ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01108.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe hypo‐osmotic swelling (HOS) test has been proposed as a useful assay for evaluation of the functional competence of the human sperm membranes. To assess this further, the HOS‐test was evaluated in 187 semen samples collected from fertile men and from male patients consulting for infertility. These samples were classified as normal, oligo‐, astheno‐ or oligoasthenozoospermic on the basis of their standard semen variables. The percentage of total sperm tail swelling and of sperm exhibiting different tail swelling patterns was recorded. In the fertile men and in the group of patients with normal semen variables, significantly more (P0.001) HOS‐reactive sperm were observed after hypo‐osmotic treatment in comparison with those groups exhibiting abnormal semen parameters. Swelling of the sperm in a hypo‐osmotic medium was highly correlated with both progressive motility (r= 0.62, P<0.001) and sperm viability (r= 0.65, P<0.001). A weak positive correlation was also observed between sperm swelling and sperm morphological features (r= 0.31, P<0.005) and between sperm swelling and sperm concentration (r= 0.31, P<0.005). No significant correlation was observed between sperm swelling and in‐vitro sperm fertilizing capacity as assessed by the zona‐free hamster oocyte penetration assay. However the majority of the semen samples (87.3%) showing a normal penetration rate (≥ 10%) also exhibited a 60% (or higher) reaction in the HOS‐test. Finally, the results indicate that when the cut‐off values for the rate of total swollen sperm and tail tip (B pattern) swollen sperm were set at 45% and 20% respectively, rates were above the cut‐off value in all fertile and normozoospermic groups. These findings provide additional evidence of the worth of this assay in the evaluation of the subfertile men as a relevant part of a comprehensive

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01109.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThere is no conclusive evidence of the usefulness of tamoxifen in the treatment of idiopathic oligozoospermia (OAT‐syndrome), as it has been used mostly in uncontrolled studies. We herein report on the controlled treatment of OAT‐syndrome with tamoxifen versus placebo following a randomized design. Seventy‐six men with sperm counts of 2–20 times 106ml‐1, sperm motility of 20–50%, and sperm morphology (abnormal cells) between 50 and 80% were involved in the study. Patients with varicocele, a history of testicular maldescent or genital inflammation were excluded. Thirty‐nine patients received tamoxifen (30 mg daily), 37 patients placebo. There was a statistically significant increase in the mean serum testosterone level after treatment in the tamoxifen‐treated group (from 4.9 ± 1.9 to 7.9 ± 3.6 ng ml‐1) in comparison to the placebo group (5.3 ± 2.0 and 5.6 ± 2.0 ng ml‐1).serum FSH levels increased slightly in the tamoxifen group (from 6.8 ± 4.1 to 7.3 ± 4.8 mU ml‐1), but this was not statistically significant in comparison to the placebo group (from 5.9 ± 3.9 to 5.2 ± 3.5 mU ml‐1). Serum levels of LH did not show any differences between groups. The sperm count increased during treatment from 9.3 ± 11.7 to 11.4 ± 13.7 times 106ml‐1in the tamoxifen group and from 9.1 +‐ 7.1 to 9.3 +‐ 8.8 * 10‐1in the placebo group; this difference did not reach statiscal significance. The percentage of motile and abnormal sperm was not different between the two treatment groups. In 5 out 37 of the tamoxifen‐treated patients and in 3 out 39 patients of the placebo group, a conception in the female partner was recorded within 9 months after treatment. The fact that the difference in sperm output and pregnancy rate between tamoxifen‐and placebo‐treated men is not statistically significant in out study might be due to the small size of the groups, and a m

