Testicular and epididymal spermatozoa are used routinely for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to treat men with obstructive azoospermia. Little is known of the effects of obstruction and stasis on the DNA of these spermatozoa, particularly in the epididymis where spermatozoa have been retained for long periods. Surgical epididymal aspiration for ICSI could provide spermatozoa that are se...

Estrogens play a crucial role in spermatogenesis and estrogen receptor α knock-out male mice are infertile. It has been demonstrated that estrogens significantly increase the speed of capacitation in vitro; however this may lead to the reduction of reproductive potential due to the decreased ability of these sperm to undergo the acrosome reaction. To date the in vivo effect of estrogens on the ...

BACKGROUND The Sperm Adhesion Molecule 1 (SPAM1) is an important sperm surface hyaluronidase with at least three functions in mammalian fertilization. Previously our laboratory reported that in the mouse, in addition to its expression in the testis, Spam1 is synthesized in the epididymis where it is found in membranous vesicles in the principal cells of the epithelium in all three regions. Sinc...

© Translational Andrology and Urology. All rights reserved. Transl Androl Urol, 2017;6(S3) tau.amegroups.com purpose of this study is to analyze patients with non-iatrogenic, non-traumatic OA who underwent scrotal exploration with or without VE anastomosis in our institution. Methods: Retrospective chart review was done for patients treated from 2000 to 2015. Normal spermatogenesis confirmed by...

BACKGROUND Factors influencing success of sperm retrieval in azoospermic patients and outcome of ICSI were evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS Uni- and multifactorial analysis were performed using logistic and stepwise analysis, following surgical sperm retrieval by percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (55 cycles) or testicular sperm extraction (142 cycles) in 52 and 123 patients with obstruct...

BACKGROUND Matrine is a bioactive alkaloid that has a variety of pharmacological effects and is widely used in Chinese medicine. However, its effects on male reproduction are not well known. In this study, we aimed to investigate the in vitro toxicity of matrine on mature mouse sperm. METHODS Mouse cauda epididymal sperm were exposed to matrine (10-200 µM) in vitro. The viability, motility, c...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of protein deficiency on plasma testosterone levels, epididymal sperm characteristics and testicular histology in the developing male rat. Twenty four Wistar albino rats were used in the study and were fed with a diet variously containing 3 %, 10 % and 20 % protein. Plasma testosterone levels were significantly lower in rats fed 3 % protein when ...

Spermatozoa acquire forward motility and fertilizing capacity during their transit through the epididymis. This maturation process involves modifications of the sperm surface by different proteins secreted by a series of specialized regions in the epididymal epithelium. Previously, our lab has reported IMDS-60 gene, which is highly expressed in mouse corpus and cauda epididymidis. Here, to perf...

Received on: April 28, 2009 – Accepted on: Oct 15, 2009 aBstRact Azoospermia is defined as the absence of mature spermatozoa in semen analysis after centrifugation. The causes of azoospermia may be related to spermatogenesis defects and classified as nonobstructive azoospermia, or to the obstruction of the efferent ducts of the genital tract and classified as obstructive azoospermia. Before the...