• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.16-27
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate effects of Allii tuberosi Semen, Ginseng Radix Alba and Morindae officinalis Radix extract on reproductive capacities in mice. Methods: The 8-week-old ICR rats are used in the study, and we administered the extract solution of Allii tuberosi Semen, Ginseng Radix Alba and Morindae officinalis Radix concentration of 1, 10, 100mg/0.3ml to each rats and water to another rats(control group) once a day for each 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. we evaluated the total sperm count and morphology. Results: For 30 days, the total sperm count and normal sperm most increased in the group administered by 100mg/0.3ml Allii tuberosi Semen. For 60 days, the total sperm count and normal sperm most increased in the group administered by 100mg/0.3ml Morindae officinalis Radix solutions. For 90 days, the total sperm count most increased in the group asministered by 10mg/0.3ml Morindae officinalis Radix and 100mg/0.3ml Allii tuberosi Semen solutions. For 120 days, the total sperm count and normal sperm most increased in the group administered by l0mg/0.3ml Ginseng Radix Alba. Conclusion: This study shows that there were dose and duration effects of Allii tuberosi Semen, Ginseng Radix Alba and Morindae officinalis Radix extract solution on the total sperm count and morphology.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.262-269
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• 2023

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and explore the relationship between semen parameters and SDF between 2 and 7 days of abstinence and a short abstinence period (within 4 hours) in oligozoospermic infertile patients. Methods: Two semen samples were collected from infertile oligozoospermic men (n=34) after an abstinence period of 2 to 7 days and within 4 hours, respectively. Sperm parameters were compared between the two abstinence duration groups, including semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, total motile sperm count (TMSC), morphology, and SDF. Results: The semen volume, concentration, and total sperm count were significantly decreased after 4 hours of abstinence than after 2 to 7 days of abstinence, with median differences of 1.2 mL (p<0.001), 2×10⁶/mL (p=0.011), and 9.6×10⁶/ejaculation (p<0.001), respectively. TMSC was significantly lower after a short abstinence, with a median difference of 4.24×10⁶/ejaculate (p<0.001). However, there were no significance differences in the percentage of motility, the SDF, and the percentage of sperm with normal morphology. Interestingly, volume, concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, and SDF, but not TMSC, exhibited significant linear correlations between the two abstinence groups in univariate regression analysis, except for TMSC. Conclusion: In oligozoospermic men, the volume, concentration, and total sperm count were significantly lower after a short abstinence period, but without adverse effects on sperm motility and SDF.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2023

Objective: Sleep deprivation (SD) is a common problem in today's stressful lifestyle and have physiological consequences, including reproductive dysfunction and infertility. As an antioxidant, olive oil may be effective in reducing testicular and spermatological damage by decreasing the production of free radicals. Methods: This study investigated the effects of olive oil on sperm quality and testicular structure using stereological methods to assess rats with SD. Results: When comparing SD group to grid floor+distilled water (GR) group, we found that the sperm count and motility, as well as the percentage of slow progressive sperm was significantly lower in SD group (p<0.05), but the percentage of immotile sperm was higher (p<0.01). However, no improvement was observed in sperm count or motility after concomitant treatment of SD group with olive oil. Stereological examinations revealed no significant change in the total volumes of the seminiferous tubules, interstitial tissue, and germinal epithelium in the study groups. Conversely, the total number of testicular cell types was significantly lower in SD group than in GR group. Although the total number of Sertoli and Leydig cells was significantly higher in the S +olive oil group than in the untreated SD group, no significant difference in the total number of other testicular cell types was observed between the two groups. Conclusion: SD potentially induced structural changes in testis that affected sperm count and motility. However, olive oil only improved the total number of Sertoli and Leydig cells in the animals with SD and did not improve sperm count and motility.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.120-124
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• 2024

