Publication details
The effects of non-thermal plasma treatment on the structural and functional parameters of human spermatozoa
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Nowadays, the number of couples that benefit from assisted reproduction (AR) is increasing due to various environmental and lifestyle factors. As high-quality reproductive cells contribute to the success of AR, it is essential to collect and process structurally and functionally competent gametes [1]. As pointed out by many studies, bacterial contamination of ejaculates has become an essential contributor to excessive sperm degradation in AR clinics [2]. However, the advantages of supplementing antibiotics to semen extenders have been questioned for a couple of years now. Despite the ability of antibiotics to prevent bacteriospermia, an increased number of reports have emerged emphasizing on the potentially toxic effects of traditional antibiotics on the sperm and embryo vitality [3]. These findings, coupled with a dramatically increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, have contributed to the need for finding appropriate alternatives to reduce their widespread use during semen handling. Significant antibacterial properties of non-thermal plasma (NTP) have converted this technology into a promising solution for this problem. As substantial data available on the specific in vitro effects of NTP on male reproductive cells are currently missing, our study was designed to investigate selected quality parameters of human spermatozoa exposed to NTP generated by RPS40 plasma generator for 15 to 90 s. This plasma source is based on the technology of diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge that was previously used for treatment of various cell types. Sperm motility characteristics, membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity, production of reactive oxygen species, DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation were investigated in our study. Sperm cells were analyzed immediately and 2 hours after the NTP treatment. Exposure to NTP for 15 s or 30 s had no negative effects on the structure and function of sperm. However, longer NTP treatment impaired all the sperm quality markers in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings indicate that appropriate plasma exposure conditions need to be carefully selected in order to preserve the sperm vitality. Assuming lower NTP doses used in our experiments are effective enough to exhibit substantial antibacterial effects, the RPS40 plasma generator could become an interesting strategy to decrease the bacterial contamination of semen samples without harmful effects on the sperm cells. |