title: The apoptotic pathway in fertile and subfertile men: a case-control and prospective study to examine the impact of merocyanine 540 bodies on ejaculated spermatozoa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the presence of merocyanine 540 (M540) bodies and their impact on the measurement of apoptotic biomarkers in human spermatozoa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control, prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fertile and subfertile subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen samples from subfertile and fertile men, 11 per group, were analyzed for basic semen parameters and early (annexin-V binding) and late (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling [TUNEL]) sperm apoptotic biomarkers by flow cytometry. Samples were also stained with M540 to assess the presence of M540 apoptotic bodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Presence of M540 apoptotic bodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groups differed significantly in the expression of early and late apoptosis biomarkers. The percentage of M540 bodies between groups was not different. The exclusion of M540 bodies from TUNEL results did not have a significant impact on measurement in either fertile or subfertile groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed the occurrence of M540 bodies in semen and that male factor infertility is associated with an increased expression of apoptosis biomarkers. Moreover, we demonstrated that the presence of M540 bodies did not affect the quantification of apoptotic biomarkers in either group.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Nardhy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gomez-Lopez
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Estrada-Gutierrez
authors.forename: Alinne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colin
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flores-Pliego
authors.forename: Xochitl
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Flores-Escobar
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oehninger
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barroso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004542:Ejaculation; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D017304:Annexin A5; D015415:Biomarkers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011744:Pyrimidinones; C003954:merocyanine dye