Male Factor Treatment · Medical Management
Ahmed R et al., 2024 · Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology
Improved sperm motility is necessary for successful sperm passage through the female genital system, efficacious fertilization, and a greater probability of pregnancy. By stimulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain, low-level laser photobiomodulation has been shown to increase sperm motility and velocity. The respiratory chain in mitochondria is the primary site of action for cytochrome c oxidase because it can absorb light in the visible and infrared ranges. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of red laser 650 nm, near infrared laser (NIR) 980 nm, and combination of both on human spermatozoa motility and DNA integrity at different doses. An in-vitro controlled trial was performed in Al Zahraa university hospital laboratory using thirty fresh human semen specimens. Samples were exposed to red laser 650 nm, near infrared laser (NIR) 980 nm, and combination of both for various irradiation times. Sperm motility for the test and control aliquots was assessed as recommended in the manual of WHO-2021. Sperm chromatin integrity was evaluated using the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay. Results revealed almost 70%, 80% and 100% increase in the total motility after 3 min of the 650-nm, 980-nm and the combined laser irradiation, respectively. Additionally, the Sperm Chromatin Dispersion assay was carried out on sperm heads utilizing human sperm DNA fragmentation, demonstrating that none of the three laser types had any discernible effects.
Male Factor Treatment · Medical Management
Safian F et al., 2020 · Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery
Enhanced sperm motility is necessary for the successful journey of sperm inside the female genital tract, successful fertilization, and the increased chance of pregnancy. We investigated the impact of red and near-infrared (NIR) ranges of photobiomodulation (PBM) alone and together on fresh human sperm to validate an optimized PBM protocol that would maximize sperm motility and viability in vitro. We randomly divided 30 normal human semen samples into 3 different PBM protocols (red, NIR, and red+NIR lasers). Each sample was divided into four subparts, one control group sample and three experimental group samples. Each experimental group received one of the PBM protocols (red, NIR, or red+NIR). Each protocol was adjusted to three energy densities (0.6, 1.2, and 2.4 J/cm2). After exposure to the selected protocol, we determined the percentage of either viable or progressive sperm motility (PSM) and measured the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI). The NIR and red+NIR lasers at 2.4 J/cm2 energy density significantly increased PSM after 60 min compared with the control groups [least significant difference (LSD) test, p = 0.023 and p = 0.04, respectively]. Samples treated with the red laser at 0.6 J/cm2 had significantly decreased viability compared with the control group (LSD test, p = 0.003). Samples treated with the red+NIR lasers had significantly decreased viability at 0.6 J/cm2 (p = 0.003), 1.2 J/cm2 (p = 0.001), and 2.4 J/cm2 (p = 0.04) energy densities when compared with the control groups. The NIR laser resulted in no significant difference in sperm viability between the control and experimental groups. At 120 min after exposure, treatment with the red+NIR and red lasers at 2.4 J/cm2 density significantly increased DFI compared to the control groups (LSD test, p = 0.000, p = 0.007). In this study, sperm motility, viability, and DFI data confirmed the superiority of the NIR laser at 0.6 J/cm2 energy density compared with the red and red+NIR PBM protocols.
Male Factor Treatment · Medical Management
Firestone RS et al., 2012 · Journal of andrology
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of low-level laser light exposure on the motility of spermatozoa and on DNA damage. Thirty-three semen samples were collected for routine analysis and were classified as normospermic, oligospermic, or asthenospermic. After routine semen analysis was performed, residual semen was divided into treated and control aliquots. Treated samples were exposed to a 30-second infrared laser pulse of 50 mW/cm(2) at 905 nm, a wavelength thought to increase light-sensitive cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Samples were then incubated at 37°C, and aliquots were analyzed at 30 minutes and 2 hours using computerassisted semen analysis. After incubation, 250 μL of each sample was frozen at 280°C until DNA fragmentation analysis by flow cytometry. A significant increase in motility, most prominent in oligospermic and asthenospermic samples (85% increase), was observed 30 minutes after the treatment (P < .0001). No significant increase in DNA damage compared with control samples was observed. Significant changes in sperm motion kinetics were observed. Low-level laser light exposure appears to have a positive short-term effect on the motility of treated spermatozoa and did not cause any increase in DNA damage measured at 2 hours. We conclude that some cases of asthenospermia may be related to mitochondrial dysfunction. The implications of this study in terms of future clinical applications needs further investigation.
Male Factor Treatment · Medical Management
Stigliani S et al., 2024 · Scientific reports
Sperm motility is a crucial factor in male fertility. Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been reported to increase sperm motility, but a consistent approach suitable for identifying standardizable protocols is lacking. We collected asthenozoospermic (n = 70) and normozoospermic (n = 20) semen. The asthenozoospermic samples were irradiated with an 810 nm diode laser, in continuous wave mode, at 0.25 W, 0.5 W, 1 W and 2 W for 60 s on a circular area of 1 cm2 through a novel handpiece with an innovative flat-top profile. Sperm motility was assessed immediately, after 30 and 60 min. A sample size calculator, unpaired t-test and one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey HSD tests were used for statistics. One and 2 W were the most effective outputs in increasing progressive motility compared to control (p < 0.001). The maximum effect was immediately after 1 W-PBM (p < 0.001) and decreased after 60 min (p < 0.001). Time physiologically decreased vitality (p < 0.001), but less in the 1 W-PBM samples (p < 0.05). 1 W-PBM did not affect chromatin condensation. Asthenozoospermic samples displayed an impairment of 80% in oxygen consumption and ATP production and a slight inefficiency of oxidative phosphorylation compared to normozoospermic samples (p < 0.001). 1 W-PBM partially restored the functionality of aerobic metabolism (p < 0.001) by recovery of oxidative phosphorylation efficiency. PBM did not affect lactate dehydrogenase (glycolysis pathway). No irradiated samples increased accumulated malondialdehyde, a marker of lipidic peroxidation. In conclusion, PBM improves progressive motility in asthenozoospermia through increased mitochondrial energetic metabolism without harmful oxidative stress.