Human spaceflight: to infertility and beyond

Garrett-Bakelman FE et al, demonstrated a spectrum of molecular and physiological changes attributed to spaceflight in their recently published “NASA Twins Study”.1 During his 340 days in space onboard the International Space Station (ISS), one of a pair of monozygotic twins was not only challenged by noise, isolation, hypoxia, and alterations in the circadian rhythm, but more importantly the exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) and microgravity. Terrestrials are subjected constantly to surface gravity and most if not all physiological processes have adapted accordingly. It is therefore easy to envisage that weightlessness can have consequences for space travellers.

The effect of Aspalathin linearis, Cyclopia intermedia and Sutherlandia frutescene on sperm functional parameters of healthy male wistar rats

Introduction: Rooibos (Aspalathin linearis), honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia), and sutherlandia (Sutherlandia frutescene) are three Southern Africa indigenous plants, of which the extracts have become house-hold items and are consumed on a large scale. Although, they are known for their antioxidant properties, studies have highlighted danger in the excessive intake. Therefore, the current study investigated whether treatment with rooibos, honeybush, and sutherlandia will impact sperm functional parameters positively or otherwise, in healthy rats.Methods: Fourteen-week-old pathogen-free adult male Wistar rats (250–300 g) were randomly divided into four groups of ten, including a control, rooibos (RF), honeybush (HB) and a sutherlandia (SL) group. After 7 weeks of treatment, animals were sacrificed. Spermatozoa were retrieved from the cauda epididymis for motility, morphology and concentration analysis and the testis was used for all biochemical assays.Results: The infusion treated animals (RF, HB, and SL) presented with a non-significant decrease of −14.3%, −18.2%, −17.2% and −24.8%, −20.7%, −27.3% in total motility and progressive motility when compared to the control group, respectively. There was a significant increase in number of spermatozoa with slow speed (p = 0.03), especially in SL treated group compared to the control (p = 0.03). Additionally, there was an increase of 28.8%, 31.7%, 23% in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of RF, HB and SL compared to control, respectively. This was accompanied with a percentage decrease of −21.1%, −23.7%, 45.9% in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels compared to the control group.Conclusion: In summary, animals treated with the respective infusions presented with a percentage increase in SOD activity but have reduced sperm motility and decreased normal morphology. Paradoxically, they presented with increased sperm concentration. Hence, it is presumed that rooibos, honeybush and sutherlandia may enhance sperm quantity (concentration) but may impair sperm quality (motility morphology) when consumed by healthy animals

Proteomics: a subcellular look at spermatozoa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Male-factor infertility presents a vexing problem for many reproductively active couples. Many studies have focused on abnormal sperm parameters. Recent advances in proteomic techniques, especially in mass spectrometry, have aided in the study of sperm and more specifically, sperm proteins. The aim of this study was to review the current literature on the various proteomic techniques, and their usefulness in diagnosing sperm dysfunction and potential applications in the clinical setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Review of PubMed database. Key words: spermatozoa, proteomics, protein, proteome, 2D-PAGE, mass spectrometry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Recently employed proteomic methods, such as two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and differential in gel electrophoresis, have identified numerous sperm-specific proteins. They also have provided a further understanding of protein function involved in sperm processes and for the differentiation between normal and abnormal states. In addition, studies on the sperm proteome have demonstrated the importance of post-translational modifications, and their ability to bring about physiological changes in sperm function. No longer do researchers believe that in order for them to elucidate the biochemical functions of genes, mere knowledge of the human genome sequence is sufficient. Moreover, a greater understanding of the physiological function of every protein in the tissue-specific proteome is essential in order to unravel the biological display of the human genome.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Recent advances in proteomic techniques have provided insight into sperm function and dysfunction. Several multidimensional separation techniques can be utilized to identify and characterize spermatozoa. Future developments in bioinformatics can further assist researchers in understanding the vast amount of data collected in proteomic studies. Moreover, such advances in proteomics may help to decipher metabolites which can act as biomarkers in the detection of sperm impairments and to potentially develop treatment for infertile couples.</p> <p>Further comprehensive studies on sperm-specific proteome, mechanisms of protein function and its proteolytic regulation, biomarkers and functional pathways, such as oxidative-stress induced mechanisms, will provide better insight into physiological functions of the spermatozoa. Large-scale proteomic studies using purified protein assays will eventually lead to the development of novel biomarkers that may allow for detection of disease states, genetic abnormalities, and risk factors for male infertility. Ultimately, these biomarkers will allow for a better diagnosis of sperm dysfunction and aid in drug development.</p

Potential Antioxidative Effects of Kolaviron on Reproductive Function in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

The present study investigated the effects of Kolaviron (KV) on the testicular and epididymal tissue antioxidant status in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ at 50 mg/kg body weight. The antioxidant status was studied by evaluating epididymal and testicular levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation (LPO) marker, and the activities of catalase (CAT) glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also assessed using biochemical techniques. Diabetes induction resulted in testicular and epididymal LPO and adversely affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes evident by a noticeable decrease in enzyme activity in both tissues. The potential antioxidative effects of KV in the testicular and epididymal tissues of STZ-induced diabetes were revealed by its ability to mitigate against LPO and increase the activity of antioxidant defense enzymes in the reproductive tissues studied. KV might potentially be used as an antioxidant as well as antidiabetic treatment; however, further studies are needed

The Advent of Sperm Proteomics has Arrived

Abstract: Sperm proteomics is the identification and functional study of sperm proteins. It is based on the separation of proteins to generate a sample suitable for mass spectrometry and subsequent protein identification. Various proteomic approaches can be employed to study sperm proteins. Currently it has led to the identification and cataloging of thousands of sperm proteins. Ultimately, the goal is to apply sperm proteomics not only as a research method, but also as a clinical and diagnostic tool in the field of male infertility. This manuscript aims to review proteomics and the approaches used to analyze sperm proteins as well as put its application in context with some of the current findings