Seminal Fluid Analysis Flashcards
These are located in the interstitium of the testes and are responsible for the production of testosterone
Leydig cells
This is the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse or the inability to carry pregnancy to term.
Infertility
This is the area between the seminiferous tubules; not part of the seminiferous tubules
Interstitium
These are the accessory glands that are responsible for approximately 70% of the ejaculate; contains high concentrations of flavin and fructose
Seminal Vesicles
The accessory gland that is responsible for approximately 25% of the ejaculate; contains acid phosphatase, proteolytic enzymes, and zinc
Prostate Gland
These secrete an alkaline mucous that serves to buffer the ejaculate to a slightly alkaline pH
Bulbourethral Glands
List the order for the travel route of sperm (SEVEn UP)
1 seminiferous tubules 2 epididymis 3 vans deferens 4 ejaculatory duct 5 urethra 6 penis
How would you collect seminal fluid?
collected through masturbation in a warm glass container, store at 37*C until testing begins, collect between 2-7 days of abstinence, label (name, period of abstinence, date, time of collection); testing should begin within 1 hour of collection
What is the normal appearance of seminal fluid?
viscous, translucent gray/white
What is an abnormal appearance of seminal fluid?
1 Whiter or more turbid=leukocytes
2 Red=expect RBCs
3 Yellow=urine, prolonged abstinence, certain medications
Describe normal viscosity of seminal fluid
semen immediately coagulates after ejaculation and within 30 minutes the coagulum will liquify
What types of viscosity are abnormal?
specimen isn’t liquified by 60 minutes, clumps or agglutination persists due to antibodies, watery samples due to few/if any sperm, mucous threads form that are greater than 2cm
What is the normal volume for seminal fluid?
2-5 mL
What does a volume of seminal fluid less than 2 mL indicate?
blockage, infection, congenital absence of seminal vesicles, retrograde ejaculation, or loss of fluid
What is the normal pH for seminal fluid?
7.2-8.0, slightly alkaline to neutralize acidic environment of vagina
What does a high pH of seminal fluid indicate?
infections
What does a low pH of seminal fluid indicate?
a larger percentage of ejaculate volume is from the prostate gland or there are abnormalities in other sites
This is one of the most important factors for infertility testing, done on brightfield
motility
How do you examine motility?
prepare a wet mount and count percentage of sperm in each graded category (rapid progressive, moderately progressive, non-progressive, and immotile), a sperm moves by rotating its tail in a spiral motion
What is normal sperm motility?
> or equal to 50% in the two most motile groups if the specimen is evaluated within 60 minutes
How do you analyze sperm concentration?
dilute specimen, load hemacytometer, count 4 corner squares and red cell counting area, count both sides and average
What is the equation for concentration of sperm?
((avg # of sperm)/(l x w x d)) x dilution factor
What is a normal concentration for sperm?
20-250 million/mL, since sperm reported in mL and not microL you have to multiply by 1000
What are some reasons for low sperm concentration?
anatomical defects, short periods of abstinence, loss of first portion of ejaculate, and low or absent fructose
How do you calculate sperm count?
sperm concentration x volume of ejaculate
What is a normal sperm count?
> or equal to 40 million
When and why is a sperm count performed?
after postvasectomy, collected at monthly intervals beginning 2 months after surgery; must have 2 monthly specimens with no sperm; presence of motile sperm indicates unsuccessful procedure; macroscopic results should still be normal
How do you analyze morphology?
prepare slide and air dry, stain with wright’s, giemsa, or papanicolaou; rate under oil immersion (1000x), count defective sperm and type of defect
What is a normal percentage of normal sperm morphology?
normal sperm morphology=12-15% or greater normal sperm
What percentage of normal sperm indicates a strong predictor of infertitily?
<5% normal sperm
What is the teratozoospermia index (TZI)?
number of defects divided by total number of abnormal sperm; should be less than or equal to 1.6, helpful in predicting sperm function
What would be the cause of abnormal morphology?
anatomical defects, physiological problems, infection, scrotal heating, and frequent ejaculations
What two stains are useful in examining vitality?
Blom’s Stain or eosin nigrosin will allow rapid differentiation between alive and dead sperm, where dead sperm take up stain and appear dark pink and live sperm do not take up stain and appear white
What is normal vitality?
> or equal to 50% or more alive in normal men
What does leukocytes in ejaculate indicate?
should be less than 1 million/microL of seminal fluid otherwise indicate infection or inflammation
What is measured in rape investigations?
look for motile sperm (24 hrs) or immotile sperm (3 days), acid phosphatase measurement, and PSA
______ is the only body fluid with high concentration of acid phosphatase and can be measured in vaginal fluid or from skin or clothing.
semen
