Effects of nitrogenous components of urine on sperm motility: an in vitro study

Abstract

The effects of the major nitrogenous components of urine (ammonia, creatinine, urea and uric acid) on sperm motility were investigated. Semen samples were obtained by masturbation from a young volunteer with a normal spermiogram and fertility. Sperm motility was measured using a Sperm Quality Analyzer and Makler Chamber. When semen was mixed with a urine sample for which acidity and osmolality were adjusted to pH 7.5 and 340 mOsm/kg, the higher the concentration of the urine, the poorer the sperm motility. When solutions of various concentrations of the nitrogenous compounds which are excreted in urine were mixed with semen, sperm motility decreased in proportion to ammonia levels and was markedly decreased after 30 min. However, in the case of creatinine, urea and uric acid, good motility was maintained for 30 min regardless of their amounts. In conclusion, urine ammonia content is detrimental to sperm motility and may be an important factor in retrograde ejaculation.

Selenium and Vitamin E Improve the <i>In Vitro</i> Maturation, Fertilization and Culture to Blastocyst of Porcine Oocytes

“…Ammonia toxicity for living cells is well recognized in vitro and in vivo. The increased levels of ammonia decrease the pH and increase the osmolarity, leading to a progressive loss in sperm motility [62] and decreased rates of porcine oocyte development to the MII stage and monospermic fertilization in vitro [1]. In our previous study, ammonia was added to medium to investigate the effects of Se and Vit-E, and the sperm motility, viability, AR and ammonia accumulation were observed [11].…”

Spermatozoa recovery and post-thawing quality of brown bear ejaculates is affected for centrifugation regimes

“…Centrifugation is one of these procedures and found to be an essential step in the cryopreservation protocol of some species, either to concentrate diluted samples (bear, Ishikawa et al 2002;Kojima et al 2001), or to wash urine-contaminated semen (horse, Griggers et al 2001;human, Makler et al 1981;Kim and Kim 1998). Moreover, some authors propose the semen centrifugation to remove the effects deleterious of seminal plasma (dog, Rota et al 1995;goat, Pellicer-Rubio et al 1997;ram, Ritar and Salamon 1982;stallion, Jasko et al 1991;Carver and Ball 2002;Sieme et al 2004;bull, Way et al 2000).…”

Résultats préliminaires d’une nouvelle technique de recueil du sperme vésical en présence d’éjaculation rétrograde réfractaire au traitement médical

“…Ce concept s'appuie désormais sur l'observation d'une toxicité de contact de l'urine vis-à-vis des SPZ [5,9,10]. Pour Aust et al, cette toxicité serait due principalement à l'hyperosmolarité de l'urine [6] ; pour d'autres auteurs, la présence de déchets azotés serait le principal facteur de [6].…”

“…Le pH, contrairement à l'idée reçue, est peu délétère par lui-même pour les SPZ [6][7][8], contrairement à la présence de déchets azotés (NH 4+ ) [9] et à l'hyperosmolarité [10]. Deux types d'approches ont été proposés pour le recueil du sperme vésical en présence d'ER complète.…”