This study aims at determining the amounts of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and nonesterified fatty acids in man's seminal liquid and determining their possible variations linked with the ways of taking and congealing samples. It concludes the determinations of lipids in human seminal liquid are reproducible; the way of taking samples has no real influence; however, it seems best to centrifuge sperm immediately after liquefaction to avoid use of triglycerides and NEFA by the spermatozoa.

No abstract

Renal compensatory hypertrophy (RCH) is enhanced by ACTH in the uninephrectomized rat. In the present experiments, the kidney weight and its content in protein, RNA and DNA were determined in 48 adult, female rats; 24 had free access to a NaCl solution (9 g/l) and the others to a glucose solution (50 g/l). In each group 12 rats were sacrificed 2 or 7 d. after uninephrectomy (UN). In each subgroup 6 rats were treated with ACTH (18 micrograms/100 g B.W./d) from operation until autopsy. RCH has been evaluated by the arithmetical difference between the data determined in the right control kidney excised at UN and those determined in the left solitary kidney. In all the rats, hyperadrenocorticism increased significantly the weight of the solitary kidney and its content in protein and RNA. There was a significant decrease of the DNA content of the solitary kidney in the rats sacrificed 7 d. post-UN, treated with ACTH and drinking the saline solution. DNA was not affected by ACTH in the 7 other groups suggesting that ACTH favours cellular hypertrophy mainly in the rats drinking the saline solution. The renotrophic action of hyperadrenocorticism may be related to an altered handling of Na+ and K+: there was a positive correlation between the weight gain of the solitary kidney and the urinary excretion of Na+ (r = 0.507, p less than 0.001) and of K+ (r = 0.460, p less than 0.001). Hyperinsulinism was present in all the rats given ACTH; it may act as a growth factor. Hyperglycemia played an important role in former experiments but it was absent in the present studies.

The lipid composition of seminal plasma was studied in 15 control subjects and 21 patients consulting for hypofertility and showing a chronic infection of the urogenital tract. In the infected patients a significant reduction in total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and total phospholipids was noted. Moreover, there is a significant correlation between the rates of total cholesterol and prostatic acid phosphatases and the rates of phospholipids and proteins in seminal plasma. Knowing the role of lipids in the phenomena of maturation and capacitation of spermatozoa, such modifications enable us to understand better the functional anomalies of sperm observed in patients with chronic infection of the urogenital tract and also enable us to explain the effects of the infection on fertility.

The aim of this study is to examine the glandular origin of seminal fluid lipids in man. The triglycerides, the total cholesterol, the non-esterified fatty acid and the total phospholipids were measured in seminal plasma of vasectomized patients ( n = 8 ) and control subjects ( n = 15). The same parameters were measured in seminal plasma collected in three fractions from split ejaculates ( n = 10).The total cholesterol and the non-esterified fatty acid are principally prostatic in origin. The phospholipids are secreted by the epididymis but also by the prostrate. The origin of the triglycerides seems to be very varied.