A sperm viability test using SYBR-14/propidium iodide flow cytometry as a tool for rapid screening of primary ciliary dyskinesia patients and for choosing sperm sources for intracytoplasmic sperm injection

The future of equine semen analysis

We are currently experiencing a period of rapid advancement in various areas of science and technology. The integration of high throughput 'omics' techniques with advanced biostatistics, and the help of artificial intelligence, is significantly impacting our understanding of sperm biology. These advances will have an appreciable impact on the practice of reproductive medicine in horses. This article provides a brief overview of recent advances in the field of spermatology and how they are changing assessment of sperm quality. This article is written from the authors' perspective, using the stallion as a model. We aim to portray a brief overview of the changes occurring in the assessment of sperm motility and kinematics, advances in flow cytometry, implementation of 'omics' technologies, and the use of artificial intelligence/self-learning in data analysis. We also briefly discuss how some of the advances can be readily available to the practitioner, through the implementation of 'on-farm' devices and telemedicine.

Diagnostics and Management of Male Infertility in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a disease caused by the malfunction of motile cilia, manifests mainly with chronic recurrent respiratory infections. In men, PCD is also often associated with infertility due to immotile sperm. Since causative mutations for PCD were identified in over 50 genes, the role of these genes in sperm development should be investigated in order to understand the effect of PCD mutations on male fertility. Previous studies showed that different dynein arm heavy chains are present in respiratory cilia and sperm flagellum, which may partially explain the variable effects of mutations on airways and fertility. Furthermore, recent studies showed that male reproductive tract motile cilia may play an important part in sperm maturation and transport. In some PCD patients, extremely low sperm counts were reported, which may be due to motile cilia dysfunction in the reproductive tract rather than problems with sperm development. However, the exact roles of PCD genes in male fertility require additional studies, as do the treatment options. In this review, we discuss the diagnostic and treatment options for men with PCD based on the current knowledge.

Management of primary ciliary dyskinesia/Kartagener's syndrome in infertile male patients and current progress in defining the underlying genetic mechanism

Kartagener's syndrome (KS) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease accounting for approximately 50% of the cases of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). As it is accompanied by many complications, PCD/KS severely affects the patient's quality of life. Therapeutic approaches for PCD/KS aim to enhance prevention, facilitate rapid definitive diagnosis, avoid misdiagnosis, maintain active treatment, control infection and postpone the development of lesions. In male patients, sperm flagella may show impairment in or complete absence of the ability to swing, which ultimately results in male infertility. Assisted reproductive technology will certainly benefit such patients. For PCD/KS patients with completely immotile sperm, intracytoplasmic sperm injection may be very important and even indispensable. Considering the number of PCD/KS susceptibility genes and mutations that are being identified, more extensive genetic screening is indispensable in patients with these diseases. Moreover, further studies into the potential molecular mechanisms of these diseases are required. In this review, we summarize the available information on various aspects of this disease in order to delineate the therapeutic objectives more clearly, and clarify the efficacy of assisted reproductive technology as a means of treatment for patients with PCD/KS-associated infertility.