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Efficacy and safety of papaverine as an in vitro motility enhancer on human spermatozoa

  • Gamete Biology
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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine the ability and safety of papaverine supplementation for in vitro sperm motility enhancement. In addition, sperm motility enhancement of papaverine was compared to pentoxifylline and theophylline. The post-thaw spermatozoa were used as an asthenozoospermia model.

Methods

Post thaw sperm suspensions were divided into two groups: papaverine (100 μmol/L) and control, and each was investigated in two subgroups of 30- and 60-min exposure times. Detailed motility parameters were detected using a computerized sperm motility analyzer. Acrosomal status, viability, apoptosis, and DNA fragmentation were evaluated by flow cytometry. Furthermore, the motility-enhancing capacity of papaverine, pentoxifylline, and theophylline was compared.

Results

Cryopreservation impaired sperm parameters dramatically but no significant changes occurred in acrosomal status and apoptosis. Supplementation of papaverine enhanced motility parameters consistently at all exposure intervals, significantly. However, viability was lower at the 60th minute compared to the 30th minute (p=0.019). Papaverine did not alter any acrosomal or apoptotic markers at any time points. All of the compounds compared in this study increased the motility parameters, where theophylline supplementation provided significantly better improvement in total motility compared to papaverine and pentoxifylline.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that in vitro papaverine treatment for 30 min adequately improves motility of post-thaw sperm, without leading to acrosome reaction, DNA damage, and viability loss. Theophylline’s potency on increasing the ratio of total motile spermatozoa was found significantly superior than the two tested compounds. Prospective clinical studies with embryo production, pregnancy, and live birth data should be undertaken.

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Data Availability

Data obtained in this manuscript is available

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Assisted Reproduction, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    Ebru Ibis & Sinan Ozkavukcu

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    Serhat Hayme

  3. Department of Histology and Embryology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    Ekin Baysal & Sinan Ozkavukcu

  4. Department of Biology, Ankara University Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Ankara, Turkey

    Nursel Gul

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Contributions

EI was involved in the sample collection, acquisition of data, patient’s enrollment, follow-up, and drafting of the article. SH performed statistical analysis. EB was involved in the interpretation of data, critical revision for important intellectual content, and drafting of the article. NG performed the design and interpretation of data. SO was involved in the conception, coordination and design of the study, acquisition of data, analysis, interpretation and critical revision of data, drafting of the article, and critical revision of the article for important intellectual content. All the authors performed the final approval of the version to be published.

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Correspondence to Sinan Ozkavukcu.

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The approval of the Ankara University Research Ethical Committee was gained (Approval number: 02-60-18. Date: 22.01.2018).

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Ibis, E., Hayme, S., Baysal, E. et al. Efficacy and safety of papaverine as an in vitro motility enhancer on human spermatozoa. J Assist Reprod Genet 38, 1523–1537 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-021-02160-x

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