The causes of male infertility have been well delineated in numerous textbooks and articles. These are divided into six major categories such as failure of spermatogenesis, failure of sperm maturation, failure of sperm transportation, failure of semen composition, failure of hormonal system and failure of ejaculation. Besides these, the motile activity of sperm has been regarded as an important factor for the impregnation This clinical study has been undertaken to examine the effects of hemologous human semen mixtures upon the motile time of the spermatozoa, and the result are presented as follows; Group 1, Mixture of Normospermia and Normospermia: 10 mixtures Normospermia-A: 471. 9 minutes of aver age sperm motile time Normospermia-B: 369. 4 minutes of average sperm motile time Normo-A+Normo-B mixture: 452. 5 minutes of average sperm motile time Group 2, Mixture of Normospermia and Oligospermia: 10 mixtures Normospermia: 445.3 minutes of average sperm motile time Oligospermia: 376.2 minutes of average sperm motile time Normo+Oligo mixture: 456. 1 minutes of average sperm motile time Group 3, Mixture of Normospermia and Azoospermia; 8 mixtures Normospermia: 433. 3 minutes of average sperm motile time Azoospermia: Normo.+Azoo. mixture: 455. 1 minutes of average sperm motile time Group 4, Mixture of Oligospermia and Azoospermia; 6 mixtures Oligospermia: 343. 6 minutes of average sperm motile time Azoospermia: Oligo.+Azoo. mixture: 348. 1 minutes of average serum motile time In In conclusion, 1. no mutual spermicidal effect but tendency toward enhancement of sperm motile time 2. no sperm agglutinating phenomenon nor sperm immobilizing effect were noted in various semen mixtures 3. posibilities of clinical application such as AID arc considerable and 4. further studies are needed in conjunction with the serum autoimmune mechanism.
Azoospermia ; Ejaculation ; Humans* ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Oligospermia ; Semen* ; Sperm Immobilizing Agents ; Sperm Maturation ; Sperm Transport ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa*

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to estimate the effects of Inclear, a feminine cleanser, on sperm motility. METHODS: Semen samples were obtained from infertile male patients. Following liquefaction, the raw semen samples were diluted with Ham's F-10 nutrient mixture medium containing 0.4% human serum albumin solution at a ratio of 1:3. The semen samples were subsequently centrifuged to separate the seminal plasma from the serum. The supernatant was discarded, and the pellet was resuspended. The sample was again centrifuged to remove cell debris, and the supernatant was removed. The final pellet was gently loosened by resuspension and incubated in medium alone as a control, and in a 10% solution of the medium plus Inclear. A sampling time of 30 minutes was selected on the basis of sperm transport studies. Sperm motility was evaluated with computer-assisted sperm analysis. RESULTS: A total of 20 samples were analyzed. The mean age of patients was 34.40+/-2.96 years. There was no difference in sperm concentration and motility in the two samples at 0 minute and 30 minutes of incubation. In both semen samples, the sperm concentration and motility decreased after an incubation period of 30 minutes. However, there was no statistical difference between the samples. Sperm concentration and motility were not significantly different between the control and Inclear samples after 0 minute and 30 minutes of incubation. CONCLUSION: Inclear has no negative effects on sperm motility. This product can be recommended to pregnancy planners for vaginal hygiene and as a vaginal lubricant.
Feminine Hygiene Products ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Lubricants ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prospective Studies* ; Semen ; Serum Albumin ; Sperm Motility* ; Sperm Transport ; Spermatozoa

Diabetes is known to induce autonomic dysfunction and most experiments have been focused on the smooth muscle dysfunctions of the urinary bladder and corpus cavernosum in the genitourinary tract. The contractile response of the vas deferens is also decreased in diabetic rats and this effect may cause impairment of sperm transportation. However, few studies have been investigated the changes of contractility of the vas deferens in diabetic animals and little attention has been given to the differences between the contractilities of the prostatic and epididymal ends of the vas deferens in diabetic rats. In this study, the whole vas deferens was divided into two portions, prostatic and epididymal ends, and we examined the contractility of both segments to field stimulation at various frequencies from 4 to 64 Hz for 30 sec with pulses of 1 msec duration at 80 V in organ bath containing modified Tyrode's solution. Both initial twitch and the last contraction after 30 sec elicited by field stimulation were compared to clarify which component was more susceptible to field stimulation in control and diabetic rats. In the prostatic end, initial twitch was more impaired than the last contraction, which is believed that in diabetic rats, ATP(adenosine triphosphate) is more affected than NA(noradrenaline). In contrast, in the epididymal and the last contraction was more impaired than the initial twitch. In 64 Hz, initial twitch and the secondary contractions were not distinguished in the epididymal end of control rats, but in diabetic rats both phases were distinct. This means that the release of NA to field stimulation in the epididymal end is delayed in diabetic rats.
Animals ; Baths ; Muscle, Smooth ; Rats* ; Sperm Transport ; Urinary Bladder ; Vas Deferens*

