Problem statement: To identify the metabolic reaction-glycolysis or oxidative phosphorylation that is mainly involved in the production of energy required for rat sperm mobilization. Approach: Epididymal sperm were collected from Wistar rats and extended in lactatecontaining or lactate-free raffinose-modified Krebs-Ringer Bicarbonate solution (mKRB)-egg yolk medium supplemented with 0, 1, 2, or...

Sperm chemotaxis occurs widely in animals and plants and plays an important role in the success of fertilization. Several studies have recently demonstrated that Ca(2+) influx through specific Ca(2+) channels is a prerequisite for sperm chemotactic movement. However, the regulator that modulates flagellar movement in response to Ca(2+) is unknown. Here we show that a neuronal calcium sensor, ca...

BACKGROUND ICSI into the oocyte is the only treatment currently available for most male patients with severe oligozoospermia who wish to father children. In order to perform ICSI, motile sperm need to be recovered from the ejaculate and, if no sperm or not enough motile sperm are recovered on the day of ICSI, testicular sperm extraction (TESE) must be performed. Oxytocin stimulates epididymal c...

Previously it has been shown that injecting a cytosolic sperm protein factor into mammalian eggs induces sustained repetitive transients of cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), or [Ca2+]i oscillations [Swann (1990) Development 110, 1295-1302]. These sperm-factor (SF)-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations are similar to those seen at fertilization. Here we demonstrate that injecting the same cytosolic extracts...

Adverse temporal trends in human semen quality and cryptorchidism in infants have been associated with exposure to environmental chemicals (ECs) during development. Here we report that a population of breeding dogs exhibit a 26 year (1988-2014) decline in sperm quality and a concurrent increased incidence of cryptorchidism in male offspring (1995-2014). A decline in the number of males born rel...

Previously we demonstrated high concentrations of desmosterol and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) in monkey testes and sperm. Desmosterol, a cholesterol precursor, is not present elsewhere in the body. High concentrations of DHA are found elsewhere only in the retina and brain. To examine the distribution of these compounds in the heads and tails of sperm, we separated them and determined ...

The relationships between testis size, hormone secretion and sperm production were studied during the spring (December) and autumn (May) in rams of two breeds with different breeding seasons and body weights (Corriedale and Australian Merino) maintained on native pastures and under natural photoperiods in Uruguay. Blood samples were collected at 20-min intervals during a 260-360-min period in 1...

The effect of pretreatment of rabbit sperm cells with different concentrations of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) on the occurrence of premature acrosome reactions during 72 h of liquid storage was investigated in three successive experiments. The aim of the first experiment was to establish a liquid storage model to facilitate premature acrosome reactions in rabbit sperm cells and, there...

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of lycopene on cisplatin (CP)-induced spermiotoxicity using quantitative, biochemical and histopathological approaches. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. The control group received physiological saline; animals in cisplatin group received only cisplatin; pre-treatment group received a 10-d...