bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of ethane dimethane sulphonate (EDS) on seminiferous tubule function in rats
Authors: O'LEARY P. C. , JACKSON A. E. , IRBY D. C. , DE KRETSER D. M.
Published: May 2008

The effects of a single injection of ethane dimethane sulphonate (EDS) on aspects of seminiferous tubule function were assessed over a period of 49 days. Ethane dimethane sulphonate, which is known to cause destruction of Leydig cells, reduced the levels of testosterone in both serum and testicular interstitial fluid for 21 days, after which recovery occurred. The low testosterone levels were associated with elevated serum levels of LH and FSH. Daily sperm production was decreased from 14 to 42 days post‐EDS but returned to control levels at 49 days. The production of seminiferous tubule fluid, measured after unilateral efferent duct ligation, decreased significantly at 7 and 14 days but then recovered. The testicular content of androgen binding protein (ABP) was decreased from 14 to 28 days but returned to normal thereafter. These results demonstrate significant effects on seminiferous tubule function, which may be due to the decrease in testosterone or be associated with a direct effect of EDS.
Simple model and empirical method for the estimation of spontaneous pregnancies in couples consulting for infertility
Authors: COMHAIRE F. H.
Published: May 2008

Based on simple theoretical models and on the analysis of data of over 12 000 couples, a simple formula is proposed to predict the probability of spontaneous (treatment‐independent) pregnancies in couples consulting for infertility after at least 12 months of unprotected intercourse. For a duration of infertility of between 12 months and 48 months the probability of conception per cycle of exposure is 4 × 0.97n× (a) × (bm) × (bf), where n is the number of months of unsuccessful trial to conceive, a refers to the type of infertility (primary vs secondary), bm depends on the severity of impairment of semen parameters, and bf relates to the age and pathology of the female partner. Some tentative values for these factors are calculated.
Ontogeny and cellular origin of a rat seminiferous tubule factor(s) that inhibits LH‐dependent testosterone production by interstitial cells in vitro
Authors: SYED V. , KHAN S. A. , LINDH M. , RITZÉN E. M.
Published: May 2008

Previous studies have shown the presence of a peptide in spent media from incubated seminiferous tubules (SMST), which inhibits LH stimulation of testosterone production by rat Leydig cells in vitro. The present study has investigated whether the secretion of this inhibitor changes during development in the rat. Seminiferous tubules obtained from rats aged 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 42, 50 or 60 days were incubated at 32°C for 24 h. Spent media from these incubations were then added to interstitial cells isolated from the testes of rats aged 60 days. Spent media from rats aged 10–30 days had no effect on basal or oLH‐stimulated testosterone production by interstitial cells during 3‐h incubation. Significant inhibition of LH‐stimulated testosterone production was, however, observed with SMST from rats aged 35–60 days. Spent media prepared using tubules from normal, prenatally irradiated (Sertoli cell‐enriched) or seminiferous tubules, depleted of peritubular cells, had no effect on basal, but inhibited LH‐stimulated, testosterone production. Spent media from peritubular cell cultures had no effect on basal or LH‐stimulated testosterone production by interstitial cells. The inhibitory effect of SMST was also dependent on the age of the rats providing the target cells. Interstitial cells from rats aged 10, 20, 50 or 60 days were responsive to the inhibitor while cells from rats aged 30 and 40 days were not. The results of the present study demonstrate that the seminiferous tubule factor(s), which inhibits LH action on interstitial cells, is first secreted at 35 days, a time when the most mature germ cells present are in the early maturation phase. Moreover, interstitial cells are responsive to this factor in both immature (10–20 day‐old) and mature (50–60 day‐old) rats, but not at ages in between these times. It is suggested that the adult Sertoli cell is the major source of the interstitial cell inhibitor.
4‐Bromo‐7‐hydroxyindan oxime — a new potent spermicidal agent
Authors: YU Z.‐H. , GU Z.‐P. , ZHANG X.‐D. , WAN F.
Published: May 2008

The spermicidal effect of eleven chelating agents with a ring structure was evaluated using human spermatozoa. All were potent spermicides in vitro. 4‐Bromo‐7‐hydroxyindan oxime (S‐11) was the most potent and its lowest effective concentration for immobilizing sperm within 20 sec was 0.02 mg/ml; its toxicity was also the lowest of the compounds tested with an acute LD50 of 2936 mg/kg. In rabbits, S‐11 caused no local irritation to the conjunctiva or quadriceps femoris muscle at a concentration of 0.02 mg/ml. Heart, liver, kidney, spleen, lung and vagina showed no pathological changes when vaginal pessaries containing 1 or 10 mg of S‐11 were administered daily, six times a week for 90 days. When vaginal pessaries of 8 or 40 mg S‐11 were administered on days 7–15 after mating, no significant abnormality in general appearance, in the viscera or bone development of foetuses were found.
Effect of an LHRH‐agonist on testicular microcirculation in hypophysectomized rats
Authors: DAMBER J. E. , BERGH A. , WIDMARK A.
Published: May 2008

