title: Paternal age and sperm DNA decay: discrepancy between chromomycin and aniline blue staining.
abstract: The effect of paternal age on sperm DNA fragmentation and decondensation was determined in a retrospective study involving 1769 patients. TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay was used to assess fragmentation, and DNA decondensation was measured with either chromomycin or aniline blue staining. The impact of atypical forms was also analysed. DNA fragmentation increases with age, but is independent of the percentage of atypical forms. Both staining techniques revealed a negative correlation between the quality of sperm packaging and the percentage of atypical forms. Decondensation increases with increasing age and fragmentation when measured with chromomycin; however, an inverse relationship is observed when testing is performed using aniline blue. These observations are discussed in relation to the specificity of the dyes, the deposition of protamines and the impact of age and reactive oxygen species on protamine cross-linking.
authors.affiliation: UNILABS, Centre d'AMP Eylau, Clinique Pierre Cherest et Clinique de la Muette, 55 Rue Saint Didier, 75116 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belloc
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benkhalifa
authors.forename: Anne Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Junca
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Paul Cohen
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bacrie
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ménézo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D002865:Chromomycins / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010331:Paternal Age; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D002865:Chromomycins; C017006:aniline blue; D004247:DNA