TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of age on DNA fragmentation, chromatin packaging and conventional semen parameters in spermatozoa of oligoasthenoteratozoospermic patients
AU - Plastira, Konstantina
AU - Msaouel, Pavlos
AU - Angelopoulou, Roxani
AU - Zanioti, Kyriaki
AU - Plastiras, Aris
AU - Pothos, Alexios
AU - Bolaris, Stamatis
AU - Paparisteidis, Nikolaos
AU - Mantas, Dimitris
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to Mrs. Carol Spanos for the English text editing. The project is co-funded by the European Social Fund and National Resources—(EPEAEK II) PYTHAGORAS (grant “Pythagoras” 70/3/7361).
PY - 2007/10
Y1 - 2007/10
N2 - Purpose: To investigate the effects of male ageing on DNA fragmentation and chromatin packaging in the spermatozoa of oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) patients. Methods: Sixty-one OAT patients and 49 men with proven fertility (controls) were included in the present study. DNA fragmentation was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, while chromatin packaging was assessed by chromomycin A3 (CMA3) staining. Results: In the patient group, semen volume, percentage of normally shaped spermatozoa and sperm motility decreased significantly (P<0.05) with age, while sperm concentration and the percentage of TUNEL and CMA3 positive spermatozoa showed a statistically significant increase with age (P<0.05). In the control group, conventional semen parameters as well as DNA fragmentation and chromatin packaging did not show a statistically significant change with age (P>0.05). Conclusion: Increased age in OAT patients is associated with an increase in sperm concentration, DNA fragmentation and poor chromatin packaging, as well as a decline in semen volume, sperm morphology and motility.
AB - Purpose: To investigate the effects of male ageing on DNA fragmentation and chromatin packaging in the spermatozoa of oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) patients. Methods: Sixty-one OAT patients and 49 men with proven fertility (controls) were included in the present study. DNA fragmentation was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, while chromatin packaging was assessed by chromomycin A3 (CMA3) staining. Results: In the patient group, semen volume, percentage of normally shaped spermatozoa and sperm motility decreased significantly (P<0.05) with age, while sperm concentration and the percentage of TUNEL and CMA3 positive spermatozoa showed a statistically significant increase with age (P<0.05). In the control group, conventional semen parameters as well as DNA fragmentation and chromatin packaging did not show a statistically significant change with age (P>0.05). Conclusion: Increased age in OAT patients is associated with an increase in sperm concentration, DNA fragmentation and poor chromatin packaging, as well as a decline in semen volume, sperm morphology and motility.
KW - Ageing effect
KW - Chromomycin A (CMA)
KW - DNA Fragmentation
KW - Male infertility
KW - Semen parameters
KW - Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL)
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U2 - 10.1007/s10815-007-9162-5
DO - 10.1007/s10815-007-9162-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 17768675
AN - SCOPUS:35648948903
SN - 1058-0468
VL - 24
SP - 437
EP - 443
JO - Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
JF - Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
IS - 10
ER -