Separation of sperm cells by sedimentation technique is not suitable for in vitro fertilization purposes.

Two methods of sperm preparation for in vitro fertilization were compared: the swim-up technique vs. the migration-sedimentation technique. The study comprised fresh semen samples obtained from 25 couples treated in the In Vitro Fertilization Unit.

Pentoxifylline improves sperm binding to the zona pellucida in the hemizona assay.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of pentoxifylline on sperm binding capacity to zona pellucida (ZP) using the hemizona assay (HZA).

Design: The fertility potential of 82 men was evaluated by routine semen analysis. Each ejaculate was incubated with or without pentoxifylline (3 mM) in Ham's F-10 medium (Flow Laboratories, Irvine, Scotland) before the HZA.

The use of hemizona assay in the evaluation of the optimal sperm preparation technique.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the benefit of different sperm preparation methods by using the hemizona assay. A total of 58 men admitted to the male infertility clinic for evaluation were tested by routine semen analysis and hemizona assay. Five different techniques (swim-up, TEST-yolk buffer, Percoll, pentoxifylline and progesterone) were used for preparation of sperm suspensions.

Advanced methods for evaluation of sperm quality.

Routine semen analysis includes measurements of sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. In our study, three additional tests were evaluated in relation to fertilization rate in an in vitro fertilization program: the freezing and hypo-osmotic swelling tests that evaluate the functional integrity and stability of the sperm membrane under extreme osmotic conditions, and migration sedimentation test that isolates high-quality motile sperm cells. The study was performed on semen delivered by men of couples treated at the In Vitro Fertilization Unit, and men who served as semen donors (fresh or cryopreserved semen).

The effect of egg yolk on the binding capacity of human spermatozoa to zona pellucida.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Tes and Tris (TEST)-yolk buffer (TYB) incubation on sperm function.

Design: Sperm samples obtained from 61 patients attending the infertility clinic were incubated in TYB and control medium. Binding to the zona pellucida (ZP), evaluated by the hemizona assay, membrane functional integrity evaluated by the hypoosmotic swelling test, and acrosome reaction and penetration through cervical mucus were assessed to ascertain the effect of TYB treatment.

The hemizona assay is of good prognostic value for the ability of sperm to fertilize oocytes in vitro.

Objectives: To assess the prognostic value of hemizona assay (HZA) in predicting the success of IVF.

Design: Samples from 133 patients, who were referred for semen evaluation, were tested by HZA. Thirty samples were tested twice to assess interassay variation.

The use of a seminal vesicle specific protein (MHS-5 antigen) for diagnosis of agenesis of vas deferens and seminal vesicles in azoospermic men.

Azoospermia is the cause of infertility in 8% of infertile male patients. Ten percent of those patients suffer from agenesis of the seminal vesicle (SV) and vas deferens (VD) agenesis. Currently, the diagnosis of SV and VD agenesis is based on low semen volume, low pH, and low fructose content of the seminal fluid of azoospermic men who have normal serum gonadotropins.

Management of bilateral nonpalpable testes: laparoscopic diagnosis and orchidectomy.

Bilateral nonpalpable testes in the adult human are associated with testicular malignancy, infertility and other abnormalities. Investigation for localization of the testes is mandatory, and either orchidopexy or orchidectomy is indicated. Laparoscopy was performed in an azoospermic male with bilateral unpalpable testes.

Serum prolactin response to ether stress in diabetic rats: opiate system contribution.

Diabetes in streptozotocin-treated rats is associated with alterations in various neuroendocrine systems, including endogenous opioids. These changes are suggested to be responsible for the significant reduction in serum prolactin (PRL) response to a brief restraint stress in diabetic male rats, as compared with normoglycemic controls. The present study examines serum PRL response to ether exposure in diabetic male rats.

Retrograde ejaculation.

Retrograde ejaculation is an uncommon cause of male infertility. It should be suspected in any case of azoospermia, and might be congenital, acquired or idiopathic in origin. When pharmacological attempts to restore anterograde ejaculation fail, it is suggested that spermatozoa should be recovered from post-ejaculation urine to be applied in one of the modern techniques of assisted reproduction.

Blood luteinizing hormone and prolactin concentrations in response to naltrexone challenge: studies on rats with diabetes induced by different doses of streptozotocin.

Opiate system involvement in diabetes induced by three different doses of streptozotocin (STZ; 40, 50, and 60 mg/kg body weight [BW]) was studied by monitoring luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) levels as a response to naltrexone (Nalt) administration. After four weeks of diabetes a marked decrease in BW, as well as severe hyperglycemia and increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were found. The rats, whose diabetes was induced by 50 mg/kg of STZ, exhibited the highest amount of blood glucose (P < 0.

[Hemizona assay for evaluating fertilizing capacity of human spermatozoa].

The hemizona assay (HZA), which tests the binding capacity of human spermatozoa to the zona pellucida, is described. This assay has very high sensitivity (86-100%) in predicting fertilizing capacity in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) system. It is recommended that it be carried out on semen samples before entering the IVF program.

