No abstract available.
Sperm-Ovum Interactions* ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.
Sperm-Ovum Interactions* ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.
Chromatin* ; Humans* ; Population Characteristics* ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions* ; Spermatozoa*

Sperm membrane fluidity is one of the causes of male infertility, and it is thought to be related with temperature, reactive oxygen species, oxygen free radicals, anti-sperm antibodies, stilbestrol, and fenvalerate. A deeper insight into the influencing factors of sperm membrane fluidity is of vital importance for in vitro sperm preservation, revival of frozen-thawed sperm, in vitro fertilization and management of male infertility.
Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Membrane Fluidity ; Semen Preservation ; Sperm Motility ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; Spermatozoa ; physiology

To establish sperm penetrating assay (SPA) with using cryopreserved hamster oocyte, we performed the stepwise SPA with 1) fresh hamster oocyte and hamster sperm, 2) cryopreserved hamster oocyte and hamster sperm, 3) fresh hamster oocyte and human sperm, and 4) cryopreserved hamster oocyte and human sperm, in 4 cases of male hamster and 12 cases of fertile human. In SPA of hamster sperm with fresh hamster oocyte, the oocyte penetration rate (PR) were 100+0%, and the penetration index(mean penetration per oocyte, PI) was 22.4 +/- 1.8. In SPA of hamster sperm with cryopreserved hamster oocyte, the PR were 100 +/- 0%, and the Pl was 14.1 +/- 2.9 (p<0.01). When the oocytes were examined at 1, 2, 3, and 6 hour post insemination, hamster sperm penetration was 1 hour slower in cryopreserved oocytes than in fresh ones. In SPA of human sperm with fresh hamster oocyte, the PR was 79.5 +/- 10%, and the Pl was 2.78 +/- 2.6. In SPA of hamster sperm with cryopreserved hamster oocyte, the PR was 73.9+/- 16%, and the PI was 2.82 +/- 2.7. There`s no significant difference in SPA using human sperm. These results suggest that them may be some functional damages on cryopreserved oocyte, because Pl of fresh oocytes is higher than that of cryopreserved oocytes. However in sperm of human, it dose not make significant difference in Pl between fresh and cryopreserved oocytes. The SPA using cryopreserved hamster oocyte would appear to have wide application of the evaluation of infertility, the assessment of the treatment of infertility and the experiment in infertility field.
Animals ; Cricetinae* ; Humans ; Infertility ; Insemination ; Male ; Oocytes* ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions* ; Spermatozoa*

Human sperm-egg recognition, adhesion and fusion are key steps in the whole reproductive process. Some abnormalities in human gamete interaction have been shown to be due to defects in the sperm, others attributed to defects in the zona pellucida (ZP) and the egg plasma membrane. This paper reviews the molecular basis and molecular mechanisms of human sperm-egg interaction. More and more advances in the studies of these aspects are shown to be of significant value to the diagnosis and treatment of infertility as well as to the development of assisted reproductive techniques.
Acrosome Reaction ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; physiopathology ; Male ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; physiology ; Zona Pellucida

It is well known that mycoplasma can cause infection in the male reproductive tract. Some studies indicate that Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu), a species of mycoplasma, is associated with male infertility. Sulfogalactosylglycerolipid(SGG) is the major mammalian male germ cell glycolipid, synthesized via sulfation of galactosylglycerolipid in early primary spermatocytes. Some experiments have proved that SGG is implicated in sperm-egg binding by linking arylsulfatase A (AS-A), SGG's ligand on the egg. SGG can be desulfated by binding mycoplasmas and transformed galactosylglycerolipid, which doesn't bind AS-A. So the binding and degradation of the sperm SGG by mycoplasmas may play a role in the induction of male infertility. As a kind of mycoplasma, Uu can also bind SGG, which offers another explantion for the association of Uu infection with male infertility caused by Uu infection.
Female ; Galactolipids ; physiology ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Male ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; Spermatozoa ; chemistry

Sperm-egg plasma membrane interaction is one of the important steps of mammalian fertilization. Many sperm and egg surface proteins are reported to be involved in sperm-zona pellucida interaction. Sulfogalactosylglycerolipid(SGG) is the major sulfoglycolipid in the germ cells of mammalian and lower vertebrates, mainly in the sperm head. It is a differentiation marker in spermatogenesis restricted to the zygotene and early pachytene spermatocytes. Sulfolipidimmobilizing protein 1 (SLIP1) is the major sulfoglycolipid of mammalian germ cells and eggs, with the same localization as SGG in the sperm. SLIP1 binds specificity to SGG, both playing a vital role in sperm-egg interaction. This article is aimed at reviewing the localization of SGG and SLIP1 in the germ cell surface and their role and related mechanism in gamete formation.
Animals ; Carrier Proteins ; physiology ; Cell Membrane ; physiology ; Female ; Galactolipids ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; physiology

The luminal fluid environment of the female reproductive tract is considered critical for the sperm to undergo a series of molecular events leading to the final acquisition of their fertilizing capacity. It has been shown that the fluid in the female reproductive tract contains high content of HCO3- and it plays an important role in sperm functions including sperm motility, capacitation, hyperactivation and acrosome reaction. This review summarizes the effects of HCO3- on sperm functions occurring in the female reproductive tract and discusses the transport mechanisms involved in mediating uterine HCO3- secretion. New evidence is also presented to show possible cause of female infertility due to defective HCO3- transporting mechanism.
Animals ; Bicarbonates ; metabolism ; Female ; Fertilization ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Sperm Capacitation ; physiology ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; physiology ; Uterus ; metabolism ; secretion

Davallialactone (DAVA) is a hispidin analogue derived from the medicinal fungus Phellinus baumii. We examined the effect of DAVA on in vitro fertilization (IVF) of pigs. Boar spermatozoa were incubated in fertilization medium with varying concentrations of DAVA, then sperm motility and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were evaluated. Higher sperm motility was found following the addition of 0.5 or 1 µM DAVA after incubation than addition of other concentrations or controls. ROS level decreased significantly with the addition of DAVA. The rate of normal fertilization was higher in the presence of 1 µM DAVA (65.1%) than were those of other concentrations or controls (45.4~59.4%), and the highest total fertilization rate (mono- and polyspermic oocytes) was observed at 1 µM DAVA (83%). In conclusion, addition of DAVA to fertilization medium improved sperm motility, and reduced ROS level so as to potentially improve sperm-oocyte binding in IVF, suggesting the potential of a compound isolated from mushrooms in assisted reproductive technology for humans and animals.
Agaricales ; Animals ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Sperm Motility ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions* ; Spermatozoa* ; Swine*