Bulky DNA adducts in human sperm correlate with semen parameters and sperm apoptosis / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the correlation of sperm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)-DNA adducts with semen quality and sperm apoptosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected semen samples from 433 infertile Chinese men, detected sperm PAH-DNA adducts using immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry, and determined the rate of sperm apoptosis by TUNEL.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the level of sperm PAH-DNA adducts was correlated negatively with sperm concentration (beta = -0.632), total sperm count (beta = -0.830) and sperm motility (beta = -9.647), but positively with the rate of sperm apoptosis (beta = 0.130).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sperm PAH-DNA adducts are evidently correlated with semen quality and sperm apoptosis, and play an important role in the evaluation of male productivity.</p>