Novel phenotype of mouse spermatozoa following deletion of nine β-defensin genes

β-defensin peptides are a large family of antimicrobial peptides. Although they kill microbes in vitro and interact with immune cells, the precise role of these genes in vivo remains uncertain. Despite their inducible presence at mucosal surfaces, their main site of expression is the epididymis. Recent evidence suggests that a major function of these peptides is in sperm maturation. In addition to previous work suggesting this, work at the MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh, has shown that homozygous deletion of a cluster of nine β-defensin genes in the mouse results in profound male sterility. The spermatozoa derived from the mutants had reduced motility and increased fragility. Epididymal spermatozoa isolated from the cauda region of the homozygous mutants demonstrated precocious capacitation and increased spontaneous acrosome reactions compared with those from wild-types. Despite this, these mutant spermatozoa had reduced ability to bind to the zona pellucida of oocytes. Ultrastructural examination revealed a disintegration of the microtubule structure of mutant-derived spermatozoa isolated from the epididymal cauda region, but not from the caput. Consistent with premature acrosome reaction and hyperactivation, spermatozoa from mutant animals had significantly increased intracellular calcium content. This work demonstrates that in vivo β-defensins are essential for successful sperm maturation, and that their disruption alters intracellular calcium levels, which most likely leads to premature activation and spontaneous acrosome reactions that result in hyperactivation and loss of microtubule structure of the axoneme. Determining which of the nine genes are responsible for the phenotype and the relevance to human sperm function is important for future work on male infertility.     

长期输精管结扎术后附睾的超声表现

目的:探讨长期输精管结扎术后附睾的超声表现。方法:选择输精管结扎术后10～31年且有临床症状的患者64例(结扎组)。同时选择同期被临床诊断为附睾疾病而无结扎史的患者60例作为对照组。用高频超声观察附睾头、体、尾部的形态,厚度及内部回声;用彩色多普勒血流图或能量图观察附睾的血流状况。结果:结扎组附睾体部增厚、尾部增厚、头体尾均增厚及附睾管扩张的发生率分别为64.1%、78.1%、42.2%、54.7%,均显著高于对照组的15.0%、51.7%、8.3%、8.3%(P<0.01),而结扎组附睾的高血供发生率15.6%显著低于对照组的61.7%(P<0.01)。结论:长期输精管结扎术后附睾的主要超声表现是附睾增厚、附睾管扩张,但附睾血流多为无血供或低血供状况。     

先天性输精管缺如患者生育问题的研究

自1988年至1991年共收治25例先天性输精管缺如患者,在20例行手术诊治术中15例用自体睾丸精索鞘膜制成人工精池囊,5例又在囊内放置用微涤纶制成的异质管。术中抽吸10例附睾内精子进行快速活化,其中5例活化成功,行人工授精,结果2例怀孕,1例已生育一女孩。认为该症是有生育可能的,但需要解决3个问题:(1)采用显微外科技术把附睾内部活着的精子取出一定数量;(2)选配好快速活化剂使精子快速活化成功;(3)用患者的精浆培养自己的精子。建议对梗阻性无精子症在用手术疏通精路的同时可以采用快速活化精子技术行人工授精,以提高生育的效果。     

鹿藿根4种提取物抗雄性小鼠生育作用比较

目的:比较4种鹿藿根提取物(乙醇提取物、乙酸乙酯提取物、正丁醇提取物及水溶物)的抗生育作用。方法:60只雄性昆明种小鼠分为生理盐水对照组、雷公藤多苷对照组、乙醇提取物组、乙酸乙酯提取物组、正丁醇提取物组及水溶物组,每组10只。各组药物浓度均为1%,雷公藤多苷为0.1%水溶液。每次0.1ml/10g,灌胃,1次/d,连续给药,共11周。在用药10周后,一对一雌雄合笼交配1周。分笼10d后处死雌鼠,观察妊娠率、活胎数、死胎数。11周后处死雄性小鼠观察附睾精子、附睾及睾丸病理变化情况及血清睾酮含量测定。结果:连续用药11周,与生理盐水对照组相比,实验组小鼠妊娠率下降,其中水溶物组最为明显(P<0.05)。雷公藤多苷对照组和水溶组精子明显减少(P<0.05)。组织学观察鹿藿根提取物对精原细胞、初级精母细胞影响不显著。各提取物组血清睾酮差异无显著性(P>0.05)。生理盐水对照组、雷公藤多苷对照组、乙酸乙酯提取物组、正丁醇提取物组、乙醇提取物组及水溶物组的抗精子发生效应积分分别0、(5.3±1.5)、(2.6±1.7)、(2.9±1.2)、(2.2±0.9)、(2.1±1.0)分。结论:4种鹿藿根提取物均有抗生育作用,但水溶物作用更强且对睾丸组织及睾丸生精能力影响较小。     

