scholarly journals Ejaculate Oxidative Stress Is Related with Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Round Cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Maria Iommiello ◽  
Elena Albani ◽  
Alessandra Di Rosa ◽  
Alessandra Marras ◽  
Francesca Menduni ◽  
...  

Oxidative stress (OS) plays an essential role in male infertility aetiology by affecting sperm quality, function, and also the integrity of sperm DNA. The assessment of oxidative stress in semen may be an important tool to improve the evaluation of sperm reproductive capacity. The purpose of this study was the evaluation of any possible relation between the unbalance of oxidative stress caused by superoxide anion in the ejaculate with the presence of sperm DNA fragmentation and high concentration of round cells. 56 semen samples from males from couples suffering from infertility were evaluated according to World Health Organisation (WHO) 2010 guidelines. Oxidative stress levels from N1 (low) to N4 (high) were assessed in ejaculates using oxiSperm; DFI (sperm DNA fragmentation index) as assessed by the SCSA (Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay) was used for evaluation of sperm chromatin integrity. Our data show that high oxidative stress (N3-N4 levels) correlated positively with aDFI≥30%(P=0.0379)and round cells≥1.500.000/mL(P=0.0084). In conclusion, OS increases sperm DNA damage. Thus evaluation of semen OS extent of sperm DNA damage in infertile man could be useful to develop new therapeutic strategies and improve success of assisted reproduction techniques (ART).

2013 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppina Peluso ◽  
Alessandro Palmieri ◽  
Pietro Paolo Cozza ◽  
Giancarlo Morrone ◽  
Paolo Verze ◽  
...  

Introduction: Although the pathophysiology of the testicular damage associated with varicocele remains unclear, sperm DNA damage has been identified as a potential explanation for this cause of male infertility. The current study was designed to determine the extent of sperm nuclear DNA damage in patients with varicocele, and to examine its relationship with parameters of seminal motility. Materials and method: Semen samples from 60 patients with clinical varicocele and 90 infertile men without varicocele were examined. Varicocele sperm samples were classified as normal or pathological according to the 1999 World Health Organizzation guidelines. Sperm DNA damage was evalutated using the Halosperm kit, an improved Sperm Chromatin Dispersion (SCD) test. Results: The DNA fragmentation index (DFI: percentage of sperm with denatured nuclei) values was significantly higher in patients with varicocele, either with normal or abnormal (DFI 25.8 ± 3.2 vs 17.4 ± 2.8 - P < 0,01) semen profiles. In addition, an inverse correlation was found between spermatic motility and the degree of spermatic DNA fragmentation in patients with clinical varicocele. Conclusions: Varicocele is associated with high levels of DNA-damage in spermatozoa. In addition, in subjects with varicocele, abnormal spermatozoa motility is associated with higher levels of sperm DNA fragmentation. DNA fragmentation may therefore be an essential additional diagnostic test that should be recommended for patients with clinical varicocele.


2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 254-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Colasante ◽  
Maria Giulia Minasi ◽  
Filomena Scarselli ◽  
Valentina Casciani ◽  
Vincenzo Zazzaro ◽  
...  

Objective: the aim of our study was to put forward insights to treat any possible correlation among sperm quality, sperm DNA damage and male age as they may have fertility implications for men who choose to delay fatherhood. Materials and methods: Our study is a non-interventional retrospective analysis of 3124 semen samples from patients that were investigated for the conventional semen parameters. Tunel test assay was set up for the evaluation of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI). We applied the Kappa index to compare both the 1999 and the 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) reference criteria to evaluate the competence of such semen parameters categorization during the standard routine of our laboratory. Results: With regards to our findings, it is possible to underline a significant relationship between aging and semen volume (p = 0.001), motility (p = 0.009), semen viscosity (p < 0.003) and sperm DNA damage (p < 0.009). We found a trend when focusing on the semen concentration (p = 0.05). The analysis of sperm morphology did not show any influence with advancing age (p = 0.606). When comparing both the 1999 and the 2010 WHO scales we found no accordance in the appraisal of sperm morphology but a very good one in the evaluation of the other parameters. Conclusions: Conventional semen analysis represents the opportunity to draw up a proxy insight on the male fertility status even if semen quality can only indirectly assess the probability of pregnancy. Several studies have verified a decay in the male reproductive system, sperm quality and fertility with advancing age although the reported results are not yet conclusive. Our results substantially agree with those findings outlined in the literature. Moreover we find that the discrepancy between the two WHO reference scales would eventually lead to an improper diagnosis of infertility.


