title: Protective effect of fallopian tubal fluid against activated leucocyte-induced sperm DNA fragmentation: preliminary results.
abstract: The integrity of the paternal genome is of paramount importance in the initiation and maintenance of a viable pregnancy. Oxygen radicals (ROS) have been identified as one of the main factors responsible for the induction of sperm DNA damage. Spermatozoa are mainly protected against ROS-induced damage by seminal plasma. However, this protective effect disappears once spermatozoa enter the female genital tract. The fallopian tube mucosa may play a protective role against ROS-induced sperm damage. The main objective of this study was to determine whether human tubal explants and tubal fluid exert a protective effect on ROS-induced sperm DNA damage. Spermatozoa were exposed to tubal explants and/or tubal fluid in the presence of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-activated polymorphonuclear leucocytes or control medium and sperm DNA fragmentation was measured using the TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) test. Exposure of human spermatozoa to PMA-activated leucocytes resulted in a 2-fold increase in sperm DNA fragmentation. Co-incubation of spermatozoa with tubal explants did not reduce this damage. However, pre-incubation of spermatozoa with tubal fluid resulted in a statistically significant reduction in sperm DNA fragmentation levels, comparable to those observed in control. In conclusion, tubal fluid appears to protect against activated leucocyte-induced sperm DNA fragmentation, thus preserving the integrity of the paternal genome.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Excelencia de Biotecnología de la Reproducción (CEBIOR), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Navarrete Gómez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espinoza Ruiz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parodi Rivera
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez Gutiérrez
mesh_terms: D001826:Body Fluids / Q000502:physiology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000494:pharmacology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate