Residual sperm function in oligozoospermia induced by testosterone enanthate administered as a potential steroid male contraceptive.
To investigate the fertility of men who remain oligozoospermic despite sex steroid suppression, the in-vitro fertilizing capacity of residual spermatozoa was assessed in 30 men receiving intramuscular testosterone enanthate (TE). Spermatozoa were prepared by either Percoll or repetitive centrifugation/washing. Although the mean (+/- SEM) pretreatment zona-free hamster oocyte penetration (HOP) rates were similar (59.4 +/- 10.1 and 63.8 +/- 10.8%), following the induction of oligozoospermia the Percoll-prepared spermatozoa exhibited a penetration rate (26.9 +/- 10.2%) which was markedly greater than that obtained for sperm prepared by repetitive washing (0 +/- 0%). In addition, the partners of two men exhibiting a HOP test with Percoll-prepared spermatozoa, conceived despite a sperm concentration of 3 x 10(6) ml-1 and a negative HOP test with spermatozoa prepared by repetitive washing. These results suggest that Percoll preparation optimizes the assessment of in-vitro sperm function and that the fertility of men with TE-induced severe oligozoospermia is suppressed but not abolished.
Wallace
E M
EM
MRC Reproductive Biology Unit, Centre for Reproductive Biology, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Aitken
R J
RJ
Wu
F C
FC
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male; D013739:Testosterone; C004648:testosterone enanthate