The effect of an LHRH‐agonist on testicular vasomotion was studied in adult hypophysectomized rats. At 0.5 and 1 h after injection of 1 μg LHRH‐agonist, no effect on vasomotion was observed, but after 2 h the pulsatile blood flow pattern had changed to continuous flow in 50% of the rats. At 4 h after treatment with LHRH‐agonist, vasomotion was not detected in the testis of any rat. In addition, at the latter time an increased number of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) were observed in testicular microvessels, and some PMNs had migrated into the interstitial space. These findings are discussed in relation to the well‐known stimulatory effect of LHRH‐agonists on testicular interstitial fluid volume.
Some effects of furazolidone on the testis and plasma levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin in mature male turkeys
Authors: ALI B. H. , SILSBY J. L. , LOSETH K. J. , CRABO B. , HALAWANI M. E. EL
Published: May 2008

Adult male turkeys were treated orally with furazolidone at doses of 1, 2.5, S or 20 mg/kg for 14 days and their plasma analysed for luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone and prolactin (PRL) concentrations before, during and after treatment. At 20 mg/kg the drug produced a significant decrease in the plasma levels of LH and testosterone at the end of treatment, whereas at 5 mg/kg the drug had no significant effect. Prolactin concentrations were unaffected by any of the drug doses used. Intramuscular injection of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) at a dose of 5 μg/kg produced after 30 min a significant rise in plasma levels of LH, an effect that was decreased significantly by treatment with 20 mglkg furazolidone. Incubation of normal turkey semen with graded doses of furazolidone or nitrofura‐zone for up to 30 min resulted in a dose‐ and time‐dependent decrease in sperm motility. At a concentration of 20 mg/ml a complete absence of sperm motility was observed after incubation with either drug, although, on the whole, nitrofurazone seemed more potent than furazolidone as a sperm‐immobilizing agent. Histological changes occured in the 20 mg/kg group and consisted of a decrease in spermatocyte production, corrugation of sperm cell nuclear envelopes and distention of the endoplasmic reticulum of elongate spermatids. It is concluded that furazolidone depresses pituitary LH output but may, in addition, directly affect spermatogenesis and sperm motility.
Characterization of insulin binding and comparative action of insulin and insulin‐like growth factor I on purified Leydig cells from the adult rat
Authors: RIGAUDIERE N. , LOUBASSOU S. , GRIZARD G. , BOUCHER D.
Published: May 2008

Insulin binding and insulin action were characterized in adult rat Leydig cells, purified on discontinuous Percoll gradients. Binding of [125I]‐porcine insulin was found to be dependent on time, temperature, cell concentration and Leydig cell specific gravity. Competition relative to porcine insulin (100) was as follows: insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I): < 1; proinsulin: 5; guinea‐pig insulin: 2; hCG, ovine prolactin and bovine GH: O. High and low affinity binding sites for insulin were identified on purified Leydig cells with Ka values of 1.2 × 109 and 0.3 × 108 m‐1 with 10 300 and 34 000 binding sites per cells, respectively. Using primary cultures of Leydig cells in serum‐free medium, the action of insulin on steroidogenesis was studied and compared with IGF‐I action. Insulin and IGF‐I used at 1–35 nM enhanced basal testosterone production in a dose‐dependent manner; the effect was significant 4 h after administration. Insulin or IGF‐I also potentiated the effect of hCG on steroidogenesis during short‐term incubation (4 h). Insulin was shown to improve hCG responsiveness without modifying sensitivity to hCG. Moreover, neither cell number nor hCG‐binding was altered by insulin, IGF‐I or a combination of the two. Concomitant treatment with insulin and IGF‐I at half‐maximal and maximally effective doses, in the presence or absence of hCG, indicated that the two factors synergized in the stimulation of testosterone production via a common saturable mechanism.
Randomized clinical trial of testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal men
Authors: CONWAY ANN J. , BOYLAN LYN M. , HOWE C. , ROSS GLYNIS , HANDELSMAN D. J.
Published: May 2008

We have compared the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the three commonly used testosterone formulations in a prospective, randomized cross‐over clinical trial. Plasma free and total testosterone and their ratio (proportion of unbound testosterone), sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG), oestradiol, LH and FSH were measured in 15 hypogonadal men (nine hyper‐ and six hypo‐gonadotrophic) who underwent, in a randomized sequence, three treatment periods each separated by an intervening washout period. The treatments were: (i) intramuscular injection of 250 mg mixed testosterone esters at 2‐weekly intervals, (ii) oral testosterone undecanoate 120 mg bd, and (iii) subcutaneous testosterone pellets (6 times 100 mg). Pellet implantation gave the most prolonged effect with free and total testosterone levels being elevated for up to 4 months. This was accompanied by prompt and sustained suppression of plasma LH and FSH, an increase in plasma levels of oestradiol but no change in SHBG levels. In contrast, intramuscular injections induced marked but reproducible week‐to‐week fluctuations in free and total testosterone, which resulted in a small decrease in plasma SHBG levels, less marked suppression of LH and FSH and a smaller increase in plasma levels of oestradiol. Oral testosterone undecanoate produced the most variable plasma levels of free and total testosterone with a peak in the first treatment week and a fall thereafter and, despite maintenance of testosterone levels within the physiological range, there was no significant suppression of plasma levels of LH and FSH, and oestradiol levels were unchanged but levels of SHBG and total cholesterol were decreased. Free testosterone levels were increased disproportionately during testosterone treatment as the proportion of unbound testosterone was increased by all three treatments. All three testosterone preparations lowered plasma levels of urea and all were without biochemical or haematological toxicity. Reported sexual function was better maintained and side‐effects were fewer with parenteral compared with oral treatments. The marked decrease in SHBG and cholesterol levels during oral testosterone undecanoate, when com pared with parenteral treatments, occurred despite lesser androgenic effects (suppression of gonadotrophin levels and reported sexual function), which suggests that the liver is exposed to excessive androgenic load via the portal vein during oral treatment with testosterone esters. It is concluded that testosterone pellets give the closest approximation to zero‐order (steady‐state) delivery conditions for up to 4 months after a single insertion. This is the most satisfactory approximation to physiological androgen replacement currently available, although improvements in androgen preparations are required.
Multivariate discriminate analysis of the relationship between the hypo‐osmotic swelling test and the in‐vitro fertilizing capacity of human sperm
Authors: CHAN S. Y. W. , WANG C. , NG M. , SO W. W. K. , HO P. C.
Published: May 2008

