title: Effects of ulipristal acetate on sperm DNA fragmentation during in vitro incubation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ulipristal acetate (UPA) acts as an emergency contraceptive by inhibiting ovulation. This study explores possible additional effects on the fragmentation of sperm DNA during in vitro incubation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Motile spermatozoa from healthy donors were selected by swim-up and incubated under capacitating conditions in control medium or with UPA (1, 10, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 ng/ml). In some experiments, 200 μM of H2O2 were added to induce oxidative stress. The sperm chromatin dispersion test was performed to analyse DNA integrity (400 cells; 1000×). Lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid assay), induced-acrosome reaction (AR) and sperm vitality (Eosin Y) were also evaluated in spermatozoa exposed to UPA and/or H2O2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During sperm incubation, the percentage of fragmented DNA increased significantly, from 15.0 ± 1.3 to 41.0 ± 4.5% (p < 0.001). In the presence of UPA, DNA fragmentation decreased significantly (p < 0.05), in a dose-dependent manner. At 100 and 1000 ng/ml, UPA also counteracted the effect of H2O2 and prevented DNA fragmentation. No effect on sperm vitality, lipid peroxidation or induced-AR was found with any treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During in vitro sperm capacitation DNA fragmentation increased but the latter was counteracted in the presence of UPA, which possibly acted as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species produced by spermatozoa.
authors.affiliation: * Laboratory of Reproductive Studies, Clinical Biochemistry Division, School of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Rosario , Rosario , Argentina.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Munuce
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cicaré
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zumoffen
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caille
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghersevich
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bahamondes
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D003283:Contraceptives, Postcoital, Synthetic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009649:Norpregnadienes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003283:Contraceptives, Postcoital, Synthetic; D009649:Norpregnadienes; D016877:Oxidants; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C555622:ulipristal acetate