Percentage Of Motile Cells Research Articles

Ureaplasma Urealyticum and Human Infertility: The Effect of Antibiotic Therapy on Semen Quality

Semen characteristics were evaluated in 64 men visiting our infertility clinic before and after the eradication of genital infection with Ureaplasma urealyticum. Semen quality was also analyzed in 9 men who were unsuccessfully treated for genital Ureaplasma infection, 11 men who had negative cultures and received no treatment, and 11 men who had negative cultures but received empirical antibiotic therapy. A significant improvement in spermatozoal motility (both the speed of forward progession and the percentage of motile cells) was found in the group that was successfully treated for Ureaplasma infection. Improvements were not demonstrated in any of the other patient groups. A correlation was found between improved motility and a decrease in certain abnormal features of seminal cytology that appear to be associated with Ureaplasma genital infection.

The motility of rabbit spermatozoa recovered from the female reproductive tract

AbstractThe motility of rabbit spermatozoa recovered from the vagina, endocervix, uterus, and four regions of the oviduct was assessed visually by phase‐contrast microscopy at intervals from one minute to 16 hours after a single mating. The percentage of motile cells in each sample was dependent on the temperature of recovery, ie, 23° vs 37°C, but was not influenced by the temperature of observation. Spermatozoa in the lower isthmus of the oviduct were the most temperature sensitive population to recovery at 23°C. When all manipulations and observations were performed at 37°C, the percentage of spermatozoa with progressive motility varied according to the region sampled and interval after mating. Populations from the vagina, uterus and upper regions of the oviduct usually had a high proportion of progressively motile cells with vigorous flagellar activity. Fewer spermatozoa showed progressive movement on recovery from the endocervix and lower 2 cm of the tubal isthmus and their flagellar activity was generally depressed. The decrease in flagellar beat frequency noted in the latter regions may be a major factor limiting sperm ascent in the female tract. A unique pattern of “activated” motility was seen exclusively in populations taken from the oviducts at 6 to 16 hours after mating. This motility pattern, consisting of alternating episodes of linear progressive and vigorous nonprogressive movement, may be analogous to the activated motility described for capacitated rodent spermatozoa.

Morphology, motility and fertility of spermatozoa recovered from different areas of ligated rabbit epididymides.

Summary. Forty-three males were divided into three experimental groups and ligatures placed unilaterally as follows: (1) on the ductus deferens, (2) on the ductus deferens and corpus epididymidis, and (3) on the ductus deferens, corpus epididymidis and ductuli efferentes. Semen was collected six times a week from all males before ligation and for as long as 12 weeks thereafter. Spermatozoa transported normally from the caput to the cauda epididymidis in non-ligated controls were characterized by rapid migration of the protoplasmic droplets, a decrease in swollen acrosomes and other abnormalities, an increase in the percentage of motile cells and a striking increase in fertility. Ligation of the ductus deferens only had little effect upon any of these changes. Also, considerable motility and fertility was maintained for 12 weeks following single ligation in contrast to a reduction after 4 weeks in the group with the isolated cauda epididymidis. This suggests that considerable mixing of spermatozoa normally can occur in the cauda. The proportion of abnormal forms, particularly decapitated spermatozoa, increased considerably in the isolated cauda by 8 weeks. In the isolated caput abnormal spermatozoa increased rapidly and motility decreased. The protoplasmic droplet movement was delayed, as 54% had droplets on the midpiece after 4 weeks in contrast with 16% on spermatozoa which migrated normally to the cauda. Severe degeneration and disappearance of spermatozoa followed after 4 weeks, indicating that the caput may have dissolution properties. Litter size, based on all does inseminated, averaged only 0·5 for caput spermatozoa compared with 5·0 for both caudal and ejaculated spermatozoa. The morphological and fertility data indicate that extrinsic factors as well as intrinsic ones are required for complete development of the fertilizing capacity of rabbit spermatozoa.