title: Sperm of patients with severe asthenozoospermia show biochemical, molecular and genomic alterations.
abstract: The multifactorial pathological condition, that is, severe low sperm motility is a frequent cause of infertility. However, mechanisms underlying the development of this condition are not completely understood. Single abnormalities have been reported in sperm of patients with asthenozoospermia. In this study, we characterized, in 22 normozoospermic men and in 37 patients with asthenozoospermia, biochemical, molecular and genomic abnormalities that frequently occur in sperm of patients with asthenozoospermia. We evaluated a panel of sperm biomarkers that may affect the motility and fertilizing ability of sperm of patients with severe asthenozoospermia. Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is involved in the pathogenesis of such sperm abnormalities, we determined the association between ROS production and sperm abnormalities. High percentage of patients with severe asthenozoospermia showed increased basal and stimulated ROS production. Moreover, these patients showed increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number but decreased mtDNA integrity and they were associated with elevated ROS levels. Furthermore, mitochondrial membrane potential was also significantly decreased and again associated with high ROS production in these patients. However, the rate of nuclear DNA fragmentation was increased only in less than one-fifth of these patients. An important cohort of these patients showed multiple identical biochemical, molecular and genomic abnormalities, which are typical manifestations of oxidative stress. The most frequent association was found in patients with high ROS levels, increased mtDNA copy number and decreased integrity, and low MMP. A smaller cohort of the aforementioned patients also showed nDNA fragmentation. Therefore, patients with asthezoospermia likely present reduced fertilizing potential because of such composed abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Section of EndocrinologyAndrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical and Pediatric Sciences.
authors.forename: Oriana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinic Pathology and Molecular OncologyDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulietta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.affiliation: Section of EndocrinologyAndrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical and Pediatric Sciences.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Asero
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinic Pathology and Molecular OncologyDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Franca Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pezzino
authors.affiliation: Section of EndocrinologyAndrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical and Pediatric Sciences.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castiglione
authors.affiliation: Section of EndocrinologyAndrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical and Pediatric Sciences.
authors.forename: Nunziatina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burrello
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal MedicineGaribaldi Hospital Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sidoti
authors.affiliation: EndocrinologyDepartment of Sport Medicine, University of Rome Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Vanni
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Frajese
authors.affiliation: Section of EndocrinologyAndrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical and Pediatric Sciences vicarienzo@email.it.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vicari
authors.affiliation: Section of EndocrinologyAndrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical and Pediatric Sciences.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Agata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species