Parisa Mohammadi1,2, Hassan Hassani-Bafrani2,3, Marziyeh Tavalaee1, Maurizio Dattilo4, Mohammad H Nasr-Esfahani1,5. 1. Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Isfahan, Iran. 2. Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. 3. Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. 4. Parthenogen, Lugano, Switzerland. 5. Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Center, Isfahan, Iran.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether micronutrients in support of the one-carbon cycle and glutathione synthesis are effective in improving sperm damage after surgical varicocoele induction in rats and whether any effect is achieved without a rebound reductive stress as seen with oral antioxidants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgical varicocoele was induced in adult male Wistar rats and resulted in significant damage to the testis and sperm cells measured at 2 and 4 months after surgery. At 2 months after surgery, rats received a 2-month oral supplementation in support of the one-carbon cycle containing B vitamins (B2, B3, B6, folic acid and B12), N-acetyl-cysteine, zinc, small amounts of vitamin E, and a natural source of betalains and quercetine (Condensyl® ; Parthenogen SAGL, Lugano, Switzerland and Nurilia SARL, Lyon, France). RESULTS: One-carbon cycle supplementation, compared to untreated controls, significantly improved the morphometric characteristics of testis (P < 0.05), sperm concentration, motility and abnormal morphology (P < 0.001), sperm chromatin condensation (aniline blue staining, P < 0.05), sperm DNA damage (acridine orange staining, P < 0.05) and sperm lipid peroxidation (BODIPY C11, P < 0.001). The improvement in both nuclear condensation and DNA damage and the lack of excessive inhibition of lipid peroxidation confirmed that no reductive stress had occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Micronutrients in support of the one-carbon cycle are effective in the treatment of surgically induced varicocoele in rats, probably by activating natural antioxidant defences and epigenetics. These results support the idea that essential micronutrients including B vitamins may also have a positive influence in clinical varicocoele, which should be tested in prospective clinical trials.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether micronutrients in support of the one-carbon cycle and glutathione synthesis are effective in improving sperm damage after surgical varicocoele induction in rats and whether any effect is achieved without a rebound reductive stress as seen with oral antioxidants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgical varicocoele was induced in adult male Wistar rats and resulted in significant damage to the testis and sperm cells measured at 2 and 4 months after surgery. At 2 months after surgery, rats received a 2-month oral supplementation in support of the one-carbon cycle containing B vitamins (B2, B3, B6, folic acid and B12), N-acetyl-cysteine, zinc, small amounts of vitamin E, and a natural source of betalains and quercetine (Condensyl® ; Parthenogen SAGL, Lugano, Switzerland and Nurilia SARL, Lyon, France). RESULTS: One-carbon cycle supplementation, compared to untreated controls, significantly improved the morphometric characteristics of testis (P < 0.05), sperm concentration, motility and abnormal morphology (P < 0.001), sperm chromatin condensation (aniline blue staining, P < 0.05), sperm DNA damage (acridine orange staining, P < 0.05) and sperm lipid peroxidation (BODIPY C11, P < 0.001). The improvement in both nuclear condensation and DNA damage and the lack of excessive inhibition of lipid peroxidation confirmed that no reductive stress had occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Micronutrients in support of the one-carbon cycle are effective in the treatment of surgically induced varicocoele in rats, probably by activating natural antioxidant defences and epigenetics. These results support the idea that essential micronutrients including B vitamins may also have a positive influence in clinical varicocoele, which should be tested in prospective clinical trials.
Authors: Niloofar Sadeghi; Naeem Erfani-Majd; Marziyeh Tavalaee; Mohammad R Tabandeh; Joël R Drevet; Mohammad H Nasr-Esfahani Journal: Oxid Med Cell Longev Date: 2020-04-13 Impact factor: 6.543