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Related Concept Videos

Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway01:28

Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway

Nitric oxide (NO), an inorganic gas, acts as a potent second messenger in most animal and plant tissues. NO diffuses out of the cells that produce it and enters the neighboring cells to generate a downstream response. NO synthase (NOS) catalyzes NO production by the deamination of the amino acid arginine. There are three isoforms of NOS. Endothelial cells have endothelial NOS (eNOS), nerve and muscle cells have neuronal NOS (nNOS), and macrophages produce inducible NOS (iNOS) upon exposure to...
Testosterone: Functions and Regulation01:26

Testosterone: Functions and Regulation

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Spermatogenesis

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Infertility in Males01:23

Infertility in Males

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
05:44

Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm

Published on: March 1, 2019

TNF-alpha and IL-6 affect human sperm function by elevating nitric oxide production.

Fanuel Lampiao1, Stefan S du Plessis

  • 1Division of Medical Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, PO Box 19063, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa. fannuel@sun.ac.za

Reproductive Biomedicine Online
|November 6, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) reduce human sperm motility but not viability. Increased nitric oxide production may mediate these detrimental effects on sperm function.

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Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
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Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects

Published on: April 21, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
05:44

Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm

Published on: March 1, 2019

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
08:48

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects

Published on: April 21, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Immunology
  • Spermatozoa Function
  • Cytokine Signaling

Background:

  • Cytokines are implicated in human sperm function, but their precise roles and mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are key inflammatory cytokines.
  • Understanding cytokine impact on sperm is crucial for reproductive health research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effects of increasing concentrations of TNF-alpha and IL-6 on human sperm motility and viability.
  • To investigate the underlying mechanisms, including nitric oxide production.
  • To compare the detrimental effects of TNF-alpha and IL-6 on spermatozoa.

Main Methods:

  • Human spermatozoa were exposed to varying concentrations of TNF-alpha and IL-6.
  • Sperm motility (progressive motility) and viability were evaluated.
  • Nitric oxide production was measured to explore potential mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Both TNF-alpha and IL-6 significantly reduced progressive sperm motility in a dose- and time-dependent manner at higher concentrations.
  • No significant differences were observed in sperm viability.
  • Nitric oxide production increased in a dose-dependent manner with both cytokines.
  • TNF-alpha and IL-6 exhibited comparable detrimental effects on human spermatozoa.

Conclusions:

  • TNF-alpha and IL-6 negatively impact human sperm motility.
  • The detrimental effects of these cytokines on sperm function may be mediated by increased nitric oxide production.
  • Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the complex interplay between cytokines and sperm physiology.