Assessing the efficacy of a novel sperm-washing medium enriched with serotonin, L-carnitine, and coenzyme Q10: an observational cohort study.

ABSTRACT: This observational cohort study investigated the potential of a novel sperm-washing medium (SWM) enriched with serotonin (5-HT), L-carnitine (L-C), and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to enhance sperm motility and reduce DNA damage. It compared this innovative medium (5-HT/L-C/CoQ10 SWM) with two widely used commercial media (SWM 1 and SWM 2). Ninety-eight volunteers from an infertility clinic provided semen samples, which were divided into three aliquots for analysis in different SWMs: group 1, SWM was composed of hydroxyethyl piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES), sodium bicarbonate, human serum albumin (HSA), taurine, and gentamicin sulfate (SWM 1); group 2, SWM was composed of HEPES, sodium bicarbonate, and HSA (SWM 2); and group 3, SWM was composed of HEPES-buffered human tubal fluid supplemented with 5-HT, L-C, and CoQ10 (5-HT/L-C/CoQ10 SWM). Sperm motility was categorized as progressive, nonprogressive, or immotile. Apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and DNA fragmentation were also assessed. There were no significant differences in total or progressive sperm motility among the groups. Spermatozoa in group 3 exhibited reduced apoptosis, necrosis, and ROS levels and increased viability. No significant differences were observed in the DNA fragmentation index among groups. The 5-HT/L-C/CoQ10 SWM reduced sperm oxidative stress and apoptosis compared with those of the two commercially available SWMs, suggesting that 5-HT/L-C/CoQ10 SWM could be useful for enhancing in vitro fertilization success rates.

In vitro effects of the combination of serotonin, selenium, zinc, and vitamins D and E supplementation on human sperm motility and reactive oxygen species production.

Infertility affects 15% of all couples worldwide and 50% of cases of infertility are solely due to male factors. A decrease in motility in the semen is considered one of the main factors that is directly related to infertility. The use of supplementation to improve the overall sperm quality has become increasingly popular worldwide. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether sperm motility was affected by the combination of serotonin (5-HT), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and vitamins D, and E supplementation. Semen samples were incubated for 75 min at 37°C in medium containing varying concentrations of 5-HT, Se, Zn, vitamin D, and E. 5-HT (200 µM), Se (2 µg/ml), Zn (10 µg/ml), vitamin D (100 nM), and vitamin E (2 mmol) have also been shown to increase progressive sperm motility. Three different mixtures of supplements were also tested for their combined effects on sperm motility and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. While the total motility in the control group was 71.96%, this was found to increase to 82.85% in the first mixture. In contrast the average ROS level was 8.97% in the control group and decreased to 4.23% in the first mixture. Inclusion of a supplement cocktail (5-HT, Se, Zn, vitamins D and E) in sperm processing and culture medium could create an overall improvement in sperm motility while decreasing ROS levels during the incubation period. These molecules may enhance the success of assisted reproduction techniques when present in sperm preparation medium.

Synergistic anti-proliferative and apoptotic effect of NVP-BEZ235 and curcumin on human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

Neuroblastoma, a tumor of the sympathetic nervous system, is one of the most common tumors found in children. Most patients develop resistance to therapy and show poor prognosis, thus there is a need of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of neuroblastoma. NVP-BEZ235 is a dual Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase inhibitor that induces apoptosis and suppresses the growth of cancer. Curcumin acts as an anticancer agent in certain cancers. This study investigated the synergetic effect of NVP-BEZ235 and curcumin against neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. In the current study, the synergic effect of NVP-BEZ235 and curcumin in SH-SY5Y was examined in terms of the cell growth by cell viability and colony forming assay, cell cycle and apoptotic cell death by flow cytometry and mRNA expression levels by quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Curcumin, NVP-BEZ235 or a combination of both, showed cytotoxicity in a dose and time dependent manner in SH-SY5Y cells. 10 µM curcumin and 200 nM NVP-BEZ235 were chosen as combination therapy, as the combination index showed synergism. Colony forming assay showed decrease in cell growth in combination group. The cell cycle distribution for combination group demonstrated a decrease in G0/G1 phase at 48 h. Annexin V showed an anticancer effect in combination group when compared to control group. Moreover, qRT-PCR results showed a significant increase in caspase 3, caspase 7, Bax and p53 genes, while a decrease in Bcl-2 gene expression levels. These findings suggest that combination therapy of NVP-BEZ235 and curcumin may be a promising therapeutic candidate for treatment of neuroblastoma.