Semen treatment with progesterone and/or acetyl-L-carnitine does not improve sperm motility or membrane damage after cryopreservation-thawing.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of progesterone and acetyl-L-carnitine used before semen cryopreservation-thawing on sperm motility parameters and plasma membrane integrity.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
Academic tertiary center.


METHODS
Subfertile men undergoing semen evaluation.


METHODS
Before cryopreservation, spermatozoa were incubated with water-soluble progesterone (1 and 10 microM), acetyl-L-carnitine (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mM), or both (progesterone, 1 microM; and acetyl-L-carnitine, 5 mM).


METHODS
Postthaw change of motility parameters (computer-assisted measurements) and vitality-membrane integrity (examined with eosin-Y staining and annexin V-Cy3 binding assay).


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences between control samples and samples treated with progesterone and/or acetyl-L-carnitine for cryosurvival rate, motility parameters, or membrane integrity. The percentages of postthaw cells identified as live showed significantly different results with use of the eosin-Y staining and annexin V binding assay.


CONCLUSIONS
Neither progesterone nor acetyl-L-carnitine seemed to prevent cryodamage assessed by motility changes or membrane integrity in human spermatozoa of subfertile men. Annexin V binding, a reflection of membrane translocation of phosphatidylserine, provided more distinct information about postfreezing membrane integrity changes than eosin-Y staining.
Duru
N K
NK
The Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507, USA.
Morshedi
M
M
Schuffner
A
A
Oehninger
S
S
D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012661:Semen / Q000187:drug effects*; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*
D017304:Annexin A5; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D011374:Progesterone; D000108:Acetylcarnitine; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS)