[Influence of Storage Temperature and Cryopreservation Conditions on the Extent of Human Sperm DNA Fragmentation]

With the direct labeling procedure for detecting DNA fragmentation we explored the influence of the different storage temperature conditions as well as different methods of cryopreservation on the structure of DNA organization in the human sperm. 19 sperm samples obtained from healthy men with normozoospermia (according to the criteria of the World Health Organization) were used for investigation. A significant increase of human sperm DNA-fragmentation was observed after 8 hours of incubation at +39 degrees C (by 76.7%) and at +37 degrees C (by 68.9%). It was found that sperm cooling with the use of a cryoprotectant immediately after thawing did not produce significant differences in the extent of DNA fragmentation, although samples, containing cryoprotectants, showed a sharp increase of DNA fragmentation after 24 hours of incubation, that could suggest cryoprotectant cytotoxicity.