Poster Presentation ESA-SRB-ANZBMS 2024 in conjunction with ENSA

Effect of in-vitro glyoxal exposure on sperm function of men without diabetes. (#512)

Andrew Peel 1 2 , David Jesudason 1 , Hannah Lyons 2 , Gary Wittert 1 2 , Nicole McPherson 2
  1. Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  2. Adelaide Health and Medical School, School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Diabetes mellitus is associated with sub-fertility in men (1, 2), potentially caused by increased sperm oxidative stress rather than significant changes in basic semen parameters such as volume, concentration, motility, or morphology (3, 4). Small In-vitro studies suggest that exposure to advanced glycation end products during and following ejaculation may impair sperm function (5, 6). The aim of this study was to determine if short-term exposure of semen to advanced glycation end products (AGEs) could recapitulate sperm phenotypes seen in diabetes.

Semen samples from 26 men (participant mean age 33.91 years, SD 4.19, mean BMI 35.94 kg/m2, SD 4.71) were assessed as a sub-study of the ‘Diet for Dad’s sperm' study. Samples were diluted to 10 million/ml and incubated in increasing concentrations of glyoxal (0, 20, 50 and 200 mM). In-vitro, Glyoxal non-enzymatically forms the common AGE carboxymethyllysine within 4 hours of exposure to sperm (6). Following 4 hours of incubation, total motility, progressive motility, and presence of immotile sperm were assessed using computer assisted sperm analysis. Markers of lipid peroxidation (BODIPY), reactive oxygen species (CellRox) and oxidative sperm DNA damage (8-hydroxyguanine) were examined by flow cytometry. Arcsin or Log transformation was applied where appropriate, and one way ANOVA was utilised to determine the impact of glyoxal exposure.

Exposure to glyoxal for four hours, at all concentrations, was without effect on sperm motility or sperm viability. There was also no evidence of increased sperm oxidative DNA damage, lipid peroxidation or reactive oxygen species at any glyoxal concentration.

Postejaculatory exposure of sperm to AGEs had no adverse effects in men without diabetes. Further research is necessary to identify the intrinsic impairments of sperm in men with diabetes.

  1. Sjöberg L, Pitkäniemi J, Haapala L, Kaaja R, Tuomilehto J. Fertility in people with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2013;56(1):78-81.
  2. Mulholland J, Mallidis C, Agbaje I, McClure N. Male diabetes mellitus and assisted reproduction treatment outcome. Reprod Biomed Online. 2011;22(2):215-9.
  3. Lotti F, Maggi M. Effects of diabetes mellitus on sperm quality and fertility outcomes: Clinical evidence. Andrology. 2023;11(2):399-416.
  4. Condorelli RA, La Vignera S, Mongioì LM, Alamo A, Calogero AE. Diabetes Mellitus and Infertility: Different Pathophysiological Effects in Type 1 and Type 2 on Sperm Function. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2018;9:268.
  5. Nakano T, Kono M, Segawa K, Kurosaka S, Nakaoka Y, Morimoto Y, Mitani T. Effects of exposure to methylglyoxal on sperm motility and embryonic development after fertilization in mice. J Reprod Dev. 2021;67(2):123-33.
  6. Nevin C, McNeil L, Ahmed N, Murgatroyd C, Brison D, Carroll M. Investigating the Glycating Effects of Glucose, Glyoxal and Methylglyoxal on Human Sperm. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):9002.