Search

Summary We have studied the ultrastructure of testes biopsies and immotile spermatozoa from a supposed secondary infertile male. A wide range of tail defects has been described in testes and semen. Among these, tail stump spermatozoa occurs rarely. Although the origin of this defect is unknown, testes sections revealed that damage occurs during spermiogenesis at the latest stages during flagellum elongation in spermatids. Zusammenfassung Wir haben die Ultrastruktur der Hodenbiopsien und der unbeweglichen Spermatozoen von einem Mann studiert, der vermutlich eine sekundare Unfruchtbarkeit prasentiert. Mehrere Arten von Anomalien des Schwanzes in dem Hoden und in der Samenflussigkeit werden beschrieben. Dennoch sind Spermatozoen mit einem Stummelschwanz seiten vorhanden. Obwohl die Herkunft dieser Anomalie unbekannt ist, zeigten die Biopsien der Hoden, das sich diese Verletzung wahrend der spateren Phase der Spermiogenese ereignet, bei der Entwicklung des Schwanzes in den Spermatiden.

Functional ultrastructural changes in human sperm heads were evaluated following semen dilution in cryoprotective medium (with and without seminal plasma) as well as freezing/thawing. Plasma membranes were as much altered by dilution as by freezing/thawing when compared with fresh samples. The most striking effect on acrosome noted during freezing/thawing was a dramatic decline in percentage of intact spermatozoa. Acrosomal changes seemed to be less important in the fractions without seminal plasma. These deleterious effects were very demonstrable using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), rather than conventional staining. TEM is useful in obtaining more detailed information on membrane and acrosome integrity until a specific procedure to evaluate functional/physical integrity can be found. Cyropreservation in the absence of seminal plasma can be used for intrauterine insemination in AIH, AID programs with frozen semen.