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Query: UMLS:C0026850 (muscular dystrophy)
 5,870 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD) is a genetic disease caused by a defective enzyme, myotoninkinase. Male patients with MMD are reported to have reduced fertility. The purpose of this work was to study sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction in the ejaculates of sterile males with MMD and of healthy males (control group). The expression of the specific D-mannose receptors was explored by microscopic examination and by flow cytometry analysis. In addition, the binding patterns of Pisum sativum (PSA) lectin to acrosome content and outer acrosomal membrane in the spermatozoa of each group were analysed. Both the capacitation and the acrosome reaction in the spermatozoa of the MMD group were deficient and these findings strongly suggest that these anomalies may account for the sterility of these patients.
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PMID:Decreased sperm function of patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy. 1065 20

Desire for a male child is common in many countries and cultures. It has been argued that development of a practical and reliable method of allowing parents to choose the sex of their children would reduce family size, and consequently, population growth. There are currently 2 methods of preselection of sex: one preselects the sex before conception by either preventing or facilitating ovum fertilization by the X-bearing or Y-bearing spermatozoa, and the other is selective pregnancy termination. However, current laws and medical ethics in many societies allow selective termination only in cases of serious sex-linked diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Techniques for influencing the sex ratio by altering the X and Y chromosome balance include separation of the ejaculated spermatozoa into X- and Y-enriched fractions before insemination, and altering the vaginal condition. Methods of altering the vaginal condition attempt to influence the sex ratio by changing or choosing the prevailing conditions in the female genital tract which favor 1 or the other sperm type. Timing of insemination (before or after ovulation) is the key concept, and to a lesser extent, certain coital positions. Since 1978, at least 20 studies have been reported to have differential effects on the sex ratio, depending on time of insemination in the reproductive cycle. However, most of the studies have poor methodology and their results are conflicting. Another recently proposed technique is by dietary manipulation. The rationale of the dietary method appears to be attempts to change the ionic milieu of the genital tract of the conceiving female. So far, all these methods have proved to be ineffective and impractical. Currently, not much is known about the basic physiology of sperm at and after ejaculation in a woman and their subsequent interaction with the ionic and hormonal milieu of her genital fluids. It appears unlikely that parents can preselect the sex of their child with certainty by an available technique other than selective abortion.
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PMID:Current sex pre-selection methods. 1226 95

This study aimed to characterise canine flow cytometry semen analysis, as well as seminal reactive oxygen species dosage using the Golden Retriever breed as model of study. Moreover, we searched for the influence of muscular dystrophy in Golden Retriever dogs on semen parameters. Thirty-seven semen samples were obtained from healthy Golden Retrievers (n = 15) and from muscular dystrophy affected dogs (n = 22). Sperm-rich fractions were analysed by standardised breeding soundness examination in addition to the assay of fluorescence assisted cell sorting for acrosome integrity, mitochondrial activity and DNA fragmentation. Volume of ejaculate, per cent of motile spermatozoa and vigour were similar between groups; there were no differences in the per cent of minor and major defects. Integrity of acrosomal membrane, mitochondrial potential and sperm DNA fragmentation had no significant differences between groups either. Animals from control group had higher concentration of spontaneous seminal oxidative species in comparison with affected animals. Dogs affected by dystrophy had seminal parameters similar to those observed in healthy dogs except for the lower concentration of oxidative species. Future studies aiming to establish reference values for canine seminal parameters should be considered preferably with distinction of breeds.
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PMID:Semen analysis of Golden Retriever healthy dogs and those affected by muscular dystrophy. 2346 4