ABSTRACT
Spermatogenesis is an androgen-regulated process that depends on the action of androgen receptor (AR). Sperm production may be affected in men treated for testicular cancer (TC), and it is important to identify the factors influencing the timing of spermatogenesis recovery following cancer treatment. It is known that the CAG and GGN repeat numbers affect the activity of the AR; therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate if the CAG and GGN polymorphisms in the AR gene predict recovery of sperm production after TC treatment. TC patients (n = 130) delivered ejaculates at the following time points: postorchiectomy and at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 60 months posttherapy (T0, T6, T12, T24, T36, and T60). The CAG lengths were categorized into three groups, 23 CAG, and the GGN tracts were also categorized into three groups, 23 GGN. At T12, men with 22-23 CAG presented with a statistically significantly (P = 0.045) lower sperm concentration than those with other CAG numbers (8.4 × 106 ml-1 vs 16 × 106 ml-1 ; 95% CI: 1.01-2.65). This association was robust to omitting adjustment for treatment type and sperm concentration at T0 (P = 0.021; 3.7 × 106 ml-1 vs 10 × 106 ml-1 ; 95% CI: 1.13-4.90). The same trends were observed for total sperm number. The least active AR variant seems to be associated with a more rapid recovery of spermatogenesis. This finding adds to our understanding of the biology of postcancer therapy recovery of fertility in males and has clinical implications.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of EMP exposure to male BABL/c mice on the reproduction and its sex ratio.Methods Thirty-three male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into sham-exposed group,10 000 pulses/d exposed group,and 100 000 pulses/d exposed group with 50 Hz static magnetic field of 35 kV/m for 2 weeks consecutively,then the male mice were mated with unexposed females (1 male vs.2 female).Mated males were sacrificed to examine the exposure effects on sperm number and testis index after 7 days of mating.The sex ratio of embryos collected from unexposed mated females was investigated by PCR.Results The sex ratio of offspring was 0.298 (14/47) in the 10 000 pulses/d exposed group,significantly lower than 0.871 (27/31) in the sham-exposed group.No statistical changes were observed in the sex ratio of offspring,sperm number,the weights of testis and testis index after 100 000 pulses/d exposure.Conclusions The exposure of male mice to 35 kV/m EMP at 10 000 pulses/d for 2 weeks consecutively may change the sex ratio of mice's offspring.
ABSTRACT
The rat prostate comprises dorsal, ventral and lateral lobes that are morphologically and biochemically distinct. Lesions to these structures are expected to affect the quality of the ejaculate and male fertility. In experiment 1, we analyzed ejaculate parameters of males that had chemical lesions of the dorsal or ventral lobes. At pre-lesion and at 5 and 20 days post-lesion males were mated, and after ejaculation, seminal fluid and seminal plug were obtained from the mated females. In experiment 2, the ventral lobes were ablated, and the ejaculate was analyzed. In experiment 3, the fertility of males with chemically-lesioned dorsal lobes or ablation of the ventral lobes was evaluated. Chemical lesion of the dorsal lobe prevented the adhesion of the seminal plug to vaginal walls. When these males were tested at 5-days postlesion, no sperm were found in uterus, and at 20-days post-lesion, the few sperm encountered showed slow progressive motility. None of the females that mated with dorsal lobe-lesioned males became pregnant. However, chemical lesion or ablation of the ventral lobes did not affect ejaculate or fertility. Our results indicate that the dorsal prostatic lobes are indispensable for reproductive success in males, and define parameters of ejaculate with which fertility can be estimated.