BACKGROUND The intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique selects sperm according to morphology and motility. However, these parameters cannot predict the chromatin integrity of sperm. Considering the detrimental effects of DNA-damaged sperm on reproductive outcomes, novel sperm selection procedures have been proposed to circumvent the possibility of inseminating DNA-damaged sperm. It h...

To examine the diagnostic significance of several criteria of semen quality and to determine whether their prognostic value is eroded by the time interval between assessment and the attempt at in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with embryo transfer, 73 couples undergoing IVF and embryo transfer therapy were studied. The ability of human spermatozoa to achieve fertilization in vitro was examined in re...

The aim of this study was to assess whether refractoriness to long photoperiod (LP) could be reversed by subjecting tomcats to a period of short days. Our hypothesis was that photoperiod changes can avoid refractoriness and restore sperm quality and production to that before refractoriness. Tomcats (n = 6) were housed in a conditioned room with LP (12L: 12D) for 45 days of acclimation and then ...

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is one of the anti-neoplastic drugs. Despite its numerous clinical applications, it has devastating effects on the testicles and declines the sperm quality in treated patients. This study was aimed to investigate the protective effect of crocin in improving the toxicity induced by CP in reproductive system. In this study, 24 male adult mice (6 to 8 weeks) were randomly div...

Background: Although sperm selection according to morphologic and motility characteristic, made to some what the fertility successful, but sperm’s normal morphology cannot demonstrate sperm DNA competence. Since the health of sperm DNA is affecting the results of assisted reproductive technology; the aim of this study is to evaluate semen parameters measured by CASA with sperm chromatin abnorma...

Spermatozoa exhibit considerable interspecific variability in size and shape. Our understanding of the adaptive significance of this diversity, however, remains limited. Determining how variation in sperm structure translates into variation in sperm performance will contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary diversification of sperm form. Here, using data from passerine birds, we test ...

background: saccharin is an artificial non-caloric sweetener that used to sweeten products such as drinks, candies, medicines, and toothpaste, but our bodies cannot metabolize it. sodium saccharin is considered as an important factor in tumor promotion in male rats but not in humans. objective: the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of saccharin consumption on sperm parameter...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the electromagnetic field (EMF) generated by 10 kV (50 Hz) high voltage line on the epididymal sperm characteristics and the protective effects of ganoderma lucidum (GL) and melatonin (M) in EMF exposed male rats. Materials and Methods: In this study, 64 Wistar rats were divided into 8 groups (n= 8). Rats in 26-day and 52-day ex...

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between protamine deficiency, and acrosomal integrity with fertilization and pregnancy rate in patients undergone in vitro fertilization (IVF). Material &Methods: Semen samples from 70 infertile couples undergoing IVF at Isfahan Fertility and Infertility center were assessed in this study. Semen analysis was carried out ac...