Multivariate discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the usefulness of routine semen parameters and the hypo‐osmotic swelling test (HOST) as predictors of the in‐vitro fertilizing capacity of human sperm as assessed by the zona‐free hamster egg penetration assay (HEPA). Eighty‐eight semen samples from untreated patients attending an infertility clinic were analysed. Semen samples were classified into the following three groups before statistical analysis: group l—positive sperm penetration (≥10%, >n = 39); group 2—rderline penetration rates for HEPA (>0 but <10%, n= 39) and group 3—gative sperm penetration (0, n= 10). The percentage of sperm with normal morphology and sperm count were found to be significant in discriminating between semen samples exhibiting different in‐vitro fertilizing capacity. These two discriminating variables in combination gave an overall correct classification rate of 45.5%. The multivariate discriminant analysis was also performed after excluding the data of group 2 semen samples (n= 39), which exhibited borderline sperm penetration rates. As a result, three discriminating variables including semen volume, sperm count and the percentage of sperm with normal morphology were selected. These three variables in combination could accurately predict whether a semen sample would exhibit positive sperm penetration (group 1) or negative sperm penetration (group 3) with an overall accuracy of 75.5%. The percentage of swollen sperm after hypo‐osmotic treatment was not related to the HEPA result, as determined by linear correlation and multiple regression analyses, and did not give additional information about the in‐vitro fertilizing capacity of sperm as evaluated by multivariate discriminant analysis.
Recovery of sperm production following the cessation of gossypol treatment: a two‐centre study in China
Authors: MENG G.‐D. , ZHU J.‐C. , CHEN Z.‐W. , WONG L.‐T. , ZHANG G.‐Y. , HU Y.‐Z. , DING J.‐H. , WANG X.‐H. , QIAN S.‐Z. , WANG CHRISTINA , MANCHIN D. , PINOL A. , WAITES G.M.H.
Published: May 2008

A number of variables were investigated in 46 men who had stopped taking gossypol for their predictive association with the degree and time of recovery of spermatogenesis. Thirty‐nine (87%) of the men were azoospermic at cessation of gossypol treatment. In those with sperm present the geometric mean concentration and total sperm count were 8.3 × 106/ml and 30.7 × 106, respectively. Twenty‐eight men (61%) recovered to a defined threshold of spermatogenic function (sperm concentration 20 × 106/ml), with a median recovery time of 1.1 years. However, 18 men (39%) had not recovered to this degree of spermatogenic function after a median follow‐up of 1.9 years and, of these, 10 (22%) remained azoospermic. The influence of individual baseline variables on the time to defined recovery was examined using Kaplan‐Meier curves for groups and their joint effect by Cox's regression model. The failure of recovery was strongly associated with longer treatment, greater total dose of gossypol, smaller testicular volume, elevated FSH concentrations and, to a lesser extent, with greater body weight.
A study on budding protrusions of human seminiferous tubules
Authors: TERADA T. , HATAKEYAMA S.
Published: May 2008

In order to elucidate the morphogenesis of seminiferous tubular protrusions, histometric, microscopic and electron microscopic studies were performed on the testes of 202 Japanese men, including 117 sudden deaths, 75 hospital deaths and 10 prostatic cancer cases. Protrusions usually occurred at outer convexes of multibending tubular portions and were divided into dome, sessile, pedunculated and multi‐branched types. Aggregated Sertoli cells were present in dome‐type protrusions as a major component, and spermatogenesis associated with active mitoses of spermatogonia was induced with development of protrusions. Protruding walls consisted of inner compact and outer loose layers. Distribution of lipid droplets in Sertoli cell cytoplasm in protrusions was different from those in the original tubules. The incidence of protrusions peaked in the forties and sixties, respectively, in the case of hospital and sudden death cases with underlying tubular atrophy. The findings suggest that tubular protrusions take place as a compensatory reaction for declining spermatogenesis, and therefore, probably represent a regenerative phenomenon in hypospermatogenic testes.
Effects of local heating of the testis on testicular blood flow and testosterone secretion in the rat
Authors: GALIL K. A. A. , SETCHELL B. P.
Published: May 2008

