Epididymal Markers in an Andrology Clinic

& To evaluate the effect of chymotrypsin on the examination of alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma, thirty-nine samples of fresh liquefied semen with or without chymotrypsin and forty-eight samples of fresh un-liquefied semen with chymotrypsin were determined for the total alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma. The total alpha-glucosidase level of each sample was assayed by the method of glucose oxidase. The correlations between alpha-glucosidase level and semen parameters, including semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, grade a and b motility and total motility, were analyzed with SPSS 11.0 software. The results showed that chymotrypsin had no effect on seminal alpha-glucosidase activity determination. Chymotrypsin could improve the liquefaction for un-liquefied semen, and there was no significant difference of alpha-glucosidase activity between liquefied and un-liquefied semen samples. There were significantly positive correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase activity (U=ml) and sperm concentration (r ¼ 0.338, p ¼ 0.015) and between total alpha-glucosidase activity (U=ejaculate) and semen volume (r ¼ 0.677, p ¼ 0.000). However, there was no significant correlation between alpha-glucosidase level (U=ml) and semen volume, pH, sperm motility or grade a and b motility (r ¼ À0.234 $ 0.077, p ¼ 0.099 $ 0.993). The data indicated that chymotrypsin could be added into the Address correspondence to Dr. Jin-Chun Lu, Department of Reproduction and Genetics, Nanjing General Hospital, PLA, 305 East Zhongshan Road, Nanjing 210002, P. R. China. E-mail: jclu@jlonline. un-liquefied semen samples for alpha-glucosidase activity determination, and there were different correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase level and various semen parameters.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

The Effect of Chymotrypsin on the Determination of Total Alpha-Glucosidase Activity in Seminal Plasma and the Correlation Between Alpha-Glucosidase Level and Semen Parameters

Xu¹,

Lü²,

Chen³

et al. 2006

“…Of these substances, neutral a-glucosidase activity positively correlated with conventional sperm characteristics including motility and progressive sperm motility [4]. The enzyme activity is low in patients with inefficient epididymal hnction and in patients with obstruction of the excretory ducts [3].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

New Discriminatory Level for Glucosidase Activity to Diagnose Epididymal Obstruction or Dysfunction

Kret

Milad

Jeyendran

1995

Neutral alpha-glucosidase activity was measured in seminal plasma of 30 patients consulting for infertility with a variety of disorders, and compared with 25 normal controls. Significantly more of the study populations (asthenozoospermia, 4/6; oligozoospermia, 3/5; azoospermia 8/15) had a neutral alpha-glucosidase activity less than 10 mIU/mL as compared with control samples (3/25). Also the mean (+/- SD) neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in patients with asthenozoospermia (11.7 +/- 9.2) oligozoospermia (11.3 +/- 7.2), and post vasectomy azoospermia (5.3 +/- 3.4) was significantly (p < .05) less than ejaculate from controls (21.2 +/- 14). A seminal alpha-glucosidase level of 10 mIU/mL appears to be a useful discriminatory marker in the diagnosis of epididymal obstruction or dysfunction.

“…Neutral a -GLI is almost exclusively produced by the epididymis and has been used clinically as a marker of its function [10,11]. This enzyme may be involved in the preparation of sperm for storage rather than in development of fertilizing capacity in the rat [26].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secretion of Glycosidases in Human Epididymal Cell Cultures

Castellón

Balbontin

Huidobro³

2000

The dynamics of glycosidase secretion was evaluated in human epididymal cell culture. Epithelial cells from caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis were isolated from tissue obtained from patients undergoing therapeutic orchidectomy due to prostatic carcinoma. The activities of a -glucosidase, N-acetylglucosaminidase, b -glucuronidase, and a -mannosidase were analyzed in conditioned culture media. Glycosidase activity was significantly higher in corpus and/or cauda than in caput epididymis. There was a time-dependent increase in enzyme activities that was maximal between 10 and 14 days of culture in all epididymal regions. Epididymal glycosidases are secreted by cultured epithelial cell from human epididymis with an increase toward the distal regions of this organ, which may be related to the dynamics of sperm maturation. Cultures from different epididymal regions may represent a valuable tool to study of human epididymal function.