实验性隐睾术后大鼠附睾的反应性变化

本研究描述了实验性隐睾术后大鼠附睾的形态学变化。结果表明,隐睾术后由于腹温作用和附皋管管腔内容物的改变,附睾管上皮细胞的形态和功能明显改变。术后早期上皮细胞出现无丝分裂相,上皮细胞的分泌和吞噬功能加强,胞质内含PAS阳性颗粒的细胞增多。随术后时间的延长,附睾上皮细胞变化逐渐趋于稳定。[     

Investigation of epididymal sperm maturation in the golden hamster

During passage of hamster spermatozoa through the epididymis their maturation is shown to involve changes in the sperm head, midpiece (mitochondria) and tail. The sum of these changes results in a dramatic increase in the fertilizing potential of the spermatozoa. When comparable numbers of spermatozoa from the caput or corpus epididymis were injected into one uterine horn of mature females, following ovulation induction, and spermatozoa from the cauda epididymis were injected into the contralateral horn, no fertilization was observed with caput epididymal spermatozoa, 1.7% of oocytes were fertilized by corpus epiddymal spermatozoa, whereas 79.5% fertilization was obtained with cauda epididymal spermatozoa. Total sperm numbers increased from caput to corpus to cauda [28.3 ± 12.2, 40.6 ±20.8, 1434 ±62 mihon, respectively]. The percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa increased from 27.9 ±6.4 to 33.8 ± 4.8 to 70 ± 10.7 during this passage. Viability, measured by exclusion of the dye, propidium iodide, was significantly less in spermatozoa from the cauda than from the proximal or mid-caput epididymis. The percentage of the live cells that were stained intensely by rhodamine-123 (a measure of mitochondrial membrane potential) increased during epididymal passage from 22.8 ±7.8% in the proximal caput epididymis to 57.2 ± 16.5% in the cauda epididymis. Staining with acridine orange (a measure of DNA packaging in the sperm head) indicated an increase in chromatin condensation in cauda epididymal spermatozoa, when compared to those obtained from the caput or corpus.     

Alpha-glucosidase activity and sperm motility

We correlated the activity of alpha-glucosidase in seminal plasma with the motility and differential motility of sperm. Significant positive correlations were found between the alpha-glucosidase activity and both motility and the percentage sperm with good forward progression. This supports the use of alpha-glucosidase in semen as a marker of epididymal function and specifically of the development of motility.     

家犬实验性附睾淤积症及其超声波治疗对附睾起始部超微结构的影响

实验性附睾淤积症引起家犬附睾起始部主细胞超微结构异常改变,但较附睾体部所见为轻;经超声波处理后(功率0.75W/cm~2,每日一次,每次8min,连续7日)则见其明显改变、或完全恢复,且未造成附睾起始部主细胞新的损伤。本实验结果在与附睾体部主细胞相应变化进行比较后,发现由于附睾淤积症对附睾管不同部位的影响是不同的,因而这种形态和功能均已不同程度改变了的附睾不同部位的主细胞对超声波作用的反应也各不相同,这除因主细胞功能状态不同外,尚与超声波声场的不均匀有关,提示探寻超声波治疗最适宜的量不仅必要,而且是有可能找到的。     

Mouse Sperm Rosette: Assembling During Epididymal Transit,in vitro Disassemble,and Oligosaccharide Participation in the Linkage Material

In many mammals, sperm associations had been observed, but not in the mouse. In this work, mouse sperm rosettes are morphologically described inside the epididymis and during its dissolution in a culture medium. Also characterized are the saccharides present in the linking material. Sperm association and other epididymal actions are supported by sperm during epididymal transit and are verified at the caudal region, suggesting a relation between epididymal transit and sperm maturation. In drops of epididymal content obtained from distal (cauda), but not from proximal (caput and corpus) regions; dissolved in culture medium, rosettes appear to be 10 to 15 motile sperm joined by their heads. After 3 min, sperm progressively detach, disassembling the rosette. These structures are studied by several techniques, including optic, electronic (scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy), and video microscopy. At the ultrastructural level, a dense network of electron‐dense material was observed between sperm heads, joining them. Based on previous works in rat, several lectins were used to characterize the type of saccharides present in this linking material. To avoid the contact between sperm and epididymal fluid from distal region—that probably exerts an influence on sperm association—a ligature was placed between caput and corpus. This epididymal content isolated from caput did not display any rosettes after 28 days. Anat Rec, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.