With the rapid development of biotechnology, we can change the trait of organism using transgenetic technology. In recent years, there are growing interests in the establishment of sperm mediated gene transfer (SMGT) technology as an effective and convenient method to produce transgenic animals. SMGT technology is a transgenetic method, which is easy in operation and does little harm to the cell compared with the other transgenetic methods. In this review, we expound the background, development, mechanism, operation and application of SMGT.
Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Male ; Sperm Transport ; physiology ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism ; physiology

The physiological changes that occur to sperm during the residence in the female tract are collectively referred to as "capacitation". The mechanism of action by which these compounds promote capacitation is poorly understood at the molecular level. However, some molecular events significant to the initiation of capacitation have been identified, such as the correlation of capacitation with cholesterol efflux from the sperm plasma membrane, increased membrane fluidity, modulations in intracellular ion concentrations, hyperpolarization of the sperm plasma membrane and increased protein tyrosine phosphorylation. This review discusses recent progress in elucidation mechanisms which regulate sperm capacitation.
Bicarbonates ; metabolism ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Cyclic AMP ; physiology ; Humans ; Ion Transport ; Male ; Membrane Potentials ; Phosphorylation ; Sperm Capacitation

Objective: To investigate the expressions of solute carrier family 22 member 14 (SLC22A14) and sperm-associated antigen 6 (SPAG6) in the sperm of idiopathic asthenospermia men. METHODS: We collected semen samples from 50 idiopathic asthenozoospermia patients and another 50 normal sperm donors, purified the sperm by discontinuous density centrifugation on Percoll gradients, and then determined the mRNA and protein expressions of SLC22A14 and SPAG6 by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the normal controls, the idiopathic asthenozoospermia patients showed significantly decreased mRNA expressions of SLC22A14 (0.77 ± 0.08 vs 0.53 ± 0.10, P<0.01) and SPAG6 (0.78 ± 0.09 vs0.52 ± 0.10 , P<0.01) and protein expressions of SLC22A14 (0.80 ± 0.09 vs 0.55 ± 0.10 , P<0.01) and SPAG6 (0.78 ± 0.09 vs 0.56 ± 0.09, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS T The expressions of SLC22A14 and SPAG6 are reduced in the sperm of the patients with idiopathic asthenospermia, which may be one of the important causes of asthenospermia.
Asthenozoospermia ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Ejaculation ; Humans ; Male ; Microtubule Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Organic Cation Transport Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Proteomics ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Wuziyanzong Pills (WYP) in the rat model of oligoasthenospermia (OAS) and its action mechanism.

METHODSSixty male SD rats were equally randomized into six groups: normal control, OAS model, Shengjing Capsules (1.6 g per kg of the body weight), low-dose WYP (1 g per kg of the body weight), medium-dose WYP (2 g per kg of the body weight), and high-dose WYP (4 g per kg of the body weight). The OAS model was established by intragastric administration of Tripterygium glucoside at 30 mg per g per d for 6 weeks. From the 3rd week of modeling, the rats of the medication groups were treated intragastrically with corresponding drugs for 4 weeks. Then all the rats were sacrificed for measurement of the testicular and epididymal organ coefficients, examination of epididymal sperm quality and apoptosis, and detection of the openness of the sperm mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP). Histopathological changes in the testis were observed by HE staining and the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells determined by Hochest staining.

RESULTSWYP obviously improved the organ coefficients of the testis and epididymis, increased sperm concentration, motility and viability, decreased the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, and inhibited the abnormal openness of MPTP in the OAS model rats. HE staining showed that the number and levels of spermatogenic cells were significantly increased while Hochest staining manifested that the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells was remarkably inhibited in the seminiferous tubules of the testis in the WYP-treated rats.

