Effects of TypeIII Antifreeze Protein on Human Sperm Cryopreservation

Lower fertility in humans with frozen-thawed semen is attributed to sperm damage that is believed to be due to formation of ice crystals during cryopreservation process. It is shown that addition of AFP in the extender can improve the quality and fertility of cryopreserved sperm of some animals but there is no study about impact of AFP on human sperm cryopreservation. In this study, separate experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of antifreeze proteins III (AFP III) at 0 (control), 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 μg/mLconcentration, on post thaw quality of human semen. For experiment, 20 normal semen samples were divided into four aliquots and diluted (at 37 °C having 40 × 106 sperm/mL) in GEYC with 10% glycerol medium containing above mentioned concentrations of AFP III, then filled in 0.5 mL straws, kept over liquid nitrogen vapors for 10 min and plunged in the liquid nitrogen. After one week of storage in LN2, semen straws were thawed at 37 °C for 30 s to assess sperm parameters according to WHO 2010 and plasma membrane integrity (PMI) also DFI. In experiment, improvement (P> 0.05) in sperm percentage of total motility , plasma membrane integrity and DFI was recorded in extender containing 1 μg/mL AFP III compared to control. In conclusion addition of AFP III with 1 μg/mL concentration in the extender can improve the progressive motility, plasma membrane integrity and increase viability of cryopreserved human semen.

Keywords:

Antifreez Proteiniii , Sperm , Cryopreservation