BACKGROUND Testis tissue xenografting and the resultant sperm in a xenograft may provide a unique approach to rescue the genetic material of males that die prematurely and is a model for the study of human spermatogenesis and can represent an alternative approach for fertility preservation in cancer patients. This study was aimed to evaluate the xenogenic dog sperm in formation of male pronucle...

The epididymis is a long, tightly coiled tube within the lumen of which sperm matures. Sperm maturation involves morphological and biochemical changes in the sperm plasma membrane in response to epididymal secretions and their various proteins. Some of these proteins become outer membrane components while others become integral membrane proteins; transfer of some proteins to the sperm plasma me...

In mammalian species, oocyte activation is initiated by oscillations in the intracellular concentration of free calcium ([Ca(2+)]i), which are also essential to allow embryonic development. To date, evidence supporting the hypothesis that a sperm factor is responsible for initiating oocyte activation has been presented in various mammalian species. Among the possible candidates to be the active...

Approximately one in six married couples find themselves involuntarily infertile. This ratio translates to between two and four million U.S. couples. Although numerous tests are available for diagnosing infertility problems, 5-10 percent of all couples who seek medical treatment are diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Several tests are presently available for diagnosing male infertility; ho...

BACKGROUND Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) in spermatozoa is correlated with high levels of reactive oxygen species in semen, abnormal spermiogram parameters, and low success rates of IVF. In somatic cells, the loss of DeltaPsi(m) is primarily associated with several mechanisms of cell death, mainly the activation of caspases. The impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on sp...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of artificial oocyte activation (AOA) on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles using surgically retrieved sperm. DESIGN Laboratory study. SETTING Fertility/assisted fertilization center. PATIENT(S) Couples undergoing surgical sperm retrieval for ICSI (n = 204). INTERVENTION(S) Application of calcium ionophore A23187 for AOA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASU...

BACKGROUND This study takes an in depth look at embryonic development, implantation, pregnancy and live birth rates with frozen epididymal and testicular sperm from obstructed (OA) and non-obstructed (NOA) patients. METHODS Paternal effect of sperm source on zygote formation, embryonic cleavage, and genomic activation were examined. Additional outcome parameters monitored were clinical pregna...

Background Following sperm penetration, oocyte is activated by sperm oocyte activating factors (SOAFs) released by sperm. Spermspecific phospholipase C isoform ζ (PLCζ) and post acrosomal WW binding protein (PAWP) are two nominees for the SOAF. PLCζ is located back-to-back with another testis-specific gene called CAPZA3. These two genes share a common bidirectional promoter. In this study we as...

BACKGROUND The transient receptor potential channel (TRP) family includes more than 30 proteins; they participate in various Ca(2+) dependent processes. TRPs are functionally diverse involving thermal, chemical and mechanical transducers which modulate the concentration of intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i). Ca(2+) triggers and/or regulates principal sperm functions during fertilization such as m...