Vitamin C attenuates negative effects of vitrification on sperm parameters, chromatin quality, apoptosis and acrosome reaction in neat and prepared normozoospermic samples

• Main Authors: Esmat Mangoli, Ali Reza Talebi, Morteza Anvari, Fatemeh Taheri, Mahboobeh Vatanparast, Tahereh Rahiminia, Akram Hosseini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2018-04-01
• Series: Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S102845591830024X

Objective: Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin C on sperm parameters, sperm chromatin quality and apoptosis resulted of vitrification in neat semen and prepared spermatozoa of normozoospermic samples. Material and methods: Forty semen samples from normozoospermic men were included in this prospective study. Each sample was divided into five groups. Group I: control or fresh semen, group II: semen prepared by swim-up method and then vitrified, group III: neat semen was vitrified, group IV: vitamin C (600 μM) was added to prepared spermatozoa and then vitrified and group V: vitamin C (600 μM) was added to neat semen and then vitrified. After warming, sperm analysis was done accordingly. For evaluating the sperm chromatin/DNA integrity status and acrosome reaction, we used toluidine blue (TB), acridine orange (AO), terminal transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin end labeling (TUNEL) and double staining tests. Results: All of the sperm parameters (count, motility, morphology and viability) had significant differences (P < 0.05) between different groups, especially in group IV. Data showed sperm chromatin damages and acrosome reaction abnormality increased resulted of vitrification, but, in the groups that added vitamin C (IV, V) rate of damages was decreased and this was notable in the group IV. Conclusion: Vitamin C can attenuate the detrimental effects of vitrification on sperm parameters, chromatin quality and rate of apoptosis in both neat semen and prepared spermatozoa of normozoospermic samples. Keywords: Vitrification, Spermatozoa, Vitamin C, Chromatin, Human sperm