Collodel Giulia, Noto Daria, Signorini Cinzia, Gambera Laura, Stendardi Anita, Mahmutbegovic Amra, Micheli Lucia, Menchiari Andrea, Moretti Elena
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Fertility Center, AGI Medica, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Life (Basel). 2021 Jul 10;11(7):675. doi: 10.3390/life11070675.
F-isoprostanes (F-IsoPs), stereoisomers of prostaglandin F2α generated by the free radical-induced oxidation of arachidonic acid, have been associated with different male infertility conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the role of seminal isoprostane levels and sperm characteristics in the reproductive outcome and embryo quality of 49 infertile couples. Semen analysis was performed following WHO guidelines. Sperm chromatin maturity was detected using an aniline blue (AB) assay, and DNA integrity was assessed using the acridine orange (AO) test. Seminal F-IsoP levels were quantified by gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (GC/NICI-MS/MS) analysis. Correlations among variables and their impact on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcome were investigated. F-IsoP levels are positively correlated with double-stranded DNA sperm ( < 0.001) and negatively correlated with mature sperm chromatin ( < 0.001). Patients with positive outcomes had an increased percentage of sperm with double-stranded DNA, as did patients producing high-quality embryo, who showed higher F-IsoP levels compared to those detected in the low-quality embryo group. An intriguing relationship between a mild increase in F-IsoP levels, DNA integrity, and embryo quality seems to indicate that the non-enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid can be also a marker of metabolic activity in human semen.
F-异前列腺素（F-IsoPs）是由自由基诱导花生四烯酸氧化生成的前列腺素F2α的立体异构体，与多种男性不育症相关。本研究旨在评估49对不育夫妇精液中异前列腺素水平和精子特征对生殖结局及胚胎质量的作用。精液分析按照世界卫生组织指南进行。使用苯胺蓝（AB）试验检测精子染色质成熟度，使用吖啶橙（AO）试验评估DNA完整性。通过气相色谱/负离子化学电离串联质谱（GC/NICI-MS/MS）分析对精液中F-IsoP水平进行定量。研究变量之间的相关性及其对体外受精（IVF）和卵胞浆内单精子注射（ICSI）结局的影响。F-IsoP水平与双链DNA精子呈正相关（<0.001），与成熟精子染色质呈负相关（<0.001）。有阳性结局的患者双链DNA精子百分比增加，产生高质量胚胎的患者也是如此，与低质量胚胎组相比，这些患者的F-IsoP水平更高。F-IsoP水平轻度升高、DNA完整性和胚胎质量之间的有趣关系似乎表明，花生四烯酸的非酶氧化也可能是人类精液中代谢活性的一个标志物。
