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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) Protocol in Human Sperm
Published on: September 1, 2009
Presence of ribonucleic acid in human spermatozoa: differences in content between normal and abnormal spermatozoa
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
Objective:
Our purpose was to determine whether there are any differences in total ribonucleic acid content between normal and abnormal human spermatozoa.
Study Design:
Spermatozoa were obtained from men undergoing routine semen analysis at a university-based reproductive genetics laboratory. Specimens were classified as normal or abnormal according to World Health Organization criteria. Total ribonucleic acid was removed by acid-phenol extraction, and ribonucleic acid expression levels were determined by spectrophotometric analysis.
Results:
Abnormal spermatozoa were found to have significantly more ribonucleic acid (0.14 +/- 0.02 mg/10(6) spermatozoa) than normal spermatozoa (0.05 +/- 0.01 mg/10(6) spermatozoa; P <.001).
Conclusion:
Ribonucleic acid content is significantly altered in abnormal spermatozoa, and this alteration may be the result of some defect in the posttranscriptional pathway.
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