Effects of ulipristal acetate on sperm DNA fragmentation during in vitro incubation. (October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Munuce, María José; Cicaré, Juliana; Zumoffen, Carlos; Caille, Adriana; Ghersevich, Sergio; Bahamondes, Luis
• Is Part Of: European journal of contraception & reproductive health care. Volume 18:Number 5(2013:Oct.)
• Page Start: 355
• Page End: 363
• Publication Date: 2013-10
• Subjects: Contraception -- Periodicals; Reproductive health -- Periodicals; Generative organs, Female -- Periodicals; Contraception -- Periodicals; Reproductive Medicine -- Periodicals; 613.9
• DOI: 10.3109/13625187.2013.813930
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1362-5187

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Objective</bold> Ulipristal acetate (UPA) acts as an emergency contraceptive by inhibiting ovulation. This study explores possible additional effects on the fragmentation of sperm DNA during <italic>in vitro</italic> incubation.</p> <p>M<bold>ethods</bold> Motile spermatozoa from healthy donors were selected by swim-up and incubated under capacitating conditions in control medium or with UPA (1, 10, 100, 1, 000 or 10, 000 ng/ml). In some experiments, 200 μM of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> were added to induce oxidative stress. The sperm chromatin dispersion test was performed to analyse DNA integrity (400 cells; 1000×). Lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid assay), induced-acrosome reaction (AR) and sperm vitality (Eosin Y) were also evaluated in spermatozoa exposed to UPA and/or H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>.</p> <p> <bold>Results</bold> During sperm incubation, the percentage of fragmented DNA increased significantly, from 15.0 ± 1.3 to 41.0 ± 4.5% (<italic>p</italic> < 0.001). In the presence of UPA, DNA fragmentation decreased significantly (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05), in a dose-dependent manner. At 100 and 1000 ng/ml, UPA also counteracted the effect of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and prevented DNA fragmentation. No effect on sperm vitality, lipid peroxidation or induced-AR was found with any treatment.</p> <p> <bold>Conclusions</bold> During <italic>in vitro</italic> sperm capacitation DNA fragmentation increased but the latter was counteracted in the presence of UPA, which possibly acted as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species produced by spermatozoa.</p> </abstract>