The impact of peritoneal fluid from healthy women and from women with endometriosis on sperm DNA and its relationship to the sperm deformity index.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of peritoneal fluid (PF) from healthy women and from women with endometriosis on sperm DNA and its relationship to sperm morphology as assessed by the sperm deformity index (SDI).


METHODS
Experimental study.


METHODS
Research laboratory at an academic hospital.


METHODS
Healthy women undergoing laparoscopic tubal ligation and women with endometriosis.


METHODS
Aliquots of prepared sperm from 10 healthy donors were incubated with PF from healthy women undergoing laparoscopic tubal ligation (treatment 1, n = 10), with PF from patients with endometriosis (treatment 2, n = 10), and with human tubal fluid media with 10% bovine serum albumin (control, n = 10).


METHODS
Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay and SDI.


RESULTS
There was a significant increase in sperm DNA damage at 24 hours compared with at 1.5 and 3 hours. The SDI scores significantly correlated with sperm DNA damage after 1.5 and 24 hours of incubation in all aliquots. Percentage normal morphology did not correlate with DNA damage.


CONCLUSIONS
In vitro exposure of sperm to PF from patients with endometriosis is associated with significantly increased DNA damage. There is evidence of interdependence between the sperm morphology as assessed by SDI scores and DNA damage. The significant increase in sperm DNA damage observed after 24 hours of incubation may be clinically relevant.
Mansour
Gihan
G
Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Aziz
Nabil
N
Sharma
Rakesh
R
Falcone
Tommaso
T
Goldberg
Jeffery
J
Agarwal
Ashok
A
D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal
D004247:DNA