Beneficial effects of trehalose and gentiobiose on human sperm cryopreservation

Abstract

The protection of human sperm during cryopreservation is of great importance to infertility. Recent studies have shown that this area is still a long way from its ultimate aim of maintaining the maximum viability of sperm in cryopreservation. The present study used trehalose and gentiobiose to prepare the human sperm freezing medium during the freezing-thawing. The freezing medium of sperm was prepared with these sugars, and the sperm were then cryopreserved. The viable cells, sperm motility parameters, sperm morphology, membrane integrity, apoptosis, acrosome integrity, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen radicals, and malondialdehyde concentration was evaluated using standard protocols. A higher percentage of the total and progressive motility, rate of viable sperm, cell membrane integrity, DNA and acrosome integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential were observed in the two frozen treatment groups compared to the frozen control. The cells had less abnormal morphology due to treatment with the new freezing medium than the frozen control. The higher malondialdehyde and DNA fragmentation were significantly observed in the two frozen treatment groups than in the frozen control. According to the results of this study, the use of trehalose and gentiobiose in the sperm freezing medium is a suitable strategy for sperm freezing to improve its motion and cellular parameters.

Trehalose as a Stabilizer of the Lipid Composition of Membranes and the Composition of the Cytosol of Frozen/Thawed Rooster Spermatozoa

“…The violation of the structural integrity of organoids during cryopreservation triggers the process of premature release of enzymes, which leads to the destruction of glycolipid and phospholipid molecules with the release of their components (glycerol and fatty acids); different localizations of cytosolic phospholipases in spermatozoa (heads, middle parts, and tails) have also been reported [14]. Trehalose protects intracellular enzymes under the influence of temperature factors [11,34,35], acting as a stabilizer of cell enzymes and, under certain conditions, can inhibit their action by increasing the viscosity of the cytosol [36], which, prevents premature activation of intracellular enzymes when using the Treh30 diluent.…”

“…Sugars can reduce the temperature of the membrane phase transition of dehydrated lipids, slowing down this phase transition, thereby reducing the destruction of the lipids themselves and stabilizing the membrane fluidity [10]. In addition, monosaccharides are used by spermatozoa as a source of available energy to maintain and preserve their functionality during the freezing process [11].…”

Addition of Vitamin C Mitigates the Loss of Antioxidant Capacity, Vitality and DNA Integrity in Cryopreserved Human Semen Samples

“…Despite ongoing research into cryogenics, there has been a lack of significant improvement in the quality of human spermatozoa following cryopreservation, with the addition of cryoprotectant and the cryopreservation process itself leading to significant reductions in sperm vitality, motility and DNA integrity [10][11][12][13][14][15]. Spermatozoa are particularly vulnerable to cryoinjury because of the lipid composition of their plasma membranes and their limited capacity for active repair [11].…”