Journal of Andrology

JEYENDRAN, RAJASINGAM S.; VEN, HANS H.; KENNEDY, W.; PEREZ–PELAEZ, MARIANO; ZANEVELD, LOURENS J. D.

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1984.tb00770.xpmid: 6423595

This study compared the cryoprotective effect of glycerol with that of a zwitter ion buffer system (TESTCY). Spermatozoa that are cryopreserved in the presence of glycerol possess a somewhat higher progressive motility immediately after thawing than those preserved in the presence of TESTCY. However, after a 1‐hour incubation in glycerol‐free medium, the progressive motilities of the glycerol‐ and TESTCY‐treated spermatozoa become essentially identical. After 2 hours in culture medium, TESTCY‐treated spermatozoa possess a higher motility than glycerol‐treated spermatozoa, indicating that TESTCY is a better preservative than glycerol for the long‐term motility of human spermatozoa. The fertilizing potential of the cryopreserved spermatozoa was assessed by their ability to penetrate zona‐free hamster oocytes in vitro. Spermatozoa that are cryopreserved in the presence of TESTCY produce three‐ to four‐fold higher penetration rates than glycerol‐treated, cryopreserved spermatozoa. Cryopreservation in the presence of TESTCY also results in a higher stability of the acrosin/proacrosin system than when the spermatozoa are preserved in glycerol, since about two‐ to three‐fold higher levels of proacrosin are retained. These results indicate that TESTCY is a better cryopreservative for human spermatozoa than glycerol.

FICHER, MIGUEL; ZUCKERMAN, MARVIN; FISHKIN, RALPH E.; GOLDMAN, ARLENE; NEEB, MICHAEL; FINK, PAUL J.; COHEN, STANLEY N.; JACOBS, JOSEPH A.; WEISBERG, MARTIN

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1984.tb00771.xpmid: 6423596

Sexually dysfunctional diabetic and nondiabetic males were compared with a group of normal controls using different endocrinological, psychophysiological, and psychological parameters. One hundred male subjects participated in this study: 47 diabetics with sexual dysfunction (DD), 31 nondiabetics with sexual dysfunction (NDD), and 22 normal controls (C). They were evaluated by an internist (physical examination and medical history), a psychologist (psychological and sexual functioning tests), a psychiatrist (psychiatric history and mental status examination), a urologist (genitourinary physical examination), and an endocrine biochemist (evaluation of endocrine factors). Additionally, subjects were evaluated for nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) during three nights in the sleep laboratory to obtain a differential diagnosis of impotence, that is, psychogenic vs. organic.

CASTRO, MARCOS PAULO P.; MASTROROCCO, DIOGO A. M.

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1984.tb00772.xpmid: 6706846

A group of 598 allegedly fertile men requesting vasectomy were investigated; varicocele was found in 97 (16.2%) of these men. The mean ages and age distributions of men with and without varicocele were not significantly different. Reproductive histories (number of pregnancies, living children and spontaneous abortions, as well as incidence of present pregnancy) were similar in both groups. The average seminal characteristics (semen volume, sperm count, total sperm count, percentage of motile spermatozoa, quality of motility, morphology) were not different for men with and without varicocele, except for a slight, but significantly higher incidence of oval‐headed sperm in men without varicocele. However, the incidence of varicocele was significantly higher in men with sperm counts below 40 million/ml. Three important observations may be made from this study: 1) the incidence of varicocele in this prevasectomy population was similar to that reported for the general population, but lower than the incidence reported for male partners of infertile couples; 2) in this population of allegedly fertile men, the presence of a varicocele did not significantly affect reproductive performance; 3) even though the incidence of varicocele was higher in men with sperm counts below 40 million/ml, the average seminal characteristics were not different in men with and without varicocele.

ROGOL, ALAN D.; VELDHUIS, JOHANNES D.; WILLIAMS, FREDERICK A.; JOHNSON, MICHAEL L.

