ANDROLOGY LAB CORNER*: Filling Time of a Lamellar Capillary‐Filling Semen Analysis Chamber Is a Rapid, Precise, and Accurate Method to Assess Viscosity of Seminal Plasma

Rijnders, Sanne; Bolscher, Jan G. M.; McDonnell, Joseph; Vermeiden, Jan P.W.

doi:10.2164/jandrol.106.002360

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…However, at present, semen with aberrant viscosity is a phenomenon that is still not fully comprehended (Esfandiari et al ., ; Eggert‐Kruse et al ., ). Determining seminal viscosity by the WHO (WHO, ) approach has been criticised as a semiquantitative and poor way of assessing this abnormality (Rijnders et al ., ). This traditional method involves the estimation of the thread length in cm of semen formed by gravity after it is gently aspirated into a sterile wide‐bore, 5‐ml pipette and released.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Semen with normal viscosity is regarded as having a thread length of ≤2 cm (WHO, ). In an attempt to quantify seminal viscosity more accurately and precisely to accommodate further research into its relationship with male fertility, an alternative method was devised (Rijnders et al ., ). The approach is based on the conjecture that the viscosity of a fluid and the time taken for it to fill a capillary exist as a linear relationship (Douglas‐Hamilton et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The approach is based on the conjecture that the viscosity of a fluid and the time taken for it to fill a capillary exist as a linear relationship (Douglas‐Hamilton et al ., ). Therefore, the viscosity status of semen samples can be determined in the laboratory when the time taken for the semen to fully load a chamber is recorded and expressed in the international unit for viscosity, cP (Rijnders et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Revisiting the assessment of semen viscosity and its relationship to leucocytospermia

2013

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With infertility challenges posing an obstacle to many couples, the extension of variables to assess male fertility is an important line of research. At the Reproductive Biology Unit where the study was undertaken, a considerable proportion of male patient's seeking fertility assessment presented with hyperviscous semen samples and elevated concentrations of leucocytes. Despite viscosity being included as part of a routine spermiogram, it raises a considerable amount of concern as it is assessed semiquantitatively. The study was undertaken to evaluate the quantification of semen viscosity in centipoise (cP) and to investigate whether a correlation exists between hyperviscosity and leucocytospermia. A total of 200 semen samples were assessed from a sample cohort of two population groups: 162 male patients undergoing fertility assessment and 38 volunteer donors. Semen viscosity was determined by measuring the filling time of a capillary-loaded Leja chamber and quantifying the viscosity in cP. Leucocytes were identified histochemically with a leucocyte peroxidase test. The viscosity when quantified in cP was significantly higher in the peroxidase positive sample group (9.01 ± 0.49 vs. 7.39 ± 0.23 cP; P < 0.005). The introduction of a more accurate method of quantifying viscosity may possibly help to identify, diagnose and treat patients suffering from leucocytospermia to ultimately enhance their fertility potential.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Revisiting the assessment of semen viscosity and its relationship to leucocytospermia

2013

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“…Uterine diameters were measured using a ruler before tissue dissection. Semen was collected from the uteri and liquefaction time was determined by recording the time used to fill a 25 μL capillary tube using an adapted method as previously reported [54]. One uterine horn from each animal was snap frozen and stored at -80°C for RNA and protein extraction.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crucial role of estrogen for the mammalian female in regulating semen coagulation and liquefaction in vivo

