The Effect of Tumor Necrosis Factor on Human Sperm Motility In Vitro
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Tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha) at high concentrations (400-800 U/ml) in peritoneal fluid significantly reduced human sperm motility in vitro, an effect reversed by anti-TNF alpha antibody or heat inactivation.
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Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha) is present in elevated levels in peritoneal fluid from infertile women with endometriosis. The effect of TNF alpha on human sperm motility in vitro was evaluated utilizing peritoneal fluid from infertile women with minimal endometriosis containing 0, 100, 400, or 800 U of TNF alpha/ml as well as similar concentrations of recombinant human TNF alpha. No reduction in progressive and total motility was found at recombinant TNF alpha concentrations of 100 U ml. However, 500 and 1000 U of recombinant TNF alpha/ml caused a significant reduction in progressive and total sperm motility after 4 and 21 hours of incubation when compared with controls. Similarly, peritoneal fluid containing 100 U of TNF alpha/ml did not significantly reduce progressive and total sperm motility after either 4 or 21 hours of incubation; but peritoneal fluid containing 400 U of TNF alpha/ml reduced progressive sperm motility after 4 and 21 hours and total sperm motility after 21 hours of incubation. Peritoneal fluid with a TNF alpha concentration of 800 U/ml caused a significant reduction in both progressive and total sperm motility after 4 and 21 hours when compared with controls of TNF alpha-negative peritoneal fluid. The addition of polyclonal rabbit anti-TNF alpha antibody or 30-min heat inactivation at 56 C of TNF alpha-positive peritoneal fluid reversed the inhibitory effect on sperm motility. The ability of TNF alpha to cause a significant reduction of sperm motility in vitro suggests that this may be a mechanism for the infertility observed in women with minimal endometriosis.
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Cited by (15)
- Retroprospektive Datenanalyse und prospektive Evaluation zur Erfassung der Effizienz einer laparoskopischen Behandlung bei Endometriose- Patientinnen mit primärer oder sekundärer Sterilität in Bezug auf eine postoperative Fertilität 2022
- Implications of immune dysfunction on endometriosis associated infertility 2016
- Genetic variation in tumour necrosis factor and lymphotoxin is not associated with endometriosis in an Australian sample 2007
- Infliximab may reverse the toxic effects induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha in human spermatozoa: an in vitro model 2005
- Endometriosis is sustained by tumour necrosis factor-α 2002
- Changes of cytokines levels in peritoneal fluids of patients with endometriosis and its effect on reproductive activity 2000
- Review of Peritoneal Factors that Affect Fertility in Patients With Mild Endometriosis 1996
- Peritoneal fluid from women with moderate or severe endometriosis inhibits sperm motility: the role of seminal fluid components 1996
- Endometriosis: Immune Cells and Their Products 1994
- An elicited intraperitoneal inflammatory response has no effect on the establishment of pregnancy in the mouse 1994
- IL6 and acute phase plasma proteins in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis 1992
- Comparison of cytokine levels and embryo toxicity in peritoneal fluid in infertile women with untreated or treated endometriosis 1992
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha and Sperm Function? 1992
- The Lack of Effect of Tumor Necrosis Factor‐Alpha, Interleukin‐1‐Alpha, and Interferon‐Gamma on Human Sperm Motility In Vitro 1992
- Role of Peritoneal Inflammation in Endometriosis‐associated Infertility 1991
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