title: Assessment of human sperm DNA integrity using two cytochemical tests: Acridine orange test and toluidine blue assay.
abstract: Primary infertility affects approximately 15% of couples, with male factor infertility accounting for 50% of cases. Semen samples from 41 patients with asthenoteratospermia and 28 men with proven fertility were analysed according to World Health Organization guidelines. Abnormal sperm chromatin structure was assessed by toluidine blue assay (TBA), and DNA denaturation (DD) was detected by the acridine orange test (AOT). The mean (±SEM) rates of DD and abnormal chromatin structure were significantly higher in infertile subjects compared to fertile group respectively p = .003 and p < .001. A significant correlation was established between sperm DD and abnormal chromatin structure (R = .431, p < .001). Sperm DNA damage correlated significantly with abnormal morphology, sperm motility and necrozoospermia. Our study shows that men with increased levels of abnormal sperm chromatin structure have a high incidence of DNA denaturation and altered semen parameters. These findings suggest that male infertility has been linked to sperm DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ajina
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Haouas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.|Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Reproductive Biology, Fattouma Bourguiba University teaching hospital, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sallem
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ezzi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grissa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Parasitology-Medical and Molecular Mycology, Department of Clinical Biology B, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sakly
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jlali
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology, Embryology and cytogenetics, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.|Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Reproductive Biology, Fattouma Bourguiba University teaching hospital, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehdi
mesh_terms: D000165:Acridine Orange; D000328:Adult; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014048:Tolonium Chloride
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D004247:DNA; D000165:Acridine Orange
keywords: abnormal chromatin structure; acridine orange; denaturation; toluidine blue