Effect of oxidative stress on ART outcome

Abstract

Oxidative stress is a condition that causes cellular damage including destruction of all cellular components including lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and sugars. It affects negatively the quality of oocytes, sperm oocyte interaction, implantation, and early embryo development which infl uence the success of pregnancy. Many events related to infertility may occur due to OS in the female reproductive tract, such as endometriosis, hydrosalpinx, polycystic ovarian disease, unexplained infertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss. Oxidative stress may cause retardation in embryo development and growth due to cell-membrane damage, DNA damage, and apoptosis. Poor quality of spermatozoa due to oxidative stress has been correlated with poor fertilization rates, impaired embryo development, and increased rates of pregnancy loss. There are many strategies that overcome OS in assisted reproductive techniques like ensuring in vitro culture under low oxygen tension, antioxidant culture mediasupplementation, control of sperm reactive oxygen species production, and reducing sperm-oocyte coincubation time.