Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

3 Anatomy Dep, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

4 Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

5 Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

6 Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

10.22074/ijfs.2023.563577.1379

Abstract

Background: Sperm chromatin abnormalities are defects in nuclear maturation and DNA integrity. These defects
originated from defective spermatogenesis due to a lack of DNA repair during chromatin remodeling. Changes in
semen elements can cause damage to chromatin. There is little information about the relationship between changes
in trace metal elements and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) with sperm chromatin damage. The present study was
conducted to determine the relationship between Selenium (Se), Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu) and the TAC of
semen with the status of human sperm chromatin.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, semen samples (n=30) were collected from healthy men referred
to Kermanshah Motazadi Hospital and stored in liquid nitrogen; after thawing and centrifugation, sperm were separated.
The atomic absorption method was used to measure the concentration of metal elements. The TAC was evaluated
using the ferric-reducing antioxidant capacity of the plasma method. Furthermore, the integrity of sperm chromatin
was measured using the sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) method.
Results: The status of sperm chromatin had a non-significant correlation with body mass index (BMI, P=0.25, r=0.21)
and a non-significant negative correlation with sperm count (P=0.71, r=-0.71) and motility (P=0.75, r=0.61). In addition,
there was no significant relationship between sperm chromatin and the TAC of semen (P=0.92, r=0.01). Additionally,
there was no significant correlation between Se, Zn, or Cu concentration (P>0.05) and Fe concentration,
which had a partially positive relationship with the chromatin state of sperm (P=0.24, r=0.20).
Conclusion: The trace metal elements in the seminal fluid did not play a significant role in the status of sperm chromatin.

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