In vitro effects of cationic compounds on functional human sperm parameters

Baptista, Mónica; Publicover, Stephen J.; Ramalho‐Santos, João

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.11.008

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In addition, in some experiments, swim-up was performed following DGC. In this case, the pellet obtained by DGC was gently covered with SPM and incubated at 37 8C for at least 30 min to allow motile sperm to spontaneously migrate into the overlaying media, which was then carefully removed, leaving behind non-migrated cells (Amaral et al 2007, Baptista et al 2013. In experiments with native semen samples we performed a PBS wash only.…”

Section: Sperm Sample Collection and Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low amounts of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species define human sperm quality

et al. 2014

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We have applied the mitochondria-specific superoxide fluorescent probe MitoSOX Red (MitoSOX) to detect mitochondria-specific reactive oxygen species (mROS) production in human sperm samples using flow cytometry. We show that human ejaculates are heterogeneous in terms of mROS production, with three subpopulations clearly detectable, comprising sperm that produce increasing amounts of mROS (MitoSOXK, MitoSOXC, and MitoSOXCC). The sperm subpopulation producing the lowest amount of mROS represented the most functional subset of male gametes within the ejaculate, as it was correlated with the highest amount of live and non-apoptotic sperm and increased both in samples with better semen parameters and in samples processed by both density-gradient centrifugation and swim-up, both known to select for higher quality sperm. Importantly, the MitoSOXK subpopulation was clearly more prevalent in samples that gave rise to pregnancies following assisted reproduction. Our work, therefore, not only describe discreet human sperm heterogeneity at the mROS level but also suggests that mROS may represent a strategy to both evaluate sperm samples and isolate the most functional gametes for assisted reproduction.Free Portuguese abstract A Portuguese translation of this abstract is freely available at

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Section: Sperm Sample Collection and Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low amounts of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species define human sperm quality

et al. 2014

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“…Some studies showed the interaction of equine spermatozoa with oviductal epithelial cells prolongs sperm lifespan by maintaining a low [Ca 2+ ] i . It was recently demonstrated that the increase in [Ca 2+ ] i may cause premature loss of sperm acrosomes, rendering them nonfunctional (Baptista et al, ). These works suggest the downregulation of [Ca 2+ ] i may represent a mechanism for extending spermatozoa viability (Dobrinski et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) desensitization increases sea urchin spermatozoa fertilization rate

Torrezan-Nitao

Boni

Marques‐Santos

2016

Cell Biology International

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Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) is a protein complex whose opening promotes an abrupt increase in mitochondrial inner membrane permeability. Calcium signaling pathways are described in gametes and are involved in the fertilization process. Although mitochondria may act as Ca(2+) store and have a fast calcium-releasing mechanism through MPTP, its contribution to fertilization remains unclear. The work aimed to investigate the MPTP phenomenon in sea urchin spermatozoa and its role on the fertilization. Several pharmacological tools were used to evaluate the MPTP's physiology. Our results demonstrated that MPTP occurs in male gametes in a Ca(2+) - and voltage-dependent manner and it is sensitive to cyclosporine A. Additionally, our data show that MPTP opening does not alter ROS generation in sperm cells. Inhibition of MPTP in spermatozoa strongly improved the fertilization rate, which may involve mechanisms that increase the spermatozoa lifespan. The present work is the first report of the presence of a voltage- and Ca(2+) -dependent MPTP in gametes of invertebrates and indicates MPTP opening as another evolutionary feature shared by sea urchins and mammals. Studies about MPTP in sea urchin male gametes may contribute to the elucidation of several mechanisms involved in sperm infertility.

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