• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2007

Objective: To investigate whether semen parameters in infertile couples who undergone intrauterine insemination (IUI) change in the subsequent IUI cycle and the subsequent in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. Methods: Fifty-three infertile couples who had failed to become pregnant after the first IUI cycle with computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) were included. After the first IUI, thirty-eight couples underwent the second IUI (Group 1), and fifteen underwent IVF-ET procedure (Group 2). All semen parameters including semen volume, concentration, motility and total motile sperm count were analyzed in the second IUI or IVF-ET procedure for comparison with the result of first IUI. Results: There were no significant differences in husband age, interval between the first and second procedure and cause of infertility. In Group 1, only sperm motility at the time of the latter IUI was significantly decreased when compared to the former IUI irrespective of the first semen parameters. In Group 2, sperm concentration, motility and total motile sperm count at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI. By sub-analyses of Group 2, in the group of optimal semen parameter at IUI cycle, sperm concentration and total motile sperm count at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI, while in the group of suboptimal semen parameter at IUI cycle, only sperm motility at the time of subsequent IVF were lower than the former IUI. Conclusion: The semen parameters in couples converted to IVF cycle were more adversely affected than those remained in IUI cycle. Further study on psychological stress should be necessary to explain the reason.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2009

Objectives: Seminal concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) relevant to sperm nuclear DNA integrity has not been studied. The present study aimed to evaluate seminal concentration of TNF-${\alpha}$ in correlation with sperm parameters and nuclear DNA integrity in asymptomatic healthy donors. Methods: Semen samples were obtained by masturbation from forty-five healthy donors. Results: Sperm quality was assessed by computer-assisted semen analysis and nuclear DNA integrity measured by the TUNEL assay in raw semen. TNF-${\alpha}$ concentrations were measured by ELISA in frozen-thawed seminal plasmas. Sperm DNA fragmentation rates were ranged between 1.9% and 53.0% (mean${\pm}$SD, 12.4${\pm}$9.6%). Univariate analysis revealed that DNA fragmentation rate was not associated with sperm concentration or motility but had a correlation with linearity negatively (r=-0.325, p=0.03) and age positively (r=0.484, p=0.001). The mean seminal concentration of TNF-${\alpha}$ was 4.9 pg/mL with a range from 1.1 to 22.6 pg/mL. The TNF-${\alpha}$ concentration had no correlation with clinically relevant parameters of sperm quality or nuclear DNA fragmentation rate. Conclusion: Our results indicate that sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation may be not associated with seminal TNF-${\alpha}$ level or sperm quality in asymptomatic healthy donors.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.547-550
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• 1998

수의사들은 수캐와 고양이를 구입하기전 수캐의 번식력에 대한 검사를 요청 받을 때가 가끔 있다. 미국의 경우 Kennel club 지침에서는 7개월 보다 어린 개 또는 12세 이상된 개를 종견으로 등록할때는 번식력에 대한 소견서 혹은 증명서를 제출하여야만 한다고 되어있다. 번식력 검사에는 수캐의 완전한 병력을 수집해야하며 병력으로 과거 상처, 질병, 예방접종, 투약상태, 고환이 음낭으로 하강한 상태, 년령, 음낭부종 또는 외상의 발생상태 등이 포함되어야한다. 또한 애완동물의 가계에 대한 번식력에 대해서도 찾아보도록 노력해야 한다. 환축을 검사하기전 병력을 축주에 문의하는 것도 하나의 좋은 방법이다. 건강한 수컷이 암캐와 교미를 하지 못할 경우에는 번식관리의 검사에 세심한 주의를 기우려야 한다. 또한 산자의 최종출생일, 산자수, 교미회수, 번식시킨 암컷의 수, 교미형태, 수컷의 성욕 및 승가행위 등에 과한 것들을 조사해야 할 것이다. 이러한 병력으로 수컷은 항상 불임성을 최초에 불임성을 보였는지 또는 저임성을 보였는지를 알수있게 된다. 새끼를 낳아보지 못한 개와 고양이는 선천적으로 불임이 되고 이러한 수컷도 예후는 불량하다. 개와 고양이가 과거에 새끼를 임신한 경험이 없다면 생식기의 전염성 또는 염증과 관련이 있을 수도 있다. 축주는 개 인공수정을 하기 위하여 정액을 채취할 때 물, 소독약 및 윤활제 등으로 인하여 정자의 사멸을 의식하지 못하고 있기 때문에 채취방법을 상세하게 설명하여 주어야 한다. 또한 암컷의 번식문제에 대해서도 상세하게 검사하여야 하며 개와 고양이가 불임되는 가장 흔한 이유는 번식관리에 문제점이 있으며, 이와 같은 경우에는 암컷을 검사하기 전에 수컷을 검사하는 것이 중요하다. 수컷의 검사는 사진으로도 용이하므로 비용도 절감되나 암컷은 생식기관을 검사하여야 되기 때문에 많은 경비가 든다. 그러나 번식력의 유일한 증거는 태아를 생산하는 것이며 많은 다른 검사 방법으로 평가 할 수도 있으나 번식력을 증명할 수는 없다.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.647-649
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• 2009

