باروری و ناباروری ایران

Maryam Hezavehei1,2, Mohsen Sharafi3,*, Homa Mohseni Kouchesfahani2,Ralf Henkel4, Ashok Agarwal5, Vahid Esmaeili1, Abdolhossein Shahverdi1,*

1 Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Centre, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine,

ACECR, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

4 American Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, USA

5 Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

The cryopreservation of spermatozoa was introduced in the 1960s as a route to fertility preservation. Despite the extensive progress that has been made in this field, the biological and biochemical mechanisms involved in cryopreservation have not been thoroughly elucidated to date. Various factors during the freezing process, including sudden temperature changes, ice formation and osmotic stress, have been proposed as reasons for poor sperm quality post-thaw. Little is known regarding the new aspects of sperm cryobiology, such as epigenetic and proteomic modulation of sperm and trans-generational effects of sperm freezing. This article reviews recent reports on molecular and cellular modifications of spermatozoa during cryopreservation in order to collate the existing understanding in this field. The aim is to discuss current freezing techniques and novel strategies that have been developed for sperm protection against cryo-damage, as well as evaluating the probable effects of sperm freezing on offspring health.