Over the past 25 years, various methods have been developed to measure sperm DNA strand breaks in situ. Currently, there are four major tests of sperm DNA fragmentation, including the Comet, Tunel, sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and the acridine orange test (AOT). The Comet assay is a light microscope technique where the sperm cells are mixed with melted agarose and then placed on a gla...

BACKGROUND Sperm chromatin status and nuclear DNA damage can be detected using well-established assays. However, most techniques are time-consuming and/or involve elaborate protocols and equipment. We have recently developed a simple and fast method to monitor sperm chromatin status in field conditions using the Diff-Quik assay which is employed in fertility clinics to assess sperm morphology w...

background: curcumin has shown to affect sperm motility and function in vitro and fertility in vivo. the molecular mechanism(s) by which curcumin affects sperm motility has not been delineated. since modulation of intracellular ph (phi) and plasma membrane polarization is involved in sperm motility, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of curcumin on these sperm (human and ...

BACKGROUND Sperm from several species, including the human, make direct contact with the endosalpinx. Although this is known to be beneficial to sperm function, the specific mechanisms mediating the adhesion are poorly understood. METHODS Short linear oligopeptides containing the amino acid sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) or a scrambled sequence (GRGES) were incorporated into an established sperm-...

OBJECTIVE To assess the contraceptive properties, antimicrobial activity, and safety of mandelic acid condensation polymer (SAMMA). DESIGN Experimental study of SAMMA's in vitro and in vivo properties. SETTING Academic research laboratories. PATIENT(S) Healthy volunteers for semen donation in an academic research environment. INTERVENTION(S) Inhibition of sperm function indicators, conc...

Background: It is showed that methamphetamine has harmful effects on male reproductive system. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of methamphetamine administration on testis weight, sperm count, sperm morphology, and chromatin status as well as sperm apoptotis followed by the cytochemical tests in a mouse model. Materials and Methods: Twenty four NMRI male mice were divided in...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of two methods of freezing on testicular sperm DNA from subjects with obstructive azoospermia and to compare these with samples of fresh and freeze-thawed testicular sperm from fertile men. DESIGN The Comet assay was used to determine the percentage of undamaged DNA in fresh testicular sperm, testicular sperm freeze-thawed in suspension and in a biopsy sample (...

BACKGROUND Detection of apoptosis in sperm samples may help evaluate sperm quality. Recently, it has been suggested that in some ejaculated sperm populations, apoptosis is caspase dependent. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of activated caspases and examine possible correlations with apoptosis and sperm parameters in semen samples prepared for IVF. METHODS To detect activ...