Author(s):  
Ahmed T Alahmar ◽  
Pallav Sengupta ◽  
Sulagna Dutta ◽  
Aldo E. Calogero

Objective: Oxidative stress (OS) plays a key role in the etiology of unexplained male infertility. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a potent antioxidant that may improve semen quality and OS in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT), but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of CoQ10 on OS markers and sperm DNA damage in infertile patients with idiopathic OAT. Methods: This prospective controlled study included 50 patients with idiopathic OAT and 50 fertile men who served as controls. All patients underwent a comprehensive medical assessment. Patients and controls received 200 mg of oral CoQ10 once daily for 3 months. Semen and blood were collected and analyzed for sperm parameters, seminal CoQ10 levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, total antioxidant capacity, catalase, sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), and serum hormonal profile. Results: The administration of CoQ10 to patients with idiopathic OAT significantly improved sperm quality and seminal antioxidant status and significantly reduced total ROS and SDF levels compared to pre-treatment values. Conclusion: CoQ10, at a dose of 200 mg/day for 3 months, may be a potential therapy for infertile patients with idiopathic OAT, as it improved sperm parameters and reduced OS and SDF in these patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1826) ◽  
pp. 20152708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier delBarco-Trillo ◽  
Olga García-Álvarez ◽  
Ana Josefa Soler ◽  
Maximiliano Tourmente ◽  
José Julián Garde ◽  
...  

Sperm competition, a prevalent evolutionary process in which the spermatozoa of two or more males compete for the fertilization of the same ovum, leads to morphological and physiological adaptations, including increases in energetic metabolism that may serve to propel sperm faster but that may have negative effects on DNA integrity. Sperm DNA damage is associated with reduced rates of fertilization, embryo and fetal loss, offspring mortality, and mutations leading to genetic disease. We tested whether high levels of sperm competition affect sperm DNA integrity. We evaluated sperm DNA integrity in 18 species of rodents that differ in their levels of sperm competition using the sperm chromatin structure assay. DNA integrity was assessed upon sperm collection, in response to incubation under capacitating or non-capacitating conditions, and after exposure to physical and chemical stressors. Sperm DNA was very resistant to physical and chemical stressors, whereas incubation in non-capacitating and capacitating conditions resulted in only a small increase in sperm DNA damage. Importantly, levels of sperm competition were positively associated with sperm DNA fragmentation across rodent species. This is the first evidence showing that high levels of sperm competition lead to an important cost in the form of increased sperm DNA damage.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teoman Cem Kadioglu ◽  
Emin Aliyev ◽  
Murad Celtik

Background. Varicocele is associated with high levels of DNA damage in spermatozoa due to oxidative stress and elevated levels of sperm DNA fragmentation, which has been currently proposed to be an essential additional diagnostic test to be recommended for patients with clinical varicocele. The aim of this study was to evaluate the parameters of semen and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) in patients with varicocele before and after varicocelectomy.Methods. The details of 92 consecutive patients were retrospectively analyzed from January 2010 to December 2012. The sperm samples were evaluated according to the World Health Organization Guidelines. Sperm DNA damage, characterized as DFI, was evaluated by sperm chromatin structure assay using flow cytometry.Results. There was a statistically significant improvement in the semen concentration, the total motile count, the total normal sperm count, and the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI; the percentage of sperm with denatured DNA) after varicocelectomy. There was a large decrease in DFI from a preoperative mean of 42.6% to a postoperative mean of 20.5% (P<0.001). A higher preoperative DFI was associated with a larger decrease in postoperative DFI, and significant negative correlations were observed between the DFI and sperm motility (r=-0.42,P<0.01).Conclusion. Our data suggest that varicocelectomy can improve multiple semen parameters and sperm DNA damage in infertile men with varicocele. The patients with preoperative defects in those parameters showed greater improvement postoperatively. Further research in this area is needed to understand the exact mechanisms of DNA damage in infertile men with varicocele.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 630 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Johnston ◽  
C. López-Fernández ◽  
F. Arroyo ◽  
J. L. Fernández ◽  
J. Gosálvez

Herein we report a method of assessing DNA fragmentation in the saltwater crocodile using the sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCDt) after including frozen–thawed spermatozoa in a microgel (Halomax; Halotech DNA, Madrid, Spain). Following controlled protein depletion, which included a reducing agent, sperm nuclei with fragmented DNA showed a homogeneous and larger halo of chromatin dispersion with a corresponding reduced nucleoid core compared with sperm with non-fragmented DNA. The presence of DNA damage was confirmed directly by incorporation of modified nucleotides using in situ nick translation (ISNT) and indirectly by studying the correlation of the SCDt with the results of DNA damage visualisation using a two-tailed comet assay (r = 0.90; P = 0.037). Results of the SCDt immediately following thawing and after 5 h incubation at 37°C in order to induce a range of DNA damage revealed individual crocodile differences in both the baseline level of DNA damage and DNA longevity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1575-1581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senay Cankut ◽  
Turgay Dinc ◽  
Mehmet Cincik ◽  
Guler Ozturk ◽  
Belgin Selam

