Cytoplasmic droplets are normal structures of human sperm but are not well preserved by routine procedures for assessing sperm morphology

Human Reproduction
T G CooperEberhard Nieschlag

Abstract

There is a discrepancy between the use of terminology employed by clinicians and basic scientists concerning the cytoplasmic droplets of sperm. Most clinicians consider their presence on sperm to be indicative of abnormal sperm, whereas basic scientists consider them to be attributes of normal sperm. The presence of cytoplasmic droplets on human sperm was examined using conventional air-dried, fixed and stained sperm smears and in living and fixed wet preparations. Cytoplasmic droplets were found on the majority of motile sperm and in fixed preparations but only half of them were found in air-dried smears. There was no relationship between the presence of abnormally large cytoplasmic droplets, indicative of abnormal sperm, and the droplets found on living cells. The term 'cytoplasmic droplet' is confusingly used to describe two different sperm structures: large amounts of retained, excessive cytoplasmic remnants, that survive the air-drying procedure and are observed on abnormal sperm in conventionally stained sperm smears, and osmotically sensitive vesicles that are present on normal living sperm. A plea is made to retain the term 'cytoplasmic droplet' for the latter structure of normal sperm and to use the term 'excess residu...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 2, 2005·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Stephen A Krawetz
Nov 20, 2012·Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology : RB&E·Anil K RenganStefan S du Plessis
Aug 12, 2005·Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology : RB&E·Patricia A Martin-DeLeonDeni S Galileo
Jul 19, 2006·Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology : RB&E·Vittoria RagoAmalia Carpino
Jun 8, 2006·The Journal of Reproduction and Development·Yasuhiro KawaiJunichiro Matsuda
Nov 16, 2010·Asian Journal of Andrology·Trevor G Cooper
Feb 5, 2013·Fertility and Sterility·Ilaria NataliClaudia Giachini
Aug 1, 2015·Cell and Tissue Research·Meritxell JodarStephen A Krawetz
May 15, 2007·Animal Reproduction Science·E MartíJ A Cebrián-Pérez
Apr 23, 2010·International Journal of Urology : Official Journal of the Japanese Urological Association·Vincenzo ViscoFernando Mazzilli
Feb 1, 2006·Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology·C H YeungT G Cooper
Jun 15, 2015·Nucleic Acids Research·Graham D JohnsonStephen A Krawetz
Aug 15, 2015·Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynecology·Jenna BellishPeter G McGovern
Feb 3, 2016·Journal of Cellular Physiology·Paolo ParianteSergio Minucci
Jan 20, 2006·Molecular Human Reproduction·J P BarfieldT G Cooper
Jul 1, 2020·The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry : Official Journal of the Histochemistry Society·Yuliya MakeyevaDavid K Ryugo
Aug 21, 2020·Andrologia·Salah ElbashirAshok Agarwal
Oct 9, 2004·Human Reproduction·T G Cooper
Feb 17, 2005·Journal of Andrology·Lars BjörndahlUlrik Kvist
Sep 18, 2014·Reproduction, Fertility, and Development·Carles SolerTrevor G Cooper

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