Sperm degradation after vasectomy follows a sperm chromatin fragmentation-dependent mechanism causing DNA breaks in the toroid linker regions.

ABSTRACT: Vasectomy is a widely used surgical technique creating an obstructive azoospermia. Although sperm cannot be ejaculated, the testis maintains sperm production in vasectomized males. The continuous accumulation of sperm deposited in the epididymis and the vas deferens fraction necessarily need to be degraded and eliminated. While the elimination process is carried out by granulomas that form after vasectomy, the detailed mechanisms of sperm degradation are still not known. The aim was to assess whether sperm chromatin fragmentation (SCF), a mechanism that degrades the entire sperm genome at the toroid linker regions (TLRs), is activated after vasectomy in sperm cells. We vasectomized mice and evaluated the presence of TLR-specific double-strand breaks through pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

SUBMITTER: Ribas-Maynou J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9422300 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature