BACKGROUND Standard semen parameters have proven poor at predicting the outcomes of IVF treatment cycles. As recent studies suggest that the male genome may play an important role in early embryogenesis, this study attempts to correlate the level of sperm DNA damage in fresh semen and prepared sperm with the outcomes of conventional IVF treatment cycles. METHODS Forty patients embarking on IV...

The aim of this study was to investigate the eff ect of boar age on quality traits and fertility of liquid-stored semen. Boars were allocated into 3 age groups: 7-10 months (young), 18-33 months (mature), 51-61 months (old). Ejaculates of ≥ 200x106 sperm/ml and 85% total motile sperm were extended to 30x106 sperm/ml, stored at 17-18 °C and used within 12-24 h for artifi cial insemination (AI) o...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of Phyllanthus emblica against clastogenicity induced by lead nitrate on the incidence of sperm head abnormalities in the germ cells of mice. At higher concentration of lead, a significant increase in the percentage of sperm head abnormalities was noted but when animals primed with Phyllanthus fruit extract (PFE), a reduct...

The effects of acute restraint stress on sperm motility and reproductive endocrinology were investigated in adult rats. Sperm motility was determined by computer-assisted sperm analysis. Acute restraint stress reduced sperm motility starting after 30 min, and the sperm motility parameters, percentage of motile spermatozoa (%), straight-line velocity, curvilinear velocity, deviation of the sperm...

Eukaryotic flagella are responsible for the motile organelles that cause the migration of mammalian sperms. The lashing force and torque of the sperm flagellum contain critical information regarding the sperm health, as important evaluation factors for sperm screening. The objective of the study was to investigate the lashing force and torque of a sperm under physiological conditions using at...

Little is known about the genetic basis of evolutionary changes in sperm phenotype. Postcopulatory sexual selection is associated with differences in protamine gene sequences and promoters and is a powerful force acting on sperm form and function, although links between protamine evolution and sperm phenotype are scarce. Protamines are involved in sperm chromatin condensation, and protamine def...

The acrosome reaction in many animals is a coupled reaction involving an exocytotic step and a dramatic change in cell shape. It has been proposed that these morphological changes are regulated by intracellular ions such as Ca2+ and H+. We report here simultaneous visualization, under a multiview microscope, of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), intracellular pH (pHi), and morphol...

Techniques for fertilizing golden hamster eggs in vitro have recently been developed (4, 14). Consequently, sperm entry into the egg can be followed with the phase-contrast microscope, and after semination eggs can be fixed at desired intervals for subsequent examination with the electron microscope. The probability of obtaining thin sections that demonstrate sperm penetration of an egg is enha...

Little detailed information is currently available on the incidence and morphological characteristics of abnormal sperm in the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and of ratites in general. This situation is further compounded by the lack of a uniform system for the morphological classification of avian sperm defects. Considering the important role that sperm morphology plays in the assessment of se...

STUDY QUESTION Are urinary phthalate concentrations associated with altered semen quality parameters among males recruited from the general population? SUMMARY ANSWER Urinary levels of metabolites of phthalate diesters are associated with lower total sperm counts, larger sperm head sizes, and higher percentages of morphologically abnormal sperm. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY High dose experiments i...