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01110.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummarySeventy‐three testicular biopsies from 54 children (aged 2 months‐14 years) with undescended testes were examined by light and electron microscopy. The biopsies included abdominal, inguinally fixed, inguinally moveable, and retractile testesl. Alterations in Sertoli cell morphology were found in all biopsies. The alterations included dilated elements of rough endoplasmic reticulum, vacuolization of the cytoplasm, mitochondria with poorly preserved cristae, increase in electron density of the matrix, elongation of the nuclei, and irregularities of the nuclear membrance. According to the numerical appearance of these cells and to the extent of lesions in single Sertoli cells, seven phases in the contionuous process of tubular alteration were distinguished. The most severe tubular damaged (phase VII>occurred when the seminiferous epithelium consisted exclusively of necrotic cells. All phases of tubular alterations were seen regularly in each of the biopsies investigated. Germ cells occurred only in phases I‐IV and were never observed in tubules in phases V‐VII. Significant differences became evident between inguinal and retractile tests by morphometric evaluation. It was demonstrated that the number of germcells per cross‐sectioned tubule (S/T value) correlated negatively with the percentage of tubules in phases V‐VII. In contrast to inguinal testes, a complete absence of Sertoli cells and an S/T value<0.1 were never found in retractile tests and the percentage of tubules in phases V‐VII was reduced signficantly compared with inguinal testes.Our findings indicate that (i) maldescended testis in patients between 1 and 15 years‐of‐age is associated with a special pattern of Sertoli cell degeneratlion; (ii) Sertoli cell degeneration is a continuous process, which can lead eventually to complete dissolution of the seminiferous epithelium; (ii) total degeneration is not related to age but is dependent on testicular pposition; (iv) a defined phase of degeneration excludes germ cell development, and therefore enhanced Sertoli cell degeneration in cryptorchid tests must also account for the reduction in

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01111.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryA prospective study was conducted on 61 unselected semen samples from infertile patients to compare the efficacy of human follicular fluid (hFF) or TEST‐egg yolk medium treatment in enhancing sperm performance in the zona‐free hamster oocyte penetration (HOP) test. Both hFF and TEST‐egg yolk enhanced penetration scores significantly in the HOP test in comparison with the control swim‐up sperm preparation. The TEST‐egg yolk medium treatment, however, exhibited the highest penetration scores, and there were higher percentages of preparations passing the 10 or 20|X% penetration rate cut‐off point with sperm exposed to the TEST‐egg yolk medium than those exposed to hFF. These results indicate that modification of the original HOP‐test protocol by incorporation of TEST‐egg yolk medium gives a greatly increased penetration rate when compared to the addition of hFF

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01112.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummarySperm obtained from groups of men with various semen profiles were incubated for 8 h in BWW medium containing human serum albumin to promote capacitation. Capacitation and the acrosome reaction were monitored by a chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence assay. Four distinct CTC patterns were observed on the sperm head. No significant difference was observed in the time‐course curve of these CTC patterns in sperm obtained from normozoospermic, asthenozoospermic and oligo‐zoospermic men. Spontaneous and A23187‐induced acrosome reactions were also comparable in these groups. However, in sperm obtained from teratozoospermic and polyzoospermic men, the increase in CTC pattern associated with capacitation appeared slower and sluggish. In these two groups, the induced acrosome reaction was also significantly lower when compared to that in the other three groups of men. In polyzoospermia, the spontaneous acrosome reaction was significantly lower when compared to all the other groups. Fresh sperm would not undergo the acrosome reaction following A23187 treatment. The results of this study indicate sluggish (defective) capacitation and inability of capacitated sperm to undergo induced acrosome reaction in teratozoospermic and polyzoospermic men as evaluated by the CTC m

