engleski

In vitro antioxidative effects of gangliosides on human sperm

Gangliosides, the sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, due to their chemical and physical properties, are comparable with antioxidants whose in vitro and in vivo application has provided efficient protection of spermatozoa from oxidative stress (1). The protective role of gangliosides agains ROS-induced changes of sperm membrane that we observed seem to be associated with ganglioside amphyphilicity, which allows them to exist in aqueous media as colloidal aggregate-micelles when above the critical micellar concentration (2). According to our biochemical and biophysical studies the protective action of ganglioside micelles includes modulation of superoxide anion generation by increasing the diffusion barrier for membrane events responsible for the signal transduction to the interior of the cell (3) and inhibition of iron-catalyzed hydroxyl radical formation due to iron chelation potential of gangliosides (4, 5). In addition, exogenous gangliosides are able to modulate sperm membrane properties responsible for better tolerance to DNA fragmentation under in vitro exposure to hydrogen peroxide (7) and during the cryopreservation process (8). This last effect deserves special attention, as it differentiated ganglioside from other antioxidants. While these may reduced cryopreservation-induced DNA damage only to a certain extent, ganglioside are able to completely abolish DNA fragmentation.This ganglioside ability may open new possibilities in the development of cryostorage media to preserve DNA integrity, essential for achieving optimal fertilization and enabling embryo development in assisted conception therapy.

antioxidants; gangliosides; sperm; human

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