Amoxicillin–clavulanic acid induced sperm abnormalities and histopathological changes in mice

Objective: To explore the genotoxic potential and histopathological changes induced in liver, kidney, testis, brain and heart after using the antibiotic drug amoxicillin/clavulanic acid(4:1).Methods: The study included chromosomal aberration analysis in bone-marrow and mouse spermatocytes, induction of sperm morphological abnormalities and histopathological changes in different body organs. The drug was administrated orally at a dose of81 mg/kg body weight twice daily(Total = 162 mg/kg/day) for various periods of time equivalent to 625 mg/men(twice daily).Results: The results revealed non-significant chromosomal aberrations induced after treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid(AC) in both bone marrow and mouse spermatocytes after 7 and 10 days treatment. On the other hand, statistically significant percentages of sperm morphological abnormalities were recorded. Such percentage reached 8.10 ± 0.55, 9.86 ± 0.63 and 12.12 ± 0.58 at the three time intervals tested(7, 14 and 35 days after the 1 st treatment respectively)(treatment performed for 5 successive days) compared with 2.78 ± 0.48 for the control. The results also revealed histopathological changes in different body organs after AC treatment which increased with the prolongation of the period of therapy. Congestion of central vain, liver hemorrhage and hydropic changes in hepatocytes were noticed in the liver. Degenerative changes were found in kidney glomerulus and tubules while testis showed atrophy of seminiferous tubules, and reduction of spermatogenesis. AC also induced neurotoxicity and altered brain neurotransmitter levels. Hemorrhage in the myocardium, disruption of cardiac muscle fibers and pyknotic nuclei in cardiomyocytes were recorded as side effects of AC in heart tissue.Conclusions: The results concluded that AC treatment induced sperm morphological abnormalities and histopathological changes in different body organs. Clinicians must be aware of such results while describing the drug.

Sperm collection in Black-legged Kittiwakes and characterization of sperm velocity and morphology

Background:Collecting and studying live sperm is central to many important fields of biology.Yet,a simple method to collect live sperm is lacking in wild seabird species.Here,we describe a non?invasive method to collect viable sperm samples based on a simple massage technique applied to male Black?legged Kittiwakes(Rissa tridactyla).Methods:We studied a colony breeding at Kongsfjorden,Svalbard and successfully obtained sperm samples from 32 males.With a subset of samples(n = 12 males),we compared the suitability of several extenders(0.9% NaCl,PBS,Earle's balance salt solution,Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium) in maintaining sperm alive long enough for analyses.With another 18 ejaculates,we conducted computer assisted sperm analyses using the CASA plugin for ImageJ.We provide details about the settings to be used for such analyses.Lastly,droplets from 20 ejaculates were smeared on glass slides and preserved with formalin to characterize sperm morphology in terms of total sperm length,sperm head length,midpiece length and flagellum length,and percentage of abnormal sperm.Results:With this method and under field conditions,we were able to obtain sufficient amounts of live sperm to assess traits related to sperm quality(e.g.sperm morphology,percentage of motile sperm,sperm velocity).We found that two extenders,Earle's balanced salt solution and Dulbecco modified Eagle's medium,yielded similarly good results.Additionally,we investigated whether specific behaviours were associated with successful sperm collection and whether sperm collection success depended on how long before laying sperm collection was attempted.Finally,we provide mean values for sperm morphology,sperm swimming ability and percentage of motile sperm,which may prove useful for future comparative analyses,and we report high levels of sperm abnormality and within?ejaculate variation in sperm morphology.Conclusions:We discuss the high percentage of abnormal sperm and high within?ejaculate variation in sperm morphology in light of sperm competition theory and conclude that these figures are likely due to relaxed post?cop?ulatory sexual selection,kittiwakes being strictly monogamous.Finally,we suggest that this method could be applied to other seabird species sharing similar ecology.

miR-199-5p regulates spermiogenesis at the posttranscriptional level via targeting Tekt1 in allotriploid crucian carp

Background:Sperm abnormalities are one of the primary factors leading to male sterility,but their pathogenesis is still unclear.Although miRNAs are suggested to exert important roles in the regulation of spermatogenesis at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels,little is currently known regarding the regulation of sperm flagella assembly by microRNAs(miRNAs).The role of miRNAs in the development of sperm abnormalities in sterile triploid fish has not been studied.Results:In this study,we found that miR-199-5p was widely expressed in all detected tissues of different-ploidy crucian carp.As one of the testis-specific candidate markers,Tekt1 was predominantly expressed in the testis.Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)analyses showed that the expression trend of miR-199-5p was exactly opposite to that of Tekt1.Through bioinformatics analysis,we identified a putative miR-199-5p binding site in the Tekt1 mRNA.We further identified Tekt1 as a target of miR-199-5p using luciferase reporter assay.Finally,we confirmed that miR-199-5p was necessary for sperm flagellar assembly and spermatogenesis in vivo via intraperitoneal injection of miR-199-5p antagomir or agomir in diploid red crucian carp.Moreover,miR-199-5p gainof-function could lead to spermatids apoptosis and abnormal spermatozoa structure,which is similar to that of allotriploid crucian carp.Conclusions:Our studies suggested that abnormally elevated miR-199-5p inhibited the sperm flagella formation in spermiogenesis by negatively regulating the expression of Tekt1,thereby causing sperm abnormalities of male allotriploid crucian carp.

