Evaluación in vitro del efecto de Neisseria gonorrhoeae y los factores solubles producto de su metabolismo sobre la calidad espermática

Abstract

Background: N. gonorrhoeae is a major cause of urethritis, prostatitis and epididymitis in men. In the male urogenital tract, the bacteria or soluble products of their metabolism may interact with sperm, and alter their quality. Aims: To determine the in vitro effect of incubation of N. gonorrhoeae and soluble products of their metabolism on sperm quality and assess the bacteria-sperm interaction. Methods: Soluble products of bacterial metabolism and 0.5 McFarland concentration of N. gonorrhoeae were incubated with semen samples from healthy volunteers. Conventional (motility and viability) and functional sperm parameters (potential of mitochondrial membrane integrity and sperm membrane lipid peroxidation, detection of reactive oxygen species, chromatin integrity and expression of annexin V) were quantified using microscopy and cytometry flow, respectively. To assess the interaction of N. gonorrhoeae to human sperm microscopic observation was performed. Results: N. gonorrhoeae can join the sperm and decreases sperm viability after 1.5 hours of incubation with human sperm (84.5[%] vs 66.5[%], p<0.05), without affecting the functional sperm parameters. Conclusion: N. gonorrhoeae interacts with human sperm affecting sperm viability.