Testicular spermatozoa have statistically significantly lower DNA damage compared with ejaculated spermatozoa in patients with unsuccessful oral antioxidant treatment

ObjectiveTo compare DNA damage in ejaculated and testicular spermatozoa in patients with previously unsuccessful oral antioxidant treatment.DesignProspective clinical study.SettingUniversity-affiliated teaching hospital.Patient(s)Twelve men with persistently high sperm DNA damage.Intervention(s)Evaluation of DNA damage of ejaculated and testicular spermatozoa by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay.Main Outcome Measure(s)The DNA damage of ejaculated spermatozoa compared with that of testicular spermatozoa, both samples collected on the day of intracytoplasmic sperm injection.Result(s)Ejaculated spermatozoa showed a threefold higher DNA damage when compared with testicular samples (39.7% ± 14.8 vs. 13.3% ± 7.3).Conclusion(s)Our results indicated that in patients with previously unsuccessful oral antioxidant treatment the retrieved testicular spermatozoa had a lower degree of DNA damage compared with ejaculated sperm collected on the same day.