Abnormal reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is associated with defective sperm function. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is related with the scavenging of seminal ROS. We aimed to determine the effect of SOD activities of spermatozoa and seminal plasma on sperm quality. Semen samples from infertile couples who consented to the analyses were divided into two groups: 1) normospermia (n = 20); an...

Background: Zinc in human semen seems to play an important role in the physiology of spermatozoa. Zinc deficiency leads to gonadal dysfunction, decreases testicular weight, and causes shrinkage of seminiferous tubules. The adult human body contains 1-3 g of zinc, about 0.1% of which is replenished daily. Excessively high amounts of zinc has been reported in human seminal plasma by many authors,...

In this study, quantitive characteristics and chemical composition of in roach (Rutilus rutilus caspicus) sperm were investigated. Sperm traits included sperm movement duration, percentage of motile spermatozoa, sperm density, spermatocrit and sperm volume. Some seminal plasma characteristics (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride) were investigated. In addition, some metabolites o...

The presence of various cytokines, namely the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), interferon (IFN-gamma), and interleukins (IL-1 beta and IL-6), was investigated in seminal plasma of fertile, infertile, and immunoinfertile men using specific immunoradiometric assays. TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta were not detected. IFN-gamma was detected, but the differences between the levels of fertile and infertile...

BACKGROUND In its 1993 report the Canadian Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies challenged the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization for severe male infertility. To address the Commission's concern, the authors compared the relative effectiveness of in vitro fertilization combined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection for severe male infertility and conventional in vitro fertiliz...

The latest micromanipulative technique, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), has been very successful in cases of severe male factor infertility. The main objective of this study is to report the results of our fIrst experience with ICSI in cases of male factor infertility, as well as patients who had failed their previous cycles with conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). Normal ...

Calcium (Ca) is a significant element that acts as an intracellular second messenger. It is necessary for many physiological processes in spermatozoa including spermatogenesis, sperm motility, capacitation, acrosome reaction and fertilization. Although influences of Calcium deficiency on sperm function and male infertility have been widely studied, mechanisms for these abnormalities are not wel...

BACKGROUND Heat shock proteins (HSP) are essential mammalian and bacterial stress proteins. At the cellular level, they act as chaperones, have important regulatory functions, and are considered to be an essential factor for reproduction. Scarce information exists on the role of sensitization to HSP and the potential role in the aetiology of male infertility. METHODS The potential association...

Background: Defective sperm quality is a significant cause of infertility in men. It is known that nitric oxide (NO) is a highly reactive free radical gas which has a dual function, being both a cytotoxic and necessary molecule for normal sperm production. Materials and Methods: To investigate correlation between NO levels with sperm parameters, a case-control study were designed with total of ...