摘要:

SummaryOver a 4‐year period, 259 men were investigated for primary (86%) or secondary (14%) infertility. Some 3–5 years after the initial investigation, 200 of these men were followed up and the conception rate of their partners assessed. Their age at investigation, total testicular volume, sperm density, sperm motility, percentage morphologically normal sperm and the duration of infertility all gave information about the prospects of conception. A stepwise discriminant analysis showed that the age of the men at investigation, sperm density, sperm motility and the duration of infertility all had a strong discriminant bearing on future conception. A score based on these four variables for the estimation of prognosis in ‘subfertile’ men has been devised and would seem to be clinically

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01279.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe sperm motility characteristics of 140 men (percentage motile and average velocity of all sperm in motion: percentage progressive and the average velocity of sperm swimming more than 15 μm/sec) were determined using a laser‐Doppler technique and correlated with other aspects of sperm quality, including the concentration and the proportion of abnormal and dead sperm in the ejaculate. In addition, the influence of the length of the period of abstinence, the viscosity of seminal plasma and the volume of the ejaculate were also assessed. The four motility characteristics were all highly correlated with each other. The magnitude of all four parameters increased in an exponential fashion with increasing sperm number up to 400 × 106per ejaculate. At higher numbers, no further improvement in motility was observed. Moreover, increasing sperm number was associated with a decline in the proportion of sperm exhibiting abnormalities in morphology but with an increase in viable sperm 30 min after ejaculation. The relative viscosity of the ejaculates had generally no influence on sperm motility. In contrast, certain of the sperm motility characteristics, including the average velocity, were significantly negatively correlated with the length of the abstinence per

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01280.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryAntisperm antibodies were tested for by the MAR‐test and the tray agglutination test in 16 men with spinal cord injury. None of these men could ejaculate without artificial methods. Seven men ejaculated externally by vibrator stimulation or electroejaculation, while seven exhibited retrograde ejaculation; in two cases no semen was obtained. Sperm density in the external ejaculations was high (average = 405 × 106/ml), with 10–45% motility. None of these 16 men had antisperm antibodies. This result indicates that anejaculation and sperm retention in men with spinal cord injury, even of 30 years duration, does not result in antisperm antibody forma

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01281.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe activity of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was assessed in human body fluids (serum, seminal plasma, prostatic secretions), in tissue extracts of the testis, epididymis, prostate and skeletal muscle, in split ejaculates and in seminal plasma obtained from patients before and after vasectomy. To ensure the specificity of the results the dependence of ACE activity on specific inhibitors was evaluated. Enzyme activity found in tissues of the male genital tract was considerably higher than that in serum and other tissues. ACE in human seminal plasma is synthesized by the testis, epididymis and prostate in different amounts.

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01282.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryWhilst in their native epididymal fluid, sperm from the caput epididymis of the rat and hamster contain significantly (P<0.01) greater amounts of cAMP than do sperm from the cauda epididymis. The cAMP levels in both cell types from these species underwent a rapid increase concomitant with dilution to a density of 20 × 106/ml. Further analyses in the hamster indicated that this increase was calcium‐dependent, and could be enhanced by treatment with the calmodulin antagonist, calmidazolium. Dilution of hamster sperm to a concentration of 1 × 106/ml was not associated with a rapid rise in cAMP levels. This effect was shown to be due to the dilution of a component in epididymal plasma. When incubated at this lower density, the cAMP content of hamster caput sperm remained low over a 3 h period, whilst similarly treated caudal sperm exhibited a progressive rise in cAMP levels. Thus, in contrast to other species, cAMP does not appear to play a pivotal role in acquisition of the capacity for movement during epididymal maturation in the rat and hamster. However, this nucleotide may be involved in the post‐ejaculatory modifications of motility which accompany the terminal stages of capacit