García

Gewiss

et al. 2017

PLoS Genet

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Semen liquefaction changes semen from a gel-like to watery consistency and is required for sperm to gain mobility and swim to the fertilization site in the Fallopian tubes. Kallikrein-related peptidases 3 (KLK3) and other kallikrein-related peptidases from male prostate glands are responsible for semen liquefaction by cleaving gel-forming proteins (semenogelin and collagen). In a physiological context, the liquefaction process occurs within the female reproductive tract. How seminal proteins interact with the female reproductive environment is still largely unexplored. We previously reported that conditional genetic ablation of Esr1 (estrogen receptor α) in the epithelial cells of the female reproductive tract (Wnt7a) causes female infertility, partly due to a drastic reduction in the number of motile sperm entering the oviduct. In this study, we found that post-ejaculated semen from fertile wild-type males was solidified and the sperm were entrapped in Wnt7aCre/+ ;Esr1 f/f uteri, compared to the watery semen (liquefied) found in Esr1 f/f controls. In addition, semenogelin and collagen were not degraded in Wnt7aCre/+ ;Esr1 f/f uteri. Amongst multiple gene families aberrantly expressed in the absence of epithelial ESR1, we have identified that a lack of Klks in the uterus is a potential cause for the liquefaction defect. Pharmacological inhibition of KLKs in the uterus replicated the phenotype observed in Wnt7aCre/+ ;Esr1 f/f uteri, suggesting that loss of uterine and seminal KLK function causes this liquefaction defect. In human cervical cell culture, expression of several KLKs and their inhibitors (SPINKs) was regulated by estrogen in an ESR1-dependent manner. Our study demonstrates that estrogen/ESR1 signaling in the female reproductive tract plays an indispensable role in normal semen liquefaction, providing fundamental evidence that exposure of post-ejaculated semen to the suboptimal microenvironment in the female reproductive tract leads to faulty liquefaction and subsequently causes a fertility defect. Author summarySemen liquefaction has been considered to be solely modulated by prostate-derived kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs), especially KLK3 (or prostate specific antigen). However, our research demonstrated that female mice lacking estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in the uterine epithelial cells had a drastic decrease in Klk transcripts and semen from fertile males fails to liquefy within the uteri of these females. Therefore, our results provide a novel aspect that, due to an interplay between semen and female reproductive tract secretions, the physiology of semen liquefaction is more complicated than previously assumed. This information will advance research on semen liquefaction in the female reproductive tract, an area that has never been explored, and could lead to the development of diagnostic tools for unexplained infertility cases and non-invasive contraception technologies.

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“…As already discussed, the WHO (2010) binary test for viscosity disregards the clinical relevance of the viscosity of a sample, except when it is considered to be very viscous. It has been demonstrated that it is straightforward to obtain a quantitative assessment of semen viscosity; the work of Rijnders et al (2007), based on theory by Douglas-Hamilton et al (2005), showed that accurate results can be calculated by timing how long it takes a sample to fill a 20-mm deep Leja chamber by capillary action. It may be possible to use slides with additional markings or chambers (such as the Proiser ISAS D4C) to increase the ease and accuracy by which the filling time can be measured, and thus, in the future, to make a more accurate viscosity measurement of a sample routine.…”

Section: The Role Of Viscosity As a Diagnostic Toolmentioning

confidence: 99%

CASA: tracking the past and plotting the future

Gallagher

Smith

Kirkman-Brown

2018

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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The human semen sample carries a wealth of information of varying degrees of accessibility ranging from the traditional visual measures of count and motility to those that need a more computational approach, such as tracking the flagellar waveform. Although computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) options are becoming more widespread, the gold standard for clinical semen analysis requires trained laboratory staff. In this review we characterise the key attitudes towards the use of CASA and set out areas in which CASA should, and should not, be used and improved. We provide an overview of the current CASA landscape, discussing clinical uses as well as potential areas for the clinical translation of existing research technologies. Finally, we discuss where we see potential for the future of CASA, and how the integration of mathematical modelling and new technologies, such as automated flagellar tracking, may open new doors in clinical semen analysis.

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ANDROLOGY LAB CORNER*: Filling Time of a Lamellar Capillary‐Filling Semen Analysis Chamber Is a Rapid, Precise, and Accurate Method to Assess Viscosity of Seminal Plasma

Cited by 16 publications

References 16 publications

Revisiting the assessment of semen viscosity and its relationship to leucocytospermia

Revisiting the assessment of semen viscosity and its relationship to leucocytospermia

Crucial role of estrogen for the mammalian female in regulating semen coagulation and liquefaction in vivo

CASA: tracking the past and plotting the future

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