Authors

Venus W. Huang, B.Sc., Weie Zhao, M.B.B.S., Cheuk-Lun Lee, Ph.D., Cherie Y. L. Lee, Ph.D., Kevin K. W. Lam, Ph.D., Jennifer K. Y. Ko, M.B.B.S., William S. B. Yeung, Ph.D., Pak-Chung Ho, M.D., Philip C. N. Chiu, Ph.D.

Volume 99, Issue 5, Pages 1444-1452.e3, April 2013

Abstract

Objective:

To study the potential in vitro protective action of oviductal epithelial cell membrane proteins against oxidative damage in human spermatozoa.

Design:

Prospective in vitro study.

Settings:

University research laboratory and infertility clinic.

Patient(s):

Semen from males attending the infertility clinic at the Queen Mary Hospital with normal semen parameters (World Health Organization, 2010).

Interventions(s):

We studied the effect of oviductal epithelial cell membrane proteins on the sperm functions and endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Sperm motility, lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation, intracellular ROS level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities

Results:

Oviductal epithelial cell membrane proteins bind to the human spermatozoa and protect them from ROS-induced damages in terms of sperm motility, membrane integrity, DNA integrity and intracellular ROS level. Spermatozoa-oviduct epithelial cells interaction also enhances the antioxidant defenses in spermatozoa.

Conclusions:

Our results demonstrated the protective effects of spermatozoon-oviductal epithelial cell interaction against oxidative stress in human spermatozoa. The results enhance our understanding on the protective mechanism of oviduct on sperm functions.

Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(12)02502-2/fulltext