Uncertainty Evaluation of Boar Fresh Semen Quality

According to JJF1059.2-2012 and CNAS-GL06, the measurement uncertainty of four indicators （semen volume, sperm motility and validity, progressive motility, abnormal sperm percentage） of boar fresh semen, as well as its influencing factors, was analyzed. The results showed that the measurement uncertainty of semen volume and progressive motility caused by inspectors was low, and their measurement results reliability was high. There were small differences in measurement results of semen volume and progressive motility among inspectors. However, the measurement uncertainty of sperm motility and abnormal sperm percentage was relatively large, and great differences were found among different inspectors. Therefore, the training of inspectors＇ measuring sperm motility and abnormal sperm percentage should be strengthened, and the comparison of measurement results among inspectors should be performed in the future.

Aberrant protamination in sperm correlates to anomalous nuclear and cytoplasmic architectures in infertile males with sperm dysmorphology

Aberrant sperm protamination is linked to sperm dysmorphology and nuclear chromatin condensation.Yet,its effects on sperm cytoplasmic maturation remain largely unexplored.The relationships of protamines,sperm morphology,DNA damage,and cytoplasmic remodeling were illustrated in this study to provide fresh perspectives on the mechanisms of male infertility.A total of 205 infertile males were allocated into 5 groups according to the percentage of spermatozoa exhibiting abnormal morphology within their samples.Sperm concentration,motility,abnormal sperm morphology,cytoplasmic droplets(CDs),and excess residual cytoplasm(ERC)were analyzed according to the World Health Organization manual(2010).Sperm nuclear vacuoles(NVs)were determined by propidium iodide(PI)staining.Sperm protamine expressions(P1 and P2)were detected by western blot.DNA damage was measured by acridine orange test(AOT)to calculate the proportion of sperm with single-strand DNA breaks(SSBs).Our data showed that sperm concentration and motility in infertile males significantly decreased with the severity of abnormal sperm morphology(both P<0.01).P1 level,P1/P2 ratio,and SSB rate increased with the severity of sperm dysmorphology,whilst the P2 level decreased(all P<O.01).NVs,CDs,and ERC were more common in males with sperm dysmorphology and positively correlated with the SSB rate(all P<O.01).The relationships between the SSB rate and the P1/P2 ratio were also significant(P<0.01).Aberrant protamination may cause sperm dysmorphology and compromise male fertility by impairing sperm's nucleus and cytoplasm maturation,with the P1/P2 ratio potentially serving as a valuable indicator of sperm quality and male fertility.

Novel biallelic loss-of-function mutations in CFAP43 cause multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagellum in Pakistani families

Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella(MMAF)is a specific type of asthenoteratozoospermia,presenting with multiple morphological anomalies in spermatozoa,such as absent,bent,coiled,short,or irregular caliber flagella.Previous genetic studies revealed pathogenic mutations in genes encoding cilia and flagella-associated proteins(CFAPs;e.g.,CFAP43,CFAP44,CFAP65,CFAP69,CFAP70,and CFAP251)responsible for the MMAF phenotype in infertile men from different ethnic groups.However,none of them have been identified in infertile Pakistani males with MMAF.In the current study,two Pakistani families with MMAF patients were recruited.Whole-exome sequencing(WES)of patients and their parents was performed.WES analysis reflected novel biallelic loss-of-function mutations in CFAP43 in both families(Family 1:ENST00000357060.3,p.Arg300Lysfs*22 and p.Thr526Serfs*43 in a compound heterozygous state;Family 2:ENST00000357060.3,p.Thr526Serfs*43 in a homozygous state).Sanger sequencing further confirmed that these mutations were segregated recessively in the families with the MMAF phenotype.Semiquantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was carried out to detect the effect of the mutation on mRNA of the affected gene.Previous research demonstrated that biallelic loss-of-function mutations in CFAP43 accounted for the majority of all CFAP43-mutant MMAF patients.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study to report CFAP43 biallelic loss-of-function mutations in a Pakistani population with the MMAF phenotype.This study will help researchers and clinicians to understand the genetic etiology of MMAF better.

