Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Exposure to Cumulus Cell Secretome Improves Sperm Function: New Perspectives for Sperm Selection In Vitro

Francesca P. Luongo
ORCID logo ,
Silvia Perez Casasus
,
Alesandro Haxhiu
ORCID logo ,
Fabio Barbarulo
,
Marta Scarcella
,
Laura Governini
ORCID logo ,
Paola Piomboni
* ,
Catello Scarica
* ORCID logo ,
Alice Luddi
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 31 August 2023 / Approved: 31 August 2023 / Online: 1 September 2023 (13:43:58 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Luongo, F.P.; Perez Casasus, S.; Haxhiu, A.; Barbarulo, F.; Scarcella, M.; Governini, L.; Piomboni, P.; Scarica, C.; Luddi, A. Exposure to Cumulus Cell Secretome Improves Sperm Function: New Perspectives for Sperm Selection In Vitro. Cells 2023, 12, 2349. Luongo, F.P.; Perez Casasus, S.; Haxhiu, A.; Barbarulo, F.; Scarcella, M.; Governini, L.; Piomboni, P.; Scarica, C.; Luddi, A. Exposure to Cumulus Cell Secretome Improves Sperm Function: New Perspectives for Sperm Selection In Vitro. Cells 2023, 12, 2349.

Abstract

In the literature, it is well known the correlation between poor semen quality and DNA sperm integrity, which can turn into negative outcomes in terms of embryo development and clinical pregnancy. Sperm selection plays a pivotal role in clinical practice and the most widely used methods are mainly based on sperm motility and morphology. The cumulus oophorus complex (COC) during natural fertilization represents a barrier that spermatozoa must overcome to reach the zona pellucida and fertilize the oocyte. Spermatozoa that can pass through the COC have better structural and metabolic characteristics as well as enhanced acrosome reaction (AR). The present study aimed to evaluate the exposure of sperm to cumulus cell secretome during swim-up treatment (SUC), compared to the routinely used swim-up method (SU). To determine the effectiveness of this method biological factors critical for the ability of sperm to fertilize an oocyte, including capacitation, AR, tyrosine phosphorylation signature, DNA integrity, and mitochondrial functionality were assessed. The SUC selection assures recovery of high-quality spermatozoa, with enhanced mitochondrial functionality and motility compared to both SU-selected or unselected (U) sperm. Furthermore, by this modified swim-up procedure significantly reduced sperm DNA damage (p<0.05) was detected. In conclusion, the SUC approach is a more physiological and integrated method for sperm selection that deserves further investigation for its translation into clinical practice.

Keywords

sperm selection; oxygen consumption; Cumulus cells; Capacitation; Tyrosine phosphorylation

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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