title: Negative effect of increased body weight on sperm conventional and nonconventional flow cytometric sperm parameters.
abstract: Although with some discrepancy, obese men have been reported to have the  worst conventional sperm parameters, but little is known about the effects of  body weight on sperm mitochondrial function, chromatin condensation and  apoptosis. This study was undertaken to evaluate conventional and  nonconventional sperm parameters in nonsmoking overweight or obese men without  any other cause known to alter sperm parameters. Fifty overweight, 50 obese,  and 50 normal-weight healthy nonsmoking men were carefully selected. Each man  underwent up to 2 sperm analyses and evaluation of mitochondrial membrane  potential (MMP), phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization, chromatin  compactness, and DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry. Overweight and obese men  had significantly lower sperm progressive motility and normal forms than  controls. They also had a significantly higher percentage of spermatozoa with  low MMP. Obese, but not overweight, men showed a significantly higher  percentage of spermatozoa with PS externalization, an early sign of apoptosis,  and a lower percentage of viable spermatozoa. A significant increased  percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal chromatin compactness was found in  both overweight and obese men, whereas only obese men had a significantly  higher number of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation compared with controls.  Healthy nonsmoking overweight and obese men have worse conventional and  nonconventional sperm parameters than normal-weight controls. The important  role played by these parameters in a couple's fertility suggests a program of  body weight loss among the therapeutic repertoire for male infertility.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Endocrinologia, Andrologia e Medicina Interna, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Patologie Sistemiche, Università di Catania, Policlinico G. Rodolico, Via S Sofia 78, Catania, Italy. sandrolavignera@email.it
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Vignera
authors.forename: Rosita A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Condorelli
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vicari
authors.forename: Aldo E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Calogero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology*; D013094:Spermatozoa