Exposure of one or both testes of rats to heating at 43°C for 30 min resulted in a significant reduction in blood flow per testis, as measured using microspheres. The effects on the testes of unilateral and bilateral heating were similar, although the changes in FSH levels in peripheral blood were in general less marked after unilateral heating. Testicular blood flow fell, along with testicular weight, beginning at 24 days and reaching minimum values 14–21 days after heating. Both blood flow per testis and testicular weight were beginning to recover 35 days post‐heating and blood flow per testis was normal by 56 days following heat treatment, although testicular weight was still slightly reduced at that time. Heating one or both testes to 42°C produced similar but smaller responses 21 days later, whereas temperatures of 41°C or lower were without effect on the parameters measured, except for some rises in serum LH and FSH. With slight reductions in blood flow, there were corresponding increases in testicular venous testosterone concentration so that testosterone secretion was unaffected. Further reductions in blood flow at 14 and 21 days after heating to 43°C were not fully compensated by an increase in the concentration of testosterone in testicular venous blood, with the result that testosterone secretion fell.
Effect of age and busulphan treatment on the hsp70 gene‐related transcript level in rat testes
Authors: KRAWCZYK Z. , SZYMIK N.
Published: May 2008

Northern 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 discussed.
Effect of gossypol on the concentration of sodium and potassium in the rat epididymis
Authors: KAUR S.
Published: May 2008

The effects of administration of gossypol acetic acid (7.5 mg/kg daily for 4 weeks) on the concentration of Na+ and K+ in the rat epididymis was assessed. Epididymal fluid samples, collected by micropuncture, from the caput, corpus, proximal cauda and distal cauda epididymis from gossypol‐treated and control animals were analysed for Na+ and K+ concentrations. Gossypol‐treated males failed to impregnate healthy females, presumably because their sperm were immotile. In gossypol‐treated rats, Na+ levels decreased significantly (P<0.01) in the caput, corpus, proximal and distal cauda epididymis. In contrast, the K+ concentration was increased significantly (P<0.05) only in the caput and corpus epididymis. This altered electrolyte milieu may be responsible, to some extent, for immotility and hence infertility.
The effect of long‐term treatment with crude cotton seed oil on pituitary and testicular function in men
Authors: GUI‐YUAN Z. , MENG‐CHUN J. , JIN‐LAI C. , WEN‐QING Y.
Published: May 2008

In a previous study, compensatory dysfunction of the Leydig cell was identified in men in whom spermatogenesis had failed to recover after gossypol treatment. In this study, LHRH‐ (100 μg i.v.) and hCG (3000 IU i.m.)‐stimulation tests were conducted in four controls and in 45 men who had used crude cotton seed oil as their cooking oil. The patients were divided into two groups: group A‐17 men with normospermia or oligospermia and group B‐28 men who were azoospermic. The basal serum LH and FSH concentrations were within the normal range in group A, whereas those in group B were increased markedly. There was no significant difference in testosterone levels between the two groups, although the levels were significantly lower than in the controls. The response of LH and FSH to LHRH, and of testosterone to hCG stimulation, were within the normal range in group A, whereas in group B the response to the LHRH test was increased significantly while their response to the hCG test was reduced markedly. It was concluded that the functions of the pituitary and Leydig cells remained unchanged in group A after long‐term use of crude cotton seed oil, and that once azoospermia has occurred, it is followed by total testicular failure as indicated by the responses to LHRH and hCG tests.
Elastase as an indicator of silent genital tract infection in infertile men
Authors: MIĆIĆ S. , MACURA M. , LALIC N. , DOTLIĆ R.
Published: May 2008

Due to the absence of clinical symptoms, silent genital tract inflammation can be diagnosed only by laboratory tests. In this study we have evaluated seminal plasma elastase levels, using an immunoabsorbent assay, in a group of 84 infertile men. Seminal plasma levels of elastase were correlated with the number of white blood cells in the ejaculate, the number of peroxidase‐positive leucocytes and with sperm culture. A high number of leucocytes (> 10) and a significantly higher number of men with peroxidase‐stained leucocytes exceeding 106/ml was found in a group of men with elastase levels >250 ng/ml. There was a significant correlation between sperm culture results and elastase levels, most men with negative sperm culture having a lower seminal plasma elastase level. Following the treatment with antibiotics of men with an elevated elastase level, sperm parameters improved in 67% of those in whom elastase levels were lowered after treatment. In those men with persisting elevated levels of elastase improvement of sperm parameters was found in only 10%. It is concluded that an elevated level of elastase is a sensitive indicator of asymptomatic genital tract infection and that a single determination gives a reliable criterion and relatively exact quantification of infection.
Patterns of Doppler recordings and its relationship to varicocele in infertile men
Authors: DHABUWALA C. B. , KUMAR A. B. , KERKAR P. D. , BHUTAWALA A. , PIERCE J.
Published: May 2008

Incompetence of the testicular vein appears to be the basic pathology of testicula dysfunction in varicocele. Doppler recording is a very sensitive method for detecting this reflux even when varicocele is not evident clinically. One hundred and seventy‐eight men with infertility were studied. The presence of reflux in the pampiniform plexus as demonstrated by Doppler recording was compared with clinical varicocele. Reflux patterns were recorded on graph paper and various grades of reflux were observed. The three grades of reflux identified varied between a momentary reflux during vigorous Valsalva manœuvre to significant reflux on minimal increase in intra‐abdominal pressure brought about by normal respiration and deep breathing. Ninety‐four per cent of the patients with clinical signs C varicocele had refluxes of grade 2 and 3 on Doppler study. Forty per cent of the patients without clinical evidence of varicocele were found to have reflux of grade and 2 in the testicular veins.
Testosterone and androstanediol production by regenerating Leydig cells in the ethylene dimethane sulphonate‐treated mature rat
Authors: MYERS R. B. , ABNEY T. O.
Published: May 2008

