[Distribution of heavy metals in human ejaculate--a histochemical study]

With the help of a modified dithizone method, heavy metals could be demonstrated in the sperms, the ejaculate fluid, and the spermatogenic cells of men. The heavy metals were localized in the sperms in form of small red granules particularly in the mid piece with a distribution like a "string of pearls". The sperms with a lower motility index often did not show any heavy metal granules in the mid pieces. The absence of essential heavy metals like zinc, iron or manganese may lead to the inhibition of enzyme systems in the mid pieces of the sperms, which are essential for the motility.