Melatonin and Sperm Quality
While the beneficial nature of melatonin, an endogenous anti-oxidant, has been known for decades, the investigation into the role of melatonin in fertility treatments, in which samples are subjected to considerable oxidative stresses, is still in its infancy. It is known that melatonin receptors are present spermatozoa. Moreover, melatonin, through its neutralization of reactive oxygen […]
Chemotherapy & Infertility
The hallmark of a cancer cell, and what distinguishes it from many other cell types, is that it continuously divides. This is the quality that chemotherapy drugs attempt to target as they try to distinguish and kill cancer cells. However, sperm cells are constantly dividing and developing as well, and they are thus easy targets […]
Round Spermatid Injection
Round spermatid injection (ROSI) is a technique of assisted in-vitro fertilization (IVF). ROSI technique involves the injection of haploid germ cells that have completed meiosis derived from testicular biopsies into the recipient oocytes. In some infertile men (i.e., those with azoospermia), round spermatids are the most mature cells visible during testicular biopsy. Currently, human ROSI […]
Oocyte Electro Activation
Oocyte activation is a fundamental step for the success of embryo fertilization. During oocyte activation, various oocyte-specific factors in the oocyte participate in order to complete the fertilization process successfully. In ICSI, because the spermatozoa are injected inside the ooplasm, failure of pronuclear formation and division most probably is the result of the failure of […]
Stem Cell Therapy
Spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) therapy is a cutting-edge approach for treating male infertility. In this approach, sperm stem cells are collected via a testicular biopsy, transferred to a test tube, and cultured with molecular effectors in order to transform them into fully matured sperm. When the sperm cells are mature, they can be cryo-frozen before […]
Medications for Male Infertility
Since male infertility can be caused by different factors, different prescription medications can be offered by physicians on a case-by-case basis. Hormone replacement therapy can be recommended in cases where infertility is caused by high or low levels of certain hormones or problems with the way the body uses hormones: Clomiphene (Clomid is the brand […]
Scraping Frozen Sperm
Partial thawing of a vial of cryopreserved sperm (or shaving) is sometimes applied as a measure to preserve sperm for further use, particularly in cases of very restricted sperm quantity. However, mechanical violence may disrupt the sperm-wall and lead to impaired in-vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. The introduction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which enables the […]
Religious Aspects of Male Fertility
Religion often plays a significant role in patients’ attitudes towards use of Assisted Reproductive Technology. Reproductive health specialist should be able to provide appropriate counseling for the patients through familiarity with the religious beliefs and perspectives. Most religions have focused statements concerning assisted reproduction. While there are caveats for most religions, in vitro fertilization and […]
Alternative Medicine
Alternative and complementary medicinal treatments are those that fall outside of mainstream healthcare; these include practices such as massage, acupuncture, tai chi, drinking green tea, and many other traditional treatments. Current evidence regarding whether acupuncture in infertile men improves sperm motility, sperm concentration, and the pregnancy rate of couples is insufficient. The poor quality of […]
Prostate Massage
Prostate massage is a way to empty fluids from your prostate ducts. In men diagnosed with azoospermia, this fluid could contain sperm that may be suitable for in vitro fertilization procedures. The procedure is also used for diagnostic purposes. The purpose is to get some fluid to examine under a microscope to look for signs […]