Mature (60–65 day old) male Sprague‐Dawley rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of ethylene dimethane sulphonate (EDS; 100 mg/kg) and were subsequently killed at various times from day 2 to day 40 post‐treatment. Testes were removed from these animals and from age‐matched controls and utilized either for light and electron microscopical analyses or for in‐vitro assessment of Leydig cell function. Interstitial cells were prepared by collagenase digestion and used to measure 125I‐labelled human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) binding capacity and androgen production in the presence or absence of hCG or dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP). At day 2 after EDS treatment, 125I‐labelled hCG binding capacity was reduced to 10% of control values, while the production of testosterone and 5a‐androstane‐3a, 17β‐diol (adiol) were non‐detectable. Histological observations confirmed the lack of identifiable Leydig cells at day 2–16 after EDS treatment. Between days 24 and 40 post‐treatment, Leydig cell regeneration occurred, as indicated by a rise in 125I‐labelled hCG binding capacity, increased androgen production and the presence of histologically identifiable Leydig cells. A pattern of adiol production similar to that seen in the immature rat during Leydig cell development was observed with peak synthesis occurring at day 30 post‐treatment. Adiol production fell to barely detectable levels by day 36 and remained low at day 40. It is concluded that the steroidogenic pattern of regenerating Leydig cells in the EDS‐treated animal is similar to that of developing Leydig cells in the immature animal.
Relationship between serum testosterone and sex hormone‐binding globulin in adult men with intact or absent gonadal function
Authors: CARLSTRÖM K. , ERIKSSON A. , STEGE R. , RANNEVIK G.
Published: May 2008

Serum levels of testosterone and sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) were determined in 80 apparently healthy men aged 25–85 years and in 23 patients with prostatic carcinoma (CAP) aged 60–75 years before and 6 months after orchidectomy. Serum levels of testosterone and SHBG were correlated positively in healthy men, in all subjects overall as well as within different age groups, and in CAP patients before, but not after, orchidectomy. These data are not consistent with the classical theory regarding SHBG regulation and also speak against an influence of SHBG binding on testosterone metabolism as a mechanism behind the observed positive association between testosterone levels and SHBG.
An evaluation of the hypo‐osmotic sperm swelling test as a predictor of fertilizing capacity in vitro
Authors: AVERY SUSAN , BOLTON VIRGINIA N. , MASON BRIDGETT A.
Published: May 2008

The ability of sperm to swell in hypo‐osmotic conditions was examined in 211 semen samples from the partners of patients about to undergo oocyte retrieval for in‐vitro fertilization (IVF). The test was performed using aliquots of semen, the remainder of which was then prepared for IVF. No significant difference was found, in either the percentage of swollen sperm or the type of swelling response, between samples that achieved fertilization in vitro and those that did not, or between any of the diagnostic categories of infertility (tubal damage, unexplained infertility, oligospermia). In samples which achieved fertilization in vitro there were correlations between sperm swelling and sperm motility (r = ‐0.51) and abnormal morphology (r = 0.33), but no such correlations were demonstrated in samples that failed to achieve fertilization. Moreover, there was no significant difference between the percentage of swollen sperm in semen (mean motility 64%), in samples immediately after preparation for IVF (mean motility 96%) or in capacitated sperm 24 h after preparation (mean motility 91%). These results demonstrate that the hypo‐osmotic sperm swelling test does not assist in the prediction of the fertilizing capacity of human sperm in vitro.
Relationship between hormone profiles and the restoration of spermatogenesis in men treated with gossypol
Authors: Zhi‐Ping GU , Yi‐Xing Wang , Guo‐Wei Sang , Wei‐Cheng Wang , Zhen‐Xing Chen , Xiu‐Juan Zhao , Qin‐Xiang Shao , Yu Jiang
Published: May 2008

Gossypol acetic acid was administered orally to 35 male volunteers at a dose of 20 mg once a day for 52–70 days in the loading phase and twice a week for 22 months in the maintenance phase. Sperm counts and the serum concentrations of LH, FSH, prolactin, testosterone and oestradiol were monitored regularly during treatment and for a follow‐up period of 12 months. At around 90 days after treatment, all treated participants approached or attained azoospermia and remained at this level throughout the maintenance phase. By the end of the follow‐up phase, eight treated men were still azoospermic, while sperm counts in the other 27 men were restored to normal levels. The only hormone that changed significantly during and after the treatment was FSH. From the 6th month of the treatment to the end of the follow‐up phase, serum concentrations of FSH in the eight participants that reached irreversible azoospermia were significantly higher than in the other 27 men or in controls. It is suggested that monitoring of FSH levels might be of diagnostic use for identifying those participants with irreversible azoospermia during gossypol treatment.
The use of hens' egg white as a substitute for human cervical mucus in assessing human infertility
Authors: Eggert‐Kruse W. , Gerhard I. , Tilgen W. , Runnebaum B.
Published: May 2008

