The effect of vitamin D in vitro supplementation on sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to identify the direct effect of vitamin D on sperm DNA integrity after swim-up preparation. Materials and methods: Normozoospermia samples were gathered from 12 men and assessed for their baseline characteristics, including DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI). Each sample was then prepared using the swim-up method. Half of the samples were incubated with vitamin D, while the other half were incubated with a standard sperm-washing medium. Results: Vitamin D significantly reduced the DFI compared to the baseline (5.5 ± 3.4% versus 17.6 ± 4.2%; p<0.001) and the swim-up-only group (5.5 ± 3.4% versus 12.0 ± 4.2%; p< .001). Microscopic examination reflected these results, showing a reduction in the number of small halos and no halos with an increased appearance of large to medium-sized halos. Conclusions: These results suggest that vitamin D incubation is valuable in protecting sperm from DNA damage that develops during sperm preparation. However, additional investigation is warranted to explore other preparation methods and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Keywords

• Assisted reproductive technology
• DNA damage
• male infertility
• swim up