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01283.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryRats were treated with a single high dose of methoxy acetic acid (MAA; 650 mg/kg) specifically to deplete seminiferous tubules of pachytene and later spermatocytes. The impact of this selective depletion on subsequent spermatogenesis, sperm output and fertility was then evaluated at intervals ranging from 3 days to 10 weeks. Cauda epididymal sperm number was reduced progressively beyond 2 weeks post‐treatment and reached a nadir at 5–6 weeks (28–34% of control values) before recovering progressively back to control levels at 10 weeks. Sperm motility was reduced significantly at 4–7 weeks post‐treatment with a nadir at 6 weeks (35% of control values). Thus, at 5–6 weeks after MAA treatment, motile sperm output was reduced by 82–88%. Despite these changes, there was little evidence for infertility in the majority of treated males during a serial mating trial.Evaluation of seminiferous tubule morphology combined with germ cell counts at stage VII of the spermatogenic cycle confirmed that, initially, MAA induced the specific loss of pachytene and later spermatocytes at all stages other than early to mid stage VII. Maturation depletion of germ cells at later invervals was consistent with the initial effects of MAA, although at 21 days post‐treatment a number of unpredicted (? secondary) changes in spermatogenesis were observed. These were (a) a reduction in number of pachytene spermatocytes at late stage VII/early stage VIII, (b) retention of sperm at stages IX‐XIV, and (c) increased degeneration of pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids at stage VII and of secondary spermatocytes at stages XIV‐I. Whilst none of these changes was severe, together they probably accounted for the unexpectedly prolonged drop in sperm output.It is concluded that whilst deleterious changes in spermatogenesis may occur secondarily following MAA treatment, for the most part spermatogenesis proceeds normally and fertility is largely maintained despite a massive but transient decre

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01284.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryStereological studies were performed to determine the number of Sertoli cells present during the postnatal development of the rat testes. Sprague‐Dawley rats aged from 1 to 70 days were used in two experiments, and in each were fixed by vascular perfusion and embedded in Epon‐Araldite, subsequent to which 1 μm sections stained with Toluidine blue were prepared. In the first experiment, rats aged from 1 to 20 days were used in groups of three, and number estimates were made using a direct counting method. In the second, which used groups of four rats aged from 20 to 70 days, a point sampled intercept was used to estimate nuclear volume and thence number. The results of the experiments indicate that the newborn rat testis contains 1.3 ± 0.2 × 106Sertoli cells and that this number increases to 38.4 ± 2.7 × 106at day 15. No further increase in Sertoli cell number occurred thereafter up to day 7

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01285.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummarySpecific arginine vasopressin (AVP) binding sites were identified and characterized using Leydig cell membranes prepared from a clonal murine Leydig‐derived cell line, TM3.3H‐AVP binding data analyses demonstrated that the radioligand binds to a high affinity, low capacity, homogeneous class of sites with a dissociation constant of 0.5 nM. Characterization of these AVP binding sites included competition studies. Displacement of3H‐AVP binding with high affinity by unlabelled AVP, LVP and the V1 antagonist, d(CH2)sTyr(Me)AVP, indicated that the Leydig cell AVP receptor is of the V1 type. Furthermore, AVP did not increase adenylate cyclase activity in TM3membranes, a finding consistent with the V1 type of AVP receptor. No competition with3H‐AVP was found with the V2 agonist, dVDAVP, or the selective oxytocin agonist, [Thr4, Gly7]oxytocin. No specific binding for oxytocin was found in Leydig cell membranes. No specific binding for either3H‐AVP or3H‐oxytocin was observed in membranes prepared from the Sertoli cell line or peritubular cell line. These findings indicate that murine Leydig cells have specific AVP binding sites of the V1 type. These AVP sites are not coupled to the adenylate cyc

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01286.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryNorthern blot analysis was used to determine the expression pattern of a testis‐specific, heat shock gene (hsp70)‐related transcript (hst70 RNA) in rats during sexual maturation, following administration of busulphan and in aged rats with progressive tubular degeneration. The level of the hst70 RNA in testes of rats aged 4, 7, 12,19, 21 or 24 months decreased gradually with age. In the atrophic testes of old rats with tubules depleted of germ cells, the hst70 transcript was undetectable. Transient arrest of spermatogenesis in rats aged 2 months following injection of a single dose of busulphan (10 mg/kg) resulted in a parallel but transient decrease in the transcript level to undetectable values, followed by its reappearance after resumption of spermatogenesis. The transcript was absent from testes containing tubules depleted of spermatocytes and spermatids and reappeared when a new generation of round spermatids repopulated the seminiferous tubules. Possible expression of the hst70 gene prior to the formation of early spermatids is discus

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01287.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe effect of chloroquine stimulation on the motility of porcine sperm stored for 6 h and on the subsequent conception rate was assessed. There was a drastic decline in sperm motility after 6 h storage at 4° and 25°C and a concomitant depression in their conception rate. However, chloroquine stimulation restored these functions towards normal, especially in sperm stored at 25°C. These observations, coupled with the stability of the litter size, regardless of treatment, suggest that chloroquine can be used in an artificial insemination programme involving the utilization of semen several hours after collection and some distance away from the source of the ejacula

ISSN:0105-6263    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2605.1989.tb01288.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1989

数据来源: WILEY