On-chip cryopreservation: a novel method for ultra-rapid cryoprotectant-free cryopreservation of small amounts of human spermatozoa

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 30;8(4):e61593. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061593. Print 2013.

Abstract

Cryopreservation of human spermatozoa free from cryoprotectant can avoid toxicity caused by highly concentrated cryoprotectant and a series of specific carriers have been previously explored, except for PDMS chip. Our study is aimed at exploring a novel device for ultra-rapid cryopreservation of small numbers of spermatozoa without cryoprotectant based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips. Spermatozoa from 25 healthy men were involved in this study, comparing on-chip cryopreservation with different micro-channel height (group A: 10 µm height, group B: 50 µm height, group C: 100 µm height) and conventional freezing (group D) in liquid nitrogen for 72 h. The viability, motility, DNA integrity by comet assay and acrosome integrity by fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated peanut agglutinin (FITC-PNA) staining of frozen-thawed spermatozoa of each group were compared. The motility and viability of post-thawed spermatozoa was significantly decreased than that of pre-freezing spermatozoa. There was no difference of viability and motility of frozen-thawed spermatozoa between group A and D, while viability and motility of group B and C decreased compared to group A. Comet assay showed that no matter for group A or D, there was no difference of CR, TL, TD and OTM between pre-frozen and post-thawed spermatozoa. There was no difference of CR, TL, TD and OTM of post-thawed spermatozoa between group A and group D neither, while spermatozoa DNA damage was more serious in group B and group C with increasing height of micro-channel compared with group A. The proportion of intact acrosome of post-thawed spermatozoa in group A was the highest when compared with group B and group C, though similar to that of group D. In conclusion, PDMS chip with 10 µm height micro-channel is ideal for ultra-rapid cryopreservation of small quantity of spermatozoa without cryoprotectant.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrosome / physiology
  • Cell Survival
  • Comet Assay
  • Cryopreservation / instrumentation
  • Cryopreservation / methods*
  • Cryoprotective Agents
  • Fertility
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Semen Preservation / instrumentation
  • Semen Preservation / methods*
  • Sperm Motility
  • Spermatozoa / cytology*
  • Spermatozoa / physiology*

Substances

  • Cryoprotective Agents

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30973196, 20975077, 31070995), the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups (No. 20921062), and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-10-0611). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.