Variation of docosahexaenoic acid content in subsets of human spermatozoa at different stages of maturation: Implications for sperm lipoperoxidative damage

Sperm preparation: state-of-the-art—physiological aspects and application of advanced sperm preparation methods

“…Chakroun-Feki et al 33 revealed that human cervical mucus selects a subpopulation of spermatozoa with cholesterol-rich plasma membranes and speculate that these spermatozoa are more mature. This assumption corroborates data by Ollero et al 34 who showed a decrease in the lipid content of Percoll-separated sperm. Thus, female selection of spermatozoa with a low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids would simply be a selection of good quality sperm, because excess polyunsaturated fatty acid triggers mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, 35 which can cause functional damage to the sperm cell.…”

Percoll Gradient-Centrifuged Capacitated Mouse Sperm Have Increased Fertilizing Ability and Higher Contents of Sulfogalactosylglycerolipid and Docosahexaenoic Acid-Containing Phosphatidylcholine Compared to Washed Capacitated Mouse Sperm1

“…Accumulated evidence reveals that composition and changes of sperm lipids can regulate sperm quality and functions [11]. Contents of major lipids, cholesterol, and phospholipids are much lower in PGC sperm than in washed sperm in both human and mouse species [12][13][14]. These results corroborate the absence of membrane vesicles on the PGC sperm surface.…”

Dietary fatty acid intakes and asthenozoospermia: a case-control study

“…Most likely the biophysical properties of DHA contribute to the membrane fluidity and flexibility demanded by the motility of the sperm tail (32). Sperm membranes increase the relative amount of PUFAs, especially of DHA, during epididymal maturation (33,34). The increase in the relative amount of PUFAs appears to be mediated to a great extent by local fatty acid metabolism, as evidenced by the elevated expression levels of the enzymes necessary for this metabolic process in the testis and epididymis (35).…”