title: Supplementation of sperm media with zinc, D-aspartate and co-enzyme Q10 protects bull sperm against exogenous oxidative stress and improves their ability to support embryo development.
abstract: High levels of reactive oxygen species in the semen of infertile patients or spontaneously generated during in vitro sperm handling may impair sperm quality, fertilization and embryo developmental competence. We recently reported that zinc, d-aspartate and co-enzyme Q10, contained in the dietary supplement Genadis® (Merck Serono), have protective effects on human and bull sperm motility, lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation in vitro; furthermore, in bovine, treated spermatozoa had an improved ability to support embryo development. However, only a few studies have investigated the protective role of antioxidants during in vitro sperm handling in the presence of an exogenous oxidative stress. Herein, to simulate such conditions in an animal model, we induced exogenous oxidative stress on spermatozoa through the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system and investigated its effects on sperm function and subsequent embryo developmental competence in the presence of zinc, d-Asp and CoQ10 protection. The main results showed that exogenous oxidative stress decreased sperm motility, increased sperm DNA fragmentation, and reduced fertilization and blastocyst rates and quality. Pre-treatment with zinc, d-aspartate and co-enzyme Q10 before exogenous oxidative stress was able to prevent these effects. Supplementation of sperm culture media with zinc, d-aspartate and co-enzyme Q10 could protect sperm from oxidative stress damage during in vitro handling in assisted reproductive technologies.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia,Università di Napoli 'Federico II',Complesso Universitario di Monte S Angelo,Via Cinthia,80126 Napoli,Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barbato
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia,Università di Napoli 'Federico II',Complesso Universitario di Monte S Angelo,Via Cinthia,80126 Napoli,Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Talevi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia,Università di Napoli 'Federico II',Complesso Universitario di Monte S Angelo,Via Cinthia,80126 Napoli,Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia,Università di Napoli 'Federico II',Complesso Universitario di Monte S Angelo,Via Cinthia,80126 Napoli,Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merolla
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia,Università di Napoli 'Federico II',Complesso Universitario di Monte S Angelo,Via Cinthia,80126 Napoli,Italy.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sudhakaran
authors.affiliation: Medical Affairs Fertility,Merck KGaA,Frankfurter Straße 250,64293 Darmstadt,Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Longobardi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia,Università di Napoli 'Federico II',Complesso Universitario di Monte S Angelo,Via Cinthia,80126 Napoli,Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gualtieri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000494:pharmacology; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins; D014451:Ubiquinone; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid; C024989:coenzyme Q10; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Antioxidants; DNA fragmentation; Embryo development; Oxidative stress; Spermatozoa