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. 2020 Jan;8(1):181-190.
doi: 10.1111/andr.12643. Epub 2019 May 22.

Decrease of spermatozoa with an unbalanced chromosome content after cell sorting in men carrying a structural chromosomal abnormality

S El Fekih  1   2 , C Tous  3 , N Gueganic  1 , F Brugnon  4   5 , H Ben Ali  2 , L Bujan  6 , N Moinard  6 , E Caire-Tetauru  3 , M Ajina  7 , N Douet-Guilbert  1   3 , F Morel  1   3 , A Perrin  1   3
Affiliations

Decrease of spermatozoa with an unbalanced chromosome content after cell sorting in men carrying a structural chromosomal abnormality

S El Fekih et al. Andrology. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Background: We showed that in men with a constitutional chromosomal abnormality, DNA fragmentation was significantly higher in chromosomally unbalanced spermatozoa than in spermatozoa with a normal or balanced chromosomal content. These results could be explained by a phenomenon already described in infertile men: abortive apoptosis.

Objectives: To determine whether magnetic-activated cell separation could select spermatozoa with lower levels of DNA fragmentation and unbalanced chromosome content in men carrying a structural chromosomal abnormality.

Materials and methods: The spermatozoa of ten males with a chromosomal rearrangement were separated into two populations using magnetic-activated cell separation (annexin V (-) and annexin V (+) fractions), in order to study meiotic segregation by fluorescence in situ hybridization, the percentage of spermatozoa with an externalization of phosphatidylserine by annexin V staining and DNA fragmentation by TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling on the whole ejaculate and on selected spermatozoa in the same patient.

Results: For all patients, the percentage of spermatozoa with externalization of phosphatidylserine decreased in the annexin V (-) fraction and increased in the annexin V (+) fraction as compared to the frozen-thawed semen sample. The rates of DNA fragmentation were statistically much lower in the annexin V (-) fraction when compared to the rate before magnetic-activated cell separation for all but one patient. Conversely, we observed a statistically significantly higher rate of DNA fragmentation in the annexin V (+) fraction for six patients. After magnetic-activated cell separation, there was a significant increase of normal/balanced spermatozoa in the fraction of annexin V (-) for all patients. Conversely, we observed a significant decrease in the fraction of annexin V (+) for seven patients.

Discussion and conclusions: Magnetic-activated cell separation is a promising tool for increasing the selection of healthy spermatozoa, with a decrease in the number of spermatozoa with externalization of phosphatidylserine, DNA fragmentation, and chromosome unbalance, for use in assisted reproductive technologies such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection for males with a chromosomal structural abnormality.

Keywords: DNA fragmentation; chromosomally unbalanced; magnetic-activated cell separation; spermatozoa.

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References

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