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Human sperm motility in a microgravity environment

Reproductive Medicine and Biology volume 4, pages 161–167 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Background and Aims

We carried out clinostat and parabolic flight experiments to examine the effects of a microgravity (,uG) environment on human sperm motility.

Methods

Semen samples were obtained manually from 18 healthy men (aged 27.4 ± 5.4 years) who had given their informed consent. In dinostat experiments, samples that were left stationary were used as a stationary control. Samples rotated vertically and horizontally were used as a rotation control and a dinostat rotation, respectively. In parabolic flight experiments using a jet plane, sperm motility was compared for each parameter at μG, 1G and 2G. The state of 1G during the flight was used as a control. Sperm motility was determined using an automatic motility analyzer HT-M2030 in a microgravity environment.

Results

All parameters of sperm motility tended to be lower in dinostat rotation compared with rotation control at both low-speed and high-speed, but the differences were not statistically significant. In parabolic flight, sperm motility and parameters of linear movement were decreased (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference between μG and 2G, but sperm motility was significantly decreased at μG than at 1G.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that sperm motility is reduced under μG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephro-urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya-shi, Japan

    Takahito Ikeuchi, Shoichi Sasaki, Yukihiro Umemoto, Yasue Kubota, Hiroki Kubota, Tomoyoshi Kaneko & Kenjiro Kohri

Authors
  1. Takahito Ikeuchi
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  2. Shoichi Sasaki
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  3. Yukihiro Umemoto
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  4. Yasue Kubota
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  5. Hiroki Kubota
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  6. Tomoyoshi Kaneko
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  7. Kenjiro Kohri
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Correspondence to Takahito Ikeuchi.

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Ikeuchi, T., Sasaki, S., Umemoto, Y. et al. Human sperm motility in a microgravity environment. Reprod Med Biol 4, 161–167 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0578.2005.00092.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0578.2005.00092.x

Key Words

  • dinostat
  • human sperm
  • microgravity
  • parabolic flight
  • sperm motility