In vitro ameliorative effects of ellagic acid on vitality, motility and DNA quality in human spermatozoa

Oxidative stress (OS) plays a significant role in the etiology of male infertility, resulting in the impairment of male reproduction. This condition, characterized by an imbalance in the levels of oxidizing and antioxidant species in the seminal fluid, has a harmful impact on sperm functions and DNA...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular reproduction and development 2021-02, Vol.88 (2), p.167-174
Main Authors: Iovine, Concetta, Mottola, Filomena, Santonastaso, Marianna, Finelli, Renata, Agarwal, Ashok, Rocco, Lucia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antioxidants
Benzene
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA nucleotidylexotransferase
Ellagic acid
Etiology
Genomes
Genotoxicity
Infertility
Inflammation
Intracellular
male infertility
Motility
Oxidative stress
Random amplified polymorphic DNA
Reactive oxygen species
Seminal fluid
Sperm
sperm DNA damage
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Summary:Oxidative stress (OS) plays a significant role in the etiology of male infertility, resulting in the impairment of male reproduction. This condition, characterized by an imbalance in the levels of oxidizing and antioxidant species in the seminal fluid, has a harmful impact on sperm functions and DNA integrity. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti‐genotoxic action of ellagic acid, a polyphenolic molecule of natural origin having a powerful antigenotoxic, anti‐inflammatory and antiproliferative role. An OS condition was induced in vitro by incubating normozoospermic human semen samples in benzene for 45, 60 and 90 min. DNA integrity was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, RAPD‐PCR was performed to calculate the genome template stability, while the percentage of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed by the 2ʹ, 7ʹ‐dichlorofluorescein assay. Our results showed that ellagic acid has a consistent protective effect on DNA integrity, as well as on sperm vitality and motility, by counteracting generation of intracellular ROS. The results of this study suggest ellagic acid as a suitable molecule to protect sperm DNA from oxidative stress, with a potentially significant translational impact on the management of the male infertility.
ISSN:1040-452X
1098-2795
DOI:10.1002/mrd.23455