Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0848676 (male subfertility)
 265 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Treatment of couple infertility due to male subfertility by means of intra-uterine insemination (IUI) gives better results, in terms of per cycle and total cumulative pregnancy rate, if sperm preparation is performed using a discontinuous Percoll gradient than if centrifugation-resuspension is used. Also, the minimal semen requirements for successful IUI are lower with the former technique. Optimal epididymal function, with total alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma > 83 IU/mL or Schorr stain result > 60%, is associated with a high probability of success of IUI [odds ratio (OR) = 11.1 and 9.4 respectively; p < 0.01]. If semen contains > 2.3 million white blood cells per mL or more than 13 million spermatozoa/mL with grade a motility the success rate is decreased (OR = 0.25 and 0.30 respectively; p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). It is concluded that IUI is a highly successful treatment in specific cases of male subfertility, provided that the correct technique of sperm preparation is used.
 ...
PMID:Statement on intra-uterine insemination. 871 64

The possibilities of treating male subfertility are still limited. Approaches at medical therapy include stimulation of spermatogenesis at the testicular level, improvement of epididymal function (sperm maturation), influence on sperm transport and activation of sperm metabolism with improvement of sperm motility. Causal therapy has been most successful in patients with hormonal insufficiency and male adnexitis, while microsurgical reconstructive measures have yielded best results in cases of occlusion within the efferent seminal ducts. New therapeutic approaches include the use of mast cell blockers and alpha blockers as well as vitamin C/E as an antioxidative treatment to reduce reactive oxygen species. If medical or surgical therapy has failed, methods for improvement of sperm quality in vitro must be considered (swim-up technique, glass wool filtration, migration/sedimentation technique, density gradient centrifugation). In cases of severe male sterility factor, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been a breakthrough in the therapy of childlessness. A further progress is the collection of spermatozoa from the epididymis (MESA = microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration) or testis (TESE = testicular sperm extraction). Finally, pressure in terms of time and organization can now be avoided by the use of cryopreserved spermatozoa from the ejaculate, epididymis or testicular tissue so that microinjection may be planned independently of the partner. In any case, a close cooperation between gynecologist and andrologist is of utmost importance.
 ...
PMID:[Therapy of male subfertility]. 919 Jul 68

Among the most popular techniques of assisted reproduction for the treatment of male subfertility and infertility are intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The objective of these techniques is to bring more functional spermatozoa closer to the oocyte in order to promote fertilization. These techniques are thus not a cure per se and are only indicated when no specific or effective treatment is available for the male partner, when this treatment has failed or when the improvement of the female fertility status has also failed. While for moderate oligoasthenozoospermia, intrauterine insemination has proved to be a valid treatment, the outcome after conventional in vitro fertilization is limited because of a high incidence of complete fertilization failure. Since the introduction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a reliable method has become available in order to achieve fertilization in vitro. Apart from well from ejaculated spermatozoa, epididymal or testicular spermatozoa too can be used successfully for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The surgical retrieval of spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection has therefore become a routine technique in clinical andrology. Although these techniques have been implemented in everyday infertility practice within a few years of their introduction, many concerns about safety continue to exist. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection must be applied with caution, only when no other treatment option is available and when an appropriate prospective follow-up of the offspring is available.
 ...
PMID:Management of male infertility by assisted reproductive technologies. 1109 84

Treatment of severe male subfertility has become available since the intracytoplasmic injection of a single sperm into an oocyte was successfully applied for the first time in 1992. Moreover, with the use of fresh and cryopreserved epididymal and testicular spermatozoa for this procedure, fertilization and pregnancies could be accomplished. This review addresses the development and performance of these techniques and discusses achievements and problems as well as future aspects of the feasibility of early spermatid injection. Furthermore, limitations of these procedures and concerns with regard to genetic and epigenetic risks of using immature gametes are stressed.
 ...
PMID:The use of cryopreserved mature and immature testicular spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection: risks and limitations. 1194 32

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) entails the mechanical insertion of a chosen spermatozoon directly into the cytoplasm of an oocyte. Due to the consistent fertilization and pregnancy outcome, ICSI is routinely used to treat azoospermic patients where spermatozoa are retrieved by epididymal aspiration or testicular biopsy. Since male subfertility has been associated with a higher incidence of genomic defects, ranging from numerical chromosomal abnormalities to Yq microdeletions, concerns have been raised as to the risk of transmitting genetic defects to the offspring. Screening for such defects can provide invaluable information for appropriate counselling prior to ICSI treatment. In order to address these concerns, a follow-up of the children born after ICSI treatment was conducted.
 ...
PMID:Application of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in assisted reproductive technologies. 1283 94

Treatment of severe male subfertility has become available since the intracytoplasmic injection of a single sperm into an oocyte was successfully applied for the first time in 1992. Moreover, with the use of fresh and cryopreserved epididymal and testicular spermatozoa for this procedure, fertilization and pregnancies could be accomplished. This review addresses the development and performance of these techniques and discusses achievements and problems as well as future aspects of the feasibility of early spermatid injection. Furthermore, limitations of these procedures and concerns with regard to genetic and epigenetic risks of using immature gametes are discussed.
 ...
PMID:The use of cryopreserved mature and immature spermatozoa in assisted reproduction. 1525 32

