Correlation of the contents of trace elements in male body fluids with sperm quality / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the contents of trace elements in the blood and seminal plasma of men and their correlation with semen parameters.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We detected and analyzed the contents of calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and lead in the blood and semen of 113 men with the BH-5100 5-channel atomic absorption spectrometer, YY-1001 blood lead instrument and Weili color sperm automatic analyzer to investigate the correlation of the contents of trace elements with quality.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The contents of lead, copper, zinc and iron in the blood were significantly correlated with those in the seminal plasma, but not the contents of calcium and magnesium. The contents of lead, copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron in the blood were significantly different from those in the semen. In the seminal plasma, the content of calcium showed a significant positive correlation with sperm motility, linear motile sperm motility (LMSM), straight line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), mean angle of deviation (MAD), active sperm density (ASD), average path velocity (VAP) and lateral head amplitude (ALH), while that of lead was negatively correlated with sperm motility, LMSM, ASD, motile sperm density (MSD) and linear motile sperm density (LMSD), and so was that of magnesium with sperm motility, LMSM and LMSD, and those of calcium, magnesium and iron with seminal pH. In the blood, the content of zinc was negatively correlated with sperm motility and LMSM, and so was that of magnesium with sperm motility, LMSM and VAP, while that of lead was positively correlated with ALH.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The contents of trace elements in different body fluids are differently correlated with sperm quality.</p>

Effects of inhaled anesthetics on human sperm motility in vitro / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of inhaled anesthetics on human sperm motility in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sperm samples were obtained from 20 healthy men by masturbation and prepared by the swim-up technique. The effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane at the clinical concentration (1.4%-5.6%) and high concentration (5.6%-84%) on human sperm motility in vitro were observed at 25 degrees C by the computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sperm vitality and motility were significantly increased on 0.5-4 h exposure to isoflurane at the clinical concentration and decreased gradually at high concentration (42%-84%). The effect of isoflurane on human sperm motility and vitality at the clinical concentration was reversible when the anesthetic withdrawn. Sevoflurane had no effects on human sperm motility and vitality at either the clinical or high concentration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Isoflurane has a reversible increasing effect at the clinical concentration and a significant decreasing effect at the high concentration on the motility and vitality of human sperm, while sevoflurane does not affect human sperm motility and vitality at either concentration.</p>

Effects of isoflurane combined with diltiazem on human sperm motility / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of isoflurane combined with diltiazem on human sperm motility in vitro and to investigate its possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten normal semen samples were collected, each divided into 9 groups, one as the control and the others treated in vitro with different concentrations of diltiazem or diltiazem +4.2% isoflurane for 1 hour. Sperm motility was observed with the computer-assisted sperm analyzer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control, diltiazem significantly decreased sperm motility at the concentrations of 0.01 g/L, 0.04 g/L, 0.2 g/L and 1 g/L in a dose-dependent manner, and reduced it to approximately 0% at 1 g/L. When combined with 4.2% isoflurane, diltiazem obviously increased sperm motility at 0.01 g/L, markedly decreased it at 0.2 g/L, and effected no significant difference at 0.04 g/L and 1 g/L as compared with the corresponding concentrations of diltiazem alone.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The stimulating effect of isoflurane on sperm motility may be associated with the calcium ion channel in sperm. When completely blocked by diltiazem, this effect may turn into an inhibition of sperm motility.</p>