Unfertilized mouse oocytes and eggs 1-8 h after fertilization in vitro were examined at the light microscope level for structural changes, distribution of actin (as assessed by both antiactin antibodies and NBD-phallicidin), surface binding of concanavalin A (Con A) and chromosomal distribution and condensation. The influence of cytochalasin D on these events was also assessed. Changes in actin...

The mammalian egg must be fertilized by only one sperm to prevent polyploidy. In most mammals studied to date, the primary block to polyspermy occurs at the zona pellucida, the mammalian egg coat, after exocytosis of the contents of the cortical granules into the perivitelline space. The exudate acts on the zona, causing it to lose its ability to bind sperm and to be penetrated by sperm previou...

immune infertility, in terms of reproductive failure, has become a serious health issue involving approximately 1 out of 5 couples at reproductive age. semen that is defined as a complex fluid containing sperm, cellular vesicles and other cells and components, could sensitize the female genital tract. the immune rejection of male semen in the female reproductive tract is explained as the failur...

Background Infertility is one of the most common and important subjects in today’s obstetrics and gynecology. Immunological factors such as the presence of antisperm antibodies (ASA) are challenging etiologies for infertility. This study was performed to determine the correlation between the type of sexual practices (oral‚ anal and vaginal during menstruation) and the ASA levels in semen and in...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to determine to what degree antisperm allo-antibodies (ASA), anti-ovarian antibodies (AOA), anti-zona pellucida antibodies (AZPA) and seven anti-phospholipid antibodies (APLA) can explain the failure of assisted reproduction technology (ART) in women. BACKGROUND Among the causes of reproductive failure are allo- and autoimmune reactions of the organism agai...

The alteration in the protein signatures of the testicular sperm during its epididymal sojourn makes it functionally competent for successful fertilization. The present study was undertaken to identify the proteins acquired on its 2 domains, that is, the head and the flagellum, during the epididymal transit using a differential proteomics approach. Testicular sperm proteome was compared with ca...

Serum and colostrum antibodies against mouse sperm were developed in two rabbits after systemic and mammary gland immunizations. Indirect immunofluorescence utilizing fluorescein-labeled goat antisera against rabbit IgG and IgA, respectively, indicated that both immune serum (IS) and colostrum (Xl compared with control samples caused intensive staining of the acrosome and tail of sperm. Absorpt...

An antiserum to flagellar axonemes from sperm of Arbacia punctulata contains antibodies which react both with intact flagellar outer fibers and with purified tubulin from the outer fibers. Immunodiffusion tests indicate the presence of similar antigenic determinants on outer-fiber tubulins from sperm flagella of five species of sea urchins and a sand dollar, but not a starfish. The antibodies a...

Epidemiologic studies indicated that some infertile men who were infected with Ureaplasma urealyticum displayed positive antisperm antibodies in their serum and/or semen. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanism of antisperm antibodies production after infection with U. urealyticum and to analyze the relationship between U. urealyticum and infertility. The existence o...

Bovine sperm protease, 66 kDa (BSp66) is a serine protease previously characterized in bovine spermatozoa. Like other proteases, it may be present in sperm from other mammalian species different from bovine, playing a role in the fertilization process. In this study, we looked for BSp66 in hamster spermatozoa using heterologous antibodies against bovine BSp66. An immunoreactive protein was dete...