OBJECTIVE To determine the possible use of the mammalian acrosomal marker vehicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)/synaptobrevin to detect acrosome abnormalities in human sperm. DESIGN Analysis of human sperm after fixation and staining with an anti-VAMP antibody. SETTING An academic research institution. PATIENT(S) Semen samples from consenting patients who were participating in an inf...

As part of our continuous effort to elucidate the biochemical and immunological nature of human sperm surface antigens, monoclonal antibodies to human spermatozoa were generated by improved hybridoma techniques. Following immunizations with the membrane fraction of human spermatozoa and cell fusions, hybrid cells were cultured in a semi-solid HAT-selection medium to maximize the number of monoc...

fertilization involves direct interaction of the sperm and oocyte, fusion of the cell membranes and :union: of male and female gamete genomes. the completion of this process and subsequent embryo development depend in part on the inherent integrity of the sperm dna. sperm genome quality has been emphasized for several years as playing a major role in early embryogenesis. there is clinical evide...

Sperm experience intense and varied selection that dramatically impacts the evolution of sperm quality. Selection acts to ensure that sperm are fertilization-competent and able to overcome the many challenges experienced on their way towards eggs. However, simply being able to fertilize an egg is not enough to ensure male fertility in most species. Owing to the prevalence of female multiple mat...

Fibroblast growth factors receptors (FGFRs) have been widely characterized in somatic cells, but there is scarce evidence of their expression and function in mammalian gametes. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the expression of FGFRs in human male germ cells, to determine sperm FGFR activation by the FGF2 ligand and their participation in the regulation of sperm motility. The ...

Background Sperm motility is known as an effective parameter in male fertility and it depends on energy consumption. Low level LASER irradiation could increases energy supply to the cell by producing of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The purpose of this study is to evaluate how the low level LASER irradiation affects the human sperm motility. MaterialsAndMethods Fresh human semen specimens of as...

background: the most frequent physical finding in infertile men is varicocele, in which one of the mechanisms that can affect seminal parameters is oxidative stress. objective: our study aimed, for the first time, to compare the efficacy of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rhfsh), human chorionic gonadotropin (hcg) and human menopausal gonadotropin (hmg) on sperm parameters and f...

BACKGROUND Sperm chromatin status and nuclear DNA damage can be detected using well-established assays. However, most techniques are time-consuming and/or involve elaborate protocols and equipment. We have recently developed a simple and fast method to monitor sperm chromatin status in field conditions using the Diff-Quik assay which is employed in fertility clinics to assess sperm morphology w...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine if only sperm with double stranded DNA could bind to the human zona pellucida (ZP). METHODS Sperm samples from 124 infertile men with a range of semen abnormalities were studied. Oocytes that had failed to fertilize in IVF or ICSI were used for the sperm-ZP binding test. A group of four oocytes were incubated for 2 h with 2 x 10(6)/ml motile s...