D-hormone and its significance for function of prostate gland (literature review and personal observations).

OBJECTIVE: Aim: The aim of this article is to present literature data and personal research of the role of D-hormoneon the functioning of the male reproductive system, and more specifically of the prostate gland, as well as the use of this vitamin D during the complex and independent treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in preclinical studies and clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The collection of relevant data were done using the scientific databases Pubmed, Google Scholar. A manual search on reproductive endocrinology and pharmacology sources were also conducted for related published studies . Selected keywords ("benign prostatic hyperplasia" OR "BPH") AND ("prostate") AND ("reproductive system and vitamin D") were used to collect data. The article also presents our personal data of preclinical studies and clinical data of the use of vitamin D as monotherapy and in the complex therapy of reproductive disorders. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The effect of vitamin D on prostate volume and BPH has shown perspective results, therefore, it is proposed to conduct further studies on the role of vitamin D in the formation of BPH and reproductive disorders, their prevention and treatment. The use of vitamin D as monotherapy or in the form of pharmaceutical compositions and its inclusion in basic treatment regimens can increase the effectiveness of the prevention and correction of reproductopathies in the presence of or due to BPH and suggests the possibility of restoring the generative potential of individuals with BPH, both with and without D-hypovitaminosis.

Dynamics of functional condition seedmans and liver in men with infertility under the influence of arginin therapy with the complex of L-carnitin and betainе.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to study the hormonal status androgen-dependent indicators of the ejaculate, spermatogram parameters and liver transaminases in the blood of the infertile males for the treatment of arginine, carnitine and betaine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The parameters of spermograms, the levels of testosterone, estradiol, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in the blood, and concentration of fructose in the ejaculate of 31 men with idiopathic pathospermia before and after using the L-Betargin, which contains 1 gram of arginine, 300 mg of L-carnitine and 1 gram of betaine. RESULTS: Results: It is shown that after treatment there is an increase of sperm concentration and their motility, increase the level of fructose in the ejaculate. It is established that the positive effect on spermatogenesis, L-Betargin associated with activation of endocrine function of the testes, improving the androgen-estrogen balance and functional state of the liver in men with infertility. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The use of L-Betargin for a month in men with idiopathic pathospermia leads to an increase in the concentration of sperm and increase their motility, while normalizing all parameters of the spermogram.

Structure and beating behavior of the sperm motility apparatus in aquatic animals.

Motility is a characteristic function of the male gamete, which allows spermatozoa to actively reach and penetrate the female gamete in organisms with internal and external fertilization. Sperm motility is acquired under the control of many extrinsic and intrinsic factors and is based on a specialized structure of the sperm flagellum called "axoneme". An overview of how the sperm flagellum is organized, and it operates to support cell motility is presented, with special focus on the molecular mechanisms and factors involved in the development, maintenance and control of motility. Data obtained in aquatic organisms with external fertilization, such as sea urchins, ascidians or fishes are critically analyzed because they constitute model species on which most of the present day understanding of sperm motility function is based. In most animal species, sperm motility is dependent on a long appendage called flagellum. Flagella are essential organelles found in most eukaryotic cells; their basic structure is the axoneme, which consists of a scaffold of microtubules and is responsible for movement in an autonomous manner if ATP-energy is present. Flagellar beat propels the cell through the medium which surrounds sperm cells and is responsible of the translational drive of spermatozoa. The present paper includes: (1) an introduction to typical sperm morphology and ultrastructure in most aquatic species, (2) the motility apparatus or axoneme of the spermatozoa: the axoneme, (3) the structural and biochemical composition of the axoneme, (4) the axonemal motor or dynein, and its operation, (5) the regulation of motility at axoneme and cell membrane levels, including several effectors such as Ca2+ ions, (6) biophysical features of the wave propagation mechanism in motile spermatozoa, (7) the energy production and consumption, and (8) the building of a flagellum. Flagellar beating in aquatic animals is illustrated using several examples in figures and video-clips. These types of data are also used for computer simulation of various aspects of the modulation of sperm motility of marine animals.

Changes of sperm morphology, volume, density, and motility parameters in northern pike during the spawning period.

Sexually mature males (BW = 1600 ± 150 g and TL = 235 ± 30 mm) of northern pike (Esox lucius L.) were randomly selected from a pond to record changes in their sperm quality parameters (spermatozoa morphology, sperm volume, density, and motility parameters) during the spawning season. The morphological and motility parameters changed significantly during the reproductive season with following trends. Only, head width was not changed during the spawning season. The longest spermatozoa and its flagellar length were found at the middle of spawning period (TL = 38.24 ± 0.37 µm and 35.14 ± 0.26 µm) and shortest at the beginning of spawning period (TL = 34.81 ± 0.29 µm and 32.53 ± 0.18 µm). Other morphological characters were always the lowest at the beginning of spawning period. Sperm volume was changed from 0.33 ± 0.3 ml in February, 0.43 ± 0.2 ml in March to 0.24 ± 0.1 ml in April, and density from 16.2 ± 0.2 × 109 spermatozoa ml-1 in February, 19.4 ± 0.2 × 109 spermatozoa ml-1 in March to 4.8 ± 0.2 × 109 spermatozoa ml-1 in April. Same sperm velocity was observed in all spawning terms at 10 and 20 s after activation. Higher velocity was found at 30 and 40 s after activation in sperm collected at the middle and the end of spawning period. Significantly, higher percentage of motile sperm was observed at 20, 30, and 40 s after activation in sperm sampled at the end of spawning period. This study supports the hypothesis that longer spermatozoa swim faster.

Fins improve the swimming performance of fish sperm: a hydrodynamic analysis of the Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii.

The flagella of sturgeon sperm have an ultrastructure comprising paddle-like fins extending along most of their length. These fins are seen in several other marine and freshwater fish. The sperm of these fish are fast swimmers and are relatively short lived: it is therefore tempting to think of these fins as having evolved for hydrodynamic advantage, but the actual advantage they impart, at such a small length scale and slow speed, is unclear. The phrase "the fins improve hydrodynamic efficiency" is commonly found in biological literature, yet little hydrodynamic analysis has previously been used to support such conjectures. In this paper, we examine various hydrodynamic models of sturgeon sperm and investigate both swimming velocity and energy expenditure. All of the models indicate a modest hydrodynamic advantage of finned sperm, in both straight line swimming speed and a hydrodynamic efficiency measure. We find a hydrodynamic advantage for a flagellum with fins, over one without fins, of the order of 15-20% in straight line propulsive velocity and 10-15% in a hydrodynamic efficiency measure.