Biomaterial Database

Changes in carnitine and acetylcarnitine in human semen during cryopreservation. 1992

G Grizard, and N Lombard-Vignon, and D Boucher

Service de Biologie du Développement et de la Reproduction, CHRU 30 Clermont-Ferrand, France.

L-Carnitine and acetylcarnitine concentrations were determined in spermatozoa and seminal plasma from 15 men, in both fresh ejaculate and frozen-thawed semen with cryoprotective medium. Sperm motility was also evaluated. In fresh samples, the levels of carnitine and acetylcarnitine in seminal plasma were comparable whereas in spermatozoa, acetylcarnitine predominated. Cryopreservation did not change the carnitine and acetylcarnitine levels in seminal plasma nor the carnitine concentration in spermatozoa; by contrast, the acetylcarnitine level in spermatozoa was decreased in 14 cases (110 +/- 8 versus 210 +/- 20 nmol/10(8) cells). This decrease in acetylcarnitine content was greater during semen dilution in cryoprotectant than after the freezing/thawing process. Motility was also decreased in all cases after the freezing/thawing process. These results suggest that acetylcarnitine recovery in spermatozoa is further evidence of the deleterious effect of the cryoprotective medium in the cryopreservation of semen.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D002331	Carnitine	A constituent of STRIATED MUSCLE and LIVER. It is an amino acid derivative and an essential cofactor for fatty acid metabolism.	Bicarnesine,L-Carnitine,Levocarnitine,Vitamin BT,L Carnitine
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000108	Acetylcarnitine	An acetic acid ester of CARNITINE that facilitates movement of ACETYL COA into the matrices of mammalian MITOCHONDRIA during the oxidation of FATTY ACIDS.	Acetyl Carnitine,Medosan,Acetyl-L-Carnitine,Acetylcarnitine, (R)-Isomer,Alcar,Branigen,Levocarnitine Acetyl,Acetyl L Carnitine,Carnitine, Acetyl
D000704	Analysis of Variance	A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable.	ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D012661	Semen	The thick, yellowish-white, viscid fluid secretion of male reproductive organs discharged upon ejaculation. In addition to reproductive organ secretions, it contains SPERMATOZOA and their nutrient plasma.	Seminal Plasma,Plasma, Seminal
D013081	Sperm Motility	Movement characteristics of SPERMATOZOA in a fresh specimen. It is measured as the percentage of sperms that are moving, and as the percentage of sperms with productive flagellar motion such as rapid, linear, and forward progression.	Motilities, Sperm,Motility, Sperm,Sperm Motilities
D013094	Spermatozoa	Mature male germ cells derived from SPERMATIDS. As spermatids move toward the lumen of the SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES, they undergo extensive structural changes including the loss of cytoplasm, condensation of CHROMATIN into the SPERM HEAD, formation of the ACROSOME cap, the SPERM MIDPIECE and the SPERM TAIL that provides motility.	Sperm,Spermatozoon,X-Bearing Sperm,X-Chromosome-Bearing Sperm,Y-Bearing Sperm,Y-Chromosome-Bearing Sperm,Sperm, X-Bearing,Sperm, X-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperm, Y-Bearing,Sperm, Y-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperms, X-Bearing,Sperms, X-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperms, Y-Bearing,Sperms, Y-Chromosome-Bearing,X Bearing Sperm,X Chromosome Bearing Sperm,X-Bearing Sperms,X-Chromosome-Bearing Sperms,Y Bearing Sperm,Y Chromosome Bearing Sperm,Y-Bearing Sperms,Y-Chromosome-Bearing Sperms
D015925	Cryopreservation	Preservation of cells, tissues, organs, or embryos by freezing. In histological preparations, cryopreservation or cryofixation is used to maintain the existing form, structure, and chemical composition of all the constituent elements of the specimens.	Cryofixation,Cryonic Suspension,Cryonic Suspensions,Suspension, Cryonic