Department of Medical BioSciences

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/76
The department fields specific expertise within the broad research fields of Anatomy, Cardiovascular Physiology, Herbal Sciences, Immunology, Medical Microbiology, Molecular & Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Reproduction, Toxicology and Virology

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Browsing by Subject "Acrosome reaction"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Effect of cissampelos capensis rhizome extract on human sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction
    (2013) Shalaweh, Salem; Henkel, Ralf
    Cissampelos capensis, is commonly known by the Afrikaans name ‟dawidjies” or ‟dawidjieswortel”. C. capensis is the most important and best known medicinal plant of the family Menispermaceae used by the Khoisan and other rural people in the western regions of South Africa. Among numerous other ailments, it is traditionally taken to treat male fertility problems. Yet, no studies have investigated the effects of this plant or its extracts on human spermatozoa. The aim of study was to investigate the effects of C. capensis rhizome extracts on sperm function.
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    Effect of Cissampelos capensis rhizome extract on human spermatozoa in vitro
    (Wiley, 2014) Shalaweh, Salem; Henkel, Ralf; Erasmus, N.; Weitz, Frans
    Cissampelos capensis is commonly known by the Afrikaans name ‘dawidjies’ or ‘dawidjieswortel’. C. capensis is the most important and best-known medicinal plant of the family Menispermaceae used by the Khoisan and other rural people in the western regions of South Africa. Among numerous other ailments, it is traditionally taken to treat male fertility problems. Yet, no studies have investigated the effects of this plant or its extracts on human spermatozoa. The aim of study was to investigate the effects of C. capensis extracts on sperm function. A total of 77 semen samples were collected. Spermatozoa were washed with HTF-BSA medium and incubated with different concentrations of C. capensis (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5, 50, 200 μg ml−1) for 1 h at 37 °C. Sperm motility, vitality, acrosome reaction, reactive oxygen species (ROS), capacitation, Annexin V binding, DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were determined. While viability, Annexin V positivity and Δψm were not affected, the percentages of ROS-positive, TUNEL-positive, capacitated and hyperactivated spermatozoa increased significantly and dose-dependently. It is concluded that the alkaloids present in the extract of C. capansis rhizomes triggered sperm intrinsic superoxide production leading to sperm capacitation and DNA fragmentation.
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    Investigating effects of aqueous root extract of Mondia whitei on sperm functionality
    (University of the Western Cape, 2016) Tendwa, Maureen Bilinga; Henkel, R.; Opuwari, C.
    Introduction: Mondia whitei commonly known as "White Ginger" is a highly acclaimed medicinal plant that is extensively used across Africa. M. whitei is used as treatment for sexual dysfunction and is considered to be an aphrodisiac by traditional medicine practitioners. Yet, scientific evidence to support these claims are minimal and those that are published possess ambiguity. To date, only one study reporting the in vitro effect of the aqueous rhizome extract of M. whitei on human sperm motility is available. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the in vitro effects of M. whitei in human sperm functions. Materials and Methods: Roots of Mondia whitei obtained from the tropical Kakamega rain forest, located in the Western Province of Kenya, were cleaned and chopped into smaller segments. These pieces were ovendried at 25℃ for 3 days and milled to form a powdery substance which was infused with hot (about 70℃) distilled water for 1 hour. After cooling and filtration, the extract was frozen at -20℃ and subsequently freeze-dried. The dried extract was then stored at 4℃ in a closed container until experimentation. A total of 60 semen samples were collected: 28 of them represented healthy sperm donors and 32 infertile patients. Among these subjects, oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic semen samples were identified and analysed separately. Sperm were washed using human tubular fluid medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin (HTF-BSA) and incubated for 1 hour at 37℃ with different concentrations of M. whitei (0.0185, 0.185, 1.85, 18.5 and 185 μg/ml). A sample without M. whitei served as control. Sperm cell motility, vitality, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), capacitation, acrosome reaction and DNA fragmentation were assessed. Results: Total motility and the percentage of sperm with intact MMP showed significant dose-dependent increases in both groups (patient and donor), while, the percentages of progressively motile sperm only revealed significant increases in the patient group. Besides, the percentage of ROS-positive spermatozoa showed significant trend towards higher concentrations in the patient group only. Conversely, a trend towards reduced sperm DNA-fragmentation could be observed in the patient, but not the donor group. Similar tendencies were noted in oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic, but not for normozoospermic subjects. Yet, sperm vitality, capacitation, acrosome reaction and kinematic parameters were not affected. Conclusions: Phytochemicals present in M. whitei root extract maintains spermatozoa total motility, progressive motility and intact-MMP and DNA integrity. However, at therapeutic concentration (<1.85 μg/ml) it does not trigger sperm intrinsic superoxide production nor increase ROS by causing oxidative stress, that leads to DNA fragmentation.
