Waddlia chondrophila, a Chlamydia-related bacterium, has a negative impact on human spermatozoa

AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONWhat is the impact ofWaddlia chondrophila, an emergingChlamydia-related bacterium associated with miscarriage, on human spermatozoa?SUMMARY ANSWERW. chondrophila had a negative impact on human spermatozoa (decrease in viability and mitochondrial membrane potential) and was not entirely removed from infected samples by density gradient centrifugation.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYBacterial infection or colonization might have a deleterious effect on male fertility.Waddlia chondrophila was previously associated with miscarriage, but its impact on male reproductive function has never been studied.STUDY DESIGN SIZE, DURATIONAnin vitro model of human spermatozoa infection was used to assess the effects ofW. chondrophila infection. Controls includedChlamydia trachomatis serovar D and latex beads with similar size to bacteria.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSPurified motile spermatozoa were infected withW. chondrophila (multiplicity of infection of 1). Immunohistochemistry combined with confocal microscopy was used to evaluate how bacteria interact with spermatozoa. The impact on physiology was assessed by monitoring cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential and DNA fragmentation.MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEUsing super-resolution confocal microscopy, bacteria were localized on spermatozoa surface, as well as inside the cytoplasm. Compared to controls,W. chondrophila caused a 20% increase in mortality over 72 h of incubation (P< 0.05). Moreover, h...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research