Objective: Seasonal variations in semen quality are known to occur in temperate regions, but results regarding tropical areas remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to determine whether monthly variations in semen parameters are present among men in a tropical region. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from semen analyses of 3,000 men over a 10-year period, from 2012 to 2022. Analysis of variance and the independent-samples t-test were employed to observe variations in semen parameters throughout the entire period and between months, respectively. Results: The mean±standard deviation sperm concentration was significantly lower in June, at 42.5±31.4 million/mL, compared to other months. The highest sperm concentration was found in March, at 57.8±42.6 million/mL, constituting a mean difference of 15.3 million/mL between the lowest and highest concentrations. The total sperm count displayed a similar pattern of monthly variation, with a difference of 47.2 million between the highest and lowest months. No significant monthly differences were observed in other parameters, such as sperm motility, morphology, and semen volume. Conclusion: Significant monthly variations in sperm concentration and total sperm count were evident in this Sri Lankan population. March, which displayed the highest sperm counts, is in the spring in temperate regions, while the month with the lowest counts, July, is part of the summer. Fluctuations in photoperiod appear to most strongly influence these variations.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2024

Objective: This study investigated the relationship of anthropometric and metabolic risk factors with seminal and sex steroidal hormone parameters in a screened population of healthy males. Methods: The participants were healthy young men without chronic or congenital diseases. The body composition parameters that we investigated were measured weight, height, and waist circumference (WC), as well as bioelectrical impedance analysis. Semen samples were analyzed for semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility and morphology, seminal pH, and liquefaction time. Biochemistry analysis, including glucose and lipid metabolism parameters, was conducted on fasting blood samples. Testicular volume was calculated separately for each testis using ultrasonography. Results: Body mass index exhibited an inverse association with total sperm count. WC showed negative correlations with numerous seminal parameters, including sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm morphology, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels. The basal metabolic rate was associated with seminal pH, liquefaction time, and sperm motility. WC, fat mass percentage, and triglyceride levels exhibited negative correlations with sex hormone binding globulin. The measures of glucose metabolism were associated with a greater number of seminal parameters than the measures of cholesterol metabolism. C-reactive protein levels were inversely associated with sperm concentration and total sperm count. Conclusion: Anthropometric and metabolic risk factors were found to predict semen quality and alterations in sex steroidal hormone levels.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.102-105
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• 2016

Objective: The goal of this study was to compare the semen parameters of two successive samples obtained within an interval of less than 60 minutes from patients planning to undergo intrauterine insemination (IUI) whose first samples exhibited low semen quality. Methods: Thirty-two consecutive patients were enrolled in the study. On the day of IUI, the semen analysis of the samples initially presented by all patients met at least two of the following criteria: sperm concentration $<5{\times}10^6/mL$, total sperm count $<10{\times}10^6$, progressive sperm motility (a+b) in the native sample <30%, and total motile sperm count (TMSC) $<4{\times}10^6$. A successive semen sample was obtained no more than 60 minutes after the first sample. Results: Compared to the first sample, the second exhibited significantly (p<0.05) improved sperm concentration, TMSC, progressive motility, and vitality. Regarding TMSC, the most critical parameter on the day of IUI, 23 patients (71.8%) improved it, while nine (28.2%) displayed poorer outcomes. Conclusion: In defined cases, requesting a second successive ejaculate on the day of insemination may result in a high percentage of cases in an improvement of the quality of the sample.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.755-759
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• 2004

The present investigation was carried out to assess the effect of Sephadex (G-15) filtration on the post thaw bull semen quality and conception rate. Post thaw unfiltered (control) and Sephadex filtered semen from four healthy bulls (three cross bred and one pure bred Holstein Friesian) were subjected to microscopic examination viz. sperm concentration, individual motility, live sperm count and sperm morphology. Sixty-two healthy, normal cycling crossbred cows were inseminated with post thaw unfiltered (n=32) and filtered semen (n=30). Sephadex filtration of post thaw semen significantly (p<0.05) decreased total sperm concentration and sperm with abnormal head, mid piece and tail. The overall average total sperm concentration, head and tail defects in filtered semen decreased significantly (53.4, 1.2 and 6.4 million) than in the unfiltered semen (80.4, 2.4 and 15.7 million, respectively). However, after filtration significant (p<0.05) increase in overall average motile and live sperm concentration were observed (38.8 and 38.0) as compared to unfiltered semen (29.2 and 32.0 million, respectively). The overall conception rate recorded was 21.9% with post thaw unfiltered semen and 56.7% with filtered semen. It was concluded that Sephadex filtration of post thaw semen improved its quality and conception rate.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2020

