SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Sperm Motility”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

The effect of coenzyme Q10 on sperm motility and function.

In sperm cells, the majority of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) an energy promoting agent and antioxidant, is concentrated in the mitochondria of the midpiece, so that the energy for movement and all other energy-dependent processes in the sperm cell also depend on the availability of CoQ10. The reduced form of CoQ10-ubiquinol also acts as an antioxidant, preventing lipid peroxidation in sperm membranes. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of CoQ10 on sperm motility in vitro, after incubation with 38 samples of asthenospermic and normal motility sperm, and to evaluate the effect of CoQ10 administration in vivo in 17 patients with low fertilization rates after in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for male factor infertility. All 38 sperm samples from patients registered in our infertility clinic had normal concentrations and morphology. Of these, 16 patients had normal motility (mean 47.5%) and 22 patients were asthenospermic (mean motility 19.1%). Sperm samples were divided into four equal parts and incubated for 24 h in: HAM's medium alone, in HAM's medium with 1% DMSO and HAM's with 5 microM or 50 microM CoQ10. While no significant change in motility after incubation was observed in the samples with initial normal motility, a significant increase in motility was observed in the 50 microM CoQ10 subgroup of sperm from asthenospermic men, with a motility rate of 35.7 +/- 19.5%, as compared to 19.1 +/- 9.3% in the controls (P < 0.05). The 17 patients with low fertilization rates after ICSI were treated with oral CoQ10, 60 mg/day, for a mean of 103 days before the next ICSI treatment. No significant change was noted in most sperm parameters, but a significant improvement was noted in fertilization rates, from a mean of 10.3 +/- 10.5% in their previous cycles, to 26.3 +/- 22.8% after CoQ10 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the administration of CoQ10 may result in improvement in sperm functions in selective patients. Further investigation into the mechanisms related to these effects is needed.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1994

Greatly improved sperm motility from vas deferens sperm retrieval: a case for accessory gland related subfertility in spinal cord injured man. Case report.

When sperm motility from vibratory or electroejaculates of spinal cord injured men reveals consistently poor motility (< 10%), one should consider accessory gland factors as a potential cause. Herein, we report the case of a 22 year old paraplegic male who consistently had motility of 1-2% on electroejaculates. He was evaluated in the office with vas deferens sperm retrieval, which revealed a 0.4 ml volume, 9 million/ml density, and 67% motility. We suggest that this significant percent motility differential can only be explained by an accessory gland factor impacting negatively upon this individual's fertility. We propose vas deferens sperm retrieval as a potentially diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in similar cases.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Computerized sperm motility and application of sperm cryopreservation.

An objective method for measuring sperm motion characteristics was developed on an Intellect 100 Quantel Image Analysis System suitable for various image cytometric applications. It provided overall analysis of percent motility (% MS) as well as individual and mean measurements of motion characteristics, including vigor characteristics such as curvilinear velocity (Vc), straight line velocity (Vsl), and trajectory pattern characteristics, that is, progressiveness ratio (PR) and amplitude of lateral head displacement (Alh). Evaluation of the method for reproducibility and accuracy showed reliable measurements of these parameters measured on a minimum of 70 motile sperm, sufficient to describe adequately the sperm population. A study was performed comparing motion characteristics of 30 semen samples falling in a normal range before and after cryopreservation in cryoprotector medium (CM). A mean motility rate of recovery (MRR) of 45% was obtained. Only sperm count and concentration in motile forms among initial semen variables correlated weakly with MRR. Velocity recovery rate (VRR) approached 1 with a marked variability among ejaculates. Distribution profile of Vc was highly modified by freezing in CM: spermatozoa that were initially fast and progressive were the most resistant to cryoaggression. PR and Alh values were little affected by freezing in CM. The tolerance of various samples from a given patient was highly variable for % MS and Alh and less variable for Vc and PR. This illustrates the difficulty in predicting the effect of freezing on motility characteristics and, therefore, of extrapolating from semen variables the ability of frozen-thawed samples to fertilize.

