences in fertilization results were apparent following 305 and 380 mOsm/kg sperm treatments, Initiation, but not completion, of removal or alteration of sperm surface seminal plasma antigenic components, then, was a necessary prerequisite to in vitro insemination for successful achievement of fertilization in vitro. Sperm penetration into ova occurred in some cases before 7-10 h after insemination (4 of 54 ova penetrated), but actively motile sperm were found within the perivitelline apace of other ova as late as 25 h after insemination. One hundred and seventy-six 2- and 4-cell stage embryos were transferred to 14 recipient does. Twenty-four embryos (13.1 percent) implanted in 6 recipients but most were resorbed. Three embryos resulting from in vitro fertilization with in vitro capacitated ejaculated rabbit sperm were carried successfully to term by 2 recipients and 2 of the offspring were males. This provides documentation for the authenticity of in vitro capacitation of ejaculated sperm of a mammalian species and represents the initial successful combination of in vitro sperm capacitation with in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer in the rabbit.

Sperm Morphology, Motility, and Concentration in Fertile and Infertile Men

Abstract: Background Although semen analysis is routinely used to evaluate the male partner in infertile couples, sperm measurements that discriminate between fertile and infertile men are not well defined. Methods We evaluated two semen specimens from each of the male partners in 765 infertile couples and 696 fertile couples at nine sites. The female partners in the infertile couples had normal results on fertility evaluation. The sperm concentration and motility were determined at the sites; semen smears were stained at the sites and shipped to a central laboratory for an assessment of morphologic features of sperm with the use of strict criteria. We used classification-and-regression-tree analysis to estimate threshold values for subfertility and fertility with respect to the sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. We also used an analysis of receiver-operating-characteristic curves to assess the relative value of these sperm measurements in discriminating between fertile and infertile men. Results The su...