Analysis Tools
reproductive system
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• male mice show no apparent defects in spermatogenesis, sperm maturation or ejaculation relative to control males
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• when sexually mature males are bred with wild-type females for >2 months, mean litter size is significantly smaller than in control males
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• males produce significantly fewer offspring than control males, indicating severe male subfertility
• however, formation of copulation plugs in mated females is normal
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• in vitro, epididymal sperm show impaired ability to penetrate the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) even after adhering to the COC surface
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• in vitro fertilization (IVF) rate is significantly reduced when cumulus-intact eggs are inseminated with capacitated cauda epididymal sperm
• no decrease in IVF rate is observed when COC-free zona pellucida-intact eggs are used
• sperm fertilization ability is restored by adding purified human sperm hyaluronidase to the IVF medium
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• in an in vitro cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) dispersion assay, sperm show defective COC dispersal due to loss of sperm hyaluronidase activity responsible for hydrolyzing hyaluronic acid in the extracellular matrix of cumulus cells
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• in an in vitro sperm motility assay, sperm move slowly in the presence of 0.4% hyaluronic acid in TYH medium
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cellular
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• in an in vitro sperm motility assay, sperm move slowly in the presence of 0.4% hyaluronic acid in TYH medium
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