Positive effect of progesterone on motility and velocity of fresh, vitrified without permeable cryoprotectants and frozen with permeable cryoprotectants human spermatozoa

Abstract

Steroid hormone progesterone has been found to play an important role in the migration of spermatozoa through the reproductive tract, as well as to induce hyperactive motility and increase sperm velocity. The aim of this study was to examine whether progesterone could induce beneficial effects in vitrified and slow-frozen spermatozoa. During the research process, 50 semen samples were divided into three treatment groups; noncryopreserved, slow-freezing and vitrification. After thawing and an incubation period of 2 hr to induce capacitation, semen samples from each treatment group were treated with 50 nM, 25 nM progesterone and a control solution for 30 min. Thereafter, the sperm suspensions were examined manually to assess the proportion of viable and motile spermatozoa, as well as using the CASA to evaluate the velocity parameters. The results indicated a higher proportion of progressively motile spermatozoa in vitrified teratozoospermic samples and improved velocity parameters in slow-frozen normozoospermic and teratozoospermic samples. The main conclusion of this research was that the used progesterone concentration of 50 nM was sufficient to significantly improve the motility of vitrified teratozoospermic samples and velocity parameters of cryopreserved sperm samples. The present findings might have important implications in determining ways of improving the current low rates of motility in cryopreserved spermatozoa.

Progesterone decrease plasma membrane in human sperm with subnormal hypoosmotic swelling test scores

“…The study by Sayme et al (6) showed that P4 increased hyperactivated motility in human sperm cryopreserved by slow freezing and vitrification, at P4 concentrations of 0, 25, 50 nM. The present study was different from that of Sayme et al (6) in that our study used fresh human sperm.…”

“…The study by Sayme et al (6) showed that P4 increased hyperactivated motility in human sperm cryopreserved by slow freezing and vitrification, at P4 concentrations of 0, 25, 50 nM. The present study was different from that of Sayme et al (6) in that our study used fresh human sperm. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of various P4 concentrations on hyperactivated motility and membrane integrity of fresh human sperm.…”

Sperm migration, selection, survival, and fertilizing ability in the mammalian oviduct

“…Exposure of boar sperm to P4 concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 nM was reported to rapidly enhance sperm viability and sperm glucose and lipid metabolism compared with untreated controls [ 128 ]. In addition, P4 at 50 nM was found to stimulate within 30 min the progressive motility of human sperm after cryopreservation [ 140 ], suggesting a significant role of P4 on sperm motility. Accordingly, sperm hyperactivated motility was shown to be promoted by nanomolar concentrations of P4 in cattle [ 105 ] and hamster [ 141 ].…”

“…(A) Treatment with picomolar concentrations of E2 inhibits sperm motility in sheep [ 129 ], promotes capacitation in mice [ 132 ], and acrosome reaction in sheep [ 129 ]. (B) Nanomolar concentrations of P4 found after ovulation have beneficial effect on sperm capacitation in pigs [ 4 , 128 , 142 , 145 ], human [ 140 , 143 , 144 , 148 ], cattle [ 105 ], sheep [ 129 ], in horse [ 129 ], in macaques [ 147 ], and in hamster [ 141 ]. (C) A suppressive effect of picomolar levels of E2 on P4-induced hyperactivation was reported in hamster [ 149 , 150 ] and humans [ 148 ].…”