Semen samples from 179 patients with longstanding infertility were allowed to penetrate capillaries filled with a fraction of fresh hens' egg white (HEW) as a substitute for cervical mucus (CM) for the in‐vitro sperm‐cervical mucus penetration test (SCPMT). Results were correlated with those obtained from human CM (HCM) used in parallel on the same semen sample, compared to results of sperm analysis and post‐coital testing (PCT) and analysed for their prognostic value for a subsequent pregnancy in a prospective study. The overall pregnancy rate after 6 months was 26.3% (47/179). Whereas routine semen analysis (semen volume, pH, sperm count, progressive motility, morphology and fructose concentration) did not differentiate between patients who achieved pregnancy and those who did not, significant differences were found for the penetration distance (P<0.02) and the motility grade of sperm in HEW (P<0.02). Although the mean sperm velocity in HEW was reduced compared to HCM, a close positive correlation was found between the sperm density and the penetration distance (P< 0.001). The percentage of samples with good HEW penetration increased significantly in parallel with better results of post‐coital testing (P< 0.001). The results indicate that, when fresh human CM is not available, HEW can be used as a medium for the SCPMT as a valuable adjunct to semen analysis which provides information about sperm functional capacity.
The CellSoft computerized semen analysis system: sperm image sizes and velocity measurements, and the consequences for internal running conditions
Authors: AANESEN A. , BENDVOLD E.
Published: May 2008

The CellSoft computer‐assisted sperm analysis system was evaluated as to the optimal setting of three components of the internal running conditions. These ‘set up’ parameters were the lower setting for cell size range (PIXMIN), threshold velocity (MINVEL) and maximum velocity (MAXVEL). The decision for the PIXMIN setting was founded on observed sizes of sperm with low instant velocities combined with a study of the relationship between false positive observations for sperm and the PIXMIN setting. Our recommendation for this setting is three pixels. From the observation that 97.5% of immobilized sperm exhibit instant velocities of < 15 μ sec‐1, this is our proposal for the MINVEL setting. Correspondingly, the 97.5 percentile for instantaneous velocities in a population of some 14 000 cells (30 men with type ‘a’ motility, WHO) was 168 μ sec‐1. We recommend that MAXVEL be set at this limit. Alternative settings for both MINVEL and MAXVEL are presented as some users may wish to apply other percentiles. From the above results a setting for PIXMAX at 25 pixels could be inferred. We recommend that these settings be applied in semen laboratories analysing human native samples at room temperature.
The spermatogenic cycle in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus): relative frequency and absolute duration of the different stages
Authors: BERG K. ANDERSEN , CLAUSEN O. P. F. , HUITFELDT H. S.
Published: May 2008

The spermatogenic cycle of the blue fox was divided into eight distinct stages, based on an analysis of different cell associations of the seminiferous epithelium. The criteria used for classification of the stages were the type of spermatogonia, the occurrence of meiotic figures, and the shape and location of spermatids. The relative frequencies of the stages I to VIII were 25.7, 9.8, 8.7, 5.9, 13.8, 9.9, 10.6 and 15.5%, respectively. The duration of one cycle of the seminiferous epithelium was 12.0 ± 0.2 days as determined from the progression of 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxy‐uridine (BrdU)‐labelled cells at various time intervals. The absolute duration of stages I to VIII was calculated to be 3.1, 1.2, 1.0, 0.6, 1.7, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.9 days, respectively. The estimated life span of primary spermatocytes was 19.2 days, of secondary spermatocytes <0.6 days, of spermatids with round nuclei 9.2 days and of spermtids with elongated nuclei 8.9 days.
Generation of reactive oxygen species in subgroups of infertile men
Authors: D'AGATA R. , VICARI E. , MONCADA M. L. , SIDOTI G. , CALOGERO A. E. , FORNITO M. C. , MINACAPILLI G. , MONGIOI A. , POLOSA P.
Published: May 2008

The capacity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), both basally and after stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187, was examined in the motile fraction of sperm isolated after swim‐up from the semen of 10 naturally fertile men and three groups of infertile patients. The latter included: (1) men with a non‐bacterial inflammation of the genital tract (n= 10); (2) men unable to impregnate their partners during an intra‐uterine insemination programme (IUI) (n= 8) and their matched controls (n= 6); and (3) men with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HH) who remained infertile after induction of spermatogenesis with gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone therapy (n= 3) and their matched controls (n= 3). The levels of ROS production were elevated in the sperm of some infertile men with inflammation of the genital tract compared to those found in 10 naturally fertile men. In addition, sperm from those patients who remained infertile after an IUI programme produced higher amounts of ROS compared to their control group who became fertile. Similarly, the production of ROS by sperm from three patients with HH who remained infertile was significantly higher than those of the three men who became fertile. These data suggest that an excessive production of ROS by sperm may explain some cases of idiopathic male infertility.
Effect of STS‐557 (17α‐cyanomethyl 17β‐hydroxy‐estra‐4, 9(10)‐dien‐3‐one) on blood hormone levels, the testis, accessory sex organs and fertility of rats
Authors: CHAUDHARY J. , SHARMA R. K. , MAJUMDAR S. S. , BHATTI D. P. S. , MISRO M. M. , DAS R. P.
Published: May 2008

