Abstract
Resveratrol (RVT) is a polyphenolic compound found mainly in the grape and attributed with various pharmacological properties, among them their antioxidant activity. In the present study, we assess the antioxidant activity of resveratrol on oxidative damage induced by ferrous iron/ascorbate (100 µM/150 µM) in sperm of CD1+ mice. We evaluated several parameters in spermatozoa treated with or without resveratrol: (i) sperm quality analysis; (ii) mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψm); (iii) ROS generation; (iv) superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity; (v) glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity; (vi) lipid peroxidation; (vii) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) capability. Spermatozoa treated with RVT (15 µg/mL) before ferrous iron/ascorbate treatment exhibited: a significant increase in motility (8-fold), a significant increase in viability (2-fold), a significant increase in Δψm (1.15-fold), accompanied with a significant decrease in the generation of ROS (4.96-fold), a significant decrease in GPX activity (1.32-fold), and a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation concentration (10.29-fold) relative to spermatozoa treated with ferrous iron/ascorbate; however, no changes in SOD activity were observed. Finally, spermatozoa treated with RVT before ferrous iron/ascorbate treatment showed a significant increase in oocyte fertilization (1.2-fold), relative to spermatozoa treated with ferrous iron/ascorbate. These results suggest that RVT possesses antioxidant properties that may prevent the deleterious effects produced by oxidative damage on spermatozoa, resulting in the maintenance of fertility.
Highlights
Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS, including hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide) and the antioxidant capacity [1].Spermatozoa are susceptible to oxidative stress due to the high membrane content of polyunsaturated fatty acid and the intracellular deficiency of antioxidant enzymes [2].Low ROS levels are required for the regulation of the principal functions of sperm
An imbalance between ROS generation and the antioxidant capacity of spermatozoa leads to oxidative stress, and the exposure of spermatozoa to this condition appears to be related to male infertility [3,5]
There was a significant enhancement of spermatozoa quality
Summary
Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS, including hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide) and the antioxidant capacity [1]. Low ROS levels are required for the regulation of the principal functions of sperm. Such functions are capacitation, acrosome reaction and fertilizing ability [3]. When levels are excessive, ROS attack polyunsaturated fatty acids in the sperm plasma membrane, leading to lipid peroxidation [4]. An imbalance between ROS generation and the antioxidant capacity of spermatozoa leads to oxidative stress, and the exposure of spermatozoa to this condition appears to be related to male infertility [3,5]
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