An orchiopexy was performed in an 18-month old adult English bulldog with bilateral cryptorchidism. One month postoperatively, the dog was twice-treated with GnRH (50 ug/kg) at an interval of 2 weeks. Semen was collected and evaluated before and after surgery. Fertility was determined by artificial insemination. No spermatozoa were observed before orchiopexy and 2 months postoperatively. However, 6 live sperm were detected 4 months postoperatively and normal sperm characteristics (except sperm concentration) were present 7 months postoperatively. A female bulldog, inseminated with the semen from the bulldog 8 months postoperatively, delivered 6 offsprings. Spermatogenesis and spermatozoa with fertilizing capacity were recovered by postpubertal orchiopexy and GnRH therapy in a bilateral cryptorchid dog.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.245-251
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• 2010

Objective: Human sperm nucleus DNA damage may negatively affect pregnancy outcome, and the spermatozoa of infertile men have more DNA damage than that of fertile men. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical varicocelectomy on human sperm nucleus DNA integrity. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 18 subfertile male patients who underwent microsurgical varicocelectomy at our hospital from April 2006 to April 2007. Varicocele was diagnosed by physical examination and Doppler ultrasound. Standard semen analysis was performed in 18 patients before and 4 months after microsurgical varicoceletcomy using a computer assisted semen analyzer. Sperm nucleus DNA integrity was assessed by a single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Results: No recurrence of varicocele was observed after 4 months later. The DNA fragmentation index improved after varicocelectomy compared with pre-operatively (19.3 versus 13.7%, respectively, p<0.05). Semen analysis parameters (total count, concentration, motile sperm, viability, strict morphology) increased after varicocelectomy, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Our data suggest that microsurgical varicocelectomy can improve semen analysis parameters and human sperm nucleus DNA integrity in infertile men with varicocele.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.311-318
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• 1996

Mycoplasmas have long been suspected of contributing to involuntary infertility in couples. However considerable disagreement exits concerning the role of genital mycoplasma infection in human infertility. Several investigators have noted abnormalities in the semen analysis of men with positive mycoplasma cultures, and early epidemiologic studies indicated that Ureaplasma urealyticum was linked to human reproductive failure on the basis of higher frequencies of isolation from infertile versus fertile couples and successful pregnancies in infertile couples after doxycycline therapy. However, subsequent investigators have questioned these findings because there are many studies in which treatment for mycoplasma in the male or female did not demonstrate an improved pregnancy rate, and semen samples from unexplained infertile men containing ureaplasmas have not revealed poorer motility, fewer spermatozoa and more aberrant forms. The objective of this study were to investigate the incidence rate of mycoplasma in semen and to investigate whether the presence of mycoplasma in semen makes significant difference to the semen volume, sperm motility and sperm counts. The results were that the rate of isolation of mycoplasma species was 70.3%. Semen volume is $2.84{\pm}1.01ml$ for culture negative and $3.15{\pm}1.42ml$ for culture positive group. Sperm motility is $46.23{\pm}15.80%$ for culture negative and $50.09{\pm}15.69%$ for culture positive group, and sperm count is $95.47{\pm}47.14({\times}(P)10^6/ml)$ for culture negative and $86.73{\pm}47.59({\times}10^6/ml)$ for culture positive group. In conclusion, we suggest that the presence of mycoplasma in semen makes no significant differences to the sperm parameters.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 1996

Background : Several studies have suggested that impaired mucociliary clearance plays a role in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma. Cough productive of mucoid sputum is common, and mucous plugs in the airways are frequently observed. These clinical features are in keeping with the histologic lesions of asthma, which involve primarily the epithelial and mucous-producing structures of the conducting airways. Some studies have shown that the mucociliary clearance is impaired in adult asthma, but it has not been studied in childhood asthma. The objectives of this study were to examine whether the mucociliary clearance is impaired in childhood asthma and to estimate the degree of impairment in comparison with that of immotile cilia syndrome. Method : Thirteen children with mild stable asthma and eight patients with immotile cilia syndrome completed this study. Ten healthy children were recruited as a normal control group. The whole-lung mucociliary clearance was measured by the radioaerosol technique. Aerosols, tin colloid particles tagged with the radionuclide technetium-99m($^{99m}Tc$), were generated by means of nebulizer, and inhaled via a mouthpiece. The retention of radioactivity was measured at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes by gamma camera, and mucociliary clearance was calculated as percent retention at each time. Results: 1) In each subject, the percent retention decreased variably with the lapse of time. 2) The percent retention of radionuclide decreased at each time in order of normal control, bronchial asthma and immotile cilia syndrome and the percent retention of immotile cilia syndrome was significantly higher than that of normal control at each time(p<0.05). 3) At two hours, the percent retention of bronchial asthma($65.0{\pm}1.8$(SE)%) was significantly higher than that of the normal control($54.4{\pm}3.5%$, p<0.05), and significantly lower than that of immotile cilia syndrome($73.3{\pm}1.4%$, p<0.01). 4) When the percent retention was analyzed according to $PC_{20}$ in the children with bronchial asthma, they had no relationship with each other. Conclusion: Mucociliary clearance in the children with bronchial asthma was significantly lower than normal control. This finding indicates that impaired mucociliary clearance operates in childhood asthma as well, and suggests that it may be one contributing factor in the pathogenesis of asthma. The degree of impairment, however, was not so severe as immotile cilia syndrome.