The aim of the present study was to compare assessments of sperm concentration and sperm motility analysed by conventional semen analysis with those obtained by computer-assisted semen analysis （CASA） （Copenhagen R...The aim of the present study was to compare assessments of sperm concentration and sperm motility analysed by conventional semen analysis with those obtained by computer-assisted semen analysis （CASA） （Copenhagen Rigshospitalet Image House Sperm Motility Analysis System （CRISMAS） 4.6 software） using semen samples from 166 young Danish men. The CRISMAS software identifies sperm concentration and classifies spermatozoa into three motility categories. To enable comparison of the two methods, the four motility stages obtained by conventional semen analysis were, based on their velocity classifications, divided into three stages, comparable to the three CRISMAS motility categories： rapidly progressive （A）, slowly progressive （B） and non-progressive （C＋ D）. Differences between the two methods were large for all investigated parameters （P〈0.001）. CRISMAS overestimated sperm concentration and the proportion of rapidly progressive spermatozoa and, consequently, underestimated the percentages of slowly progressive and non-progressive spermatozoa, compared to the conventional method. To investigate whether results drifted according to time of semen analysis, results were pooled into quarters according to date of semen analysis. CRISMAS motility results appeared more stable over time compared to the conventional analysis; however, neither method showed any trends. Apparently, CRISMAS CASA results and results from the conventional method were not comparable with respect to sperm concentration and motility analysis. This needs to be accounted for in clinics using this software and in studies of determinants of these semen characteristics.展开更多
Several animal studies indicate that mercury is a male reproductive toxicant, but human studies are few and contradictory. We examined semen characteristics and serum levels of reproductive hormones in relation to env...Several animal studies indicate that mercury is a male reproductive toxicant, but human studies are few and contradictory. We examined semen characteristics and serum levels of reproductive hormones in relation to environmental exposure to mercury. Blood and semen samples were collected from 529 male partners of pregnant women living in Greenland, Poland and Ukraine between May 2002 and February 2004. The median concentration of the total content of mercury in whole blood was 9.2 ng ml-1 in Greenland （0.2- 385.8 ng ml-1）, 1.0 ng m1-1 in Poland （0.2-6.4 ng ml-z） and 1.0 ng ml-I in Ukraine （0.2-4.9 ng ml-1）. We found a significantly positive association between the blood levels of mercury and serum concentration of inhibin B in men from Greenland （p=0.074, 95% confidence interval （CI）=0.021 to 0.126） and in an analysis including men from all three regions （p=0.067, 95% C1=0.024 to O. 110）. The association may be due to beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFAs）, which are contained in seafood and fish. No significant association （P〉O.05） was found between blood concentrations of mercury and any of the other measured semen characteristics （semen volume, total sperm count, sperm concentration, morphology and motility） and reproductive hormones （free androgen index {FAI）, follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）, luteinizing hormone （LH）, testosterone and LH xtestosterone） in any region. In conclusion, the findings do not provide evidence that environmental mercury exposure in Greenlandic and European men with median whole blood concentration up to 10 ng m1^-1 has adverse effects on biomarkers of male reproductive health.展开更多
Apoptosis in the testis has two putative roles during normal spermatogenesis; limitation of the germ cell population to numbers that can be supported by the Sertoli cells, and, possibly, selective depletion of meiotic...Apoptosis in the testis has two putative roles during normal spermatogenesis; limitation of the germ cell population to numbers that can be supported by the Sertoli cells, and, possibly, selective depletion of meiotic and postmeiotic abnormal germ cells. We investigated the demographic and biological correlates of the pro-apoptotic marker Fas and the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-xL in sperm cells of fertile men. Six hundred and four men from Greenland, Poland and Ukraine were consecutively enrolled during their pregnant wife＇s antenatal visits. Semen analysis was performed as recommended by the World Health Organization. Immunofluorescence coupled to flow cytometry was utilized for detection of apoptotic markers in the sperm cell. DNA damage was assessed by flow cytometry using both the sperm chromatin structure assay （SCSA） and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling （TUNEL） assay. The percentage of Fas-positive sperm cells was higher in men with high total sperm count （P〈O.01）, more motile sperms （P=-O.04） and fewer sperm head defects （P=-O.05）. These associations were consistent within and across study regions. Furthermore, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH） and sexual hormone-binding globulin （SHBG） were significantly negatively correlated with Fas within and across regions as well. The data indicated no association between the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL marker and semen or personal characteristics. The finding of Fas-positive sperm cells associated with better semen quality in a cohort of spouses of pregnant women seems different from previous data obtained in infertile men and warrants further investigation to clarify the biological significance of sperm apoptotic markers.展开更多
