The aim of the present study was to clarify if flow-cytometric sex-sorting of bovine sperm affected in vitro blastocyst production in different bulls, either in terms of its ability to fertilize the oocyte or by interfering with post-fertilization embryo development. We performed in vitro fertilization (IVF) using both commercially available frozen-thawed X-sorted and non-sorted sperm of 4 Hols...

BACKGROUND To evaluate the improvement in semen quality and pregnancy rate after internal spermatic vein (ISV) embolization in men with nonobstructive azoospermia virtual azoospermia, or extremely severe oligoteratoasthenoazoospermia (OTA). METHODS A prospective cohort of 101 azoospermic or severe oligoteratoasthenospermic men of mean (+/-SD) age 34.1+/-7.7 years who underwent ISV between Sep...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Anti-sperm antibodies in can markedly reduce the likelihood of natural conception. The etiology of this anti-sperm immunity in human females is unknown. We compared the cytokine response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from infertile patients with or without anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) and fertile women. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We cultivated the PBMCs ...

Background: Adipose tissue is not only an energy storage tissue but also an important endocrine organ that secretes protein hormones. Among them, the production and secretion of adiponectin is inversely correlated to the severity of obesity. In adipose tissue, adiponectin production is transcriptionally regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). Obesity is a major healt...

Tests of the effects of multiple mating by females on female fitness have been primarily with polyandrous species, where a benefit to multiple mating has usually been found. In contrast, no such benefit was found here for the parasitic wasp Spalangia endius, a highly monandrous species. Females that mated only once prior to oviposition exhibited a rapid decline in daughter production long befor...

Sertoli cell proliferation is attenuated before attaining puberty and the number is fixed in adult testes. Sertoli cells determine both testis size and daily sperm production by providing physical and metabolic support to spermatogenic cells. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exposure disrupts functions of Sertoli cells causing infertility with decreased sperm count. On the other hand, lycopene ...

The ability of human spermatozoa to exhibit sperm-oocyte fusion in response to the ionophore, A23187, was examined in relation to the capacity of these cells to generate reactive oxygen species. In 70 fertile control donors, there was an overwhelming pattern of high levels of sperm-oocyte fusion associated with low levels of reactive oxygen species production. By contrast, 88% of the 74 oligozo...

We have applied the mitochondria-specific superoxide fluorescent probe MitoSOX Red (MitoSOX) to detect mitochondria-specific reactive oxygen species (mROS) production in human sperm samples using flow cytometry. We show that human ejaculates are heterogeneous in terms of mROS production, with three subpopulations clearly detectable, comprising sperm that produce increasing amounts of mROS (Mito...

Capacitation is a series of morphological and metabolic changes necessary for the spermatozoon to achieve fertilizing ability. One of the earlier happenings during mammalian sperm capacitation is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that will trigger and regulate a series of events including protein phosphorylation, in a time-dependent fashion. The identity of the sperm oxidase respo...