Evaluation of the effects of hydroxytyrosol on human sperm parameters during cryopreservation.

Human sperm cryopreservation is a routine procedure in assisted reproductive technology, but it has detrimental effects on different sperm parameters due to oxidative stress. Our objective was to assess the impacts of hydroxytyrosol (HT), as an antioxidant, on human sperm parameters following cryopreservation. In the first phase, 20 normal human semen samples were cryopreserved using the rapid freezing method with different concentrations of HT including 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μg/mL.

Membrane lipid replacement with nano-micelles in human sperm cryopreservation improves post-thaw function and acrosome protein integrity.

Research Question: Membrane lipid replacement (MLR) of oxidized membrane lipids can restore sperm cellular membrane functionality and help improve surface protein stability during cryopreservation. What are the effects of MLR with nano-micelles made from a glycerophospholipid (GPL) mixture and cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC), on the cryosurvival and expression of acrosome-related proteins in thawed human spermatozoa?

Design: Twenty samples were used to determine the optimum level of nano-micelles by incubation of semen with different concentrations of GPL (0.1 and 1%) and CLC (1 and 2 mg/ml) (including GPL-0.

Knockout serum replacement is an efficient serum substitute for cryopreservation of human spermatozoa.

The freeze-thaw procedure causes irreversible structural and functional changes in human spermatozoa. In order to decrease the detrimental effects of cryopreservation and improve the quality of post-thawed spermatozoa, the constituents of the freezing solution attracted considerable attention. In this study, for the first time, we evaluated the efficacy of knockout serum replacement (KSR) as a substitute for human serum albumin (HSA) for cryopreservation of human spermatozoa.

Stress Hormone and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Link Obesity and Diabetes with Reduced Fertility Potential.

Objective: Tilting the balance in favor of antioxidant agents could increase infertility problems in obese and diabetic individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate oxidative stress status in semen of men with type 2 diabetes and obesity to investigate whether excessive amounts of oxidative stress, as a result of diabetes and obesity, influence infertility potential.

Materials And Methods: A case-control study was conducted in men (n=150) attending the Infertility Center of Royan Institute between December 2016 and February 2017.

Preconditioning of sperm with sublethal nitrosative stress: a novel approach to improve frozen-thawed sperm function.

Research Question: Can sublethal stress induced by nitric oxide on fresh human spermatozoa protect the functional properties of post-thaw human spermatozoa?

Design: Semen samples were obtained from 46 donors. Twenty semen samples were used to determine toxicity level of nitric oxide by incubation of semen with different concentrations of nitric oxide (0.01 to 400 μM).

Micro-quantity straw as a carrier for cryopreservation of oligozoospermic semen samples: Effects of storage times and cryoprotectant.

Application of an appropriate freezing carrier is crucial for improving post-thaw recovery of oligozoospermic samples. In this study, our purpose is developing a user-friendly, easy handling and close micro-quantity (MQ) straw along with different freezing media, for cryopreservation of oligozoospermic samples. Twenty oligozoospermic semen samples were collected and mixed with glycerol egg yolk citrate (GEYC) or Spermfreeze (SPF) medium.

Induction of Sublethal Oxidative Stress on Human Sperm before Cryopreservation: A Time-Dependent Response in Post-Thawed Sperm Parameters.

Objective: A recent innovative approach, based on induction of sublethal oxidative stress to enhance sperm cryosurvival, has been applied before sperm cryopreservation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different induction times of sublethal oxidative stress before cryopreservation on human post-thawed sperm quality.

Materials And Methods: In this experimental study, we selected semen samples (n=20) from normozoospermic men according to 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Modified histogram-based segmentation and adaptive distance tracking of sperm cells image sequences.

Proper recognition and tracking of microscopic sperm cells in video images are vital steps of male infertility diagnosis and treatment. The segmentation and detection of sperms in microscopic image analysis is a complicate process as a result of their small sizes, fast movements, and considerable collisions. Histogram-based thresholding schemes are very popular for this purpose, since they are quite fast and provide almost acceptable results.