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Increased frequency of micronuclei in lymphocytes of infertile males after exposure to gamma irradiation: a possible sign of genomic instability

  • genetics
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Induced chromosomal instability and micronucleus (MN) formation in blood lymphocytes of infertile men in comparison with fertile men exposed to gamma radiation was investigated.

Methods

Blood samples of healthy and infertile donors were irradiated by 2 and 4 Gy Co-60 gamma-rays, then cultured in RPMI-1640 complete medium containing 1% phytoheamaglutinin (PHA) and incubated in a CO2 incubator. Cytochalasin-B was added to the cultures at a final concentration of 4 μg/ml. Finally, harvesting, slide making, and analysis were performed according to standard procedures.

Results

We observed a statistically significant difference between the frequencies of micronuclei in lymphocytes of infertile individuals, compared to healthy donors, before and after exposure to gamma rays. Although higher in azoospermia patients, the frequency of MN was not statistically different between infertile groups.

Conclusions

This study indicates that genomic instability in infertile men could probably contribute to the development of an impaired reproductive capacity.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Research Department of Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University. The authors wish to express their sincere thanks to all patients and healthy individuals for blood donation and Ms Zahra Tizmaghz for irradiation of samples.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box: 14115-111, Tehran, Iran

    Sahar Moghbeli-Nejad & Hossein Mozdarani

  2. Infertility Department, Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran

    Ashraf Aleyasin

Authors
  1. Sahar Moghbeli-Nejad
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  2. Hossein Mozdarani
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  3. Ashraf Aleyasin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hossein Mozdarani.

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Capsule

Lymphocytes from infertile individuals showed higher frequency of micronuclei after gamma irradiation compared to controls indicating more susceptibility of infertile men to DNA damaging agents.

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Moghbeli-Nejad, S., Mozdarani, H. & Aleyasin, A. Increased frequency of micronuclei in lymphocytes of infertile males after exposure to gamma irradiation: a possible sign of genomic instability. J Assist Reprod Genet 29, 89–94 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9550-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9550-8

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