Shibahara Hiroaki, Onagawa Tamaho, Jorsaraei Sayedgholamali, Hirano Yuki, Suzuki Tatsuya, Takamizawa Satoru, Suzuki Mitsuaki
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jichi Medical School, Kawachi-gun, Tochigi, Japan.
Int J Androl. 2003 Aug;26(4):236-41. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2605.2003.00419.x.
The aim of the present study is to clarify the clinical significance of the Acridine Orange (AO) test (a sperm function test) as a routine examination by investigating the relationships between chromatin decondensation assessed by the AO test and routine semen analysis. Totally 543 semen samples were obtained from 286 infertile men. The AO test was performed, and spermatozoa displaying green fluorescence were considered as mature. The threshold of green AO fluorescence as 50% was adopted and the values <50% were considered as positive in the test. Computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) and strict criteria were used for routine semen analysis. Twenty-two (4.05%) of 543 semen samples were positive in the AO test. In 20 semen samples obtained from men with severe male infertility treated by intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI), the positive rate was 30.0%, which was significantly higher than that (2.63%) treated by conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) (p=0.01). As for the basic sperm parameters, there were significant correlations between the AO test and sperm motility (p<0.001), and between the AO test and normal sperm morphology (p=0.02). However, there was no relationship between the AO test and sperm concentration (p=0.585). Sperm motion parameters assessed by CASA, including amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), curvilinear velocity (VCL) and rapid sperm movement (Rapid), were significantly correlated with the AO test. The information obtained using the AO test was indicated to be useful in planning treatment strategy for infertile couples.
本研究的目的是通过研究吖啶橙（AO）试验（一种精子功能试验）评估的染色质解聚与常规精液分析之间的关系，阐明AO试验作为常规检查的临床意义。共从286名不育男性中获取了543份精液样本。进行了AO试验，显示绿色荧光的精子被视为成熟精子。采用50%作为绿色AO荧光的阈值，试验中<50%的值被视为阳性。常规精液分析采用计算机辅助精子分析（CASA）和严格标准。543份精液样本中有22份（4.05%）在AO试验中呈阳性。在通过胞浆内单精子注射（ICSI）治疗的严重男性不育男性获得的20份精液样本中，阳性率为30.0%，显著高于常规体外受精（IVF）治疗的阳性率（2.63%）（p=0.01）。至于基本精子参数，AO试验与精子活力之间存在显著相关性（p<0.001），AO试验与正常精子形态之间也存在显著相关性（p=0.02）。然而，AO试验与精子浓度之间没有关系（p=0.585）。通过CASA评估的精子运动参数，包括侧向头部位移幅度（ALH）、曲线速度（VCL）和快速精子运动（Rapid），与AO试验显著相关。结果表明，使用AO试验获得的信息有助于为不育夫妇制定治疗策略。
