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Ultrastructural analysis of five patients with total sperm immotility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2015

Mário Sousa ,
Elsa Oliveira ,
Ângela Alves ,
Mónica Gouveia ,
Helena Figueiredo ,
Luís Ferraz ,
Alberto Barros  and
Rosália Sá
Mário Sousa*
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.
Elsa Oliveira
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.
Ângela Alves
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.
Mónica Gouveia
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.
Helena Figueiredo
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.
Luís Ferraz
Affiliation:
Department of Urology, Hospital Eduardo Santos Silva, CHVNG, Rua Conceição Fernandes, 4434–502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Alberto Barros
Affiliation:
Centre for Reproductive Genetics Alberto Barros (CGR), Av. do Bessa, 240, 1º Dto. Frente, 4100–009 Porto, Portugal. Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200–319 Porto, Portugal.
Rosália Sá
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.
*
All correspondence to: Mário Sousa. 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. Tel: +351 220 428 000 (ICBAS); +351 220 428 246 (Office). Fax: +351-220 428 090. e-mail: msousa@icbas.up.pt
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Summary

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.

Keywords

Dynein armsDysplasia of the fibrous sheathSitus-inversus totalisSperm total immotilitySperm ultrastructure
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 23 , Issue 6 , December 2015 , pp. 900 - 907
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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