The relationship between the three basic parameters of ejaculated spermatozoa, i.e. concentration, motility and morphology, and the results of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were investigated in 838 microinjection cycles. A further 123 ICSI treatment cycles in which testicular spermatozoa were used for microinjection were also evaluated. The influence of anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) on ...

To date, the laboratory mouse is the only mammal in which freeze-dried spermatozoa have been shown to support full-term development after microinjection into oocytes. Because spermatozoa in mice, unlike in most other mammals, do not contribute centrosomes to zygotes, it is still unknown whether freeze-dried spermatozoa in other mammals are fertile. Rabbit sperm was selected as a model because o...

Potential factors influencing spermatozoa survival to cryopreservation and thawing were analyzed across a range of the following avian species: domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), and peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Studies focused on spermat...

The seasonal influence on the seminal characteristics of Shikabrown breeder cocks was evaluated weekly during the three seasons in Northern Guinea Savannah zone of Nigeria. Semen samples were analyzed by gross and routine laboratory methods for volume, motility, concentration, colour, percent dead and percent total abnormality. The highest volume and concentration values of 0.50±0.03ml and 3.60...

Reproductive technologies have been often used as a tool in research not strictly connected with developmental biology. In this study, we retrace the experimental routes that have led to the adoption of two reproductive technologies, ICSI and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), as biological assays to probe the 'functionality' of the genome from dead cells. The structural peculiarities of the...

Preconceptual sex selection is still a highly debatable process whereby X- and Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa are isolated prior to fertilization of the oocyte. Although various separation techniques are available, none can guarantee 100% accuracy. The aim of this study was to separate X- and Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa using methods based on the viability difference between the X- and Y...

The research work was conducted in District Artificial Insemination (AI) Center, Daulatpur, Khulna and Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Khulna University, Khulna from July, 2010 to January, 2012. Semen was collected from 3 genetic groups of bulls from the AI center. Five frozen semen ampoules (1/4 Local x3/4 Friesian) was also used in this experiment. After collection, semen was observed to eva...

BACKGROUND Spermatozoa cryopreservation is used for the management of infertility and some other medical conditions. The routinely applied cryopreservation technique depends on permeating cryoprotectants, whose toxic effects have raised the attention towards permeating cryoprotectants-free vitrification technique. OBJECTIVE To compare between the application of slow cryopreservation and vitri...

Evaluation of the acrosome reaction can shed light on the fertilising competence of spermatozoa. To eliminate false-positive results when evaluating the acrosome status of human sperm cells, two viability probes propidium iodide (PI) and 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) were compared for their ability to stain nonviable cells post-fixation and permeabilisation. Both the mean fluorescence and % dea...

Previous studies revealed a significant decrease in the content of phospholipids and acyl-esters in spermatozoa during their passage through the epididymis (Scott, Voglmayr & Setchell, 1967). These results prompted us to investigate whether testicular and ejaculated spermatozoa could utilize fatty acids, which presumably become available to the spermatozoa as a result of phospholipid hydrolysis...