Assessment of released acrosin activity as a measurement of the sperm acrosome reaction / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>AIM</b>To develop a method for assessing sperm function by measuring released acrosin activity during the acrosome reaction (AR).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human semen samples were obtained from 24 healthy donors with proven fertility after 3-7 days of sexual abstinence. After collection, samples were liquefied for 30 min at room temperature. Standard semen parameters were evaluated according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Calcium ionophore A23187 and progesterone (P4) were used to stimulate the sperm to undergo AR. After treatment, sperm were incubated with the supravital dye Hoechst33258, fixed in a glutaraldehyde-phosphate-buffered saline solution, and the acrosomal status was determined by fluorescence microscopy with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled Pisum sativum agglutinin (FITC-PSA). The percentage of sperm undergoing AR (AR%) was compared to sperm acrosin activities as assessed by spectrocolorimetry. The correlation between AR% and acrosin activity was determined by statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The AR% and released acrosin activity were both markedly increased with A23187 and P4 stimulation. Sperm motility and viability were significantly higher after stimulation with P4 versus stimulation with A23187 (P < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between released acrosin activity and AR% determined by FITC-PSA staining (r=0.916, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Spectrocolorimetric measurement of released acrosin activity might serve as a reasonable alternative method to evaluate AR.</p>

Effects of cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna on sperm morphology / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate effects of cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna on sperm morphology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>602 cases of male infertility were selected from our case database, who were divided into three subgroups: smoking (243) , drinking(224), sauna(135) and those without any of the above habits were taken as the corresponding controls. The sperm morphology were analyzed by automated sperm morphology analyzer(ASMA). A questionnaire was voluntarily filled out by patients in order to investigate cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna frequency.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The normal morphologic sperm rates in cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna groups were lower than those in the corresponding control groups, respectively(P <0.05, P <0.001). Percentages of irregularity head sperm were higher than those in normal controls, respectively(P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cigarette, alcohol consumption and sauna could affect sperm morphology, especially caused increasing of irregularity head sperm.</p>