Chronobiological Fluctuations in Semen Parameters with a Constant Abstinence Period

Abstract

This study examined the seasonal variation in three semen parameters (total sperm count, % grade a progressive motility and sperm morphology according to strict criteria) with an identical abstinence period of 24 h. A total of 340 spermiograms of 107 different men enrolled in an intrauterine insemination (IUI) program were examined. To reduce variation due to interindividual disparities in semen quality, differences of each test result from the mean value obtained for that individual were analyzed. Mean values resulted from at least 3 observations during different IUI cycles. Using ANOVA and spectral analysis, no differences in semen parameter results in function of the month of the year were observed. The lack of any significant periodicity may be explained by the large biological variation for individual semen parameters and/or the lack of significant differences regarding light exposure and temperature between summer and winter months in moderate climates.

Sperm quality and environment: A retrospective, cohort study in a Northern province of Italy

“…In humans, the effect of season rotation on sperm parameters is still controversial. Several studies confirmed a seasonal pattern of sperm variations (Andolz et al, 2001;Chen et al, 2004), whereas others did not (Menge and Beitner, 1989;Ombelet et al, 1996). The finding of seasonal change of chromatin condensation in human sperms seems to confirm this hypothesis (Henkel et al, 2001;Snyder, 1990).…”

Seasonal Changes of Neutral α‐Glucosidase Activity in Human Semen

“…With regard to sperm concentration and sperm motility and vitality, contradictory results have been published. While Mortimer et al (1983) and Ombelet et al (1996) could not find significant seasonal variations of these parameters, others clearly emphasize such an effect (Tjoa et al, 1982;Politoff et al, 1989;Saint Pol et al, 1989;Centola and Eberly, 1999;Andolz et al, 2001;Henkel et al, 2001). Seasonal variations in sperm concentration were clearly not attributable to differences in sexual abstinence (Gyllenborg et al, 1999).…”

Impact of cigarette smoking on histone (H2B) to protamine ratio in human spermatozoa and its relation to sperm parameters

“…Besides, semen quality is affected by several factors such as abstinence duration, frequency of ejaculate, fibril illness, general health, infection of genital tracts, urogenital surgery and the environment (Freund ; Baker et al ., ; Ombelet et al ., ; Carlsen et al ., , ; De Jonge et al ., ). One of the first studies to report on the effect of abstinence on sperm quality after specified target days of abstinence in humans showed that sperm numbers and semen volume increased with duration of abstinence.…”