In eukaryotes, mRNA is actively transported from nucleus to cytoplasm by a family of nuclear RNA export factors (NXF). While yeast harbors only one such factor (Mex67p), higher eukaryotes encode multiple NXFs. In mouse, four Nxf genes have been identified: Nxf1, Nxf2, Nxf3, and Nxf7. To date, the function of mouse Nxf genes has not been studied by targeted gene deletion in vivo. Here we report the generation of Nxf2 null mutant mice by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. Nxf2-deficient male mice exhibit fertility defects that differ between mouse strains. One third of Nxf2-deficient males on a mixed (C57BL/6x129) genetic background exhibit meiotic arrest and thus are sterile, whereas the remaining males are fertile. Disruption of Nxf2 in inbred (C57BL/6J) males impairs spermatogenesis, resulting in male subfertility, but causes no meiotic arrest. Testis weight and sperm output in C57BL/6J Nxf2(-/Y) mice are sharply reduced. Mutant epididymal sperm exhibit diminished motility. Importantly, proliferation of spermatogonia in Nxf2(-/Y) mice is significantly decreased. As a result, inactivation of Nxf2 causes depletion of germ cells in a substantial fraction of seminiferous tubules in aged mice. These studies demonstrate that Nxf2 plays a dual function in spermatogenesis: regulation of meiosis and maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells.
 ...
PMID:Inactivation of Nxf2 causes defects in male meiosis and age-dependent depletion of spermatogonia. 1934 3

Although sperm serine protease and proteasome have long been believed to play an important role in the fertilization process, the molecular mechanism is still controversial. In this study, we have produced double-knockout mice lacking two sperm serine proteases, ACR and PRSS21, to uncover the functional role of the trypsinlike activity in fertilization. The double-knockout male mice were subfertile, likely owing to the incompleteness of fertilization in the oviductal ampulla. Despite male subfertility, the mutant epididymal sperm exhibited the inability to undergo acrosomal exocytosis on the zona pellucida (ZP) surface and to traverse the ZP, thus resulting in the failure of fertilization in vitro. The double-knockout epididymal sperm were also defective in penetration through the cumulus matrix to reach the ZP. When epididymal sperm were artificially injected into the uterus of wild-type mice, the 2-cell embryos, which had previously been fertilized by double-knockout sperm, were recovered at a low but significant level. The mutant epididymal sperm were also capable of fertilizing the oocytes in the presence of uterine fluids in vitro. These data demonstrate that the trypsinlike protease activity of ACR and PRSS21 is essential for the process of sperm penetration through the cumulus matrix and ZP in vitro, and suggest that the female reproductive tract partially compensates for the loss of the sperm function. We therefore conclude that the sperm trypsinlike activity is still important but not essential for fertilization in vivo in the mouse.
 ...
PMID:Mice lacking two sperm serine proteases, ACR and PRSS21, are subfertile, but the mutant sperm are infertile in vitro. 2048 38

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was produced and used by various industries and in consumer products. Because of its persistence, it is ubiquitous in air, water, soil, wildlife, and humans. Although the adverse effects of PFOS on male fertility have been reported, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Here, for the first time, the effects of PFOS on testicular signaling, such as gonadotropin, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, and inhibins/activins were shown to be directly related to male subfertility. Sexually mature 8-wk-old CD1 male mice were administered by gavages in corn oil daily with 0, 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg PFOS for 7, 14, or 21 days. Serum concentrations of testosterone and epididymal sperm counts were significantly lower in the mice after 21 days of the exposure to the highest dose compared with the controls. The expression levels of testicular receptors for gonadotropin, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor 1 were considerably reduced on Day 21 in mice exposed daily to 10 or 5 mg/kg PFOS. The transcript levels of the subunits of the testicular factors (i.e., inhibins and activins), Inha, Inhba, and Inhbb, were significantly lower on Day 21 of daily exposure to 10, 5, or 1 mg/kg PFOS. The mRNA expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes (i.e., StAR, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, 3beta-HSD, and 17beta-HSD) were notably reduced. Therefore, PFOS-elicited subfertility in male mice is manifested as progressive deterioration of testicular signaling.
 ...
PMID:Testicular signaling is the potential target of perfluorooctanesulfonate-mediated subfertility in male mice. 2120 18

Knowledge of normal male reproductive function and familiarity with the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of male subfertility is beneficial for most physicians. Male subfertility is often correctable, may be genetically transmissible, and may be associated with occult health-threatening conditions. Herein we present an overview of male reproductive medicine, which has been revolutionized in the past two decades by dramatic scientific and therapeutic advances. The development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection and its successful application to sperm retrieved from the epididymis or testis have made biological paternity possible in men previously considered sterile. Microsurgical techniques for vasal-epididymal reconstruction and sperm retrieval have been refined. Novel tests of semen quality have been developed. Medical therapies to improve sperm production, such as estrogen receptor modulation and aromatase inhibition, have been used increasingly in clinical practice. Finally, associations between male subfertility and a spectrum of health-threatening conditions have been recognized.
 ...
PMID:Contemporary management of male infertility. 2203 71


1 2 Next >>