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Scrotal heat stress causes sperm chromatin damage and cysteinyl aspartate-spicific proteinases 3 changes in fertile men

  • Reproductive Physiology and Disease
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To observe changes in semen parameters, sperm DNA integrity, chromatin condensation and cysteinyl aspartate-spicific proteinases (Caspase-3) in adult healthy men after scrotal heat stress (SHS).

Methods

The scrotums of 19 healthy male volunteers were exposed to the condition of 40–43 °C SHS belt warming 40 min each day for successive 2 days per week. The course of SHS was continuously 3 months. Routine semen analysis, hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test, eosin Y (EY) staining sperm HOS and chromatin dispersion (HOS/SCD) test, HOS and aniline blue (HOS/AB) staining test were carried out before, during and after SHS. The activated Caspase 3 levels of spermatozoa were determined with a microtiter plate reader.

Results

The mean parameters of sperm concentration, motility and normal morphological sperm were significantly decreased in groups with sperm being collected during SHS 1, 2 and 3 months when compared with those in groups of pre-SHS (P < 0.01). Statistically significant differences of sperm DNA fragmentation, normal sperm membrane and vitality, and Caspase-3 activity were observed between the groups of before SHS and after SHS 3 months and the groups of during SHS 1, 2 and 3 months (P < 0.001). Three months the SHS stopped, various parameters recovered to the level before SHS. Abnormal sperm with HOS/AB and HOS/SCD showed a negatively significant correlation with normal sperm by HOS/EY test, and WBC in semen showed a positively significant correlation with Caspase-3 activity. The percentage of abnormal sperm by using the test of HOS/SCD showed a positively significant correlation with that of HOS/AB.

Conclusions

The continuously constant SHS can impact the semen quality, sperm DNA integrity, chromatin condensation and Caspase-3, and the combination of HOS plus AB test may simultaneously determine the integrity of membrane and chromatin condensation at the same spermatozoon.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank doctor Feng Chen (Shandong Provincial Xintai Family Planning Service Station) and Hua-Qiang Liu (Shandong Provincial Pingyin Family Planning Service Station) for their help in semen processing and their technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health and Family Planning Commission of China, Key Laboratory for Improving Birth Outcome Technique, Shandong Provincial Family Planning Institute of Science and Technology, 69 Yuhan Road Jinan, Shandong, 250002, People’s Republic of China

    Mei-Hua Zhang, Zhi-Da Shi, Jian-Chun Yu, Yan-Ping Zhang, Lei-Guang Wang & Yi Qiu

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  1. Mei-Hua Zhang
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  2. Zhi-Da Shi
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  6. Yi Qiu
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Correspondence to Yi Qiu.

Additional information

The work was supported by the National “China’s 12th 5-Year Plan (2011–2015)” of Science and Technology (No: 2012BAI31B08)

Capsule The continuously constant SHS can impact the semen quality, sperm DNA integrity, chromatin condensation and Caspase-3, and the combination of HOS plus AB test may simultaneously determine the integrity of membrane and chromatin condensation at the same spermatozoon.

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Zhang, MH., Shi, ZD., Yu, JC. et al. Scrotal heat stress causes sperm chromatin damage and cysteinyl aspartate-spicific proteinases 3 changes in fertile men. J Assist Reprod Genet 32, 747–755 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0451-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0451-0

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