Aim: Human sperm DNA fragmentation is one of the factors suggested for male infertility. The ratio of sperm DNA damage in semen may adversely affect both the fertilization rate and the embryo development of in vitro fertilization/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles. Sperm cryopreservation both increases the success rates in assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) and contributes to the preservation of fertility before testis surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The aim of the current study is to determine sperm DNA fragmentation, following cryopreservation. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted at a university hospital infertility clinic. One hundred (n = 100) volunteer fertile men (ages between 21 and 39 years) with normozoospermic sperm parameters were involved in the current study. Sperm DNA damage was evaluated with the Halosperm technique and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Fresh samples were studied in liquid form. The remaining samples were kept frozen and then thawed after 1 month and reevaluated with the Halosperm technique and TUNEL assay. Results were then compared between the fresh and frozen samples. Results: Sperm DNA fragmentation results with the Halosperm technique both before and after cryopreservation were 25% (5%-65%) and 40% (6%-89%), respectively, with a statistically significant increase (15%; P < .001). Sperm DNA fragmentation results by TUNEL assay before and after cryopreservation were 17% (3%-43%) and 36% (7%-94%), respectively, with a statistically significant increase (19%; P <.001). Conclusion: The current data demonstrate increased sperm DNA damage after cryopreservation. Further studies may contribute to development of less harmful techniques and cryoprotectants in order to improve the results of ART.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf R. Henkel ◽  
Daniel R. Franken

Sperm DNA can be damaged due to a multitude of different noxae, which include disease, and occupational and environmental factors. Depending on the magnitude of the damage, such lesions may be repaired by the oocyte or the embryo. If this is not possible, a permanent damage can be manifested leading to mutations of the male genome. In cases where the oocyte or the embryo does not counter these damages to the male genome in terms of repair or an early abortion, sperm DNA damage and fragmentation can be a cause of numerous diseases including childhood cancer.


Reproduction ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen López-Fernández ◽  
Matthew J G Gage ◽  
Francisca Arroyo ◽  
Altea Gosálbez ◽  
Ana M Larrán ◽  
...  

Spermatozoal haplotypic DNA is prone to damage, leading to male fertility problems. So far, the assessment of sperm DNA breakage has been challenging because protamines render the nuclear chromatin highly compacted. Here, we report the application of a new test to quantify DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa of an externally fertilizing teleost fish. The sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test uses a species-specific lysing solution to generate controlled protein depletion that, followed by DNA-specific fluorescent labelling, allows an easy morphological discrimination between nuclei affected by DNA damage. Using tench (Tinca tinca) as our model, we first trialled the test against established, but more technically demanding, assays employing in situ nick translation (ISNT) and the comet assay. The SCD test showed high concordance with ISNT, comet assay measures and a chromatin-swelling test, confirming the application of this straightforward SCD technique to various aspects of reproductive biology. Second, we examined between-male variation in DNA damage, and measured changes through time following spermatozoal activation. Between-male variation in the basal levels of average DNA damage ranged from 0 to 20% of sperm showing damage, and all showed increases in DNA fragmentation through time (0–60 min). The rates of DNA damage increase are the fastest so far recorded in sperm for a living organism, and may relate to the external fertilization mode. Our findings have relevance for broodstock selection and optimizing IVF protocols routinely used in modern aquaculture.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-131
Author(s):  
Lakshamanan Saravanan ◽  
Mahalakshmi Saravanan ◽  
Ramya Harish ◽  
Nidhi Sharma

Aim and objectives: The primary aim was to measure the sperm DNA damage and to study the magnitude of sperm DNA damage. Secondary objective was to study the effect of sperm DNA fragmentation on Day 5 Blastocyst expansion (graded 1-5). Results: There is an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation with an increase in age. Increased sperm DNA fragmentation is also associated with abnormal motility and morphology in semen samples. However, there is no reduction in expansion or grade of blastocyst. Conclusion: Sperm DNA fragmentation testing is a useful investigation in unexplained infertility. However, Sperm DNA fragmentation has no significant association with Day 5 embryo grade in ICSI cycles. Thesis work of Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine student: Dr. Ramya Harish


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