Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan; Assisted Reproductive Technology Center, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
Cryobiology. 2022 Jun;106:157-159. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2022.03.006. Epub 2022 Apr 6.
Sperm cryopreservation is an effective method of preserving male fertility in humans, as well as domestic and experimental animals. However, various factors such as ice crystal formation, osmotic stress, and oxidative stress, negatively influence the motility and viability of post-thawed spermatozoa. Betaine, which works as an osmoprotectant is known to work as a nontoxic cryoprotectant. However, the protective effects during mouse sperm cryopreservation are still unclear. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether betaine has protective effects during the process of mouse sperm cryopreservation. In this study, betaine was found to be effective in maintaining sperm motility during the freezing procedure and 1% (85.4 mM) betaine was identified as the optimal concentration to be added to cryopreservation solutions. It was also found that betaine improves the integrity of the plasma membranes of sperm tails, suggesting that betaine has a positive effect on sperm motility.
精子冷冻保存是一种有效的保存人类和家畜及实验动物精子活力的方法。然而，冰晶形成、渗透应激和氧化应激等各种因素会对解冻后精子的活力和存活率产生负面影响。甜菜碱作为一种渗透保护剂，已知具有非毒性的冷冻保护剂作用。然而，在小鼠精子冷冻保存过程中，其保护作用仍不清楚。因此，本研究旨在探讨甜菜碱在小鼠精子冷冻保存过程中是否具有保护作用。本研究发现，甜菜碱在冷冻过程中能有效地维持精子的活力，并且 1%（85.4mM）的甜菜碱被确定为添加到冷冻保护液中的最佳浓度。还发现甜菜碱提高了精子尾部质膜的完整性，这表明甜菜碱对精子活力有积极影响。