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    Investigations on the in vitro effects of aqueous Eurycoma longifolia Jack extract on male reproductive functions
    (University of Western Cape, 2012) Erasmus, Nicolete; Henkel, Ralf
    Introduction: Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali; TA) is a Malaysian shrub used to treat various illnesses including male infertility. Considering that TA is also used to improve male fertility and no report regarding its safety has been published, this study investigated the effects of a patented, aqueous TA extract on various sperm and testicular functions. Materials and Methods: This study encompasses two parts (part 1: on spermatozoa; part 2: on TM3-Leydig and TM4-Sertoli cells). Part 1: Semen samples of 27 patients and 13 fertile donors were divided into two groups, washed and swim-up prepared spermatozoa, and incubated with different concentrations of TA (1, 10, 20, 100, 2000 μg/ml) for 1 hour at 37°C. A sample without addition of TA served as control. After incubation with TA, the following parameters were evaluated: viability (Eosin-Nigrosin test), total and progressive motility (CASA), acrosome reaction (triple stain technique), sperm production of reactive oxygen species (ROS; dihydroethidium test; DHE), sperm DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay) and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) (Depsipher kit). Part 2: TM3-Leydig and TM4-Sertoli cells incubated with different concentrations of TA (0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 μg/ml) and control (without extract) for 48 and 96 hours. After incubation with TA, the following parameters were evaluated: viability (XTT), cell proliferation (protein assay), testosterone (testosterone ELISA test) and pyruvate (pyruvate assay). Results Part 1: For washed spermatozoa, significant dose-dependent trends were found for viability, total motility, acrosome reaction and sperm ROS production. However, these trends were only significant if the highest concentrations were included in the calculation. In the swim-up spermatozoa, ROS production of spermatozoa showed a biphasic relationship with its lowest percentage at 10 μg/ml, yet, no significance could be observed (P=0.9505). No influence of TA could be observed for sperm DNA fragmentation nor Δψm. Part 2: The viability rates and protein production of TM3-Leydig and TM4-Sertoli cells at 48-hour exposure to TA showed increases whereas at 96-hour incubation periods viability and protein production declined especially as from concentration 25 μg/ml TA. Similar results could be seen for TM4-Sertoli cells pyruvate production. The testosterone production at 48-hour exposure marginally increased (P=0.0580) at the highest (50 μg/ml) concentration of TA. However, at 96-hour exposure to TA the testosterone production significantly (P=0.0065) increased. It is also apparent that after 96 hours the concentration of testosterone has increased [12 x 10-4 ng/ml] when compared to 48-hour exposure [6 x 10-7ng/ml] of Tongkat Ali. Conclusion: Part 1: Results indicate that the Tongkat Ali extract has no deleterious effects on sperm functions at therapeutically used concentrations (<2.5 μg/ml). Part 2: The cytotoxic effect of TA are only presented at higher concentration from 25 μg/ml. TM3-Leydig cells appears to be more resilient than TM4-Sertoli cells in viability and protein production yet at prolonged periods of exposure it is detrimental. Testosterone production only increases after 96 hours exposure to TA.