Daigneault BW, de Agostini Losano JD. Tributyltin chloride exposure to post-ejaculatory sperm reduces motility, mitochondrial function and subsequent embryo development.
Reprod Fertil Dev 2022;
34:833-843. [PMID:
35610772 DOI:
10.1071/rd21371]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT
Male exposure to environmental toxicants can disrupt spermatogenesis and sperm function. However, consequences of environmentally relevant organotin exposure to post-ejaculatory mammalian spermatozoa on fertility are poorly understood.
AIMS
Determine the consequences of tributyltin chloride (TBT) exposure on post-ejaculatory sperm function and subsequent embryo development.
METHODS
Frozen-thawed bovine sperm were exposed to TBT (0.1-100nM) for 90min (acute) and 6h (short-term) followed by quantification of multiple sperm kinematics via computer aided sperm analysis. JC-1 dye was used to measure mitochondrial membrane potential. Sperm were then exposed to TBT for 90min in non-capacitating conditions, washed several times by centrifugation and applied to gamete co-incubation for in vitro embryo production to the blastocyst stage.
KEY RESULTS
100nM TBT decreased total motility (88 vs 79%), progressive motility (80 vs 70%) curvilinear velocity and beat-cross frequency for 90min with similar phenotypes at 6h (P<0.05). Sperm mitochondrial membrane potential was lower in 10 and 100nM groups after 6h (P≤0.05). Embryos fertilised from TBT-exposed sperm had reduced cleavage rate (80 vs 62%) and 8-16 cell morula development (55 vs 24%) compared to development from unexposed sperm.
CONCLUSIONS
Exposure of post-ejaculatory mammalian sperm to TBT alters sperm function through lowered motility and mitochondrial membrane potential. Fertilisation of oocytes with TBT-exposed sperm reduces embryo development through mechanisms of paternal origin.
IMPLICATIONS
Acute and short-term environmental exposure of post-ejaculatory sperm to organotins and endocrine disrupting chemicals such as TBT contribute to idiopathic subfertility and early embryo loss.
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