Objective: The strong antioxidant activity of Commiphora mukul prompted us to conduct the present study to explore whether treatment with C. mukul extract (CME) would have any protective influence on sperm parameters, testosterone levels, and plasma glucose levels in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, control animals treated with CME, diabetic animals, and diabetic animals treated with CME. CME extract (300 mg/kg) was administered for 60 days by daily gavage. Diabetes was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg STZ. The epididymal sperm count, weight, motility, morphology, viability, and serum testosterone and glucose levels were determined. Results: In the diabetic animals, CME decreased blood glucose levels (p< 0.05), increased the total sperm count (p< 0.05), and decreased the proportion of sperm with abnormal morphology (p< 0.05). Diabetes reduced sperm motility (p< 0.001), and CME supplementation partially reversed this effect of diabetes (p= 0.003). Furthermore, in diabetic animals, CME decreased the proportion of immotile sperm (p< 0.001). In rats, diabetes caused a significant decrease (p< 0.05) in serum testosterone levels (F[3, 28] = 3.283, p= 0.035), but treatment of diabetic animals with CME increased serum testosterone levels. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that C. mukul possesses proandrogenic activity and exerts a beneficial effect on sperm parameters in diabetic rats.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.160-169
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• 2023

Objective: Cryptorchidism is one of the main causes of infertility and can result in testicular cancer. This study aimed to present quantitative data on the damage caused by cryptorchidism using stereological analysis. Methods: Thirty newborn rats were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group underwent surgery to induce unilateral cryptorchidism in the left testis, whereas the control group underwent a sham surgical procedure 18 days after birth. The testes were removed at designated time points (40, 63, and 90 days after birth) for stereological evaluation and sperm analysis. Total testicular volume, interstitial tissue volume, seminiferous tubule volume and length, and seminiferous epithelium volume and surface area were measured. Other parameters, such as sperm count, sperm morphology, and sperm tail length, were also examined. Results: Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were observed between the experimental and the control groups at different ages regarding the volumes of various parameters, including the surface area of the germinal layer, the length of the seminiferous tubules, sperm count, and sperm morphology. However, no significant differences were observed in the epithelial volume and the sperm tail length of the groups. Conclusion: Given the substantial effect of cryptorchidism on different testicular parameters, as well as the irreversible damage it causes in the testes, it is important to take this abnormality seriously to prevent these consequences.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2019

Objective: Density gradient centrifugation (DGC) is frequently used to isolate high-motility fractions of spermatozoa. We compared the efficacy of four DGC media in terms of the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa, DNA fragmentation level, and hyaluronic acid (HA) binding ability. Methods: Thirty men with a total motile spermatozoa count > 80 million participated. Semen samples were divided into four aliquots, which were processed using PureSperm, PureCeption, Sidney, and SpermGrad media, respectively. The DNA fragmentation level was measured using the Halosperm assay kit and HA binding ability was measured using the HBA assay kit. Results: The mean percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa was significantly enhanced after DGC using all four media (10.3%, 9.9%, 9.8%, and 10.7%, respectively; p< 0.05 for each when compared with 6.9% in raw semen). The DNA fragmentation level was significantly reduced after DGC using PureSperm, PureCeption, and SpermGrad media (6.0%, 6.5%, and 4.9%, respectively; p< 0.05 for each when compared with 11.2% in raw semen), but not after DGC using Sidney media (8.5%, p> 0.05). HA binding ability did not change after DGC using any of the four media. Conclusion: The four media were equally effective for obtaining a sperm fraction with highly motile, morphologically normal sperm. PureSperm, PureCeption, and SpermGrad media were equally effective for acquiring a sperm fraction with less DNA fragmentation.