Archives of andrology最新文献

Microdeletions of the so-called azoospermia factor (AZF) locus of the Y chromosome long arm (Yq) are an etiological factor of severe oligozoospermia or azoospermia. Patients affected are infertile unless assisted reproductive techniques are used. We report the case of an azoospermic patient (proband) and three brothers who inherited a Yq microdeletion from their father through a spontaneous pregnancy. Leukocyte DNA was extracted using a commercially available kit. A total of 15 pairs of sequence-tagged site (STSs) based primers, spanning the AZFa, b and c regions, were used for screening. All brothers and their father carried a Yq microdeletion of the AZFb subregion where the RNA-binding motif (RBM) gene is located. The proband carried additional deletions of the AZFa and AZFb subregions. RBM deletion can be associated with oligozoospermia allowing natural conception and therefore natural transmission of this genetic anomaly.

In male infertility, the frequency of genetic factors is high. Klinefelter's Syndrome is the most frequent sex chromosomal abnormality detected in male infertility. In this study we report a patient diagnosed with Klinefelter's Syndrome with a deletion of the Yq interval. The patient was 24-years old with primary infertility. Semen analyses carried out in triplicate indicated azoospermia. The plasma leutenizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were abnormally high and the testosterone level was lower than the usual range. Each of his testes had a volume of 3 cc. Peripheral blood karyotype analysis showed Klinefelter's Syndrome (47, XXY) pattern. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA was performed using the following primers; AZFa (sY81, sY82, sY84), AZFb (sY127, sY142, sY164, RBM1), AZFc (CDY, BPY, sY254, sY255, sY277), AZFd (sY152, sY145, sY153). Analysis revealed a single deletion of AZFa region (sY84). Deletion of the AZFa region may be an additional factor for absolute azoospermia in men with Klinefelter's Syndrome. For individuals with Klinefelter's Syndrome who plan to undergo assisted reproduction techniques, Y chromosome microdeletion screening can diagnostically be convenient.

To evaluate the effect of chymotrypsin on the examination of alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma, thirty-nine samples of fresh liquefied semen with or without chymotrypsin and forty-eight samples of fresh un-liquefied semen with chymotrypsin were determined for the total alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma. The total alpha-glucosidase level of each sample was assayed by the method of glucose oxidase. The correlations between alpha-glucosidase level and semen parameters, including semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, grade a and b motility and total motility, were analyzed with SPSS 11.0 software. The results showed that chymotrypsin had no effect on seminal alpha-glucosidase activity determination. Chymotrypsin could improve the liquefaction for un-liquefied semen, and there was no significant difference of alpha-glucosidase activity between liquefied and un-liquefied semen samples. There were significantly positive correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase activity (U/ml) and sperm concentration (r = 0.338, p = 0.015) and between total alpha-glucosidase activity (U/ejaculate) and semen volume (r = 0.677, p = 0.000). However, there was no significant correlation between alpha-glucosidase level (U/ml) and semen volume, pH, sperm motility or grade a and b motility (r = -0.234 approximately 0.077, p = 0.099 approximately 0.993). The data indicated that chymotrypsin could be added into the un-liquefied semen samples for alpha-glucosidase activity determination, and there were different correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase level and various semen parameters.

The presence of antisperm antibodies in male individuals before puberty is controversial due to the lack of finally differentiated male germ cells. It was questioned whether the pathologic conditions of the male gonad may influence antisperm antibody formation in individuals before puberty. Sera samples of 76 individuals and 10 healthy boys with testicular failure (mainly uni- or bilateral cryptorchidism) were examined by means of indirect immunobead-binding test (IDIBT). The presence of antisperm antibodies was found in 3.95% of the studied subjects. Antibodies recognizing antigenic determinants present on the surface of mature sperm cells may be produced before puberty in individuals suffering from cryptorchidism or the other gonadal disorders. Antisperm antibodies that did develop in a minority of the studied male population may be proof for individual predispositions to autoimmune reactions.

