Abstract
Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is involved in the physiology and pathophysiology of different cell types, but little is known about its role in sperm cells. Because of its reducing properties, we hypothesise that H2S protects spermatozoa against the deleterious effects of oxidative stress, a condition that is common to several male fertility disorders. This study aimed i) to determine the total antioxidant capacities of Na2S and GYY4137, which are fast- and slow-releasing H2S donors, respectively, and ii) to test whether H2S donors are able to protect spermatozoa against oxidative stress. We found that Na2S and GYY4137 show different antioxidant properties, with the total antioxidant capacity of Na2S being mostly unstable and even undetectable at 150 µM. Moreover, both H2S donors preserve sperm motility and reduce acrosome loss, although the effects were both dose and donor dependent. Within the range of concentrations tested (3–300 µM), GYY4137 showed positive effects on sperm motility, whereas Na2S was beneficial at the lowest concentration but detrimental at the highest. Our findings show that Na2S and GYY4137 have different antioxidant properties and suggest that both H2S donors might be used as in vitro therapeutic agents against oxidative stress in sperm cells, although the optimal therapeutic range differs between the compounds.
Highlights
Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is involved in the physiology and pathophysiology of different cell types, but little is known about its role in sperm cells
It seems likely that most of the H2S produced within an organism is generated by the H2S-synthesising enzymes: cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphurtransferase (3-MST), with the latter coupled with cysteine aminotransferase (CAT)[2]
Our results show that both H2S donors partly palliate the damages provoked by oxidative stress in sperm cells, supporting the results found previously in other cells and organs
Summary
Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is involved in the physiology and pathophysiology of different cell types, but little is known about its role in sperm cells. This study aimed i) to determine the total antioxidant capacities of Na2S and GYY4137, which are fast- and slow-releasing H2S donors, respectively, and ii) to test whether H2S donors are able to protect spermatozoa against oxidative stress. We found that Na2S and GYY4137 show different antioxidant properties, with the total antioxidant capacity of Na2S being mostly unstable and even undetectable at 150 μM Both H2S donors preserve sperm motility and reduce acrosome loss, the effects were both dose and donor dependent. Slow-releasing H2S donors, like the phosphorodithioate derivative GYY4137, produce a slow and continuous release of gas, which is more similar to the physiological conditions found within organisms[12] For this reason, the use of different H2S donors in studies is useful to elucidate the biological activity and possible therapeutic effects[12]. Previous studies have shown that H2S is able to alleviate the effects of oxidative stress on testicular functions[4,8,18], but the in vitro effects of this gasotransmitter on sperm cells under a ROS-generating system still need to be elucidated
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