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. 2025 May 8.
doi: 10.1007/s11255-025-04540-z. Online ahead of print.

The effect of in vitro use of FSH on sperm parameters, DNA integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential in asthenozoospermic men

Faezeh Etebari  1 , Mohammad Ebrahim Rezvani  1 , Sahar Khosravi  2 , Mahin Izadi  2   3 , Esmat Mangoli  4
Affiliations

The effect of in vitro use of FSH on sperm parameters, DNA integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential in asthenozoospermic men

Faezeh Etebari et al. Int Urol Nephrol. .

Abstract

Sperm motility is a key indicator of male fertility. Decreased motility, or asthenozoospermia, highlights the need for understanding male fertility challenges. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of in vitro use of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on various sperm parameters, sperm DNA integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Semen samples were obtained from 20 asthenozoospermic men. Each sample was divided into control and case groups. In the case group, samples were incubated with FSH at 30 mIU/mL for 1 h, while in the control group, the samples were incubated for 1 h without treatment. Sperm parameters, DNA fragmentation, and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed in the two groups based on WHO 2021 criteria. Progressive motility and rapid progressive motility were higher in the case group compared to the control. However, FSH did not have a significant effect on morphology, viability, DNA fragmentation, or mitochondrial membrane potential in either group. In conclusion, FSH effectively enhanced sperm motility without compromising sperm DNA integrity or mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Therefore, FSH can be recommended as a safe and effective option for sperm selection in patients with asthenozoospermia.

Keywords: Asthenozoospermia; DNA integrity; FSH; Sperm motility.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us. The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: We are especially grateful to all the experts who were integral partner in the preparation of facilities. This study was supported financially by the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences.

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