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2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Clinical and genetic analysis of the causes of male infertility

Research Project

Project/Area Number 10671485
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Urology
Research InstitutionSapporo Medical University

Principal Investigator

ITOH Naoki  Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (60193504)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) TAGUCHI Keisuke  Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Senior Instructor, 医学部, 助手 (70281235)
TAKAGI Seiji  Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Senior Instructor, 医学部, 助手 (50305231)
Project Period (FY) 1998 – 2000
Keywordsmale infertility / sperm / spermatogenesis / sperm motility / apoptosis
Research Abstract

Therapeutic modalities for male infertile patients have never been established because of various causes of this disease. In this study, we tried to clarify the causes of male infertility by clinical, genetic and epidemiological approaches.
When normal findings of sperm counts and sperm motility were obtained in seminalysis, patients were diagnosed normal. However, it has been suspected that some of them might have functional abnormalities of their sperm including acrosomal reaction, if their partners did not show any problem in gynecological examinations. Quality of sperm motility was testing by CASA (Computed Assisted Sperm Analyzer) in male infertility with normal sperm counts and sperm motility and fertile male volunteers. Unfortunately, no significant difference in sperm motile function was recognized between two groups. As well as CASA, using PENETRAK and acrobeads test, no significant difference in sperm function was shown between infertile and fertile men.
On the other hand, to s … More tudy the causes of hypospermatogenesis in patients with infertility, potentiality of apoptosis and cell proliferation was immunohistochemically evaluated using TUNEL method and the detection of the expression of BrdU, respectively. Based on these results, the causes of hypospermatogenesis was not uniform, some of them showed the decrease of spermatogonial renewal due to the increase of its apoptosis.
As an epidemiological study, sperm count and sperm motility were examined in normal young healthy males in the Sapporo area. These values were not significantly changed compared to those of the past 20 years. There was no significant difference between men who have a child and a whole group. It was not obvious that male infertility was increasing.
From these results, it was concluded that issues of hypospermatogenesis would be more crucial than sperm function as a cause of male infertility. Recently, deterioration of sperm function was suggested, however, no evidence of the decrease of sperm counts was epidemiologically detected. Less

  • Research Products

    (14 results)

All Other

All Publications (14 results)

  • [Publications] Itoh N: "Have sperm counts deteriorated over the past 20 years in healthy young Japanese men?-Results from the Sapporo area-."Journal of Andrology. 22. 40-44 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N: "The balance of apoptosis and proliferation of germ cells in male reproductive disorders."British Journal of Urology. 86. 156 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N: "Fertility potential after high-dose chemotherapy in patients with advanced testicular cancer."British Journal of Urology. 86. 157 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N: "A case of subclinical Cushing's syndrome due to adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (AIMAH) : The changes in plasma cortisol levels during long-term follow-up."Urology. 55. 146 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N: "Treatment of erectile dysfunction : What should we do next?"World Journal of Surgery. 24. 1180-1182 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N, Tsukamoto T: "Contraception (1) Condome (in Japanese)"Sanka to Hujinka. 65. 577-580 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N, Tsukamoto T: "Contraception (2) Spermicidal agents.(in Japanese)."Sanka to Hujinka. 65. 581-584 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N, Tsukamoto T: "STD and Fertility in men (in Japanese)."Sanka to Hujinka. 65. 906-911 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N, Tsukamoto T: "Reproductive psychological medicine-Urological area (in Japanese)."In Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychiatry, Nakayama Shoten. 451-456 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N: "Deterioration of sperm quality in Japanese men and endocrine disrupters (in Japanese)."Horumon to Rinsho. suppl.. 21-23 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Tsukamoto T, Sato Y, Horita H and Itoh N: "Treatment of erectile dysfunction : What should we do next?"World J.Surg.. 24. 1180-1182 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N, Takagi S, Kimura M, Takahashi A and Tsukamoto T: "The balance of apoptosis and proliferation of germ cells in male reproductive disorders."Brit.J.Urol.. 86, suppl.3. 156 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N, Maeda T, Takahashi A and Tsukamoto T: "Fertility potential after high-dose chemotherapy in patients with advanced testicular cancer."Brit.J.Urol.. 86, suppl.3. 157-158 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Itoh N, Kayama F, Tatsuki J and Tsukamoto T: "Have sperm counts deteriorated over the past 20 years in healthy, young Japanese Men? Results from the Sapporo area."J.Androl.. 22. 40-44 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2002-03-26  

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