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U-Shaped Horizontal Swimming Technique for Preparing High-Quality Sperm with Low DNA Fragmentation Index
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What should be done for men with sperm DNA fragmentation?
1Department of Urology, Mizmedi Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
|September 12, 2018
Summary
Selecting healthy sperm is crucial for assisted reproduction. Direct DNA fragmentation tests like TUNEL and comet assay are more reliable than indirect methods for assessing sperm health in infertile men.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Genetics
- Andrology
Background:
- Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) is prevalent in infertile males.
- Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) necessitate healthy sperm selection.
- Direct SDF tests correlate better with ART outcomes than indirect tests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of direct sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) tests.
- To compare direct SDF tests with indirect methods for assessing sperm DNA damage.
- To guide the selection of appropriate SDF testing based on clinical context.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay.
- Employed the alkaline comet test for SDF assessment.
- Compared results with sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and sperm chromatic dispersion (SCD) test.
Main Results:
- TUNEL and alkaline comet tests directly measure DNA damage.
- Direct SDF tests show closer correlation with ART results compared to indirect methods.
- No single SDF test is universally superior; selection depends on patient condition.
Conclusions:
- Direct SDF tests (TUNEL, comet assay) are valuable tools for assessing sperm DNA integrity.
- Management of high SDF involves lifestyle changes, antioxidants, and treating underlying conditions.
- When damage persists, micromanipulation or testicular sperm extraction can aid in selecting viable sperm.
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