Effects of in vitro repaglinide supplementation on improving sperm motility parameters, viability, and DNA integrity in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic men.

OBJECTIVE: Human sperm motility and hyperactivation (HA) are induced by different factors such as intracellular calcium concentration. Repaglinide is an antidiabetic drug that, via the blocking of ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K-ATP channels), depolarization of the ß-cell membrane, and opening of the voltage-gated calcium channels leads to an increase in intracellular calcium. The present study aimed to examine the effects of repaglinide on in vitro sperm motility parameters, viability, and DNA integrity in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic men. METHODS: Semen samples were collected from two groups of normozoospermic donors and asthenozoospermic patients. The samples were washed free of seminal plasma and then treated with medium alone (control) or with 100 nM and 1µM concentrations of repaglinide. After 1 h of incubation, percent sperm motility and hyperactivation were assessed; after 2 h of incubation, sperm viability and DNA fragmentation rate were evaluated by the Eosin-Y and acridine orange staining, respectively. RESULTS: In both groups, repaglinide at a concentration of 100 nM and 1µM significantly improved percent sperm motility, hyperactivation, and vital sperms with normal DNA; in specimens from normozoospermic men, the 1µM concentration had a noticeable effect on progressive motility; in samples from asthenozoospermic men, the highest hyperactivation rate was seen at a concentration of 100 nM as compared with the 1µM concentration and controls (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that repaglinide can improve sperm motility, hyperactivity, viability, and DNA integrity in both normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic men.

Protective Effect of Rosa Canina Extract Against Doxorubicin-induced Testicular Toxicity in Mice

Abstract The present study was aimed to investigate the in vivo effects of Rosa canina extract on doxorubicin-induced testicular toxicity in mice for the first time. Male NMRI mice were randomly divided into six treatment groups (10=per group) as follows: (I) vehicles, (II) doxorubicin alone (3 mg/kg, i.p. on days 7, 14 and 21), (III and IV): Rosa canina extract alone (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg per day, i.p. for 28 days), (V and VI) Rosa canina extract plus doxorubicin (each dose given 1 h post Rosa canina). Doxorubicin-treated mice displayed smaller body and testicular weights, decreased serum levels of testosterone, loss in the number of germ cells and Sertoli cells, and reduced sperm count, viability, morphology and motility. Doxorubicin treatment significantly decreased the mean testis diameter, seminiferous tubular diameter and seminiferous epithelial height and increased seminiferous luminal diameter. However, Rosa canina pretreatment could effectively improve all of these abnormalities in doxorubicin- treated mice. The treatment with a higher dose of the extract (200 mg/kg) was more effective compared to doxorubicin and the lower dose of the extract. These findings suggested that the Rosa canina extract has protective effects against doxorubicin-induced reproductive toxicity.

Zinc supplementation of vitrification medium improves in vitro maturation and fertilization of oocytes derived from vitrified-warmed mouse ovaries.

Oocyte cryopreservation is an approach for fertility preservation for normal women and cancer patients facing chemo and radiotherapy. The present study evaluated the effect of adding zinc chloride to the vitrification medium used for whole mouse ovaries and then assessing the in vitro maturation and fertilization of oocytes when they were subsequently extracted from these vitrified ovarian tissues. Four vitrification solutions with 0, 100,150 and 200 µg/dl zinc (V0, V1, V2 and V3 respectively) were compared. The viability of oocytes isolated from ovaries vitrified-warmed in the highest concentration of zinc (V3) was significantly higher after 24 than in the control V0 group (72.99 vs 85.97). Progression to the MII stage, fertilization and cleavage by 48 h was also higher in the V3 than V0 control group (35.55 vs 44.73), (47.67 vs 63.74), (28.72 vs 43.03) (P < 0.05) respectively. These results indicate that supplementation of vitrification medium for intact ovaries with zinc can improve the oocyte viability and in vitro maturation-fertilization rate.