title: Anomalies in sperm chromatin packaging: implications for assisted reproduction techniques.
abstract: Sperm protamine deficiency and DNA damage were analysed employing chromomycin A(3) (CMA(3)) staining and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling assay, respectively, in 132 patients (82 IVF, 50 intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]). The antioxidant ability of seminal plasma was analysed in 10 men, using the total oxidant scavenging capacity assay. A significant negative correlation was found between abnormal protamination and sperm parameters, including sperm DNA fragmentation (P < 0.01). A close relationship was found between sperm protamination and fertilization and pregnancy only in IVF (P = 0.004 and P < 0.04, respectively); in ICSI there was a correlation between DNA fragmentation and pregnancy (P = 0.031). Finally, there was a negative correlation between chromatin under-protamination and the antioxidant ability of seminal plasma (P < 0.01). Results of this study underline that, despite sperm abnormal protamination and DNA fragmentation being positively correlated, they affect the reproductive outcome in different ways: in particular there was good prognostic value for CMA(3) analysis only in IVF, whereas DNA fragmentation analysis was prognostic only for ICSI outcome. Data are also provided to support the idea of a relationship between defective antioxidant system activity and impairment of chromatin packaging.
authors.affiliation: Tecnobios Procreazione, Centre for Reproductive Health, Via Dante 15, Bologna, Italy. tarozzi@tecnobiosprocreazione.it
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tarozzi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadalini
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stronati
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bizzaro
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dal Prato
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coticchio
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000502:physiology*; D014128:Chromomycin A3; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011479:Protamines / Q000032:analysis*; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D011479:Protamines; D014128:Chromomycin A3