文摘The aim of the present study was to compare assessments of sperm concentration and sperm motility analysed by conventional semen analysis with those obtained by computer-assisted semen analysis （CASA） （Copenhagen Rigshospitalet Image House Sperm Motility Analysis System （CRISMAS） 4.6 software） using semen samples from 166 young Danish men. The CRISMAS software identifies sperm concentration and classifies spermatozoa into three motility categories. To enable comparison of the two methods, the four motility stages obtained by conventional semen analysis were, based on their velocity classifications, divided into three stages, comparable to the three CRISMAS motility categories： rapidly progressive （A）, slowly progressive （B） and non-progressive （C＋ D）. Differences between the two methods were large for all investigated parameters （P〈0.001）. CRISMAS overestimated sperm concentration and the proportion of rapidly progressive spermatozoa and, consequently, underestimated the percentages of slowly progressive and non-progressive spermatozoa, compared to the conventional method. To investigate whether results drifted according to time of semen analysis, results were pooled into quarters according to date of semen analysis. CRISMAS motility results appeared more stable over time compared to the conventional analysis; however, neither method showed any trends. Apparently, CRISMAS CASA results and results from the conventional method were not comparable with respect to sperm concentration and motility analysis. This needs to be accounted for in clinics using this software and in studies of determinants of these semen characteristics.
文摘Several animal studies indicate that mercury is a male reproductive toxicant, but human studies are few and contradictory. We examined semen characteristics and serum levels of reproductive hormones in relation to environmental exposure to mercury. Blood and semen samples were collected from 529 male partners of pregnant women living in Greenland, Poland and Ukraine between May 2002 and February 2004. The median concentration of the total content of mercury in whole blood was 9.2 ng ml-1 in Greenland （0.2- 385.8 ng ml-1）, 1.0 ng m1-1 in Poland （0.2-6.4 ng ml-z） and 1.0 ng ml-I in Ukraine （0.2-4.9 ng ml-1）. We found a significantly positive association between the blood levels of mercury and serum concentration of inhibin B in men from Greenland （p=0.074, 95% confidence interval （CI）=0.021 to 0.126） and in an analysis including men from all three regions （p=0.067, 95% C1=0.024 to O. 110）. The association may be due to beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFAs）, which are contained in seafood and fish. No significant association （P〉O.05） was found between blood concentrations of mercury and any of the other measured semen characteristics （semen volume, total sperm count, sperm concentration, morphology and motility） and reproductive hormones （free androgen index {FAI）, follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）, luteinizing hormone （LH）, testosterone and LH xtestosterone） in any region. In conclusion, the findings do not provide evidence that environmental mercury exposure in Greenlandic and European men with median whole blood concentration up to 10 ng m1^-1 has adverse effects on biomarkers of male reproductive health.
文摘Apoptosis in the testis has two putative roles during normal spermatogenesis; limitation of the germ cell population to numbers that can be supported by the Sertoli cells, and, possibly, selective depletion of meiotic and postmeiotic abnormal germ cells. We investigated the demographic and biological correlates of the pro-apoptotic marker Fas and the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-xL in sperm cells of fertile men. Six hundred and four men from Greenland, Poland and Ukraine were consecutively enrolled during their pregnant wife＇s antenatal visits. Semen analysis was performed as recommended by the World Health Organization. Immunofluorescence coupled to flow cytometry was utilized for detection of apoptotic markers in the sperm cell. DNA damage was assessed by flow cytometry using both the sperm chromatin structure assay （SCSA） and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling （TUNEL） assay. The percentage of Fas-positive sperm cells was higher in men with high total sperm count （P〈O.01）, more motile sperms （P=-O.04） and fewer sperm head defects （P=-O.05）. These associations were consistent within and across study regions. Furthermore, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH） and sexual hormone-binding globulin （SHBG） were significantly negatively correlated with Fas within and across regions as well. The data indicated no association between the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL marker and semen or personal characteristics. The finding of Fas-positive sperm cells associated with better semen quality in a cohort of spouses of pregnant women seems different from previous data obtained in infertile men and warrants further investigation to clarify the biological significance of sperm apoptotic markers.