Treatment with STS‐557 (17α‐cyanomethyl 17β‐hydroxy‐estra‐4,9(10)‐dien‐3‐one; 10 mg kg‐1 daily s.c.) for 4 weeks induced atrophy of the seminiferous tubules in adult rats with a reduction in tubule diameter and in the number of round sperma‐tids at stage VII. Elongated spermatids were not detected. Leydig cells were atrophied from the second week of treatment with a concomitant decrease in blood levels of testosterone. The blood levels of FSH and LH were reduced from the third week of treatment. The weight of the reproductive organs was reduced after STS‐557 treatment. The treatment induced sterility in 50% of rats after 2 weeks of treatment but after 4 weeks none of the treated males mated. Normal fertility and normal levels of testosterone and FSH were restored after 6 weeks and LH after 4 weeks of withdrawal of treatment. All other parameters studied recovered to pretreatment levels 6 weeks after withdrawal of treatment. STS‐557 could act on the pituitary‐gonadal axis (reducing gonadotrophin secretion) as well as directly affecting the Leydig cells. The consequent reduction in the blood levels of testosterone in combination with reduced gonadotrophins was presumably responsible for the suppression of spermatogenesis.
Immunohistochemical localization of inhibin‐α in the testes of normal men and in men with testicular disorders
Authors: BERGH A. , CAJANDER S.
Published: May 2008

Testicular biopsies from normal men and from men with testicular disorders were examined by immunohistochemistry for the presence of the inhibin‐α subunit using two different antisera. Immunoreactive inhibin‐α (irI‐α) was found in Leydig cells in normal, oligospermic, and azoospermic men and in men with Klinefelters syndrome, and it was also found in a Leydig cell tumour. hCG‐treatment apparently increased the amount of immunoreactive inhibin‐α, particularly in Leydig cells. Sertoli cells also contained irl‐α but the staining intensity was considerably stronger in testes with impaired spermatogenesis or Sertoli‐cell‐only syndrome than in normal testes. It is suggested that the serum concentration of irl‐α and inhibin in humans may, in a complex way, be related to both Leydig and Sertoli cell function, and that the relative contribution from these cells may change in cases of testicular malfunction.
Quantitative and ultrastructural alterations in the lamina propria and Sertoli cells in human cryptorchid testes
Authors: PANIAGUA R. , MARTINEZ‐ONSURBE P. , SANTAMARIA L. , SAEZ F. J. , AMAT P. , NISTAL M.
Published: May 2008

A quantitative and ultrastructural study was performed on biopsies of human cryptorchid testes to investigate lesions in the lamina propria and Sertoli cells. Prepubertal cryptorchid testes (1–9 years of age) were classified into four groups: Type I, testes with minimal lesions; Type II, testes with a moderate decrease in tubule diameter and spermatogonal number; Type III, testes with Sertoli cell hypoplasia and a marked reduction in tubule diameter and spermatogonal number; and Type IV, testes with Sertoli cell hyperplasia and a variable reduction in spermatogonal number. An increase in thickness of the lamina propria was found in Type II and III testes from 5 years of age onwards. These testes also showed a decrease in both the average number of peritubular cells per cross‐sectioned tubule and in the average nuclear volume of these cells. Most of the postpubertal cryptorchid testes from 13‐to 18‐year‐old youths presented a prepubertal pattern suggestive of delayed testicular maturation. Postpubertal testes from 19‐to 27‐year‐old men were classified into three types: Type A testes showed complete spermato‐genesis, mature Sertoli cells and no lesions in the lamina propria; Type B testes showed isolated spermatogonia, mature Sertoli cells, and a marked thickening of the lamina propria; and Type C testes showed isolated spermatogonia, hyperplasia of immature Sertoli cells, and a slightly thickened lamina propria. Maturation of the lamina propria was always associated with maturation of the Sertoli cells. Thickening of the lamina propria was associated with peritubular cell alterations consisting of decreases in the nuclear volume (average and total per testis) of peritubular cells and increases in the number of these cells per cross‐sectioned tubule. The three types of adult cryptorchid testes appear to be the postpubertal transformation of Type I testes (Type A), Type II and Type III testes (Type B), and Type IV testes (Type C).
Distribution pattern of testicular sulphydryloxidase immuno‐activity in the djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) during photoperiodically induced involution and recrudescence
Authors: BERGMANN M. , KUMARI M. , AUMULLER G. , HOFFMANN K. , SEITZ J.
Published: May 2008

The distribution pattern of testicular sulphydryloxidase (SOx) immuno‐activity was investigated in the djungarian hamster during photoperiodically induced testicular involution and recrudescence. SOx immuno‐activity, indicating functional integrity of labelled cells, did not change in pachytene spermatocytes and spermatids as long as these cells were present in the seminiferous epithelium. Its disappearance coincided with the degeneration of spermatocytes in phases IV and V of involution and reappeared during recrudescence, when the first spermatogenic wave had reached the pachytene stage. In tubules at phase VI of involution (showing maximal regression), the apical cytoplasm of Sertoli cells showed immuno‐activity. This immuno‐activity disappeared during recrudescence prior to the differentiation of pachytene spermatocytes. Changes in SOx immuno‐activity resembled those of lactate dehydrogenase‐X (LDH‐X) in photo‐inhibited testes or during puberty, indicating a close functional relationship which still remains to be elucidated. The data suggest that the hamster exposed to different photoperiods can be used as a suitable model to study the relationship between testicular morphology and function in different states of gonadal activity.
Successful treatment of infertility due to retrograde ejaculation by instillation of serum‐containing medium into the bladder. A case report
Authors: SUOMINEN J. J. O. , KILKKU P. P. , TAINA E. J. , PUNTALA P. V.
Published: May 2008

