title: A human morphologically normal spermatozoon may have noncondensed chromatin.
abstract: According to numerous assisted reproductive medicine practitioners, semen with normal characteristics might not require further investigation. However, on the scale of the individual spermatozoon, it is well known that normal morphology does not guarantee optimal nuclear quality. Here, for 20 patients with normal sperm characteristics and a high proportion of spermatozoa with noncondensed chromatin, we subsequently assessed chromatin condensation status (aniline blue staining) and morphology (Papanicolaou staining) of the same 3749 spermatozoa. Although the overall proportion of morphologically normal spermatozoa was not correlated with the overall proportion of spermatozoa with noncondensed chromatin, an individual spermatozoon's morphology appeared to be closely related to its chromatin condensation status. Morphologically normal spermatozoa with noncondensed chromatin were seen in all patients; the proportion averaged 23.3% [min 10.9%-max 44.4%]. Morphologically abnormal spermatozoa were more likely to have noncondensed chromatin than morphologically normal ones (P < 0.0001). Small-, large- or multiple-headed spermatozoa presented the highest degree of noncondensation (>80% for each type), and more than half the vacuolated spermatozoa also presented noncondensed chromatin. However, a morphologically normal spermatozoon may also have a noncondensed chromatin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.|EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boitrelle
authors.affiliation: EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pagnier
authors.affiliation: EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Athiel
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.|EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Swierkowski-Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.|EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torre
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.|EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muratorio
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.|EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vialard
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.|EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Cytogenetics, Poissy General Hospital, Poissy, France.|EA 2493, University of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Selva
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000502:physiology; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; C017006:aniline blue
keywords: Aniline blue; chromatin condensation; human spermatozoon; sperm morphology