Toxicants and human sperm chromatin integrity

Cryopreservation of human spermatozoa—introduced in the 1960's—has been recognized as an efficient procedure for management of male fertility before therapy for malignant diseases, vasectomy or surgical infertility treatments, to store donor and partner spermatozoa before assisted reproduction treatments and to ensure the recovery of a small number of spermatozoa in severe male factor infertility. Despite the usefulness of it, cryopreservation may lead to deleterious changes of sperm structure and function: while the effects of cryopreservation on cells are well documented, to date there is no agreement in the literature on whether or not cryopreservation affects sperm chromatin integrity or on the use of a unique and functional protocol for the freezing-thawing procedure. Therefore, sperm cryopreservation is an important component of fertility management and much of its successful application seems to affect the reproductive outcome of assisted reproduction technologies (ART): appropriate use of cryoprotectants before and sperm selection technologies after cryopreservation seem to have the greatest impact on preventing DNA fragmentation, thus improving sperm cryosurvival rates.

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Influence of seminal vesicular fluid on the zinc content of human sperm chromatin

International Journal of Andrology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2605.1990.tb00981.x ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 232-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

L. BJORNDAHL ◽

U. KVIST

Keyword(s):

Zinc Content ◽

Human Sperm ◽

Sperm Chromatin

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A model for the importance of zinc in the dynamics of human sperm chromatin stabilization after ejaculation in relation to sperm DNA vulnerability

Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine ◽

10.3109/19396368.2010.516306 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 57 (1-2) ◽

pp. 86-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Lars Björndahl ◽

Ulrik Kvist

Keyword(s):

Human Sperm ◽

Sperm Chromatin ◽

Sperm Dna

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Single-center thorough evaluation and targeted treatment of globozoospermic men

Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics ◽

10.1007/s10815-021-02191-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie Cheung ◽

Alessandra Parrella ◽

Danielle Tavares ◽

Derek Keating ◽

Philip Xie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Embryo Implantation ◽

Gene Mutations ◽

Calcium Ionophore ◽

Immunofluorescence Assay ◽

Sperm Chromatin ◽

Reproductive Outcome ◽

Saint Louis ◽

Sperm Aneuploidy ◽

Zygote Development ◽

Chromatin Integrity

Abstract Purpose To characterize, by specific biomarkers and nucleic acid sequencing, the structural and genomic sperm characteristics of partial (PG) and complete globozoospermic (CG) men in order to identify the best reproductive treatment. Methods We assessed spermatozoa from 14 consenting men ultrastructurally, as well as for histone content, sperm chromatin integrity, and sperm aneuploidy. Additional genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic evaluations were carried out to further characterize the CG cohort. The presence of oocyte-activating sperm cytosolic factor (OASCF) was measured by a phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) immunofluorescence assay. Couples were treated in subsequent cycles either by conventional ICSI or by ICSI with assisted gamete treatment (AGT) using calcium ionophore (Ionomycin, 19657, Sigma-Aldrich, Saint Louis, MO, USA). Results Ultrastructural assessment confirmed complete acrosome deficiency in all spermatozoa from CG men. Histone content, sperm chromatin integrity, and sperm aneuploidy did not differ significantly between the PG (n = 4) and CG (n = 10) cohorts. PLCζ assessment indicated a positive presence of OASCF in 4 PG couples, who underwent subsequent ICSI cycles that yielded a 36.1% (43/119) fertilization with a 50% (2/4) clinical pregnancy and delivery rate. PLCζ assessment failed to detect OASCF for 8 CG patients who underwent 9 subsequent ICSI cycles with AGT, yielding a remarkable improvement of fertilization (39/97; 40.2%) (P = 0.00001). Embryo implantation (6/21; 28.6%) and clinical pregnancies (5/7; 71.4%) were also enhanced, resulting in 4 deliveries. Gene mutations (DPY19L2, SPATA16, PICK1) were identified in spermatozoa from CG patients. Additionally, CG patients unable to sustain a term pregnancy had gene mutations involved in zygote development (NLRP5) and postnatal development (BSX). CG patients who successfully sustained a pregnancy had a mutation (PIWIL1) related to sperm phenotype. PLCZ1 was both mutated and underexpressed in these CG patients, regardless of reproductive outcome. Conclusions Sperm bioassays and genomic studies can be used to characterize this gamete’s capacity to support embryonic development and to tailor treatments maximizing reproductive outcome.

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Mitochondrial functionality modifies human sperm acrosin activity, acrosome reaction capability and chromatin integrity

Human Reproduction ◽

10.1093/humrep/dey335 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 3-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Guowei Zhang ◽

Wang Yang ◽

Peng Zou ◽

Fan Jiang ◽

Yingfei Zeng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acrosome Reaction ◽

Human Sperm ◽

Reaction Capability ◽

Chromatin Integrity ◽

Acrosin Activity

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Sperm Chromatin Integrity Tests and Indications

Male Infertility ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-32300-4_8 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 99-121

Author(s):

Rakesh Sharma ◽

Marlon P. Martinez ◽

Ashok Agarwal

Keyword(s):

Sperm Chromatin ◽

Chromatin Integrity ◽

Integrity Tests

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Influence of PM2.5 on spermatogenesis dysfunction via the reactive-oxygen-species-mediated Mitogen-activated-protein-kinase signaling pathway

Journal of Lung Pulmonary & Respiratory Research ◽

10.15406/jlprr.2019.06.00212 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 77-79

Author(s):

Ruangrong Cheepsattayakorn

Keyword(s):

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Reactive Oxygen ◽

Human Sperm ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Autoimmune Response ◽

Sperm Chromatin ◽

Seminiferous Tubules ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein

Approximately 15 % of the world‘s couples confront childless, and about 50 % of them are due to male reproductive disorders. Several previous studies demonstrated that PM2.5 particles has been consistently associated with critical human sperm reduction and impairment of human sperm chromatin and DNA from traffic exhaust pollution. Blood-testis barrier (BTB), a critically physical barrier between the seminiferous tubules and the blood vessels prevents sperm antigens from entering the blood circulation and facilitating and initiating an autoimmune response that contributing to spermatogenesis interference. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the redox-sensitive signal transduction factors activation, such as Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), p 38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) that critically influence BTB disruption. After PM2.5 exposure, there are decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression, increased malondialdehyde (MDA) expression, increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) expression, increased expression of the four junctional proteins (β-catenin, Cx43, occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1)), thus improve sperm quality and quantity. PM2.5 particles markedly induce increasing phosphorylation of MAPKs via the ROS-mediated MAPK signaling pathway that causes BTB disruption, but this effect is lesser in the vitamins C and E intervention as well as increasing cleaved caspase-3 expression and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. In conclusion, combined therapeutic administration of vitamins C and E can maintain the BTB integrity, reduce oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, and prevent toxic effects.

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