Sperm DNA integrity and male infertility: Exploring the role of DNA fragmentation and chromatin packaging

Identifier:  TFG:6575

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG6575

Authors:  Domingo Lopez, Mar

Abstract:
Male fertility/infertility evaluation is mostly limited to examining alterations in the seminogram. Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has recently emerged as a potential diagnostic tool for male infertility. This study investigates the association between SDF, seminal parameters, oxidative stress, and alterations in sperm chromatin. Our results showed a positive association between increased levels of sperm oxidative stress and both single and double-strand SDF. The amount of DNA with double-stranded breaks was found increased in patients with high SDF together with altered protamine relative levels. Furthermore, methodologies to deeper understand the role of SDF in male infertility were optimized in this work.