The recovery of sperm for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) results in significant DNA damage. Elevated levels of DNA damage in sperm have been linked to poor-quality embryos and increased pregnancy loss after ART. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate potential of the new mitochondrial activator BGP-15 to prevent sperm DNA damage in an in vitro ejaculate over time. Additionally, we sought to determine whether BGP-15 can preserve sperm quality during various sperm recovery techniques used in ART.
First, we incubated donated human semen specimens untreated or treated with BGP-15, then examined sperm motility and DNA damage (DNA fragmentation and oxidation). Semen samples were then processed using different clinical sperm recovery methods: simple wash (W), swim-up (SU) and density gradient centrifugation (DGC); and the purified sperm underwent further analysis including; motility, vitality, ROS levels, mitochondrial membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and DNA damage.
Semen samples incubated with BGP-15 demonstrated improved sperm motility and reduced DNA damage levels. W samples had the highest sperm count, while SU had the highest vitality and DNA integrity, but the lowest MMP. DGC sperm had 11% increased MMP after BGP-15 treatment. Although BGP-15 treatment only reduced sperm DNA fragmentation in W samples, it reduced DNA oxidation by at least 30% in all recovery methods.
Our findings indicate that clinical manipulation of patient semen samples can negatively impact sperm quality, and different sperm recovery methods have unique effects that should be considered for each individual patient. Moreover, we show that the addition of BGP-15 into clinical processes helps preserve sperm quality, potentially leading to improved embryo quality and ART success.