Biochemical and microscopic analysis of sperm in copper deficient mice

Conference · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5492895

Everett, J; Jackson, P; Allison, S

The Mottle Brindle Mouse Syndrome is a disease in mice which mimics Menkes Syndrome in humans. Treatment of affected male mice has led to varying survival rates in mice and few attempts have led to the development of virile male offsprings in mice and none in humans. In this study the authors examined sperm produced by Brindle mice in an attempt to ascertain reasons for the observed failure of the Brindle mice to reproduce. Microscopic analysis revealed that sperm counts in these mice are higher than sperm counts of the C57/BL or the C57/6J (normal) mice. Microscopically, sperm from Brindle mice showed changes in the acrosomal and flagellum regions. Motility of these sperm were 10% to 50% that of sperm from normal mice. Biochemically, cytochrome oxidase activity was 10% to 50% of the activity seen in normal mice. Hexokinase activity and pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was equal to that observed in normal mice. These observations suggest that infertility in Brindle male mice is due to an impairment of testicular copper transport which leads to a decline in copper dependent processes.

• Research Organization: North Carolina Central Univ., Durham
• OSTI ID: 5492895
• Report Number(s): CONF-8604222-
• Journal Information: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States), Vol. 45:3; Conference: 70. annual meeting of the Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology, St. Louis, MO, USA, 13 Apr 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COPPER
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
OXIDOREDUCTASES
ENZYME ACTIVITY
SPERMATOZOA
VIABILITY
MICE
SURVIVAL TIME
ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
MAMMALS
METALS
RODENTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)