SVIBOR - Project code: 3-01-150

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Strossmayerov trg 4, HR - 10000 ZAGREB
tel.: +385 1 459 44 44, fax: +385 1 459 44 69
E-mail: ured@znanost.hr

SVIBOR - Collecting Data on Projects in Croatia

Project code: 3-01-150

IMPAIRMENTS OF SEMEN FUNCTIONAL STATE AND ONSET MECHANISMS

Main researcher: CVITKOVIĆ, PETAR (7430)

Assistants

ČOLAK, BOŽO (142643)

Type of research: applied
Duration from: 04/30/91. to 12/31/95.

Papers on project (total): 23
Papers on project quoted in Current Contents: 2

Institution name: Institut za dijabetes, endokrinologiju i bolesti metabolizma "Vuk Vrhovac", Zagreb (45)
Department/Institute: Department for Endocrinology and Medical Reproduction
Address: Institut "Vuk Vrhovac", Dugi dol 4 a
City: 10000 - Zagreb, Croatia

Communication: Phone: 385 (0)41-232-222; Fax: 385 (0)41-231-515

Summary: Mechanisms that cause impairment of male fertilizing potential have not yet been completely illuminated. These impairments are expressed mostly as asthenospermia and oligospermia. With the already known correlation between the sperm count, especially the low one and FSH, positive correlations were observed between the sperm count and LDHC-4 seminal plasma isoenzime values. In some cases such correlations are missing for some unknown reason. So, in extreme oligospermia, together with low LDHC-4, there were patients with unproportionally high LDHC-4.Our original observation pointed at different possible pathogenetic mechanisms of oligozoospermia. All hormonal cytomorphological and biochemical measurements conducted in 103 infertile men confirmed the presumption mentioned above.Analysis of participation ofcells from spermatogenesis that are in mitosis, spermatids, Sertoli cells and sperms themselves in total testicular cellularity and their correlation with serum FSH revealed statistically significant difference existing between groups with extreme oligozoospermia having low and high level of LDH-C4 isoenzyme, respectively. Hypospermatogenesis one hand and vell preserved spermatogenesis on the other were evident in spite of equalli severe oligozoospermia. We interpret oligozoospermia with high LDH-C4 level and well -preserved spermatogenesis as result of possibly elevated sperm destruction. In another test including 101 infertile men with varicocele we conducted several measurements of a set of sperm parametres before and after surgery. Interrelation of these results was analysed in patients with postoperative improvement compared to patients without sperm improvement or further deterioration of sperm values.Among these results it is worth mentioning that we observed postoperative decrease of LDH-C4/sperm conc. following relative falling of LDH-C4 behind increased sperm count.Such observation suggests that increased sperm destruction plays a role in the mechanism of harmful varicocele effects. At the same time this type of impairment seems to be more reversible than in the case of hypospermatogenesis. The other not less important cause of infertility is asthenospermia, expressed in decreased functional sperm characteristics. We investigated possible impacts of adenosine and 2-deoxyadenosine on their motility and activity of dynein ATPase. The possible influence of different concentrations of these nucleosides on sperm motility was measured by the objective method of computer processed videorecorded sperm motility (CASA CellSoft). The attained improvement of sperm kinetics could be applied when it is not possible to treat male infertility differently but by assisted reproduction techniques.

Keywords: oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, infertility, LDH-C4 isoenzyme, adenosine, sperm motility,varicocele

Research goals: The essential aim of this study was to improve knowledge about mechanisms leading to functional impairment of the semen. a) In cases of oligozoospermia our hypothesis has been raised advocating that a decreased number of sperms may not always (and exclusively) be the reflection of their hyperproduction, but can be a result of their pronounced destruction.For this purpose the group with extreme oligozoospermia and the group with varicocele where tested. b) The cause of astenozoospermia, one among the frequent semen properties in infertile men, is very often unclarified, which is why therapeutic modes are still deficient. Therefore the study was aimed to investigate the possibility of its control by in-vitro exposure of sperms to different concentrations of adenosine and 2-deoxiadenosine. The second aim was to study the mechanisms by which sperm kinetics may improve when exposed to these nucleozides.

Other information about the project.


Ministry of Science and Technology	Croatian language	Svibor homepage	Alphabetic list	Sorted on project code	Sorted on institutions	Search	Help

Last update: 10/16/95
Information: svibor@znanost.hr