P-12: The Improvement of Sperm Parameters and Chromatin Quality by Vitamin E Supplement in Mice

Background: Vitamin E is believed to be the primary component of the antioxidant system in spermatozoa. There is a relationship between activity of these antioxidant and function of sperm. Vitamins E and C which are belong to non-enzymatic antioxidant are used as a supplemented drug to improve sperm quality and male fertility. The present study was carried out to investigate the positive effects of vitamin E on sperm chromatin quality and sperm parameters (count, motility, viability and morphology) in mice. Materials and Methods: Totally 16 adult male mice were divided equally into two groups (n=8). The mice of group 1 served as control fed on basal diet, whereas; group 2 received basal diet and vitamin E (100 mg/kg, IP.) for 35 days. Finally, the tail of epididymis was incised and then placed in Ham’s F10. Released sperm were used to analyze number, motility, morphology (Pap-staining) and viability (eosin-Y staining) of the spermatozoa. The DNA integrity and chromatin condensation assessments were done by standard cytochemical techniques including acridine orange test (AOT), aniline blue (AB), toluidine blue (TB). Results: In vitamin-treated mice, a significant Increase was found in sperm number, sperm motility , sperm viability and sperm morphology compared to control animals. A significant increase was also found in the rate of sperm cells with mature nuclei, and spermatozoa with double-stranded DNA in vitamin E group when compared with controls. Conclusion: Vitamin E not only is able to improve the sperm parameters but also can increase the sperm chromatin quality in mice.