The treatment of infertility caused by retrograde ejaculation has often been ineffective. The unphysiological composition of the urine is the main reason complicating the recovery of motile sperm. We describe a case of retrograde ejaculation caused by a congenital defect of the internal sphinchter muscle of the urinary bladder. In this case, motile sperm were only recovered if the bladder had been filled previously with artificial culture medium (Ham's F‐10) supplemented with the patient's own serum. Two pregnancies followed intrauterine insemination with sperm recovered in this way.
Morphological evidence for two types of idiopathic ‘Sertoli‐cell‐only’ syndrome
Authors: TERADA T. , HATAKEYAMA S.
Published: May 2008

Biopsies of testicular specimens taken from 41 patients that were diagnosed as having idiopathic Sertoli‐cell‐only syndrome were classified into two types, A and B, on the basis of histological and immunohistochemical findings. Thirty eight specimens that were classified as type A exhibited seminiferous tubules of small diameter and with tubular wall hyalinization, but containing normal adult type Sertoli cells. The other three specimens that were classified as type B showed no seminiferous tubular wall hyalinization, and their Sertoli cells had vimentin distribution localized in the subnuclear cytoplasm and had a pseudostratified lining, features resembling the appearance of fetal Sertoli cells.

In one patient with a seminoma, a comparative study of the same testis prior to and post‐irradiation was undertaken. Judging from this, postpubertal depletion of the germ cell population was considered to be responsible for the tubular atrophy observed in type A. Type B testes, though small in number, were characterized by a morphology distinct from the type A, but their pathogenesis remains unknown.
LDH and LDH‐X activity in sperm from normospermic and oligozoospermic men
Authors: CASANO R. , ORLANDO C. , SERIO M. , FORTI G.
Published: May 2008

Total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was measured in washed sperm from 74 oligozoospermic patients and 148 normospermic men. In the same samples, an additional iso‐enzyme specific for germ cells, LDH‐X was also measured. Both enzymatic activities were significantly higher in sperm from oligozoospermic patients that in those from normospermic men (P<0.001). In oligozoospermic patients, sperm LDH and LDH‐X activities were related inversely to sperm concentration (r = ‐0.61 and r= ‐0.53, respectively). In normospermic men, this inverse relationship was less evident (r = ‐0.28 and r= ‐0.25, respectively). After separation of sperm on a discontinuous gradient of Percoll, LDH and LDH‐X activities were increased in the non‐migrated‐sperm fractions and reduced in the migrated‐sperm fractions in both groups of subjects when compared to the initial semen specimens. In addition, migrated sperm from oligozoospermic and normos permic men did not differ in their LDH and LDH‐X activities. Although the possible contribution of immature germ‐cells to these findings remains to be defined, the data suggest clearly that high levels of intracellular LDH and LDH‐X are a biochemical feature of sperm from oligozoospermic subjects.
Is the sperm bacterial ratio a determining factor in impairment of sperm motility: an in‐vitro study in man with Escherichia coli
Authors: AUROUX M. R. , JACQUES L. , MATHIEU D. , AUER J.
Published: May 2008

The effects of urogenital infection on male fertility are controversial. The object of this study was to assess whether contact between E. coli, one of the bacteria encountered most frequently in semen cultures, and sperm was involved in decreasing motility of the sperm. Sperm from healthy donors were therefore incubated at two concentrations (1.107 and 4.107 ml‐1) with bacteria (104 and 106 bacteria ml‐1 respectively). Sperm motility was assessed as a function of time. The endotoxin effect was also evaluated. Aliquots of the sperm were used as controls. The motility of a population of 106 sperm ml‐1 was reduced significantly more by the presence of 106 ml‐1E. coli than a sperm population four times more numerous. Since the endotoxin had no effect on sperm motility, it is possible this phenomenon is due to bacterial adherence to the sperm. From this study, it is therefore probable that the presence of E. coli in semen decreases sperm motility, but that this depends on the sperm:bacterial ratio ml semen‐1.
Suppressive effect of a mouse testicular extract on lymphocyte activation
Authors: EMOTO M. , NISHIKAWA F. , OKU D. , HAMURO A. , KITA E. , KASHIBA S.
Published: May 2008

The effect of mouse testicular extract (TE) on lymphocyte activation was investigated. TE, in the dose range 75–600 μg mi‐1, suppressed significantly the blastogenic response of splenocytes to concanavalin A (Con‐A), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). TE also suppressed the blastogenic response of B‐cells to LPS and of T‐cells to PHA in a dose‐dependent manner as well as suppressing the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Pretreatment of splenocytes with TE did not however, completely suppress their blastogenic response to Con‐A, when the treated cells were washed prior to culturing. Furthermore, TE did not inhibit the on‐going blastogenesis of splenocytes that had been activated already with Con‐A for 48 h. Splenocytes obtained from TE‐treated mice remained capable of responding to Con‐A stimulation, whereas they did not respond to listerial antigens when mice were immunized with Listeria monocytogenes together with TE. The effects of TE were enhanced significantly by heating to 100°C, but were resistant to pronase, RNase and DNase. These results suggest that TE affects non‐specifically the stage of lymphocyte sensitization to antigens or mitogens.