Sperm motility under exposure of hydrogen dioxide

The paper contains research data on the effect of low concentrations of hydrogen dioxide on human sperm motility and specific enzyme activity of sperms of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. It is shown that incubation of sperms with hydrogen dioxide in a low concentration leads to a change and motility in sperm and activity of sperm enzyme. Intensity of observed effect depended on the concentration of hydrogen dioxide: active mobility increased by 17–19 % and the total mobility – 11 %. Motility changes in sperms were accompanied by increased activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by 24 %, in normozoospermia response was higher than in pathozoospermia and also depended on the concentration of hydrogen dioxide. The use of sperm analyzer enabled revealing changes in the diapason of different speeds of the active fraction of sperm, which have been observed in the first 15 min of incubation with hydrogen dioxide. A possible mechanism of action of the detected effect is discussed. Reactive oxygen species easily oxidize enzyme for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of sperms, which leads to a loss of sperm motility, for example, in varicocele. Initially low enzyme activity in varicocele (pathozoospermia) may be associated with the suppression of sperm antioxidant defense. Addition of low concentrations of hydrogen dioxide into sperm samples leads to an increase in the concentration of reduced glutathione in a cell. Increase of sperm motility in this case can serve as an indicator of normal operation of the cellular antioxidant defense system. Obtained experimental results provide a background for their introduction into clinical practice in the program of assisted reproductive technologies.