Semen evaluation: methodological advancements in sperm quality-specific fertility assessment — A review

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Abstract

Assessment of male fertility is based on the evaluation of sperm. Semen evaluation measures various sperm quality parameters as fertility indicators. However, semen evaluation has limitations, and it requires the advancement and application of strict quality control methods to interpret the results. This article reviews the recent advances in evaluating various sperm-specific quality characteristics and methodologies, with the help of different assays to assess sperm-fertility status. Sperm evaluation methods that include conventional microscopic methods, computer-assisted sperm analyzers (CASA), and flow cytometric analysis, provide precise information related to sperm morphology and function. Moreover, profiling fertility-related biomarkers in sperm or seminal plasma can be helpful in predicting fertility. Identification of different sperm proteins and diagnosis of DNA damage has positively contributed to the existing pool of knowledge about sperm physiology and molecular anomalies associated with different infertility issues in males. Advances in methods and sperm-specific evaluation has subsequently resulted in a better understanding of sperm biology that has improved the diagnosis and clinical management of male factor infertility. Accurate sperm evaluation is of paramount importance in the application of artificial insemination and assisted reproductive technology. However, no single test can precisely determine fertility; the selection of an appropriate test or a set of tests and parameters is required to accurately determine the fertility of specific animal species. Therefore, a need to further calibrate the CASA and advance the gene expression tests is recommended for faster and field-level applications.

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Analysis of tissue specimens by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry in biological and clinical research.

Jeremy L Norris, Richard M Caprioli (2013)

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Mitochondria functionality and sperm quality.

Monica Telles, Márcio B. Lourenço, Alexandra Amaral … (2012)

Although mitochondria are best known for being the eukaryotic cell powerhouses, these organelles participate in various cellular functions besides ATP production, such as calcium homoeostasis, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and steroid hormone biosynthesis. The aim of this review was to discuss the putative roles of mitochondria in mammalian sperm function and how they may relate to sperm quality and fertilisation ability, particularly in humans. Although paternal mitochondria are degraded inside the zygote, sperm mitochondrial functionality seems to be critical for fertilisation. Indeed, changes in mitochondrial integrity/functionality, namely defects in mitochondrial ultrastructure or in the mitochondrial genome, transcriptome or proteome, as well as low mitochondrial membrane potential or altered oxygen consumption, have been correlated with loss of sperm function (particularly with decreased motility). Results from genetically engineered mouse models also confirmed this trend. On the other hand, increasing evidence suggests that mitochondria derived ATP is not crucial for sperm motility and that glycolysis may be the main ATP supplier for this particular aspect of sperm function. However, there are contradictory data in the literature regarding sperm bioenergetics. The relevance of sperm mitochondria may thus be associated with their role in other physiological features, particularly with the production of ROS, which in controlled levels are needed for proper sperm function. Sperm mitochondria may also serve as intracellular Ca²⁺ stores, although their role in signalling is still unclear.

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Male Oxidative Stress Infertility (MOSI): Proposed Terminology and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Idiopathic Male Infertility

Ashok Agarwal, Neel Parekh, Manesh Panner Selvam … (2019)

Despite advances in the field of male reproductive health, idiopathic male infertility, in which a man has altered semen characteristics without an identifiable cause and there is no female factor infertility, remains a challenging condition to diagnose and manage. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress (OS) plays an independent role in the etiology of male infertility, with 30% to 80% of infertile men having elevated seminal reactive oxygen species levels. OS can negatively affect fertility via a number of pathways, including interference with capacitation and possible damage to sperm membrane and DNA, which may impair the sperm's potential to fertilize an egg and develop into a healthy embryo. Adequate evaluation of male reproductive potential should therefore include an assessment of sperm OS. We propose the term Male Oxidative Stress Infertility, or MOSI, as a novel descriptor for infertile men with abnormal semen characteristics and OS, including many patients who were previously classified as having idiopathic male infertility. Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) can be a useful clinical biomarker for the classification of MOSI, as it takes into account the levels of both oxidants and reductants (antioxidants). Current treatment protocols for OS, including the use of antioxidants, are not evidence-based and have the potential for complications and increased healthcare-related expenditures. Utilizing an easy, reproducible, and cost-effective test to measure ORP may provide a more targeted, reliable approach for administering antioxidant therapy while minimizing the risk of antioxidant overdose. With the increasing awareness and understanding of MOSI as a distinct male infertility diagnosis, future research endeavors can facilitate the development of evidence-based treatments that target its underlying cause.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Anim Biosci

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Anim Biosci

Title: Animal Bioscience

Publisher: Animal Bioscience

ISSN (Print): 2765-0189

ISSN (Electronic): 2765-0235

Publication date (Print): August 2021

Publication date (Electronic): 23 April 2021

Volume: 34

Issue: 8

Pages: 1253-1270

Affiliations

[1 ]College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea

[2 ]Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hawassa University, 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia

[3 ]Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang 35200, Sub-campus University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

[4 ]Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin 09016, Turkey

[5 ]Department of Companion Animal, Shingu College, Seongnam 13174, Korea

Author notes

[* ]Corresponding Author: Jongki Cho, Tel: +82-42-821-6788, Fax: +82-42-821-8903, E-mail: cjki@ 123456cnu.ac.kr

[a]

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Author information

Bereket Molla Tanga https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9901-5875

Ahmad Yar Qamar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0366-3913

Sanan Raza https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1819-1522

Seonggyu Bang https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2513-4887

Xun Fang https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8714-0679

Kiyoung Yoon https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4891-2247

Jongki Cho https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8431-0457

Article

Publisher ID: ab-21-0072

DOI: 10.5713/ab.21.0072

PMC ID: 8255896

PubMed ID: 33902175

SO-VID: 14f10a07-4562-49cf-b5ab-27fc413eeb54

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

History

Date received : 16 February 2021

Date revision received : 25 March 2021

Date accepted : 30 March 2021

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Semen evaluation: methodological advancements in sperm quality-specific fertility assessment — A review

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Most cited references 206

Analysis of tissue specimens by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry in biological and clinical research.

Mitochondria functionality and sperm quality.

Male Oxidative Stress Infertility (MOSI): Proposed Terminology and Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Idiopathic Male Infertility

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