title: Cytosolic calcium levels in spermatozoa are modulated differently in healthy subjects and patients with varicocele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study parameters connected to fertility in the semen of patients with varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examine the ability of spermatozoa obtained from patients with varicocele to respond with an increase of cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) to some stimuli that are connected with spermatozoa activation.
  
  
  METHODS
  An academic research environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy volunteer donors and 10 patients affected by II or III grade left varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spermatozoa and prostasomes (vesicles of prostatic origin obtained from semen) were prepared according to standard procedures. Spermatozoa were stimulated with 1 microM P. The [Ca2+]i was evaluated with the FURA II method.
  
  
  METHODS
  The level of [Ca2+]i.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In resting cells, the level of [Ca2+]i was 120 +/-15 nmol/L (10 determinations). This value increases by > or =100 nmol/L upon stimulation with P. No difference was observed between spermatozoa obtained from healthy donors or from patients with varicocele. S-nitrosocysteine, a nitric oxide donor, and the fusion between spermatozoa and prostasomes increased the effect of P on [Ca2+]i in control spermatozoa but not in spermatozoa obtained from patients with varicocele.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different responsiveness of varicocele patients' spermatozoa to S-nitrosocysteine and/or to fusion with prostasomes may be among the possible causes of reduced fertility.
authors.affiliation: Urologic and Andrologic Clinic, Policlinico Monteluce, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zucchi
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mearini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porena
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carlini
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saccardi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arienti
authors.forename: Carlo A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Palmerini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D026403:S-Nitrosothiols / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D026403:S-Nitrosothiols; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C021315:S-nitrosocysteine; D003545:Cysteine; D002118:Calcium