Freezing↗

PubMed1994

Expression of scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor is regionally correlated with the initiation of sperm motility in murine male genital tract: is scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor involved in initiation of sperm motility?

Based upon findings that the scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF) has strong mitogenic and motogenic properties, and that the sperm cell acquires its fertilizing capacity and motility in the distal parts of mammalian epididymis, the present study was conducted to investigate the role of SF/HGF in initiation of sperm cell motility. This was investigated by determining the expression of SF/HGF in various regions of the murine male genital tract by scatter and cell tracking assays using MDCK epithelial cells, Western blot procedure, and the immunohistochemical procedure using paraffin sections of various regions of the male genital tract. The findings from all these assays indicate that SF/HGF is differentially expressed in various parts of the male genital tract with slight or no expression in the testes, caput epididymis, and vas deferens, and with the highest expression in cauda and corpus (distal) epididymis followed by expression in the corpus (proximal) epididymis. This region-specific SF/HGF expression pattern coincides with the pattern of acquiring the fertilizing capacity and motility by the sperm cell during its transit through the male genital tract. However, wherever SF/HGF was expressed in the male genital tract, its molecular weight was slightly higher (Mr, 82 kD), compared to the SF/HGF expressed in various other somatic tissues (Mr, 78 kD), indicating that the genital tract SF/HGF may be a different molecular species that shares some immunoreactive epitopes with the somatic cell SF/HGF. Incubation of immotile sperm from caput epididymis with the purified human placental SF/HGF of 78 kD initiated motility in 5-15% of sperm population. These results strongly suggest that the SF/HGF-like activity is expressed in the male genital tract in a region-specific manner, and this activity may have a role in initiation of sperm motility acquired during its transit through the epididymis in mammals.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sperm motility should be assessed in fresh sperm and after a sperm washing procedure.

A prospective study was carried out on semen samples from 118 consecutive unselected men attending our infertility clinic to determine whether sperm motility may be affected by seminal plasma. The incidence of asthenozoospermia as defined by fewer than 50% of spermatozoa with forward progressive motility in the untreated semen was 37.4%. This value was significantly reduced to 23% after washing and removing seminal plasma. Men with asthenozoospermia in untreated semen but normal in the washed sample had a percentage of normal sperm morphology and a percentage of swollen tails in the HOS test similar to those of controls, and higher than those of asthenozoospermics in both the untreated and washed sample. Sperm velocity was also significantly improved after the washing procedure. Spermatozoa selected by swim-down procedure and applied to a seminal plasma medium reduced sperm motility affecting negatively the HOS test. Sperm motility should be assessed after a sperm washing procedure, since seminal plasma contains constituents that decrease sperm motility without affecting membrane integrity.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The effect of relaxin on sperm motility. In vitro experiments with bull sperm].

We investigated the effect of relaxin (1990 pmol, 199 pmol, 19.9 pmol) on bull-sperm-motility by means of Laser-Doppler (Lazymot). We evaluated 4 parameters, i.e. percentage of motile spermatozoa and percentage of spermatozoa with good progression, mean velocity of the sperm sample and characteristic velocity of the sperm subpopulation with good progression. Amounts of 199 and 19.9 pmol relaxin did not provoke a significant change with respect to sperm motility compared with "relaxin-free" medium. The highest amount of relaxin (1990 pmol) inhibited sperm-motility with respect to all 4 parameters that had been investigated. The action of relaxin on sperm-motility depends on the amount of relaxin in the medium, e.g. activation at physiologic and inhibition at very high amounts of that substance.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Sperm motility index: a new parameter for human sperm evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: The study was performed to evaluate the correlation between sperm motility index, a novel parameter of semen quality, and routine semen analysis parameters by microscopic evaluation. DESIGN: Sperm motility index was measured by an electro-optical device, the Sperm Quality Analyzer (United Medical Systems Inc., Santa Ana, CA). Human semen samples covering the whole span of qualities were analyzed prospectively and simultaneously by both methods. SETTING: Samples were collected from patients referred to university hospital infertility clinics. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred sixty-eight semen samples of 812 patients and healthy men were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Sperm motility index is a measurement of optical density fluctuations caused by motile cells; therefore, a positive correlation was anticipated between its values and semen motility parameters. RESULTS: Sperm motility index values demonstrated statistically significant correlation with motile cell concentration, total cell concentration, and percent motile cells. They were also shown to reliably represent semen quality assessment obtained by two experienced andrologists. CONCLUSIONS: The sperm motility index provides a reliable and objective reflection of semen motility parameters and quality.

