Abstract
To date, there has been limited evidence to reveal the effect of terahertz radiation on sperm. In this study, semen samples were collected from males who had just finished a prepregnancy computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA). The motility, intracellular concentration of free Ca2+ and DNA integrity of sperm with or without terahertz (0.1 to 3 THz) irradiation at 60 µW/cm2 were assessed. We found that terahertz irradiation for more than 5 minutes significantly increased the progressive motility percentage of sperm, and the DNA integrity was not changed. We also found that the effect of terahertz irradiation on spermatozoa was weakened by reducing the concentration of extracellular calcium ions or by blocking calcium channels.
Highlights
IntroductionStudies have found that nonionizing irradiation has significant effects on sperm in vitro
Unlike the other Electromagnetic waves (EMWs), which have been studied for centuries, people knew very little about terahertz waves until a stable irradiation generator and detector were produced in the late 1980s
For semen samples from the mild asthenospermia patients, the PR percentage was higher in the experimental group with terahertz irradiation than in the control group without terahertz irradiation, the difference between the experimental group and the control group was statistically significant from the fifth minute
Summary
Studies have found that nonionizing irradiation has significant effects on sperm in vitro. Microwave irradiation usually has negative effects on sperm. It increased the mitochondrial ROS generation in human spermatozoa, decreased the motility and vitality of these cells, stimulated DNA base adduct formation and led to DNA fragmentation [9]. Unlike the other EMWs, which have been studied for centuries, people knew very little about terahertz waves until a stable irradiation generator and detector were produced in the late 1980s. The research on terahertz radiation in the field of biomedicine is limited and reported studies have already tried to use terahertz waves to facilitate the diagnosis of diseases and the detection of biological substances [10]. Very few studies explored the effect of terahertz irradiation on biological cells or tissues, and no studies reported the effect of terahertz irradiation on sperm
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