Endocrine Abstracts

Infertility is a global health problem that affects about 15% of couples and approximately half of infertility cases are associated with male factors. Oxidative Stress (OS) is reported as one of the major causes of male infertility, mainly due to spermatozoa’s vulnerability to the attack of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Infertile couples often recur to assisted reproductive technology (ART) to achieve a successful pregnancy. However, ART protocols also increase the exposure of gametes to OS conditions. A strategy often used to overcome this problem is the supplementation of media with antioxidants. Hyperoside (quercetin 3-O-galactoside) is a flavonol glycoside that has been shown to possess prominent antioxidant properties, preventing oxidative damage in several cellular systems. Thus, we proposed to investigate the impact of hyperoside supplementation on the protection of sperm against oxidative damage. For this purpose, sperm samples of normozoospermic patients (n=20) were supplemented with HYP (100 and 500 µM), for 1 h, in the presence and absence of hydrogen peroxide (300 µM). As a positive control, spermatozoa were supplemented with the well-known antioxidant, vitamin C (VC). After treatment, sperm quality parameters (motility and vitality) were evaluated, according to WHO guidelines. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of sperm medium was measured by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and OS biomarkers expression was assessed by slot blot technique. Further, DNA fragmentation was measured by TUNEL assay. Our results demonstrated that supplementation with HYP did not induce any deleterious effects to the physiology of the spermatozoa, after 1-h of treatment. Further, under an H₂O₂-induced OS condition, HYP was able to preserve sperm motility and decrease DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, HYP also appears to prevent the increase in lipid peroxidation under OS conditions. Overall, our findings lead us to suggest that sperm medium HYP supplementation can contribute to the improvement of sperm maintenance during ART protocols