Antioxidative Effect of Rebamipide in Cryopreservation and Thawing of Sperm / 대한남성과학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We performed this study to investigate the effects of adding rebamipide to cryoprotectant, to identify the improvement in sperm parameters by antioxidative action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen samples from 30 normal healthy volunteers were collected. Rebapimide was added with various concentration in cryoprotectant. All specimens were cryopreservated for 3 days and thawed at room temperature. Sperm motility, vitality, fertile activity, levels of ROS and lipid peroxidation were analyzed by semen analysis, eosin-nigrosin stain, hypo-osmotic swelling test, chemiluminescence and thiobarbituric acid method, respectively, before and after cryopreservation and thawing. RESULTS: After cryopreservation and thawing, the sperm motility was significantly decreased in all concentrations, but motility was higher in proportion to concentration of rebapimide (p0.05). The levels of seminal ROS and the lipid peroxidation were significantly decreased in proportion to the concentration of rebamipide after cryopreservation and thawing (p<0.05), but the total swelling rate in hypo-osmotic swelling test was significantly increased (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that rebamipide is an effective free radical scavenger to protect sperm from oxidative cellualr damage during cryopreservation and thawing.