The GGC Medium Reduces the DNA Fragmentation of Human Spermatozoa via in vitro Activation

In vitro sperm stimulation by the addition of certain chemicals has become one of the most significant techniques for dealing with sperm DNA fragmentation, which is one of the leading causes of male infertility. The GGC medium is an invented triple antioxidant-containing medium (10 mM/ml green tea extract, 10 mM/ml glutathione, 60 mM/ml vitamin C, sodium pyruvate 0.01g/L, and 10% human serum albumin applied to 1L Ringer solution) for in vitro human sperm activation. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of the human sperm DNA after in vitro activation using a GGC medium. For this purpose, 200 semen samples were employed in this study. Before activation by swim-up technique, the samples were split into three groups, consisting of a control group (G1) with no activation medium, and G2 and G3 groups activated with Ferticult flushing medium and GGC medium, respectively. Afterward, the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was assessed pre- and post-swim-up activation. Based on the comparison of pre- and post-activation stages, the findings of DNA fragmentation revealed a significant increase at the pre-activation stage. Furthermore, relative to the other treatment groups, there was a strong significant (P<0.05) reduction of DFI in samples activated with GGC medium. The G2 and G3 showed a substantial reduction of DFI at the post-activation stage, compared to the pre-activation stage (P<0.05). According to the findings, both mediums can reduce DNA fragmentation; however, the GGC medium showed the most significant outcomes, compared to the Ferticult medium used for the in vitro activation of spermatozoa.