CONCLUSIONSWYP can improve sperm quality and reduce the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells (including sperm) in OAS model rats, which may be related with its inhibitory effect on the abnormal openness of MPTP.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Asthenozoospermia ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; Male ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; drug effects ; Oligospermia ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Spermatozoa ; cytology ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; Tripterygium

Testicular cancer seminoma is one of the most common types of cancer among men of reproductive age. Patients with this condition usually present reduced semen quality, even before initiating cancer therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms by which testicular cancer seminoma affects male fertility are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in the sperm proteome of men with seminoma undergoing sperm banking before starting cancer therapy, in comparison to healthy proven fertile men (control group). A routine semen analysis was conducted before cryopreservation of the samples (n = 15 per group). Men with seminoma showed a decrease in sperm motility (P = 0.019), total motile count (P = 0.001), concentration (P = 0.003), and total sperm count (P = 0.001). Quantitative proteomic analysis identified 393 differentially expressed proteins between the study groups. Ten proteins involved in spermatogenesis, sperm function, binding of sperm to the oocyte, and fertilization were selected for validation by western blot. We confirmed the underexpression of heat shock-related 70 kDa protein 2 (P = 0.041), ubiquinol-cytochrome C reductase core protein 2 (P = 0.026), and testis-specific sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-4 (P = 0.016), as well as the overexpression of angiotensin I converting enzyme (P = 0.005) in the seminoma group. The altered expression levels of these proteins are associated with spermatogenesis dysfunction, reduced sperm kinematics and motility, failure in capacitation and fertilization. The findings of this study may explain the decrease in the fertilizing ability of men with seminoma before starting cancer therapy.
Acrosin/metabolism* ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Chaperonin Containing TCP-1/metabolism* ; Electron Transport Complex III/metabolism* ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism* ; Humans ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A/metabolism* ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex/metabolism* ; Proteomics ; Semen Analysis ; Seminoma/metabolism* ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase/metabolism* ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Testicular Neoplasms/metabolism*

Objective: To explore the effects of Zhibai Dihuang Decoction (ZDD) on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COX) in the spermatogenic cells of rats with ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection. METHODS: From forty 4－5 months old SD rats, 30 were randomly selected for the establishment of the model of testicular UU infection by inoculating the bladder with UU suspension and the other 10 injected with normal saline as controls (group A). At 7 days after inoculation, the rat models of testicular UU infection were treated orally with normal saline (group B), ZDD at 1 g per kg of the body weight per day (group C), and azithromycin at 0.105 g per kg of the body weight per day (group D), respectively, once daily for 21 days. Then all the animals were sacrificed and the epididymal and testicular tissues collected for examination of sperm motility with the color sperm dynamic detection system, measurement of the COX activity with the immunohistochemical DAB method, and determination of the mRNA expressions of COXⅠ and COXⅡ by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with group A, group B showed significant decreases in such sperm parameters as grade a sperm (［1.03 ± 0.09］ vs ［0.07 ± 0.03］ %, P<0.01), grade b sperm (［2.07 ± 0.52］ vs ［0.35 ± 0.13］ %, P<0.01), straight line velocity (VSL) (［10.95 ± 0.98］ vs ［6.78 ± 1.05］ μm/s, P<0.01), curvilinear velocity (VCL) (［42.03 ± 1.35］ vs ［38.10 ± 7.65］ μm/s, P>0.05), average path velocity (VAP) (［16.22 ± 1.52］ vs ［10.05 ± 1.80］ μm/s, P<0.01), and the mRNA expressions of COX Ⅰ (［2.25 ± 0.24］ vs ［0.93 ± 0.10］ %, P<0.01) and Ⅱ (［6.72 ± 0.37］ vs ［2.95 ± 0.78］ %, P<0.01). After treatment, all the parameters were remarkably increased in groups C and D (grade a sperm: ［1.11 ± 0.30］ and ［0.60 ± 0.19］%; grade b sperm: ［2.40 ± 0.59］ and ［1.32 ± 0.27］ %; VSL: ［12.11 ± 1.62］ and ［11.47 ± 1.21］ μm/s; VCL: ［54.30 ± 2.35］ and ［45.75 ± 1.64］ μm/s; VAP ［18.40 ± 1.27］ and ［16.69 ± 1.02］ μm/s; expression of COXⅠ mRNA: ［1.86 ± 0.30］ and ［1.74 ± 0.17］ %) as compared with those in group B (P<0.05or P<0.01) except the COX activity and the expression of COX Ⅱ mRNA (P>0.05), and all the parameters were significantly higher in group C than in D (P<0.05or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS UU infection can reduce grades a and b sperm, linear, curvilinear and mean sperm velocities, and the mRNA expressions of COX Ⅰ and Ⅱ while ZDD can improve these parameters. The improvement of sperm motility may not be associated with the activity of COX, and the COX activity may be related to the mRNA expression of COX II but not that of COXⅠ.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Azithromycin ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; metabolism ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Humans ; Male ; Mitochondria ; drug effects ; enzymology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; enzymology ; physiology ; Ureaplasma Infections ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Ureaplasma urealyticum