title: Ultrastructural analysis of five patients with total sperm immotility.
abstract: Asthenozoospermia has been related to structural defects of the sperm flagellum. However, few reports have studied in detail the ultrastructure of sperm with total immotility. We present an ultrastructural study of sperm from five patients with total sperm immotility, four due to dysplasia of the fibrous sheath (DFS) and one with situs-inversus. Of the four patients with DFS, three cases presented a hypertrophic and hyperplastic fibrous sheath that invaded the midpiece space, absence of the annulus, and a short midpiece containing a few disorganized and pale mitochondria. Of these cases, two presented absence of the central complex and radial spokes; another additionally presented absence of dynein arms and nexin bridges; and the other patient presented an intact annulus with a dysplastic fibrous sheath restricted to the principal piece with disorganized microtubule doublets. The patient with situs-inversus presented severe respiratory symptoms, with absence of dynein arms and nexin bridges. In conclusion, we present three cases with DFS associated with total sperm immotility, abnormal mitochondria, and absence of the annulus, central pair complex and radial spokes, of which one had in addition absence of dynein arms and nexin bridges. We also describe a patient, with total sperm immotility and a different presentation of DFS, as the annulus was present and the dysplastic fibrous sheath was restricted to the principal piece. These findings thus confirm the heterogeneity of the DFS condition. The changes observed in the patient with situs-inversus also further support previous observations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopy,Laboratory of Cell Biology (Director),Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS),University of Porto,Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira,228,4050-313 Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopy,Laboratory of Cell Biology,Muldisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research-UMIB,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS),University of Porto,Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira,228,4050-313 Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopy,Laboratory of Cell Biology,Muldisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research-UMIB,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS),University of Porto,Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira,228,4050-313 Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Ângela
authors.initials: Â
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopy,Laboratory of Cell Biology,Muldisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research-UMIB,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS),University of Porto,Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira,228,4050-313 Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics,Unit of Reproductive Medicine,Hospital Centre of Vila Nova de Gaia,Espinho,E.P.E. (CHVNG),Rua Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro,4400-129,Vila Nova de Gaia,Portugal.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology,Hospital Eduardo Santos Silva,CHVNG,Rua Conceição Fernandes,4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia,Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Genetics Alberto Barros (CGR),Av. do Bessa,240,1º Dto. Frente,4100-009 Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopy,Laboratory of Cell Biology,Muldisciplinary Unit for Biomedical Research-UMIB,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS),University of Porto,Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira,228,4050-313 Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Rosália
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sá
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
keywords: Dynein arms; Dysplasia of the fibrous sheath; Situs-inversus totalis; Sperm total immotility; Sperm ultrastructure