Oxidative stress level in fresh ejaculate is not related to semen parameters or to pregnancy rates in cycles with donor oocytes

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the present study is to study the relationship between oxidative stress (OS) in semen, semen characteristics, and reproductive outcomes in oocyte donation intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Methods OS was measured in 132 semen samples. Results OS levels were as follows: very high (1.5 %), high (43.2 %), low (30.3 %), and very low (25.0 %). Overall seminal parameters were as follows: volume (ml) = 4.2 (SD 2.1), concentration (millions/ml) = 61.6 (SD 59.8), motility (a+ b%) = 47.4 (SD 18.0), and normal spermatozoa (%) = 8.2 (SD 5.1). Of the 101 cycles that reached embryo transfer, 55.4 % evolved in biochemical, 46.5 % in clinical, and 43.6 % in ongoing pregnancy. OS level does not relate to seminal parameters, fertilization rate, or pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions OS testing by nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) in fresh ejaculate might not be useful for all patients. Reproductive results with young oocytes and ICSI do not seem to be affected by OS-level semen.

Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) assay

“…This is not the first time that this problem has arisen. An earlier study by Pujol et al (2016) using the NBT assay erroneously concluded that oxidative stress is not related to seminal parameters, fertilization rate or pregnancy outcomes. In truth, this study only demonstrated that none of these clinical parameters are correlated with NBT reduction -a completely different outcome from the one stipulated.…”

Los parámetros espermáticos funcionales como factor pronóstico en ICSI: Experiencia de la ciudad de Medellín

“…Así mismo, varias investigaciones que han evaluado el efecto de algunos parámetros como la concentración de ERO en los resultados de ICSI, concuerdan con lo hallado en este estudio. 15 Aunque por el contrario, otros autores han observado una asociación negativa entre los niveles de ROS y las tasas de fecundación, desarrollo embrionario y embarazo y esos niveles son más altos en el plasma seminal de hombres infértiles en comparación con hombres fértiles. 16 Las ERO son subproductos normales del metabolismo, y se requieren en pequeñas cantidades para procesos celulares específicos como la capacitación, la reacción acrosomal y la adquisición del estado hiperactivado.…”

Measuring Reactive Oxygen Species in Semen for Male Preconception Care: A Scientist Perspective

“…This can be visualized either in the form of a reactive gel, in the instance of OxiSperm ® II (Madrid, Spain), or through their presence in sperm/leucocytes under bright-field microscopy (OxiSperm ® ), making the test quick and easy, requiring only basic laboratory equipment such as a light microscope. Many of the large cohort studies assessing the utility of OxiSperm or the NBT assay in male infertility diagnosis have only assessed infertile men, with indicators for medium to high levels of ROS present in 31–76% of infertile participants [ 53 , 54 , 58 , 59 ]. When comparing OxiSperm ® to a wide range of clinical sperm DNA damage markers (including, TUNEL, Comet, SCSA and chromatin dispersion assay) in 50 fertile and 50 infertile men, Javod et al found that OxiSperm ® had one of the highest levels of sensitivity, at 0.991, however, it had the lowest levels of specificity, at 0.322 and did not correlate with male infertility.…”