title: Supplementation of biotin to sperm preparation medium increases the motility and longevity in cryopreserved human spermatozoa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of supplementing biotin to sperm preparation medium on the motility of frozen-thawed spermatozoa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen samples of men attending the University infertility clinic (n = 105) were cryopreserved using glycerol-egg yolk-citrate buffered cryoprotective medium in liquid nitrogen. After a period of two weeks, the semen samples were thawed and the motile spermatozoa were extracted by swim-up technique using Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS) medium supplemented with either biotin (10 nM) or pentoxifylline (1 mM). The post-wash motility was observed up to 4 h after incubation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both biotin and pentoxifylline supplementation resulted in significant increase in total motility (p < 0.05), progressive motility (p < 0.001) and rapid progressive motility (p < 0.05 v/s biotin and p < 0.01 v/s pentoxifylline) compared to the control at 1 h post-incubation period. Significantly higher percentage of total (p < 0.01, p < 0.05 in biotin and pentoxifylline respectively), progressive (p < 0.001) and rapid progressive motilities (p < 0.01) were observed in these two groups even at 2 h compared to the control. In the control group at 4 h after incubation, ~11% decline in total motility and ~8% decline in progressive motility was observed. However, in both biotin and pentoxifylline group the motility was significantly higher than control (p < 0.001). No significant difference in the motility was observed between biotin and pentoxifylline groups at any of the time intervals studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biotin can enhance the sperm motility and prolong the survival of frozen-thawed semen samples which may have potential benefit in assisted reproductive technology field.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Embryology, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, 576 104, India. guru.kalthur@manipal.edu
authors.forename: Guruprasad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kalthur
authors.forename: Sujith R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Salian
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keyvanifard
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sreedharan
authors.forename: Jeena S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Pratap
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Satish K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Adiga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001710:Biotin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D001710:Biotin; D010431:Pentoxifylline