We attempted to provide an instruction for the standardization of alpha-glucosidase level determination and quality controls within the same laboratory and among different laboratories. Each of 51 semen samples was divided into two aliquots, centrifuging at 1000 g for 10 min or 3000 g for 15 min. The alpha-glucosidase level and sperm concentration of each sample were assayed. The alpha-glucosidase level in seminal plasma obtained at 3000 g for 15 min centrifugation was significantly lower than that at 1000 g for 10 min (p = 0.001). An additional 6 samples of seminal plasma with or without phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), obtained at 3000 g for 15 min centrifugation, were frozen for 20 days, and each of 6 samples was determined for their alpha-glucosidase levels after thawing every other day. There was no significant difference between alpha-glucosidase levels in seminal plasma regardless of the presence of PMSF. The alpha-glucosidase level increased with the length of abstinence period. In conclusion, centrifugal velocity and abstinence time should be standardized in the alpha-glucosidase determination. Frozen seminal plasma may serve as the sample for quality control among clinical laboratories.

The question of whether extremely low frequency magnetic fields can affect biological system has attracted attention. The theoretical possibility of such an interaction is often questioned and the site of interaction is unknown. The influence of extremely low frequency magnetic field of 50 Hz, 5 mTesla on sex hormone status was studied. 60 male albino rats were divided into 6 groups and were continuously exposed to 50 Hz, 5 mTesla magnetic field generated by magnetic field chamber for periods of 1, 2 and 4 weeks. For each experimental point, sham treated group was used as a control. Assay of serum testosterone LH, FSH, and prolactin were performed. Serum testosterone showed no significant changes. FSH showed significant increase than sham exposed group after 1 week magnetic field exposure. LH showed significant increase than sham exposed group only after 4 weeks magnetic field exposure, while serum prolactin hormone level showed a significant increase in all magnetic field exposed groups than sham exposed animals. Exposure to 50 Hz, 5 mTesla magnetic field for periods of 1, 2 and 4 weeks has no effect on testosterone level, some changes on FSH and LH serum levels and increase in serum prolactin level.

Membrane fusion is a very important process in gametes. The mechanism of membrane fusion during the AR has been proposed to involve SNAREs. Our aim is to quantify patterns of localization of Caveolin 1, SNAREs (Syntaxin 1A, Syntaxin 2 and VAMP 1) and NSF on human sperm, to determine how the differential distribution of these proteins might be interdependent and to evaluate if this distribution is related with seminal parameters. These proteins are present in different regions of the head of human sperm: anterior, equatorial and posterior regions and that Syntaxin 2 and Syntaxin 1A had a slightly different pattern of labelling. The presence and localization of SNAREs, NSF and Caveolin 1 do not correlate with seminal parameters. There is significant correlation between NSF and SNAREs, which may indicate a cooperation of these proteins in membrane fusion mechanisms of human sperm.

This study was conducted to compare pregnancy rates following two different timings of intrauterine insemination (IUI) in ovarian stimulated cycles. This retrospective study included 135 couples undergoing treatment for infertility. IUI was performed at either 24 hr or 36 hr after hCG injection. Pregnancy rates did not differ between the two groups or in subgroups receiving different methods of ovarian stimulation. Pregnancy rates were similar when IUI was performed at either 24 or 36 hr after hCG injection in ovarian stimulated cycles.

Two recent tests have claimed to identify the subfertile male even when other semen parameters were normal: the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and abnormal sperm nuclear morphology using much higher magnification. The present study attempted to determine if having a high (> 30%) DNA fragmentation index (DFI), thus resulting in an abnormal SCSA test, is associated with a greater likelihood of sperm with abnormal nuclei. Four males with high DFI scores (57.6%, 65.4%, 31.0%, and 35.3%) had their nuclei evaluated by a complex microscope set-up that magnifies the sperm at least 6000x. The corresponding % of normal nuclei was 0%, 20.0%, 23.7% and 40.0%. The mean and median % of normal nuclei was 20.9+/-16.43 and 21.8, respectively. More studies of similarly matched refractory in vitro fertilization cases, where males have normal DFI scores, are needed to determine if having a high DFI index is associated with a lower percentage of normal nuclei.

This study was conducted to localize estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) in the rat urinary bladder respect to gender. The bladder dome and trigone of 16 Sprague Dawley rats (Male: 8, Female: 8) were evaluated utilizing the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique (RT-PCR) to detect ERbeta signal. Chi square test was used for statistical analysis. ERbeta was present in the bladder of 13 rats and absent in 3. The side of expression was bladder trigone in 13 rats and besides ERbeta (M: 1, F: 2) was also present in the bladder dome of 3. The relationship between the distribution of ERbeta in the bladder and gender was not different. ERbeta is present in the bladder trigone of rats independent of gender. Estrogen action in the bladder trigone is also important in males besides females.