OBJECTIVE To evaluate sperm DNA fragmentation and semen parameters to diagnose male factor infertility and predict pregnancy after IVF. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Academic research laboratory. PATIENT(S) Seventy-five couples undergoing IVF and 28 fertile donors. INTERVENTION(S) Sperm DNA fragmentation was measured by the alkaline Comet assay in semen and sperm after density gradi...

BACKGROUND Sodium arsenite can impair male reproductive function by inducing oxidative stress. Silymarin is known as a potent antioxidant. OBJECTIVE This study was performed to investigate if silymarin can prevent the adverse effect of sodium arsenite on ram sperm viability, motility and mitochondrial membrane potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS Epidydimal spermatozoa obtained from ram were di...

Background & objectives: Environmental pollutants have detrimental effects on the reproductive function of human being and of animals. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of tire debris, a fraction of particulate matter derived from tire wear, on motility and morphology of human spermatozoa. Methods: spermatozoa from ten healthy men were incubated for 4 hours with 10, 50 and 75 μg/ml...

BACKGROUND Sperm heterogeneity in the human, as observed in oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT), is associated with hypospermatogenesis. METHODS The chromatin of sperm from OAT and normospermic males was characterized with antibodies specific for nucleosomes, the histone H3.1/H3.2 isoform, histone TH2B, apoptosis-associated H4 acetylation (KM-2) and protamines. Subsequently, sperm samples were...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the presence of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and evaluate its function in ejaculated spermatozoa. DESIGN Experimental study. SETTING Reproductive Research Center. PATIENT(S) Semen specimens from 18 healthy donors and 12 infertile males. INTERVENTION(S) Ejaculated spermatozoa were subjected to sperm fractionation with a double-layer density gradient, prot...

BACKGROUND Translocation of phosphatidylserine (PS) from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane is a modification of the lipid architecture occurring in sperm. This is one of the earliest signs of apoptosis that can be monitored by the calcium-dependent binding of annexin V. METHODS AND RESULTS Flow cytometric analysis of annexin V binding was performed. Calcium ionophore A2318...

With increasing medical utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART), scientists and clinicians have been able to study extensively multiple cell functions operating synchronously and flawlessly during the events preceding, before and after fertilization. Critical evaluation of the functional status of spermatozoa for in vitro techniques such as sperm-mucus interaction, acrosome reacti...

tau.amegroups.com © Translational Andrology and Urology. All rights reserved. Dr. Ward in his commentary summarized the currently available sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) tests. He classified the eight SDF assays into four groups based on the different target sites and illustrated the grouping in a diagram to simplify understanding of the readers (1). We would like to supplement, in the followin...