2,260 research outputs found
The spermatozoon as a vehicle for viral infection.In: The male gamete: from basic science to clinical applications.
No full text
Apoptosis in human ejaculated sperm cells. Notulae seminologicae. 9
No full textIn this work we apply the Hoechst 33258 DNA staining, the TUNEL procedure and conventional electron microscopy to study the ejaculate of fertile and infertile men, in order to detect apoptosis in human sperm cells. We have observed that apoptosis is abnormally frequent in the sperm cells of the ejaculate of sterile men, and that it shows the classical biochemical and ultrastructural pattern in spermatozoa, spermatids and apoptotic bodies. These characteristics, involving the chromatin, the nuclear envelope, the plasma membrane, the presence of cytoplasmic vacuoles and the status of mitochondria, are consistent whatever the pathology of the patient is. What is varying is the percentage of the apoptotic sperm cells, that is about 0.1% in fertile controls, and increases up to about 10% in varicocele, infected (including AIDS), "round headed' patients, to 20% in cryptorchid men, to 25% in immature patients, and to 50% in testicular seminoma carriers. Obviously in each category the frequence of apoptotic cells increases concomitantly with the degree of the affection. The present demonstration not only extends to human spermiogenetic epithelium the natural presence of apoptosis, which starts in the testis and is revealed in the ejaculate, but also explains many abnormal ultrastructural sperum patterns hitherto unexplained in fertile and infertile individual
The ICSI procedure from past to future: a systematic review of the more controversial aspects
No full textBackground: ICSI is currently the most commonly used assisted reproductive technology, accounting for 70-80%of the cycles performed. This extensive use, even excessive, is partly due to the high level of standardization reached by the procedure. There are, however, some aspects that deserve attention and can still be ameliorated. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the results of available publications dealing with the management of specific situations during ICSI in order to support embryologists in trying to offer the best laboratory individualized treatment. Methods: This systematic review is based on material obtained by searching PUBMED between January 1996 and March 2015. We included peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles that have evaluated ICSI outcomes in the case of (i) immature oocytes, (ii) oocyte degeneration, (iii) timing of the various phases, (iv) polar body position during injection, (v) zona-free oocytes, (vi) fertilization deficiency, (vii) round-headed sperm, (viii) immotile sperm and (ix) semen samples with high DNA fragmentation. Results: More than 1770 articles were obtained, from which only 90 were specifically related to the issues developed for female gametes and 55 for the issues developed for male gametes. The studies selected for this review were organized in order to provide a guide to overcome roadblocks. According to these studies, the injection of rescue metaphase I oocytes should be discouraged due to poor clinical outcomes and a high aneuploidy rates; laser-assisted ICSI represents an efficient method to solve the high oocyte degeneration rate; the optimal ICSI timing and the best polar body position during the injection have not been clarified; injected zona-free oocytes, if handled carefully, can develop up to blastocyst stage and implant; efficient options can be offered to patients who suffered fertilization failure in previous conventional ICSI cycles. Most controversial and inconclusive are data on the best method to select a viable spermatozoa when only immotile spermatozoa are available for ICSI and, to date, there is no reliable approach to completely filter out spermatozoa with fragmented DNA from an ejaculate. However, most of the studies do not report essential clinical outcomes, such as live birth, miscarriage and fetal abnormality rate, which are essential to establish the safety of a procedure. Conclusions: This review provides the current knowledge on some controversial technical aspects of the ICSI procedures in order to improve its efficacy in specific contexts. Notwithstanding that embryologists might benefit from the approaches presented herein in order to improve ICSI outcomes, this area of expertise still demands a greater number of well-designed studies, especially in order to solve open issues about the safety of these procedures
The debate on the presence of HIV-1 virus in human spermatozoa
No full textThe debate about the presence of HIV-1 virus particles in human spermatozoa is reviewed and recent experimental results are reported in detail. Using immuno-cytochemistry, in situ hybridization at the electron microscopy level, the polymerase chain reaction and in vitro fertilization, it has been demonstrated that human spermatozoa can incorporate HIV-1 using special receptors different from the commonly used CD4, and that the spermatozoa remain active and able to vehicle viral particles into the oocyte, which is regularly being fertilized
Filologia editoriale, Roberto Calasso in dialogo con Paola Italia e Francisco Rico
No full textPaola Italia e Francisco Rico intervengono sul libro di Roberto Calasso, presidente e fondatore di Adelphi Edizioni, L'impronta dell'editore, e discutono di problemi di filologia delle forme editoriali, dal punto di vista dell'autore, del lettore e dell'editore.Paola Italia and Francisco Ricos interview Roberto Calasso, Publisher, Writer, and Founder of Adelphi Edizioni, about his book: L'impronta dell'editore, talking about philology, publishing and editing, from the author, the reader and the publisher's point of view
Paola Gianturco: Women Who Light the Dark
No full textPaola Gianturco is a photographer, author, and advocate for women\u27s rights world-wide. For the past thirteen years, she has worked as a photojournalist, documenting women’s lives in forty countries. She has published four acclaimed photo books which bring together inspiring stories with gorgeous photographs to motivate her readers to engage with, learn from and support women around the world. All of Gianturco’s books are philanthropic projects, for which she donates her royalties to carefully selected nonprofit organizations that relate to each book\u27s content. Paola\u27s most recent book, Women Who Light the Dark, tells the story of local women around the world who are helping one another tackle the problems that darken their lives—including violence, poverty, illiteracy and disease. Gianturco is giving 100% of her author royalties for this book to The Global Fund for Women.https://thekeep.eiu.edu/humanitiescenter_meaningfulwork1011/1002/thumbnail.jp
Notulae seminologicae. 8. Ultrastructural sperm defects in two men, carriers of autosomal inversion
No full textThe electron microscopical analysis of spermatozoa in two infertile male carriers of a pericentric inversion in one of the chromosomes 9 revealed the presence of a peculiar defect affecting the tails' fibrous sheath in both patients. This structure appeared completely disorganized and hyperplasic; sometimes the defect was associated with other usual malformations concerning the nuclear and acrosomal shape and texture and the axonemal assembly. Most spermatozoa (90-100%) of these patients were immotile. Our findings point to a definite ultrastructural sperm defect found in cases of autosomal inversion
"Metodiche di valutazione del liquido seminale nella diagnosi dell'infertilità di coppia."
No full text
- …
