Infertility diagnosis: draw the chemical profile of the sperm

To date, the main method of diagnosing male infertility is microscopic analysis, including visual assessment of morphology, number and motility of spermatozoa. One of the main factors that determine the fertility of spermatozoa is the normal functioning of mitochondria – the energy centers that ensure their movement.

Researchers at the Ruhr University in Bochum (Germany) have demonstrated that damage to the mitochondria of spermatozoa at the molecular level does not always cause morphological changes.

The authors propose to solve this problem by analyzing the chemical profile of spermatozoa. They created a detailed three-dimensional chemical map of spermatozoa, which does not require the use of additional labels or markers. The method of Raman microspectroscopy used by them in their work makes it possible to identify subcellular components using spectral profiles of molecules determined by their characteristic vibrations.

At the same time, various organelles of human spermatozoa are visualized by registering their unique Raman spectra. Thus, in addition to traditional optical and morphological images, specialists can now analyze the chemical composition of individual spermatozoa.

This development may lead to a revision of the classification standards for healthy fertile and damaged human spermatozoa. Considering that, compared with the figures of 50 years ago, the number of spermatozoa in men worldwide has fallen by 50%, the study of organelles that ensure sperm fertility is a task of exceptional importance.

The results of the work are published in the journal The Analyst in the article "Confocal Raman microspectroscopy as an analytical tool to assess the mitochondrial status in human spermatozoa".

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru According to ScienceDaily: Non-Invasive Technique Could Distinguish Fertile and Infertile Human Sperm Cells.

19.05.2010