Autoanalysis↗

PubMed1986

Relationship between human sperm motility characteristics and sperm penetration into human cervical mucus in vitro.

A series of 100 modified Kremer tests of human sperm penetration into human cervical mucus was carried out as part of the routine investigation of couples presenting with infertility. The outcome of these tests was significantly correlated with the concentration and progressive motility of the spermatozoa in the semen sample used for the test. Other semen characteristics significantly correlated with the test result were the mean velocity of progression (VP) and the amplitude of lateral head displacement about the axis of progression (AH) of the progressive spermatozoa. Normal sperm morphology was also correlated with the outcome. Using these semen characteristics as the independent variables to predict the test outcome in a discriminant analysis (normal vs abnormal tests), 34.2% of the variance was accounted for. From the discriminant function equation 75.0% of the test results could be predicted correctly. In the 30 cases in which the semen samples used for the tests showed greater than or equal to 25 X 10(6) progressively motile spermatozoa per ml, mean VP of greater than or equal to 25 microns/sec and mean AH of greater than or equal to 7.5 microns, 83.3% had normal test results. Conversely, all 13 cases for which the semen characteristics were below these limits had abnormal test results. Therefore, both the concentration of progressively motile spermatozoa and their movement characteristics are significant factors determining the outcome of homologous tests of human sperm-cervical mucus interaction.

Cervix Mucus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sperm motility index.

Within 40 s the Sperm Quality Analyzer (United Medical Systems, Santa Ana, CA, USA) provides a numerical value called the sperm motility index. This index reflects both the concentration of motile sperm cells and the intensity of their motility and cannot be determined by conventional semen analysis. To assess the diagnostic value and reliability of the sperm motility index, 155 ejaculates were investigated by the sperm quality analyzer and routine manual methods. The sperm motility index shows a good correlation with sperm density, motility, morphology, which are crucial parameters for male fertility.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Orally administered ketoconazole rapidly appears in seminal plasma and suppresses sperm motility.

Ketoconazole has been shown to exert spermatostatic effects in vitro on ejaculated dog, monkey, and human spermatozoa. Oral administration of the compound to adult male beagle dogs (50-246 mg/kg) or rhesus monkeys (85-100 mg/kg) was associated with a decline in motility of sperm in ejaculates obtained after dosing. In dogs the decline in sperm motility was correlated with the presence of ketoconazole in the seminal plasma, although the measured concentrations of ketoconazole were no more than one tenth that needed for in vitro activity. The serum levels of testosterone in the dogs receiving oral ketoconazole were profoundly suppressed but the extreme rapidity of onset of the ex vivo effect on sperm motility, which was noted within 4 hours of dosing, makes it unlikely that testosterone withdrawal plays more than a minor role in the spermatostasis. The results in animals invite further pursuit of this novel, rapid onset, reversible, single dose use of spermatostatic agents for their potential as male contraceptives.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1996

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine preserves sperm motility after swim-up.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) on sperm motility. DESIGN: Controlled study using motile sperm suspensions obtained by the swim-up technique. SETTING: Endocrine Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London Medical School. PATIENTS: Men attending the Reproductive Medicine Unit at University College London Hospitals, Obstetric Hospital, for routine fertility investigations. INTERVENTIONS: Motile sperm suspensions were incubated with either culture medium (control) or L-NMMA (test) for 24 hours at 37 degrees C. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Motion characteristics were assessed manually and by computer-assisted sperm motility analyzer. RESULTS: In all 23 preparations either equivalent or significantly higher percentage total motility and percentage rapidly motile sperm were observed in the test compared with the control samples at 24 hours. There were no significant differences in motion characteristics between test and control specimens at 6 hours. CONCLUSIONS: NG-monomethyl-L-arginine inhibits the formation of nitric oxide; its ability to prevent sperm motility decline indicates that the arginine-nitric oxide pathway may play a role in modulating sperm motility and motility survival.

Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed2005

Cytoskeleton dynamics powers nematode sperm motility.

Nematode sperm provide a simple and specialized system for studying the molecular mechanism of amoeboid cell motility. Locomotion is generated by the assembly dynamics of their cytoskeleton, which is based on the major sperm protein (MSP). Protrusive force is generated at the leading edge of the lamellipod by MSP filament formation and bundling, whereas the contractile force that drags the rearward cell body forward is generated by cytoskeleton disassembly. The dynamics of the system can be reconstituted in vitro using cell-free extracts of Ascaris sperm, in which vesicles derived from the leading edge of the cell can be either pushed or pulled. The addition of ATP to the cell-free extract initiates MSP filament polymerization and bundling immediately behind the vesicle, and the expansion of the resulting gel pushes the vesicle at rates comparable to those seen in living cells. In contrast, the addition of Yersinia tyrosine phosphatase generates depolymerization and gel contraction that pulls the vesicles. Overall, nematode sperm motility illustrates that cell locomotion can be generated by cytoskeletal dynamics alone without the use of myosin-like motor proteins.

Actins↗

PubMed1984

The effect of an anti-insulin antiserum on human sperm motility.

Inhibition of sperm motility by anti-relaxin antiserum has been previously reported. This effect may be secondary to a nonspecific effect of immunoglobulins binding to sperm or to a specific inhibition of relaxin activity at the sperm surface. The current investigation demonstrates that an anti-insulin antiserum does not inhibit sperm motility in the same system in which an anti-relaxin antiserum results in inhibition. This supports the hypothesis that the anti-relaxin antiserum effect is specific.

Humans↗

PubMed1990

Objective identification of hyperactivated human spermatozoa by computerized sperm motion analysis with the Hamilton-Thorn sperm motility analyser.

Sperm from 10 fertile donors were incubated for 8 h in a capacitating medium (BWW 3.5% HSA) and treated with 1.25 microliters of 2 mM Ca-ionophore solution. Sperm motion was analysed using the Hamilton-Thorn system before and after incubation and treatment. The acrosome reaction was detected with PSA-FITC labelling of the acrosome. Critical values of sperm movement parameters were defined for objective identification of hyperactive movement by the Hamilton-Thorn system. The incidence of hyperactive movement in the sperm suspensions was approximately 2%. No significant changes of hyperactive movement could be observed after the incubation period or the ionophore treatment, in contrast to a significant rise in the percentage of acrosome-reacted cells after ionophore treatment. The implications of these findings for monitoring hyperactive cells to test sperm function are discussed.

Acrosome↗

PubMed1988

A computerized postcoital test sperm motility: comparison with clinical postcoital test and correlations with sperm antibodies.

Sixty-five infertile women had a conventional postcoital test (PCT), a computerized postcoital test (cPCT), and sperm antibody testing. Twenty-four women had good cervical mucus and good PCT sperm motility (group 1), 23 had poor cervical mucus and poor PCT sperm motility (group 2), and 18 had good cervical mucus but poor PCT sperm motility (group 3). The percentage of motile sperm, mean linearity, and the motility index of sperm by cPCT also were decreased in groups 2 and 3 (p less than 0.001) in contrast to group 1. A reduced PCT sperm count was significantly associated with positive titers of antibodies to autologous sperm in the husbands' serum, whereas a reduced PCT motility correlated with high titers of cytotoxic antibodies to husbands' sperm in the wives' serum and cervical mucus. An increased percentage of vibratory sperm at PCT correlated with elevated titers of cytotoxic antibodies to husbands' sperm in the wives' serum and cervical mucus, and hemagglutinating (r = 0.44; p less than 0.001) and immunofluorescent IgA antibodies to husbands' sperm (r = 0.47; p less than 0.001) in the cervical mucus. Mean swimming speed of sperm by cPCT correlated inversely with cytotoxic and hemagglutinating antibody titers to husbands' sperm, and immunobead-binding IgM and immunofluorescent IgG, IgA, and IgM (r = 0.52; p less than 0.001) antibodies to sperm in the seminal plasma. Motility indices correlated inversely with cytotoxic antibody titers to husbands' sperm in the wives' serum, and hemagglutinating antibody titers to husbands' sperm in cervical mucus. The predictive values of PCT and cPCT for the presence of cytotoxic and immunofluorescent IgA antibodies to autoimmune husbands' sperm were 76% and 71%, respectively, in the serum and 85% and 75%, respectively, in the cervical mucus of the wives. The predictive value of PCT and cPCT for immunobead-binding and immunofluorescent IgM antibodies to sperm in the wives' serum was 71%. Computerized PCT measures more sperm characteristics than PCT, although it is in general agreement with PCT.