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1984.tb00773.xpmid: 6323369

We tested the hypothesis that sustained, strenuous physical training alters the neuroendocrine regulation of pulsatile gonadotropin and/or prolactin secretion in men. Blood was sampled at 20‐minute intervals over 8 flours in five endurance‐trained men after a 10–15 mile run in the middle of the active training season, and in 11 nonendurance trained normal controls. In these two groups, basal patterns of physiologically pulsatile secretion of LH, FSH, and prolactin (PRL) were not significantly different in relation to the following parameters: mean serum concentration of each of the three tiormones (N = 25 samples); areas under the hormone concentration vs. time curves; fractional, incremental, ind absolute pulse amplitudes; and pulse frequency, or periodicity. To test for enhanced suppressive effects of endogenous opiates in trained male marathon runners, subjects were administered the potent opiate‐receptor antagonist, naltrexone (1 mg/kg). This antagonist significantly stimulated pulsatile LH secretion by increasing mean serum LH values from 10.94 to 13.58 mIU/ml (P = 0.007); area under the LH concentration vs. time curve increased from 5370 to 6510 mIU/ml ± 3 hours (P = 0.05) and, pulse frequency rose from 2.8 to 4.9 pulses/8 hours (P = 0.006). Naltrexone also enhanced pulse frequency of FSH secretion from 3.4 to 5.4 pulses/8 hours (P = 0.009), but did not alter serum prolactin concentrations. None of these responses differed significantly from those in normal sedentary controls. We concluded that 1) detailed parameters of physiologically pulsatile LH and FSH secretion, even in men pf endurance training, are not distinguishable from those of normal sedentary controls; 2) secretion of PRL basally and in response to opiate‐receptor blockade is not significantly perturbed; and 3) LH release in male athletes appears to be under tonic inhibitory control by endogenous opiate systems, but the inhibitory influence of these opiates is not markedly exerted.

VICKERY, BRIAN H.; McRAE, GEORGIA I.; BRIONES, WILLIAM; WORDEN, ANNE; SEIDENBERG, RICHARD; SCHANBACHER, BRUCE D.; FALVO, RICHARD

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1984.tb00774.xpmid: 6231277

Male beagle dogs were injected once daily with 10 μg/ kg of [6‐D‐(2‐naphthyl)alanine]‐LHRH (D‐Nal(2)6‐LHRH), a potent LHRH agonist, for periods up to 42 days, with recovery periods up to 172 days. Blood samples collected at regular intervals were assayed for LH, FSH, and testosterone; total ejaculates were collected and analyzed weekly, and animals were sacrificed at various intervals for sex organ weights and histology. The first injection of D‐Nal(2)6‐LHRH caused an acute elevation in plasma levels of LH, FSH, and testosterone, measured at 2 and 4 hours after the injection. This acute response to injection was attenuated with each successive injection and by two weeks no elevation was seen, suggesting a down‐regulation of pituitary response. Basal levels of LH and testosterone were maximally depressed by four days of treatment. Testis volume, duration of erection, ejaculate volume, sperm count, sperm motility and testis volume all declined during treatment, with sperm count significantly lowered by two weeks and ejaculation volume becoming zero by five weeks of treatment. Spermatogenesis, assessed histologically, was partially suppressed at ten days and completely suppressed by 38 days of treatment. All parameters returned to normal following cessation of treatment. Recovery time was longer for the dogs treated for 42 days than for those treated for ten days. When testosterone was supplemented during 42 days of agonist treatment, basal plasma testosterone levels were maintained at the low end of the normal range. Testosterone supplementation did not prevent pituitary down‐regulation, suppression of spermatogenesis, or the decrease in testis and epididymis weights, but prevented the decline in duration of erection. Ejaculate volume and sperm count declined more slowly with combination treatment than with agonist alone. During the decline in sperm count sperm motility was maintained with combination treatment. Injection of hCG into control and agonist treated dogs resulted in similar percentage increases in plasma levels of testosterone, although peak levels were greater in control than in treated animals. The data suggest a pituitary desensitization with this LHRH agonist in the dog but only a minor role for testicular desensitization.