title: The presence of abnormal spermatozoa in the ejaculate: did apoptosis fail?
abstract: With the successful use of Assisted Reproduction, in particular intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), to treat infertile couples we have become less discriminating with the quality of spermatozoa we use to treat our patients. Numerous studies have shown the presence of nuclear DNA strand breaks in human ejaculated spermatozoa. The reason why human spermatozoa, in particular from men with abnormal semen parameters, possess these abnormalities in their nuclear DNA is still not clear. Two processes that have been linked to the presence of nuclear DNA strand breaks in spermatozoa are anomalies in apoptosis during spermatogenesis or problems in the packaging of the chromatin during spermiogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for producing abnormal spermatozoa in the human will improve our knowledge about certain causes of male infertility. More importantly, the impact of such sperm, if selected to perform ICSI, needs to be better understood so that any detrimental paternal effects can be avoided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8063, USA. denny.sakkas@yale.edu
authors.forename: Denny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sakkas
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seli
authors.forename: Gian Carlo
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Manicardi
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nijs
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ombelet
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bizzaro
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004542:Ejaculation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities*