Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39611365›Full record

ArticleAndrology2025

Semen cryopreservation and storage in liquid nitrogen: Impact on chromatin compaction.

Lara Tamburrino, Giulia Traini, Maria Emanuela Ragosta, Sara Dabizzi, Sara Vezzani, Flavia Scarpa, Linda Vignozzi, Elisabetta Baldi, Sara Marchiani

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Andrology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Lara TamburrinoAndrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
Giulia TrainiDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Maria Emanuela RagostaDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Sara DabizziAndrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0009-0005-2904-7245
Sara VezzaniDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Flavia ScarpaDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Linda VignozziAndrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0907-0630
Elisabetta BaldiAndrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
Sara MarchianiDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1057-8626

Funding

European Union-Next Generation EU-National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Mission 4 Component 2-Investment 1.5-THE-Tuscany Health Ecosystem ECS00000017-CUP B83C22003920001Italian Ministry of University P2022FA79RItalian Ministry of University PRIN-PNRR 2022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSperm cryopreservation is a consolidate option for long-term male fertility preservation. The freezing/thawing procedure causes detrimental effects to spermatozoa, including damage to viability, motility, membrane composition, and DNA, whereas the effect on sperm chromatin compaction is less studied.

objectivesThe primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of cryopreservation on sperm chromatin compaction. Furthermore, the effect of cryopreservation on sperm parameters (motility, viability, chromatin compaction, and DNA fragmentation) was also assessed in relation to the storage time in liquid nitrogen. MATERIALS AND

methodsSemen samples, collected from 126 (92 normozoospermic and 34 oligozoospermic) patients undergoing routine semen analysis in the Andrology Laboratory of Careggi University Hospital of Florence, were frozen by conventional fast vapor freezing method. Sperm motility, viability, kinematic parameters (by computer-aided sperm analysis [CASA]), chromatin compaction (by staining with both aniline blue [AB] and Chromomycin A3 [CMA3]), and sperm DNA fragmentation (sDF, by TUNEL/Propidium Iodide [PI]) were evaluated before freezing and after thawing at different timepoints.

resultsAfter 7 days of storage, a significant decline in sperm motility, viability, and kinematics parameters, as well as a significant increase in the percentage of sperm positivity to CMA3, AB, and sDF, were observed. It is noteworthy that while motility and viability decreased in almost all subjects, the increase in CMA3 and AB positivity was observed in 68.0% and 79.2% of samples, respectively. A progressive deterioration of sperm motility and viability, less evident for chromatin structure, was observed at longer times of storage (28 and 180 days). DISCUSSION: Our results indicate that freezing/thawing procedures can alter chromatin structure. A reduction in protamine content and/or a modification in chromatin assembly can be hypothesized. Furthermore, the length of storage in liquid nitrogen appears to progressively affect sperm parameters, although it should be confirmed in larger cohort of subjects.

conclusionCurrent sperm cryopreservation protocols need to be improved with new strategies and personalized procedures aimed to minimize the damage.

Indexed as

ChromatinCryopreservationSemen PreservationSpermatozoaAdultCell SurvivalDNA FragmentationHumansMaleNitrogenSemen AnalysisSperm MotilityChromatinNitrogenassisted reproductionchromatinfertility preservationhuman spermatozoasemen cryopreservationsperm motility

Identifiers

PMID39611365
PMCPMC12476217

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.