In-vitro maturation of round spermatids using co-culture on Vero cells

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 1999

Authors

Cremades, N (Author) Other; Bernabeu, R (Author) Other; barros, a (Author) FMUP; sousa, m (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Human Reproduction

Vol. 14

Pages: 1287-1293

ISSN: 0268-1161

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 81 Citations

Scopus - 96 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-001-4DK

DOI: 10.1093/humrep/14.5.1287

Abstract (EN): In an attempt to determine whether co-culture could promote sperm maturation, three patients with nonobstructive azoospermia, two with maturation arrest at the level of primary spermatocytes and one patient with <1% tubules showing complete spermatogenesis, and one patient with total globozoospermia, gave consent to experimentally co-culture round spermatids retrieved from the testicle on Vero cell monolayers. In all azoospermic patients elongating spermatids could be obtained from round spermatids. In one case of maturation arrest, of 37 round spermatids cocultured for up to 5 days, 30% developed flagella, 46% matured to elongating and 19% to elongated spermatids, with one mature spermatozoon also obtained (3%). In the same patient, primary cultures of three round spermatids with flagella enabled development of one further mature spermatozoon. In the case with total globozoospermia, of six round spermatids co-cultured for up to 5 days, one mature spermatozoon was obtained, with a flagellum and normal head morphology. These preliminary findings suggest that it may be possible to overcome the round spermatid block, and even the triggering of morphological abnormalities arising at the spermiogenic level, by in-vitro maturation under special environmental conditions.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7