Elevated seminal protein carbonyl concentration is correlated with asthenozoospermia and affects adversely the laboratory intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes

Abstract

Elevated concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the semen can lead to oxidative protein damage as they react with the amino acids' side chains in the protein, leading to the generation of carbonyl groups. This study aimed to investigate the effect of protein carbonyl (PC) concentration on sperm motility and the laboratory intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes. A total of 150 couples from the ICSI cycle were enrolled in this study and were divided into three groups (G) according to the PC concentration as following, G1 included samples with PC concentrations <0.65 nmol/mg, G2 included samples with 0.65≤PC≤2.23 nmol/mg and G3 included samples with PC>2.23 (nmol/mg). PC concentrations were measured in all semen samples, and the laboratory ICSI outcomes were evaluated for all injected oocytes. The Kruskal–Wallis p‐values for the differences in the medians of sperm motility, fertilisation rate, embryo cleavage score and embryo quality score were <0.05. Furthermore, Dunn's post hoc test showed a significant difference between all groups, p‐values <0.05, except for the medians of embryo quality score between G2 and G3. In conclusion, our results showed that sperm motility and laboratory ICSI outcomes are affected negatively by higher concentrations of PC in the semen.

The effect of benign prostatic hyperplasia on total antioxidant capacity and protein peroxidation in canine prostatic fluid and spermatozoa

“…Protein oxidation may result in dysfunction of mitochondria and low sperm motility (Nowicka-Bauer et al 2018). Protein carbonyl expression in human semen was negatively correlated with sperm motility, fertility rate, and subsequent embryo quality in human intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles (Al Smadi et al 2021). Redox-dependent protein modification impaired also sperm capacitation (Morielli and O'Flaherty 2015).…”

Relationships between Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Seminal Plasma and Sperm Motility in Bulls before and after Cryopreservation

“…In fact, a limitation of bull semen is its lower amount of seminal plasma as compared to that in swine and equine species, which does not allow for the carrying out of more in-depth evaluations. Moreover, the fertility parameters considered and related to the OS in SP are also different between studies: sperm viability, morphology, motility, and DNA fragmentation are the most relevant assessment used to provide insight into spermatozoa quality and fertilizing ability [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. As regards semen motility, the use of different settings and instruments should be taken into account when comparing with other studies.…”

Understanding seminal plasma in male infertility: emerging markers and their implications

“…Oxidised proteins also exhibit an elevated presence of carbonyl groups, rendering them more susceptible to proteolysis, thereby potentially linking increased carbonylated protein expression with oxidative stress (OS), perturbations in sperm motility, and eventually leads to infertility. 100 Lower levels of free sulfhydryl, estimated using spectrophotometric analysis or two-dimensional electrophoresis, have been observed in seminal plasma of infertile men. 101,102 Of physiological relevance, the protein macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays a pivotal role in preserving the redox homeostasis of thiol groups.…”

“…The oxidation by ROS impacts cysteine sulfhydryl groups, causing oxidised protein buildup which reduces the protein function. Oxidised proteins also exhibit an elevated presence of carbonyl groups, rendering them more susceptible to proteolysis, thereby potentially linking increased carbonylated protein expression with oxidative stress (OS), perturbations in sperm motility, and eventually leads to infertility 100 . Lower levels of free sulfhydryl, estimated using spectrophotometric analysis or two‐dimensional electrophoresis, have been observed in seminal plasma of infertile men 101,102 .…”