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Comparative Effect of Photobiomodulation on Human Semen Samples Pre- and Post-Cryopreservation

  • Male Reproduction: Original Article
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Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate and to compare the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) on sperm parameters both before and after cryopreservation. In this regard, 24 freshly ejaculated semen samples from normozoospermic men were included in this study. Each semen sample was randomly divided into three groups (1 ml aliquot for each group): the control group (group one) underwent conventional sperm cryopreservation (n = 24), group two underwent pre-freezing PBM exposure (810 nm, diode laser, and 0.6 J/cm2) (n = 24), and group three underwent post freezing and thawing PBM exposure (n = 24). Indicators of sperm quality, including total sperm motility (TSM), progressive sperm motility (PSM), DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation levels, apoptosis-like changes, and gene expression levels of protamine (PRM) 1, PRM2, and adducin 1 alpha (ADD1), were investigated in a blinded style. Due to the beneficial effect of pre-freezing PBM therapy, group 2 exhibited the highest TSM and PSM levels compared to groups 1 and 3. At the same time, DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation were significantly reduced in the group 2 compared to the group 1 (p = 0.024 p = 0.016, respectively). Evaluation of apoptotic/necrotic changes revealed that parameters including early apoptosis, dead, and necrotic cells decreased in the group 2 compared to the either groups 1 (p = 0. 008, p = 0. 032, p = 0. 02, respectively) or group 3 (p = 0.037, p = 0.108, p = 0.083). There were no significant differences in the expression levels of PRM1, PRM2, and ADD1 among the study groups. Based on our results, PBM therapy prior to cryopreservation, even in the normal semen samples, plays a significant protective role against cryo-damage by preserving the functional parameters of spermatozoa.

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Data Availability

Some more information about statistical analyses were provided, so if needed, we can send as supplementary of data.

Code Availability

All analyses were carried out using SPSS software (version 22 for Windows; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank staffs of Andrology Laboratories of Assisted Reproduction Unit at Tleghani Hospital,Tehran, Iran, for their nice collaboration.

Funding

The present article was financially supported by Menʼs Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran (grant no: 21180).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Fereshteh Safian, Mohammad Bayat, Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar, Hamid Nazarian, Zahra Shams Mofarahe, Mahsa Kazemi & Pourya Raee

  2. Price Institute of Surgical Research, University of Louisville, and Noveratech LLC of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

    Mohammad Bayat & Sufan Chien

  3. Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Vahid Jajarmi

  4. Men’s Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Marefat Ghaffari Novin

  5. Taban Infertility Center, Tehran, Iran

    Mahsa Ghaffari Novin

Authors
  1. Fereshteh Safian
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  2. Mohammad Bayat
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  3. Vahid Jajarmi
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  4. Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar
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  5. Hamid Nazarian
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  6. Zahra Shams Mofarahe
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  7. Mahsa Ghaffari Novin
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  10. Sufan Chien
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  11. Marefat Ghaffari Novin
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Contributions

Dr Safian, Dr Ghaffari and Dr. Bayat wrote the proposal and manuscript. Dr Safian performed the methods. Dr Jajarmi, Dr Abdollahifar, Dr Nazarian, Dr Shams Mofarahe, and Dr Chien added some comments. Dr Kazemi and Dr Raee grammatically edited the paper. Dr Safian analyzed statistically the data. Dr Ghaffari did help in some methods.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marefat Ghaffari Novin.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Safian, F., Bayat, M., Jajarmi, V. et al. Comparative Effect of Photobiomodulation on Human Semen Samples Pre- and Post-Cryopreservation. Reprod. Sci. 29, 1463–1470 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-021-00805-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-021-00805-x

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