Age-Related Changes in Sperm Morphology and Analysis of Multiple Sperm Defects

Background: Analysis of sperm morphology defects (amorphous heads, abnormal acrosome, etc.) is useful for estimating the efficiency spermiogenesis and maturation. An advanced paternal age (more than 40 years) associated with decreasing count reduced motility; however, there little information on effect aging relating to morphological defects. Moreover, searching stable combinations certain in same can be better understanding spermiogenesis. The aim study was investigate age-related changes prevalence men from general population. Methods: Sperm assessed 1266 volunteers Russian urban population different groups (18–19, 20–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–40, over years old). Two hundred were evaluated each semen sample (about 250 thousand spermatozoa total). classified according WHO laboratory manual (WHO, 2010). total percentage defect frequency anomalies group counted. Additionally, a similar analysis performed normospermia pathozoospermia. Results: coiled short tails increased old compared younger subjects; did not affect morphologically normal sperm. It shown that combination misshaped head (amorphous, pyriform, elongated) postacrosomal vacuole, acrosome defect, excess residual cytoplasm, or any anomaly midpiece tail spermatozoon random independent solitary amorphous, elongated, vacuolated heads observed older years. defects, such as severely deformed (pyriform, round) more common pathozoospermia normospermic subjects. Conclusions: impairment found. Stable suggest these may result violation morphogenetic mechanism.