Antibody Formation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The presence of a motility inhibitor within spermatozoa may explain the poor sperm motility of some infertile men.

The presence of motility inhibitors in seminal plasma and within spermatozoa from control and infertile men with poor sperm motility was investigated using demembranated reactivated human spermatozoa. No difference was found in the inhibitory capacities in seminal plasma of patients with poor sperm motility (less than 50%) when compared with that of fertile controls with motility above 50%. No correlation was observed between inhibitory capacity and sperm motility. However, when extracts of spermatozoa from these patients were tested for the presence of inhibitor, it was observed that three of nine patients had an inhibitor in their sperm extract. By contrast, all sperm extracts from fertile control subjects were devoid of inhibitor. It was concluded that the presence of a motility inhibitor in seminal plasma does not explain the poor sperm motility observed in patients. The presence of a motility inhibitor within spermatozoa, however, may represent an important factor in the etiology of the poor sperm motility observed in some patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

The effects of walls, paternity and ageing on sperm motility.

The measurement of sperm motility is critical when studying fertilization kinetics and chemotaxis. Analysis of motility has traditionally been carried out on cells in small fluid volumes on microscope slides. Several theoretical treatments suggest that drag forces significantly affect flagellar motion within 10 sperm body lengths of the slide surface. Understanding how sperm move in the absence of surface drag is crucial when considering natural locomotory patterns. To examine the effects of solid surfaces, motile sperm from sea urchins (Arbacia punctulata) were placed in a Plexiglas chamber (69 mmx45 mmx15.5 mm; length x width x height). A system was constructed to minimize convective flow by limiting temperature differences within the chamber to less than 0.1 degrees C. The movement of sperm was video-recorded at two levels: (3/4)100 micron (3 body lengths) and 5 mm (150 body lengths) below the chamber lid. When swimming speeds were measured using a computerized video motion-analysis system, a highly significant difference (P<0. 0001) between cells at the two depths was found. Cells nearest the lid swam at 174.6+/-5.9 micron s-1 (mean +/- s.e.m.), whereas those farther away slowed to only 111.1+/-9.9 micron s-1 (mean +/- s.e.m.). Swimming speed was also found to be significantly (P<0.01) affected by paternity, but not by sperm age. We conclude that viscous wall effects must be carefully considered in studies of sperm motility and chemotaxis. The analysis of sperm on a microscope slide may substantially exaggerate swimming speed.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Absence of direct effect of beta-endorphin and calcitonin on human sperm motility.

Beta-endorphin and calcitonin are found in the male reproductive tract. To elucidate the role of these hormones in reproduction, we studied their effect on sperm motility in vitro. Eight semen specimens were obtained from healthy donors, washed, and incubated with different concentrations of human beta-endorphin and human calcitonin. After 30 min of incubation, percentage of motile sperm (% motility), mean progressive velocity (MPV), and lateral head displacement (LHD) were assessed by a computerized semen analyzer. There were no significant differences in any of the sperm motility parameters between control and treated sperm. There was also no correlation between the concentration of beta-endorphin or calcitonin and any sperm motility parameters. It would appear that beta-endorphin and calcitonin may not directly affect sperm motility parameters in vitro.

Calcitonin↗