Novel mutation in ODF2 causes multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella in an infertile male

Numerous genes have been associated with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella(MMAF),which cause severe asthenozoospermia and lead to male infertility,while the causes of approximately 50%of MMAF cases remain unclear.To reveal the genetic causes of MMAF in an infertile patient,whole-exome sequencing was performed to screen for pathogenic genes,and electron microscope was used to reveal the sperm flagellar ultrastructure.A novel heterozygous missense mutation in the outer dense fiber protein 2(ODF2)gene was detected,which was inherited from the patient’s mother and predicted to be potentially damaging.Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the outer dense fibers were defective in the patient’s sperm tail,which was similar to that of the reported heterozygous Odf2 mutation mouse.Immunostaining of ODF2 showed severe ODF2 expression defects in the patient’s sperm.Therefore,it was concluded that the heterozygous mutation in ODF2 caused MMAF in this case.To evaluate the possibility of assisted reproductive technology(ART)treatment for this patient,intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)was performed,with the help of a hypo-osmotic swelling test and laser-assisted immotile sperm selection(LAISS)for available sperm screening,and artificial oocyte activation with ionomycin was applied to improve the fertilization rate.Four ICSI cycles were performed,and live birth was achieved in the LAISS-applied cycle,suggesting that LAISS would be valuable in ART treatment for MMAF.

A novel homozygous frameshift variant in DNAH8 causes multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella in a consanguineous Pakistani family

Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella(MMAF)is a severe form of asthenozoospermia categorized by immotile spermatozoa with abnormal flagella in ejaculate.Whole-exome sequencing(WES)is used to detect pathogenic variants in patients with MMAF.In this study,a novel homozygous frameshift variant(c.6158_6159insT)in dynein axonemal heavy chain 8(DNAH8)from two infertile brothers with MMAF in a consanguineous Pakistani family was identified by WES.Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)confirmed DNAH8 mRNA decay in these patients with the DNAH8 mutation.Hematoxylin–eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy revealed highly divergent morphology and ultrastructure of sperm flagella in these patients.Furthermore,an immunofluorescence assay showed the absence of DNAH8 and a reduction in its associated protein DNAH17 in the patients'spermatozoa.Collectively,our study expands the phenotypic spectrum of patients with DNAH8-related MMAF worldwide.

Major regulatory mechanisms involved in sperm motility

The genetic bases and molecular mechanisms involved in the assembly and function of the flagellum components as well as in the regulation of the flagellar movement are not fully understood, especially in humans. There are several causes for sperm immotility, of which some can be avoided and corrected, whereas other are related to genetic defects and deserve full investigation to give a diagnosis to patients. This review was performed after an extensive literature search on the online databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. Here, we review the involvement of regulatory pathways responsible for sperm motility, indicating possible causes for sperm immotility. These included the calcium pathway, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase pathway, the importance of kinases and phosphatases, the function of reactive oxygen species, and how the regulation of cell volume and osmolarity are also fundamental components. We then discuss main gene defects associated with specific morphological abnormalities. Finally, we slightly discuss some preventive and treatments approaches to avoid development of conditions that are associated with unspecified sperm immotility. We believe that in the near future, with the development of more powerful techniques, the genetic causes of sperm immotility and the regulatory mechanisms of sperm motility will be better understand, thus enabling to perform a full diagnosis and uncover new therapies.

In sight on multiple morphological abno rmalities of sperm flagella in male infertility:what is new?

The syndrome of multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella(MMAF)is a specific kind of asthenoteratozoospermia with a mosaic of flagellar morphological abnormalities(absent,short,bent,coiled,and irregular flagella).MMAF was proposed in 2014 and has attracted increasing attention;however,it has not been clearly understood.In this review,we elucidate the definition of MMAF from a systematical view,the difference between MMAF and other conditions with asthenoteratozoospermia or asthenozoospermia(such as primary mitochondrial sheath defects and primary ciliary dyskinesia),the knowledge regarding its etiological mechanism and related genetic findings,and the clinical significance of MMAF for intracytoplasmic sperm injection and genetic coun sell ng.This review provides the basic kno wledge for MMAF and puts forward some suggestions for further investigations.

Related Factors of in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer Patients with Complete Fertilization Failure

Objective To find the possible factors predicting fertilization failure of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer （1VF-ET）. Methods The IVF-ET patients with complete fertilization failure （experimental group, n =32） were analyzed retrospectively. The patients whose oocytes retrieved at the same day and cultured on the same incubators with ≥ 50% fertilization rates were matched as the control （n=56）. Results The infertility duration, superovulation days, the rates of primary case, progesterone （P） level 〉3.12 nmol/L rate and rate of severe abnormal sperm （abnormal sperm rate 〉95%） in experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control （6.4 ±3.1 years, 12.6 ±2.2 d, 56%, 43%, 43% vs 4.6±2.9years, 11.6 ±% 1.3 d, 33%, 23%, 23%, respectively, P〈0.05）. Conclusion We should pay attention to these patients with primary infertility, longer infertility duration and superovulation days （〉6.4 years and 〉12.6 d） and having increased level of P on hCG injection day （〉3.12 nmol/L）, abnormal sperm rate 〉95% at the same time. They should be included in such patients at high risk of fertilization failure.