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Related Concept Videos

Infertility in Males01:23

Infertility in Males

Male infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, arising from various factors that impact different stages of the reproductive process. An endocrine imbalance resulting from conditions like hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, or pituitary disorders can disrupt hormone levels and reduce sperm production. Testicular defects, such as tumors, cryptorchidism, atrophic testes, abnormal sperm morphology, and low sperm count or motility, may arise due to genetic factors, structural...
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Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced in the male testes. It starts with stem cells located close to the outer rim of seminiferous tubules. These spermatogonial stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to additional stem cells (meaning that these structures “self-renew”), as well as sperm progenitors, called spermatocytes. Importantly, this method of asymmetric mitotic division maintains a population of spermatogonial stem cells in the male reproductive...
Spermatogenesis01:22

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Spermatogenesis is a complex process that involves the development of sperm cells from undifferentiated stem cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. The process is essential for the production of mature and functional sperm cells that are capable of fertilizing an egg.
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Sperm Transport01:15

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Infertility in Females01:28

Infertility in Females

Female infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after a year of regular, unprotected intercourse and affects about 10–15% of couples worldwide. The primary cause of female infertility is ovulatory disorders, which hinder the release of eggs. These disorders can be classified as hypothalamic amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure, and hyperprolactinemic anovulation disorders.
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Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
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Is abnormal sperm function an indicator among couples with recurrent pregnancy loss?

Pikee Saxena1, Man Mohan Misro, Sankar Prasad Chaki

  • 1National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Baba Gang Nath Marg, Munirka, New Delhi, India.

Fertility and Sterility
|January 2, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Male partners of couples experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss often have impaired sperm function, even with normal motility. These sperm function deficits, including hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS), acrosomal status (AS), and nuclear chromatin decondensation (NCD), may lead to embryo development issues and pregnancy loss.

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive biology and andrology.
  • Human reproduction and fertility studies.

Background:

  • Idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) affects couples without a clear cause.
  • Sperm quality is crucial for successful conception and healthy pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate alterations in sperm function parameters in men whose partners have a history of idiopathic RPL.
  • To compare sperm function in men with idiopathic RPL to that of fertile controls.

Main Methods:

  • Semen samples were collected from male partners of couples with idiopathic RPL and from fertile male volunteers.
  • Sperm function was assessed using in vitro tests: hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS), acrosomal status (AS), and nuclear chromatin decondensation (NCD).
  • Standard semen analysis and sperm morphology were also performed.

Main Results:

  • Over 57% of men in the idiopathic RPL group exhibited subnormal scores for HOS, AS, and NCD.
  • Nuclear chromatin decondensation (NCD) showed the highest abnormality rate (83%), followed by AS (45.7%) and HOS (42.9%).
  • Subnormal sperm function was observed in 31.4% of RPL cases even with normal sperm motility.

Conclusions:

  • Impaired sperm function (HOS, AS, NCD) in male partners of couples with idiopathic RPL may contribute to the development of non-viable embryos.
  • Reduced sperm functional competency, not just motility, is a potential factor in early pregnancy loss.
  • Normal sperm motility does not guarantee normal sperm function.