Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) technology was applied to the measurement of sperm motility parameters in the common carp Cyprinus ctrrpio. Activated sperm were videotaped at 200 frames s ' and analysed with the CellTrak/S CASA research system. The percentage of motile cells and both sperm head curvilinear velocity and straight-line velocity were measured following exposure of carp sperm to three predilution conditions and activation in media of differing ionic strengths and osmotic pressures. The highest percentage of motile sperm was obtained following predilution of sperm in seminal plasma and activation in Na-HEPES buffer pH 8.0. This level of motility was equalled after predilution in 200 mM KCI for 2 h. Straight-line velocities and curvilinear velocities of 130 pm s -' and 210pm s C ' , respectively, were observed. Duration of motility was higher under seminal plasma predilntion conditions (over 50% motile sperm at 55 s post-activation). The application provides a sound basis for the assessment of sperm characteristics in fish. c: 1995 The Fisheries Society or the British Isles

Sperm motility variables from the milt of the common carp Cyprinus carpio were assessed using a computer‐assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system across several months (March‐August 1992) known to encompass the natural spawning period. Two‐year‐old pond‐raised males obtained each month were primed with an exogeneous hormone injection of carp pituitary extract and stripped of milt 18–24h later. The milt was diluted, activated and videotaped using a high‐speed (200 Hz) videocamera and recorder. Videotaped samples were subsequently analysed using the CellTrak/S CASA system (Motion Analysis Corp.) for percent motility, curvilinear and straight‐line velocity. In addition to assessing changes in motility parameters across several months, a comparison was made between two predilution/ activation media combinations (homologous seminal plasma/NaCl+HEPES v. 2‐h incubation in 200 mM KCl+Tris/Tris). The percentage of motile cells assessed immediately after activation was significantly greater in the summer months (May, June, July) when compared to a spring sampling point (March); when assessed 1 min after activation, cells prediluted in seminal plasma maintained a higher percentage of motility than those prediluted in KC1. Curvilinear and straight‐line velocities exhibited a slight seasonal trend; variations in response to the predilution treatments were observed with these measurements. Sperm count gradually increased through April and May (9–63 × 109 to 2–38 × lO10ml– 1 milt), declined in June and July (to 1–83 × lO10ml– 1 milt), and was followed by a steep increase in August (2–74 × 1010 ml– 1 milt). Mean seminal plasma osmolality remained relatively constant (250–265 mOsmol kg – 1) throughout the sampling period.

No abstract

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is a primary cause of reproductive tract diseases including infertility. Previous studies showed that this infection alters physiological activities in mouse oviducts. Whether this occurs in the uterus and cervix has never been investigated. This study characterized the physiological activities of the uterine horn and the cervix in a Chlamydia muridarum ( Cmu)-infected mouse model at three infection time points of 7, 14, and 21 days postinfection (dpi). Cmu infection significantly decreased contractile force of spontaneous contraction in the cervix (7 and 14 dpi; P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively), but this effect was not observed in the uterine horn. The responses of the uterine horn and cervix to oxytocin were significantly altered by Cmu infection at 7 dpi ( P < 0.0001), but such responses were attenuated at 14 and 21 dpi. Cmu infection increased contractile force to prostaglandin (PGF2α) by 53–83% in the uterine horn. This corresponded with the increased messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of Ptgfr that encodes for its receptor. However, Cmu infection did not affect contractions of the uterine horn and cervix to PGE2 and histamine. The mRNA expression of Otr and Ptger4 was inversely correlated with the mRNA expression of Il1b, Il6 in the uterine horn of Cmu-inoculated mice ( P < 0.01 to P < 0.001), suggesting that the changes in the Otr and Ptger4 mRNA expression might be linked to the changes in inflammatory cytokines. Lastly, this study also showed a novel physiological finding of the differential response to PGE2 in mouse uterine horn and cervix.