Naseri Farnoush, Angaji Seyed Abdolhamid, Siasy Elham, Peyvandi Maryam
Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Science, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
Int J Fertil Steril. 2025 Mar 11;19(2):144-150. doi: 10.22074/ijfs.2024.2026074.1664.
Oligo-asthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) is one of the causes of male subinfertility, and one of the treatment solutions is sperm cryopreservation. However, during the freezing-thawing process, sperm parameters decrease. It is important to find compounds that can prevent the reduction of sperm parameters. The aim of this study is to reduce male infertility through sperm preservation.
In this experimental study, thirty OAT patients meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for the current research. Initially, the patients were studied by karyotyping, and all of them were normal 46 XY. After that, sperm samples were taken from them. Sperm parameters such as viability, concentration, motility and percentage of abnormal morphology were determined before cryopreservation. Then, the samples were divided into four aliquots and placed in cryopreservation medium supplemented with different concentrations of curcumin (0, 15, 20, and 25 μM). These samples were placed in a nitrogen tank. After 7 days, the samples were thawed, and sperm parameters were measured. In the next step, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured by kits. Finally, after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the expression levels of the BAD, B-cell lymphoma-extra large (BCL-XL) and microRNA-21 (MIR-21) genes were investigated using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Curcumin (20 μM) conserved OAT sperm motility after the freezing-thawing process. Additionally, this concentration of curcumin decreased MDA and improved SOD and GPx activities in cryopreserved sperm. The results of gene expression analysis showed downregulation of BAD and overexpression of both BCL-XL and MIR-21 in 20 μM curcumin-treated sperm after the freezing-thawing process.
It can be concluded that adding appropriate antioxidants to the sperm freezing medium can greatly reduce the destructive effects of oxidative stress and improve sperm motility.
少弱畸精子症（OAT）是男性亚不育的原因之一，治疗方案之一是精子冷冻保存。然而，在冻融过程中，精子参数会下降。找到能够防止精子参数降低的化合物很重要。本研究的目的是通过精子保存来降低男性不育率。
在本实验研究中，选取了30名符合纳入标准的OAT患者进行当前研究。首先，对患者进行核型分析，所有患者核型均为正常的46 XY。之后，采集他们的精子样本。在冷冻保存前测定精子活力、浓度、运动能力和异常形态百分比等参数。然后，将样本分成四份，置于添加不同浓度姜黄素（0、15、20和25 μM）的冷冻保存培养基中。这些样本被放入液氮罐中。7天后，将样本解冻并测量精子参数。下一步，使用试剂盒测量丙二醛（MDA）含量以及抗氧化酶超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GPx）的活性。最后，在提取RNA并合成cDNA后，使用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）研究BAD、B细胞淋巴瘤-特大（BCL-XL）和微小RNA-21（MIR-21）基因的表达水平。
姜黄素（20 μM）在冻融过程后可保持OAT精子的运动能力。此外，该浓度的姜黄素可降低冷冻保存精子中的MDA含量，并提高SOD和GPx的活性。基因表达分析结果显示，冻融过程后，20 μM姜黄素处理的精子中BAD表达下调，BCL-XL和MIR-21均过表达。
可以得出结论，在精子冷冻培养基中添加适当的抗氧化剂可大大降低氧化应激的破坏作用并提高精子运动能力。
