Study question: Does receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) on the surface membrane of the sperm cell function as a biomarker of low-quality sperm?
Summary answer: Membrane-bound RAGE at a cellular level directly correlates with low sperm motility, high cell permeability, decreased mitochondrial function, DNA fragmentation, and higher levels of apoptosis.
What is known already: RAGE has previously been measured by ELISA in low-quality sperm in diabetic men and has been shown to correlate with DNA fragmentation (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay).
Study design size duration: Semen samples were recovered from 60 non-obese, non-diabetic and non-smoking subjects, washed with fresh media, and analysed directly or purified further by differential gradient centrifugation (DGC) or fractionated by direct swim-up before being analysed for sperm motility and molecular health parameters, including cell membrane permeability, cell death, mitochondrial membrane potential, DNA fragmentation, and RAGE protein expression.
Participants/materials setting methods: Sperm motility assessments were carried out by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) on 1000 spermatozoa for washed samples and 300 spermatozoa for purified samples. Molecular sperm health parameters were evaluated using flow cytometry with the use of the following markers: DAPI for cell membrane permeability, Annexin V/DAPI for cell death (apoptosis and necrosis), MitoTracker® Red CMXRos for mitochondrial membrane potential, TUNEL assay for DNA fragmentation and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine for identification of oxidative damage to sperm DNA, and contrasted to membrane-bound RAGE expression levels, which were evaluated using an anti-RAGE monoclonal mouse antibody.
Main results and the role of chance: RAGE protein was shown to be present on the acrosomal and equatorial regions of sperm, with the levels of membrane bound receptor strongly correlating with poor sperm health across all parameters tested; motility (R 2 = 0.5441, P < 0.0001) and mitochondrial membrane potential (R 2 = 0.6181, P < 0.0001) being of particular note. The analysis was performed at a single cell level thereby removing confounding complications from soluble forms of the RAGE protein that can be found in seminal plasma. The expression of the RAGE protein was shown to be stable over time and its levels are therefore not subject to variation in sample handling or preparation time.
Large scale data: N/A.
Limitations reasons for caution: Inclusion criteria for this study were non-diabetic, non-obese and non-smoking participants to assess the distribution of RAGE expression in the general population, thereby excluding disease conditions that may inc
Study question: Could sperm and leukocyte telomere length (TL) be associated with sperm quality parameters and reproductive health in men from the general population?
Summary answer: A positive association between sperm and leukocyte TL with sperm concentration and total count has been demonstrated.
What is known already: Male factors account for almost half of cases of couple infertility, and shorter TLs have been observed in sperm from men with impaired sperm parameters. However, evidence in men from the general population is limited.
Study design size duration: A total of 200 volunteers of reproductive age were recruited between February 2021 and April 2023 to participate in the Lifestyle and Environmental Determinants of Seminogram and Other Male Fertility-Related Parameters (Led-Fertyl) cross-sectional study.
Participants/materials setting methods: TLs in sperm and leukocytes were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in 168 and 194 participants, respectively. Sperm parameters, including concentration, total count, motility, vitality, and morphology, were analyzed using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) SCA® system according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 guidelines. Multivariable regression models were performed to assess the associations between sperm and leukocyte TL, either in tertiles or as continuous variables, and sperm quality parameters while adjusting for potential confounders.
Main results and the role of chance: Participants in tertiles 2 (T2) and 3 (T3) of sperm TL showed a higher sperm concentration (β: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.09-2.09 and β: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.04-3.09 for T2 and T3, respectively; P-trend < 0.001), compared to those in the reference tertile (T1). Participants in the highest tertile of sperm TL showed higher total sperm count (β: 3.83; 95% CI: 2.08-5.58 for T3 vs T1; P-trend < 0.001). Participants in the top tertile of leukocyte TL showed higher sperm concentration (β: 1.49; 95% CI: 0.44-2.54 for T3 vs T1; P-trend = 0.004), and total count (β: 3.49; 95% CI: 1.62-5.35 for T3 vs T1; P-trend < 0.001) compared with participants in T1. These results remained consistent when sperm and leukocyte TL were modelled as continuous variables.
Limitations reasons for caution: One limitation is the impossibility of establishing a cause-effect relationship due to the cross-sectional study design. Additionally, the sample size of the study cannot be considered large.
Wider implications of the findings: Sperm and leukocyte TLs are associated with sperm quality parameters in the general population. Additional determinations and further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these associations and to investigate the further implications.

