Lycopene supplementation in vitro can protect human sperm deoxyribonucleic acid from oxidative damage

ObjectivesTo examine the effects of lycopene on human sperm motility and DNA damage.DesignProspective study.SettingAndrology research laboratory.Patient(s)Twelve fertile donors.Intervention(s)Preincubation of washed sperm suspensions with or without lycopene (2 or 5 μmol/L) followed by a 2-hour incubation with or without hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 50 μmol/L). Assessments of sperm motility (percentage) and DNA fragmentation index (percent DNA fragmentation index) before and after incubation.Main Outcome Measure(s)Sperm motility (percentage) and sperm percent DNA fragmentation index.Result(s)Incubation of spermatozoa with H2O2 resulted in a significant decline in mean (± SD) percent sperm motility (28% ± 13% vs. 73% ± 4%, respectively) and a significant increase in percent DNA fragmentation index compared with samples incubated without H2O2 (29.8% ± 39.4% vs. 11.1% ± 14.6%, respectively). Pretreatment of samples with 5 μmol/L lycopene resulted in a significantly lower percent DNA fragmentation index than samples incubated without lycopene (8.0% ± 7.9% vs. 29.8% ± 39.4%, respectively). However, lycopene did not protect spermatozoa from the decline in motility after H2O2 treatment.Conclusion(s)The data suggest that preincubation of spermatozoa with lycopene offers protection against oxidative DNA damage in vitro. These data also highlight the differential protective effects of lycopene on sperm motility and sperm DNA integrity.