Experimental uremia in male rats: effect on the reproductive tract and fertility.

Chronic renal failure was induced in 3-month-old male rats by 5/6 nephrectomy. Potency and fertility studies were performed after 3 months of chronic uremia. The mean serum testosterone at the end of the experiments was significantly lower: 0.

Migration sedimentation technique as a predictive test for the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa in an in-vitro fertilization programme.

The migration-sedimentation technique (MST) has been proposed as a means of separating high quality motile spermatozoa. The present study was conducted in order to evaluate whether sperm performance following separation by MST predicts their fertilizing capacity in an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) programme. Ninety semen specimens were analysed for use in an IVF-embryo transfer (ET) programme.

Fresh and frozen-thawed human sperm bind in a similar pattern to the zona pellucida in the hemizona assay.

This study evaluated the impact of sperm cryopreservation on sperm quality. The HZA was used to test the binding capacity of fresh as opposed to frozen-thawed sperm from 12 donors. Fresh and frozen-thawed sperm motility was 47% +/- 1.

Ca(2+)-independent induction of acrosome reaction by protein kinase C in human sperm.

We report that activated protein kinase C (PKC) can induce acrosome reaction independently of elevated Ca2+. Addition of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate or the membrane-permeable diacylglycerol analog 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol to ejaculated human sperm resulted in stimulation of acrosomal reaction (2- to 3-fold), provided the sperm underwent capacitation. Induction of acrosome reaction by 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate was blocked by the PKC inhibitor staurosporine or by down-regulation of endogenous PKC, but not by removal of extracellular Ca2+.

Cryptorchidism: incidence and sperm quality in infertile men.

In a population of 8500 men attending the andrology outpatient clinic, 200 men (2.35%) were recorded as having some disturbances with the descent of the testes into the scrotum. Medical history of the patients revealed that 51 underwent unilateral orchidopexy; 40 bilateral orchidopexy; and 24 were treated with human chorionic gonadotropin in order to induce descent of their testes.

Efficacy of varicocele embolization versus ligation of the left internal spermatic vein for improvement of sperm quality.

Efficacy of surgical varicocelectomy versus embolization of the spermatic vein was studied in 137 men diagnosed as suffering from left varicocele. The men were divided randomly into three groups according to the methods of treatment: A--embolization of the internal spermatic vein (51 men); B--Ivanissevich technique of high ligation of the spermatic veins (43 men); and C--Bernardi technique of high ligation (43 men). The groups were similar in terms of age, duration of infertility and possessed semen characterized as oligoteratoasthenozoospermia.

Improved fertilization rate in an in vitro fertilization program by egg yolk-treated sperm.

High fertilization and PRs have been achieved by using thawed donor sperm cryopreserved with medium containing EY. The aim of our study was to examine the possible effect of EY on the fertilizing capacity of fresh sperm in an IVF program. Preincubation of spermatozoa in EY for 2 hours at room temperature significantly improved fertilization (P less than 0.

Mumps orchitis among soldiers: frequency, effect on sperm quality, and sperm antibodies.

This study reports on 72 young soldiers who suffered from a recent epidemic of acute mumps, with special emphasis on 19 who suffered from mumps orchitis and whose spermograms were in the fertility range. The immunological work-up for antibodies in sera or seminal plasma gave normal results for the patients diagnosed with orchitis, as well as the controls. The only remarkable finding was an increased risk of borderline significance for orchitis in smokers.

The predictive fertilization value of the hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) for fresh and cryopreserved sperm.

Background: The hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) was recommended as a predictive test for in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome. These results, however, were controversial and the results for thawed semen were insufficient. The present study was conducted in order to clarify the predictive value of the HOST for IVF in fresh and thawed sperm.

Fertility of men following inguinal hernia repair.

Among 8500 patients attending the fertility clinic due to infertility, 565 men (6.65%) reported an incidence of inguinal hernioplasty with or without subsequent atrophy of the testis. Semen quality (sperm concentrations, motility, and morphology) of these patients was markedly reduced in comparison to that of fertile men.

The efficiency of cryopreserved semen versus fresh semen for in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer.

The efficiency of cryopreserved donor semen versus fresh donor semen in an in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer programme was evaluated. Thirty-nine in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer cycles were performed using fresh donor semen (group A) and 74 cycles were carried out using cryopreserved semen (group B). All patients underwent a uniform controlled ovarian hyperstimulation using high doses of human menopausal gonadotropins.

Prerequisites for successful human sperm cryobanking: sperm quality and prefreezing holding time.

Frozen-thawed donor semen was used in artificial inseminations and in vitro fertilization programs. Semen accepted for donation was characterized (mean +/- SE) by sperm concentration of 150 +/- 18.6 x 10(6)/mL, normal morphology of 57% +/- 1.

The use of an electric freezer in human semen banking.

The use of an electric freezer for cryostorage of human semen is described. A simple method for semen freezing in liquid nitrogen after dilution with 7.5% glycerol was used.