Abstract
Sperm motility is a crucial factor for normal fertilisation that is partly supported by mitochondrial activity. Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) generate electric currents by an electron grade from anodic to cathodic electrodes in a culture media. We demonstrate that electrical stimulation by EBFC at the nano-Ampere range enhances sperm motility that can potentially allow the development of a new therapeutic tool for male infertility, including poor motility. EBFC was set up with three different electrical currents (112 nA/cm2 and 250 nA/cm2) at two different times (1 h, 2 h). Each sample was evaluated for its motility by computer-assisted sperm analyses and sperm viability testing. In the expanded study, we used the optimal electrical current of the EBFC system to treat asthenozoospermia and sperm with 0% motility. Results showed that optimal electrical stimulation schemes with EBFCs enhanced sperm motility by 30–40% compared with controls. Activated spermatozoa led to tyrosine phosphorylation in the tail area of the sperm following the electrical stimulation in the nano-Ampere range. However, the electrically stimulated group did not exhibit increased acrosomal reaction rates compared with the control group. In cases related to asthenozoospermia, 40% of motility was recovered following the electrical stimulation at the nano-Ampere range. However, motility is not recovered in sperm with 0% motility. In conclusion, we found that sperm motility was enhanced by exposure to electrical currents in the nano-Ampere range induced by optimal EBFCs. Electrical stimulation enhanced the motility of the sperm though tyrosine phosphorylation in spermatozoa. Therefore, our results show that electrical currents in the nano-Ampere range can be potentially applied to male infertility therapy as enhancers of sperm motility in assisted reproductive technology.
Highlights
Electrical property of Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) and improved motility for human spermatozoa The enzyme biofuel cell is composed of two major enzymes (BOX, GOD) and an osmium mixture which serves as the electrical conductor in the media
We found that the EBFC system resulted in enhanced sperm motility in the electrical current range of 112nA and 250 nA/cm2
We found that optimal electrical stimulation of the nano-Ampere range induced by EBFC enhanced sperm motility
Summary
Infertility is a common disorder with a prevalence of ~20% in all couples, while males comprise almost 40% of the infertility patients [1,2,3]. Male fertility is evaluated by semen analysis based on the guidelines defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) [4]. It initiates or maintains sperm motility that is essential for normal fertilisation. Chemicals, such as pentoxifylline (a methylxanthine derivative) are used to enhance human sperm motility [8]. The pentoxifylline induces tyrosine phosphorylation of the intracellular sperm protein and leads to hyperactivation and increased motility [9]. The chemically treated sperms rapidly gain increased motility, but they lose this enhancement within 1 to 2 h [10]. Several reports have suggested that pentoxifylline is ineffective for enhancing motility in the clinical field [11, 12]
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