Journal of Andrology Testis Workshop 2009
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Published-Ahead-of-Print May 9, 2007, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.106.002022

This Article
Right arrow Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
28/5/717    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Brackett, N. L.
Right arrow Articles by Lynne, C. M
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Brackett, N. L.
Right arrow Articles by Lynne, C. M

NEUTRALIZATION OF CYTOKINE ACTIVITY AT THE RECEPTOR LEVEL IMPROVES SPERM MOTILITY IN MEN WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES

Nancy L. Brackett *, Daniel R Cohen , Emad Ibrahim , Teodoro C Aballa , and Charles M Lynne

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: nbrackett{at}miami.edu.

Men with spinal cord injury (SCI) have a unique semen profile characterized by normal sperm concentrations but abnormally low sperm motility. Previous studies showed that elevated concentrations of cytokines in the seminal plasma of these men contribute to this condition. For example, when elevated concentrations of IL-1{beta}, IL-6, and TNF-{alpha} were immunoneutralized in the semen of men with SCI, sperm motility improved. The present study investigated if these cytokines act on sperm cell receptors to inhibit sperm motility. Semen was collected from men with SCI and from healthy non-SCI men. Sperm were separated from the seminal plasma by centrifugation. Eight identical aliquots of 5,000 sperm suspended in 50 µl seminal plasma were prepared for each subject. Agents were added to the aliquots in order to neutralize IL-1{beta}, IL-6, and TNF-{alpha} at the receptor level. In SCI subjects, sperm motility improved in each treatment group compared to the untreated group, but statistical significance was reached only when neutralizing agents to all three cytokines were added. Improvement was less pronounced in subjects with close to normal semen cytokine concentrations or close to normal pre-treatment sperm motility. In control subjects, IL-1{beta}, IL-6, and TNF-{alpha} were within normal values, and addition of receptor blockers to semen had no effect on sperm motility. These data support the hypothesis that cytokines act at the level of the sperm receptor to inhibit sperm motility. These data further support the notion that inactivating semen cytokines leads to improved sperm motility in SCI men. Our goal is to develop this finding into a treatment for low sperm motility in men with SCI.


Key words: Infertility • Semen • IL-1beta • IL-6 • TNF-alpha






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Andrology.