Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction

107-116

Authors: Kalaivani Manokaran, Pavithra Bhat, Deepak Nayak, Ravisankar Baskaran, Prabu Paramasivam, Shiek Fareeth Ahmed, Keerthi Priya, Karkala Sreedhara Ranganath Pai, Vignesh Balaji E

Oxidative stress arises from an imbalance between the body’s pro- oxidants and antioxidants. Recently, oxidative stress has been proven a contributing factor to many female reproductive disorders including infertility, preeclampsia, endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Herein, we review the mechanistic role of oxidative stress in inducing the most common female reproductive disorders. The current review has also highlighted the protective role of vitamin C, necessary for certain female reproductive hormone secretion by the antral follicle and corpus luteum and also essential for collagen production in ovarian tissue remodeling after ovulation, in alleviating oxidative stress and thus improving female reproductive outcomes.

125-131

Authors: Deepthi Repalle, Saritha K.V., Shilpa Bhandari

Objective: To know whether sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) affects the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic males. Methods: The study included 252 couples who underwent their first ICSI cycles along with blastocyst transfer and whose male partner semen samples were normozoospermic according to the World Health Organization 2010 criteria. All the couples were classified into two groups based on the SDF: the low SDF group (SDF≤30%, n=162) and the high SDF group (SDF>30%, n=90). Clinical as well as laboratory outcomes were correlated between the two groups. Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed on the post-wash semen samples by acridine orange test. The main outcome measures were the live birth rate and miscarriage rate. Results: A significant decrease in the live birth rates was observed in the high SDF group compared to the low SDF group in fresh embryo transfer cycles (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in the clinical outcomes either in the frozen embryo transfer cycles or in the overall cumulative transfer cycles (P>0.05). No significant difference was observed in the laboratory outcomes between the two SDF groups. A remarkable decrease in sperm motility was observed in the high SDF group compared to the low SDF group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Sperm DNA fragmentation does not affect the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an ICSI cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic males.

138-145

Authors: Mazen Alomar

Objective: To investigate antioxidant potential of pentoxifylline on spermatozoa of small ruminants including rams and bucks. Methods: The levels of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production in ram and buck spermatozoa incubated with 0 (control), 4 and 8 mM of pentoxifylline were measured after 45-min incubation. Then, the motility parameters of ram and buck spermatozoa incubated with 0 (control), 1 mM of H 2 O 2 , 1 mM of H 2 O 2 plus 4 mM of pentoxifylline, and 1 mM of H 2 O 2 plus 8 mM of pentoxifylline were analysed. H 2 O 2 was estimated using a fluorometric assay and spermatozoa motility characteristics were analyzed using computer aided sperm analyzer. Results: Pentoxifylline significantly decreased the levels of H 2 O 2 produced from both ram and buck spermatozoa (P<0.05), and significant lower rates of H 2 O 2 formation were noted when 8 mM of pentoxifylline was added (P<0.05). The values of all sperm motility parameters for the two species significantly decreased after incubation with H 2 O 2 (P<0.05). In contrast, when the spermatozoa were incubated with both H 2 O 2 and two concentrations of pentoxifylline, the motility values rose significantly compared to those incubated with H 2 O 2 alone (P<0.05). For both ram and buck sperm samples, the rapid and static subpopulation motility parameters were the most affected categories by pentoxifylline addition compared to the medium and slow categories. Conclusions: Pentoxifylline possesses an antioxidant capacity proved by its ability of reducing H 2 O 2 levels as well as by increasing motility values of stressed spermatozoa. Therefore, pentoxifylline could be recommended as antioxidant additive for spermatozoa of small ruminants under stress conditions.