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Overtime expression of plasma membrane and mitochondrial function markers associated with cell death in human spermatozoa exposed to nonphysiological levels of reactive oxygen species
Author(s) -
Bravo Anita,
Quilaqueo Nelson,
Jofré Ignacio,
Villegas Juana V.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/and.13907
Subject(s) - phosphatidylserine , reactive oxygen species , microbiology and biotechnology , apoptosis , mitochondrion , programmed cell death , inner mitochondrial membrane , mitochondrial permeability transition pore , membrane potential , membrane permeability , biology , membrane , chemistry , biochemistry , phospholipid
In many cell types, the potential of reactive oxygen species to induce death processes has been largely demonstrated. Studies in spermatozoa have associated the imbalance of reactive oxygen species and phosphatidylserine externalisation as an apoptosis marker. However, the lack of consensus about time effect in the joint expression of these and other death markers has made it difficult to understand the set of mechanisms influenced beyond the concentration effect of reactive oxygen species to stimulate cell death. Here, the plasma membrane permeability and integrity, phosphatidylserine externalisation and mitochondrial membrane potential were jointly evaluated as death markers in human spermatozoa stimulated with H 2 O 2 . The results showed a profound and sustained effect of dissipation in the mitochondrial membrane potential and an increased phosphatidylserine externalisation in human spermatozoa exposed to 3 mmol −1 of H 2 O 2 at 30 min. This was followed by an increased membrane permeability after 45 min. The last observed event was the loss of cell membrane integrity at 60 min. In conclusion, mitochondria are rapidly affected in human spermatozoa exposed to reactive oxygen species, with the barely detectable mitochondrial membrane potential coexisting with the high phosphatidylserine externalisation in cells with normal membrane permeability.