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01113.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryTo investigate the role of the seminal vesicles (SV) and coagulating glands (CG) in fertilization in the rat, partial resections of the SV (25|X%–group B), 50|X%–group E, and 75|X%–group D) or bilateral resection of the SV alone (100%|X%group E), or together with the CG (group F) were undertaken. In other groups, bilateral resection of the CG only (group G), or bilateral resection of the CG with ipsilateral SV resection (group H) were performed. A group of sham‐operated rats served as controls (group A). There were no significant differences among groups A, B, C and D in the number of fertile rats post‐operatively but significant differences were evident in groups E, F, G, H when compared with the control group (P<0.01 for all groups). Only the fertile rats ere able to form copulatory plugs (CP) post‐operatively.Bilateral ligation of the SV ducts was performed in ten fertile rats. Post‐operatively, the proportion of fertile rats was decreased significantly (P<0.01). Removal of the ligatures resulted in a significant increase (P<0.01) in fertility. It was also demonstrated that the addition of rat seminal vesicular secretions (SVS) to epididymal sperm suspensions resulted in a significant decrease (P<0.001) in sperm motility.These results suggest that the SV and CG are necessary for fertility in rats, and that one role of SVS is the formation of a CP and not the maintenance of s

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01114.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryPhospholipase A2(PLA2) activity was measured in the reproductive organs of adult male rats. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine labelled with14C linoleic (lino‐PE lino‐PC) and arachidonic acid (ara‐PE ara‐PC) at the 2‐position were used as substrates. Lino‐PE was hydrolysed most strongly by homogenates of the distal cauda epididymis but the testis vas deferens and caput and corpus epididymis also contained hydrolytic activity. Ara‐PC and lino‐PC were hydrolysed by homogenates of the cauda epididymis and testis. No hydrolysis of ara‐PE was detected using homogenates of reproductive tissues.Chromatofocusing of testis homogenate resulted in the appearance of two active forms of PLA2with different pl‐values (6.5 and 5.6) when lino‐PE was used as substrate. Maximum activities of both enzymes with 1 mM Ca2+were observed at pH 9.5. These isoenzymes have marked differences in response to Cu2+Nethylmaleimide and p‐bromophenacyl bromide (p‐BPB). Cu2+and Nethylmaleimide had almost no effect on PLA2activity with a pi value of 6.5 but inhibited the other isoenzyme strongly; the latter was almost more resistant to p‐bromophenacyl bromide. Both enzymes hydrolysed lino‐PE most strongly.Chromatofocusing of an homogenate of cauda epididymis also revealed two isoenzymes of PLA2with different pl‐values (6.0 and 5.0). The latter form was resistant to p‐bromophenacyl bromide but was more sensitive to Triton X‐100 and sodium deoxycholate than was other isoenzyme. The pH optimum of the isoenzyme with a pi value of 6.0 ranged from 6.25 to 8.75 whilst the other isoenzyme was most active at pH 8.0–8.75. Both isoenzymes hydrolysed lino‐PE most actively whilst lino‐PC and a

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01115.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryTesticular peritubular cells have been shown to produce a paracrine factor, termed P‐Mod‐S, under androgen control that has dramatic effects on Sertoli cell function and may provide an important mode of androgen action in the testis. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the possibility that peritubular cell secretory products could feedback and regulate Leydig cell function. The Leydig cell functional parameters that were examined included testosterone production and inhibin secretion. Purified forms of P‐Mod‐S (P‐Mod‐S(A) and P‐Mod‐S(B) shown to be biologically active on Sertoli cells) had no effect on basal or gonadot‐rophin‐stimulated production of testosterone or inhibin by Leydig cells. A preparation of peritubular cell‐secreted proteins (PSP) with molecular weights>3 kDa did not influence testosterone production by Leydig cells. PSP, however, did influence cultured Leydig cell morphology and improved cell viability. PSP also had no effect on the ability of LH to stimulate Leydig cell testosterone production. Whilst determining the effect of PSP on Leydig cell inhibin production, PSP was found to contain endogenous levels of inhibin apparently due to 2% contamination of the peritubular cell cultures with Sertoli cells. When this endogenous inhibin level was considered, PSP was found to have no influence on basal or hormone‐stimulated production of inhibin by Leydig cells. Results of the current study indicate that peritubular cell secretory products, including the paracrine factor P‐Mod‐S, do not appear to play a major role in the regulation of Leydig cell function. Therefore, the regulation of Leydig cell function by the seminiferous tubule will primarily be due to Sert

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1992.tb01116.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY