General Research
Model: human
Stimulation of human damaged sperm motility with hydrogen molecule
Simplified Version Available
Hydrogen's Hidden Power: Can It Help Men with Low Sperm Motility?
A 2015 study in Japan found that hydrogen molecules can stimulate damaged sperm motility, offering new hope for men struggling with infertility. Hydrogen's antioxidant properties may help reduce oxidative stress and improve sperm health. While more research is needed, the findings are promising and could lead to new fertility treatments.
Read Simplified ArticleAbstract
Publish Year 2015 Country Japan Rank Positive Journal Medical Gas Research Primary Topic Testes Secondary TopicInfertility Model Cell Culture Tertiary TopicSperm Motility Vehicle Medium (Dissolved) pH Neutral Application Culture Media Comparison Nitrogen Complement
Background
Methods: Experimentally damaged sperm suspensions from patients left at room temperature for > 5 days or frozen immediately after ejaculation were used. After exposure with H2, their forward motility was measured with a counting chamber. A time-lapse movie was recorded to analyze sperm swimming speed. Mitochondria were stained with a membrane potential-sensitive dye.
Methods
Results: H2 treatment significantly improved the rate of forward motility, whereas treatment with nitrogen gas did not. While treatment for 30 min was sufficient to improve motility, it did not affect sperm swimming speed. After 24 h, retreatment with H2 increased the motility again. H2 treatment also increased mitochondrial membrane potential. Forward motility of low motile frozen-thawed sperm from patients significantly improved with cleavage medium containing H2. Conclusions: Our results illustrated that H2 treatment stimulates low sperm motility. H2 is a new promising tool for male infertility treatments.