AIM To evaluate the treatment of male infertility with a strong natural antioxidant, in addition to conventional treatment. METHODS Using a double blind, randomized trial design, 30 men with infertility of > or =2 months and female partners with no demonstrable cause of infertility received conventional treatment according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), and either a...

Caffeine, as an oocyte aging inhibitor, was used in many different species to control or delay oocyte aging. However, the safety of caffeine and developmental competence of aged oocytes inhibited by caffeine has not been studied systematically. So we detected the spindle morphology, distribution of cortical granules, zona pellucida hardening and pronucleus formation to assess oocyte quality of ...

Mammalian spermatozoa undergo a series of molecular and biochemical changes collectively termed capacitation prior to acquiring the ability to fertilise the oocyte. Although phosphorylation of sperm proteins on tyrosine residues has been recognised as an important component of this process, the precise relationship between the phosphorylation status of mammalian spermatozoa and their capacity f...

We previously identified 62, 39, 27 and 7 kDa porcine sperm plasma membrane proteins that demonstrated a predominant affinity for the porcine oocyte plasma membrane by Western ligand blotting. The current experiments were designed to further investigate the potential roles of these molecules in sperm-oocyte plasma membrane interaction. Abilities of these proteins to bind to the oocyte plasma me...

Fertilization involves several precisely coordinated steps, including sperm dispersal of the oocyte cumulus mass, adhesion and binding to the zona pellucida, penetration through the zona pellucida, and fusion with the oocyte. Hyaluronidase, which is present in the sperm head, is known to be essential for the decomposition of the oocyte cumulus mass. Interestingly, two types of hyaluronidase—SPA...

During spermatogenesis, spermatozoa lose many of the organelles that most somatic cells possess (such as endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, and most of the cytoplasm) reducing the “baggage” they need to carry en route to the oocyte. The primary function of a spermatozoon, fertilizing an oocyte, is an integrated set of processes, which require multiple cell attributes. Therefore, although the spe...

The presence of white blood cells in semen has been associated with male infertility. Previous studies indicate that pyospermia occurs in conjunction with decreases in sperm motility, number of normal sperm forms, and penetration rates in the zona-free hamster egg sperm penetration assay. We have evaluated the relationship of seminal white blood cells and sperm function, as reflected in the zon...

Objective A unique feature of embryo metabolism is production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). It is well established that during in vitro culture, ROS levels increase over normal ranges observed for embryos developed in vivo. This study evaluates and compares the stepwise pattern of ROS production during in vitro development of reconstructed goat embryos produced by zona-free method of somati...

introduction: the frequency of sperm pcc indiction in normal and infertile men was investigated. material and methods: zona – free hamster oocyte were retrieved after super ovulation by pmsg and hcg infection. following treatment with hyaloronidase, zona was removed by trypsin digestion. sperms were classified with sperms, and then transferred to fresh media containing colcemid. slides were pre...

Background: Before human MII oocytes are vitrified they are usually denuded from their cumulus cells. In this study we wanted to investigate the effects of an intact corona radiata on the vitrification and fertilization of human oocytes. Materials and Methods: The study comprised two different parts. In Part 1, 36 MII stage oocytes, from 6 patients, were randomly assigned into a control group, ...