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.

Placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial of glutathione therapy in male infertility.

Abstract: Glutathione therapy was used for 2 months in a placebo-controlled double-blind cross-over trial of 20 infertile patients with dyspermia associated with unilateral varicocele (VAR) or germ-free genital tract inflammation (INF). The patients received either glutathione (group 1) or placebo (group 2) for 2 months, then they crossed over to the alternative treatment for a further 2 months. The patients were randomly and blindly assigned to treatment (one i.m. injection every other day of either 600 mg glutathione or an equal volume of a placebo preparation). The standard semen analysis and the computer-assisted sperm motility analyses were carried out before treatment and during the trial. Statistical cross-over analysis, case-control study and treatment efficacy test were carried out on groups 1 and 2 and differences in the effects of therapy between VAR and INF patients with varicocele or inflammation were tested. Glutathione therapy demonstrated a statistically significant positive effect on sperm motility, in particular on the percentage of forward motility, the kinetic parameters of the computerized analysis and on sperm morphology. The findings of this study indicate that glutathione therapy could represent a possible therapeutical tool for both of the selected andrological pathologies.

Spontaneous lipid peroxidation in rabbit epididymal spermatozoa: its effect on sperm motility.

Abstract: Rabbit spermatozoa released from the cauda epididymidis into Tris phosphate medium contain- ing KCI or NaCl and 0.4 mM EDTA underwent spontaneous lipid peroxidation during aerobic incubation at 37#{176}C. In the medium containing 130 mM Kand 0 mM Na� (KTP), the rate of lipid peroxidation, as measured by malonaldehyde production, proceeded at a linear rate of 0.045 nmol malonaldehyde/h per 108 cells for 22 h. The motility of these spermatozoa declined with time in medium KTP, with 40% initial forward motility decreasing to zero in 4 h and initial 60% flagellar beating ceasing after 12 h. The percent inert spermatozoa showing no flagellar motion in KTP increased linearly with production of malonaldehyde; all flagellar activity stopped at 0.5 nmol malonaldehyde/10 cells. In the Tris phosphate medium containing 120 mM Naand 10 mM K� (NTP), the percentage of sperm showing forward motility was close to 100% and this declined to 60% after 16 h aerobic incubation. Flagellar beating was not observed. In medium NTP, the rate of lipid peroxidation was 0.0056 nmol malonaldehyde/h per 10 cells, eightfold lower than that observed in KTP. The same linear correlation between malonaldehyde production and percent inert sperm was found as for KTP: 0.5 nmol malonaldehyde/108 cells also corresponded to cessation of flagellar motion. The dependence of motility maintenance on K+ concentration in Tris phosphate medium containing (Na+ + K+)=1 30 mM showed maximal maintenance at 10 mM K+, with a decline at 0 mM K+ and steep decline at K+ concentrations greater than 30 mM. This strong dependence of rabbit sperm peroxidation on ionic composition of the medium is suggested to involve perturbation of the equilibrium between O9 and its conjugate acid HO2', the latter species being the agent of peroxidation.

Assessment of DNA integrity and morphology of ejaculated spermatozoa from fertile and infertile men before and after cryopreservation

Abstract: Cryopreservation of human spermatozoa is extensively used in artificial insemination and IVF programmes Despite various advances in cryopreservation methodology, the recovery rate of functional post-thaw spermatozoa remains mediocre, with sperm motility being significantly decreased after freezing This aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cryopreservation on both DNA integrity and morphology of spermatozoa from fertile and infertile men Semen samples were obtained from 17 fertile and 40 infertile men All samples were prepared by discontinuous Percoll density centrifugation (950:475) Samples were divided into aliquots to allow direct comparison of fresh and frozen spermatozoa from the same ejaculate Aliquots for cryopreservation were mixed with a commercial cryoprotectant and frozen by static phase vapour cooling before plunging into liquid nitrogen Thawing was carried out slowly at room temperature Sperm DNA integrity was determined using a modified alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay and sperm morphology analysed using the Tygerberg criteria DNA of semen and prepared spermatozoa from fertile men was found to be unaffected by cryopreservation In marked contrast, spermatozoa from infertile men were significantly damaged by freeze-thawing Cryopreservation had a detrimental effect on morphology of semen and prepared samples from fertile and infertile men

Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse

Abstract: Spermatozoa from a single male will compete for fertilization of ova with spermatozoa from another male when present in the female reproductive tract at the same time. Close genetic relatedness predisposes individuals towards altruism, and as haploid germ cells of an ejaculate will have genotypic similarity of 50%, it is predicted that spermatozoa may display cooperation and altruism to gain an advantage when inter-male sperm competition is intense. We report here the probable altruistic behaviour of spermatozoa in an eutherian mammal. Spermatozoa of the common wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, displayed a unique morphological transformation resulting in cooperation in distinctive aggregations or 'trains' of hundreds or thousands of cells, which significantly increased sperm progressive motility. Eventual dispersal of sperm trains was associated with most of the spermatozoa undergoing a premature acrosome reaction. Cells undergoing an acrosome reaction in aggregations remote from the egg are altruistic in that they help sperm transport to the egg but compromise their own fertilizing ability.