Abstract

STUDY OF CALPAIN ACTIVITY, SPERM PENETRATION ASSAY IN UNEXPLAINED INFERTILE MEN IN RELEVANCE TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Saad S. Al-Dujaily, Hayder A. L. Mossa* and Sabah N. Alwachi

Abstract

Background: Sperm calpain is associated with the cell fusion and signal t ransduct ion processes that take place during penetration of the oocyte. However, the existence of a functional calciumdependent protease, such as calpain, has not been focused in mammalian sperm-oocyte interaction. Objective: The main aim of the study was to examine the certain sperm function, sperm penetration assay parameters and performed enzymatic analysis. In addition to assess the effects of calpain on the fertilization capacity in relevance to assisted reproductive technologies of fertile and infertile men especially the unexplained ones. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on infertile men especially the unexplained ones and apparently fertile men, the samples were well selected and prepared according to the long term procedures of the study in the laboratory which were reached for more than 10 hour. The study was carried out on 34 (16 infertile men and apparently 18 fertile men were involved in this study). The two groups were subjected to evaluate the effect of calpain activity assay with the certain sperm function, sperm penetration assay parameters and according to the certain accomplished assisted reproductive technologies like ICSI, IVF/Sperm penetration assay by using hamster oocytes as a model for human. Results: The results of this study were revealed a highly significant (p

Keywords: Calpain, sperm penetration assay, IVF, ICSI.