title: Effect of sperm DNA damage and sperm protamine deficiency on fertilization and embryo development post-ICSI.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sperm DNA damage and protamine deficiency on fertilization and embryo development post-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and also to assess the effect of protamine deficiency on DNA damage. Semen samples were collected from 28 patients participating in the ICSI programme. Following sperm preparation and ICSI, the remaining processed semen samples were used to assess protamine deficiency and DNA damage employing chromomycin A3 (CMA3) staining and comet assay, respectively. Comet parameters, CMA3 percentage positivity, fertilization rate, embryo cleavage score and embryo quality score were assessed. Except for CMA3, none of the comet parameters showed significant correlation with fertilization rate. However, among comet parameters, head area and head intensity showed positive correlation with the embryo cleavage score, while comet mean intensity and head mean intensity showed a significant negative correlation with CMA3 positivity. Results of this study demonstrate that DNA fragmentation is more frequent in protamine-deficient spermatozoa. Unlike protamine deficiency, sperm DNA fragmentation does not preclude fertilization. Nonetheless, embryos derived from spermatozoa with high DNA damage have a lower potential to reach blastocyst stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Embryology and Andrology, Royan Institute, Tehran, Iran. info@royaninstitute.org
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nasr-Esfahani
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.forename: Shahnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Razavi
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anjomshoa
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rozbahani
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moulavi
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mardani
mesh_terms: D014128:Chromomycin A3 / Q000032:analysis; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000235:genetics; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes; D011479:Protamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011479:Protamines; D014128:Chromomycin A3