The Fertilizing Capacity of Golden Hamster Epididymal Spermatozoa in Relation to Age, Number, Motility and Morphology

Abstract

Experiments with spermatozoa of prepubertal hamsters aged 35-48 days were performed in order to determine if the appearance of spermatozoa with fertilizing capacity in the cauda epididymis during puberty is related to changes in their morphology, motility and number. Epididymal spermatozoa of prepubertal animals were evaluated for number, motility and morphology and were injected into one uterine horn of a female, following induction of ovulation. A comparable number of sperm from mature animals (which served as control) was injected into the contralateral horn. Prior to 40 days fertilizing capacity was nil. It increased thereafter and reached control levels of 74% at 48 day age. Concomitantly there was an increase in the number of sperm per cauda epididymidis from less than l million to 55 million. Following removal of spermatozoa from the cauda the motility increased from 24% motile cells at the age of 39 days to 66% at the age of 48 days when most cells exhibited progressive motility.The percentage of cells having normal morphology increased from 18% at the age of 39 days to 50% at the age of 48 days. Developmental processes resulting in improvement of cell motility, morphology and number are correlated with attainment of fertilizing capacity. These processes seem to be gradual and occur between time of completion of spermatogenesis and time when capacity for fertilization is achieved.

Changes during puberty in chromatin condensation, morphology and fertilizing ability of epididymal spermatozoa of the golden hamster

“…In the hamster, Lubicz-Nawrocki and Chang (1 976) found a significant number of sperm in the cauda epididymidis only 6 weeks after birth. An improvement of hamster sperm fertilizing capacity occurred with maturation, reaching the adult level by 48 days (Weissenberg et al, 1987). In the current study, golden hamster sperm started to appear in the cauda epididymidis at about 37 days, but these sperm were not fully mature.…”

Reproductive capacity of male bank voles (Myodes glareolus Schreber, 1780) – age-dependent changes in functional activity of epididymal sperm

“…In hamsters, the number of abnormal spermatozoa dramatically increased in advanced-age males from 14-19% in adult to 39-50% in old males, but this increase was due more to an increase in the frequency of altered sperm than through an increase of the other misshapen forms (calvo et al, 1997). How the misshapen head morphology influences the fertility rate is still under discussion but it is generally accepted that specific head abnormalities correlate with male infertility (for reviews see WeiSSenberg et al, 1987;PeSch & bergmann, 2006).…”

Sexual Maturation in Common Vole (<I>Microtus arvalis</I>) Males Raised under Laboratory Conditions

“…Hydrolytic enzymes present in the acrosome partake in an acrosomal reaction which allows sperm cells to fertilize the ovum . There is a positive relationship between a high amount of spermatozoa with head abnormalities and limited fertilization abilities in hamsters (WEISSENBERG et al 1987) and mice (KRZANOW-SKA et al 1995). Our results show that the largest amount of abnormal sperm head morphology is present in the sperm of 6 week-old males, while the largest amount of normal morphology is prevalent in 8 and 10 week-old males.…”