Abstract: Methods for treating male sub-fertility by administering a pharmaceutical composition to a subject in need thereof are provided. The pharmaceutical compositions include an agent that causes a reduction in an effect of extracellular DNA on sperm cells. The agent may be, for example, an enzyme that degrades DNA such as DNase, a substance that blocks the interaction between cell free DNA and sperm cell surface receptors, a substance that binds to DNA, a substance that inhibits endogenous sperm cell DNase, a substance that inhibits a member of a signal transduction pathway mediated by DNA binding to sperm cell surface receptors, or an agent that stimulates production of an endogenous substance that causes a reduction in an antifertility effect of cell free DNA on sperm cells.

Abstract: Methods for treating male sub-fertility by administering a pharmaceutical composition to a subject in need thereof are provided. The pharmaceutical compositions include an agent that causes a reduction in an effect of extracellular DNA on sperm cells. The agent may be, for example, an enzyme that degrades DNA such as DNase, a substance that blocks the interaction between cell free DNA and sperm cell surface receptors, a substance that binds to DNA, a substance that inhibits endogenous sperm cell DNase, a substance that inhibits a member of a signal transduction pathway mediated by DNA binding to sperm cell surface receptors, or an agent that stimulates production of an endogenous substance that causes a reduction in an antifertility effect of cell free DNA on sperm cells.

Abstract: Provided is a method for nuclear transfer. An exogenous donor nucleus is introduced into an enucleated oocyte and one or more enucleated sperm cells or one or more enucleate sperm cell fractions are introduced into the oocyte. The one or more sperm cells or one or more sperm cell fractions may be introduced into the oocyte either before, after, or simultaneously, with the donor nucleus. Also provided are cells and embryos produced by the method.

Abstract: Pharmaceutical compositions for treating male sub-fertility that include an agent that causes a reduction in an effect of extracellular DNA on sperm cells, are provided. The agent may be, for example, an enzyme that degrades DNA such as DNase, a substance that blocks the interaction between cell free DNA and sperm cell surface receptors, a substance that binds to DNA, a substance that inhibits endogenous sperm cell DNase, a substance that inhibits a member of a signal transduction pathway mediated by DNA binding to sperm cell surface receptors, or an agent that stimulates production of an endogenous substance that causes a reduction in an antifertility effect of cell free DNA on sperm cells. Also provided are methods for treating male sub-fertility by administering the pharmaceutical composition to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for individually selecting spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm microinjection comprising effecting a real-time morphological evaluation of washed, fresh, motile spermatozoa without fixation using a high power light microscope having a magnification of at least ×4000, selecting individual spermatozoon exhibiting high normalcy values for the morphological state of the nuclei of each individual spermatozoon and retrieving selected individual motile spermatozoon with nuclei exhibiting a smooth oval-shaped configuration, a length of between about 4.47 and 5.03 &mgr;m, and a width of about 3.08 and 3.48 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring sperm motility are described in which a suspension of the sperm cells is placed in a transparent container, and a predetermined field of the specimen is continuously examined by photoelectric means for detecting variations in optical density caused by the collective wave-like motion of batches of the sperm cells through the examined field. An amplitude-modulated analog electrical signal is generated by the photoelectric means in response to the variations in optical density, and the peaks and valleys of this signal are counted over a predetermined time period to provide an index of sperm motility. This technique may be, and preferably is, performed on undiluted sperm suspensions as taken from the sperm-producing organism. In addition, it may be performed quickly, is non-destructive, and provides an objective index of motility which has been found to closely correlate with actual results.