Relationship between sperm telomere length and sperm quality in infertile men

Telomere length has attracted much interest as a topic of study in human reproduction; furthermore, the link between sperm telomere length and fertility outcomes has been investigated in other species. This biomarker, however, has not been much explored in other animals, such as pigs, and whether it is related to sperm quality and fertility outcomes remains unknown. The present work aimed to determine the absolute value of telomere length in pig sperm, as well as its relationship to sperm quality parameters and embryo development. Telomere length was determined through quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (qFISH) in 23 pig sperm samples and data were correlated to quality parameters (motility, morphology, and viability) and in vitro fertilization outcomes. We found that the mean telomere length in pig sperm was 22.1 ± 3.6 kb, which is longer than that previously described in humans. Whilst telomere length was not observed to be correlated to sperm quality variables (p > 0.05), a significant correlation between telomere length and the percentage of morulae 6 days after in vitro fertilization was observed (rs = 0.559; 95%C.I. = (−0.007 to 0.854); p = 0.047). Interestingly, this correlation was not found when percentages of early blastocysts/blastocysts (rs = 0.410; 95%C.I. = (−0.200 to 0.791); p = 0.164) and of hatching/hatched blastocysts (rs = 0.356; 95%C.I. = (− 0.260 to 0.766); p = 0.233) were considered. Through the separation of the samples into two groups by the median value, statistically significant differences between samples with shorter telomeres than the median and samples with longer telomeres than the median were found regarding development to morula (11.5 ± 3.6 vs. 21.8 ± 6.9, respectively) and to early blastocyst/blastocysts (7.6 ± 1.4 vs. 17.9 ± 12.2, respectively) (p < 0.05). In the light of these results, sperm telomere length may be a useful biomarker for embryo development in pigs, as sperm with longer telomeres lead to higher rates of morulae and blastocysts.

Download Full-text

Short sperm telomere length is associated with patients who are overweight or obese: A possible mechanism for poor IVF treatment outcomes

10.26226/morressier.573c1513d462b80296c98b43 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Qingling Yang

Keyword(s):

Treatment Outcomes ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Sperm Telomere Length

Download Full-text

The Prevalence of Bacteriospermia in Infertile Men and Association with Semen Quality in Southwestern Iran

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526519666181123182116 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 198-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mohammad Motamedifar ◽

Yalda Malekzadegan ◽

Parisa Namdari ◽

Behzad Dehghani ◽

Bahia Namavar Jahromi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Semen Quality ◽

Sperm Quality ◽

Reproductive Function ◽

World Health ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Control Group ◽

Microbiological Analysis ◽

Male Reproductive Function ◽

Infertile Men ◽

Southwestern Iran

Introduction: Infertility considered as a social and public health issue and estimated that most of these infertile couples are residents of developing countries. Infectious diseases including the history of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) may impact on male reproductive function. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of bacterial contaminants of semen and probable association with sperm quality of infertile men in Iranian population. Methods: The study population consisted of 200 infertile men and 150 fertile men attending an infertility Center in southwestern Iran during the study period in 2015. The assessment of sperm parameters was according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The presumptive pathogens were identified using standard microbiology tests and confirmed by specific PCR primers. Results: The prevalence of bacteriospermia in the semen of the infertile group was significantly higher than that in the fertile group (48% vs. 26.7%, P <0.001). The microbiological analysis of samples showed that the most abundant species of bacteria in semen of infertile men were Chlamydia trachomatis (12.5%) followed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (11%). On the other hand, in the control group, Lactobacillus spp. (17.3%) was the most isolated pathogen. Results showed that the presence of N. gonorrhoeae, C. trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Haemophilus, and Klebsiella was significantly associated with sperm abnormality. Conclusion: Based on our findings, it seems that bacteriospermia is associated with alterations in the properties of semen which may lead to a decrease in the fertilization potential of sperm. Therefore, immediate and appropriate treatment is necessary before investigating every other possible cause of infertility.

Download Full-text

Mild oxidative stress is beneficial for sperm telomere length maintenance

World Journal of Methodology ◽

10.5662/wjm.v6.i2.163 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 163 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Swetasmita Mishra ◽

Rajeev Kumar ◽

Neena Malhotra ◽

Neeta Singh ◽

Rima Dada

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Sperm Telomere Length

Download Full-text

The association of male infertility with telomere length: A case control study

Indian Journal of Clinical Anatomy and Physiology ◽

10.18231/j.ijcap.2021.070 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 325-332

Author(s):

Kate Deepali Rajesh ◽

Puranam Vatsalaswamy ◽

Manvikar Purshotam Rao

Keyword(s):

Male Infertility ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Real Time ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Control Study ◽

Sperm Telomere Length

To study the relevance of sperm telomere length and infertility in men. : Our case-control study included twenty-five males in couple with sub-fertility/infertility (test group) and twenty five healthy males (control group) with proven paternity in the age group 25 to 35 years. The Absolute Sperm Telomere length (aSTL) was measured by real-time PCR. We investigated whether any significant difference in the aSTL value existed between the groups and analysed the relationship between aSTL and other sperm parameters.The mean (SE) aSTL recorded in the infertile cases was significantly shorter than for the control group being 140.60 (6.66) Kb/genome and 239.63 (12.32) Kb/genome respectively (p <0.001) A weak correlation was eminent between aSTL kb/genome and the total sperm count mil/ml (rho= 0.04, p - 0.86), progressive sperm motility (rho= - 0.02, p=0.934) and sperm viability (rho= - 0.07 p=0.741) in the infertile group. The measurement of aSTL by real-time PCR is a simple and rapid method that offers further paramount information with respective to the quality of sperm. It is befitted for epidemiological studies, hence opening new perspectives in the evaluation of male infertility. Limitations - Our study was confined to men aged between 25 and 35 years. Further comparative studies are needed to explore the significance of STL and infertility in older males. Additional studies will help illumine the significance of aSTL as a prognostic biomarker in assisted reproduction.

Download Full-text