Photobiomodulation with 810 nm Wavelengths Improves Human Sperms' Motility and Viability In Vitro

Fereshteh Safian; Marefat Ghaffari Novin; Maryam Karimi; Mahsa Kazemi; Fateme Zare; Seyed Kamran Ghoreishi; Mohammad Bayat

doi:10.1089/photob.2019.4773

Photobiomodulation with 810 nm Wavelengths Improves Human Sperms' Motility and Viability In Vitro

Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2020 Apr;38(4):222-231. doi: 10.1089/photob.2019.4773.

Authors

Fereshteh Safian¹, Marefat Ghaffari Novin², Maryam Karimi³, Mahsa Kazemi², Fateme Zare², Seyed Kamran Ghoreishi⁴, Mohammad Bayat^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Student Research Committee, Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ IVF Center, Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Statistics, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.
⁵ Price Institute of Surgical Research, University of Louisville, and Noveratech LLC of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

PMID: 32301671
DOI: 10.1089/photob.2019.4773

Abstract

Background: Enhanced sperm motility is necessary for the successful journey of sperm inside the female genital tract, successful fertilization, and the increased chance of pregnancy. Objective: We investigated the impact of red and near-infrared (NIR) ranges of photobiomodulation (PBM) alone and together on fresh human sperm to validate an optimized PBM protocol that would maximize sperm motility and viability in vitro. Methods: We randomly divided 30 normal human semen samples into 3 different PBM protocols (red, NIR, and red+NIR lasers). Each sample was divided into four subparts, one control group sample and three experimental group samples. Each experimental group received one of the PBM protocols (red, NIR, or red+NIR). Each protocol was adjusted to three energy densities (0.6, 1.2, and 2.4 J/cm²). After exposure to the selected protocol, we determined the percentage of either viable or progressive sperm motility (PSM) and measured the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI). Results: The NIR and red+NIR lasers at 2.4 J/cm² energy density significantly increased PSM after 60 min compared with the control groups [least significant difference (LSD) test, p = 0.023 and p = 0.04, respectively]. Samples treated with the red laser at 0.6 J/cm² had significantly decreased viability compared with the control group (LSD test, p = 0.003). Samples treated with the red+NIR lasers had significantly decreased viability at 0.6 J/cm² (p = 0.003), 1.2 J/cm² (p = 0.001), and 2.4 J/cm² (p = 0.04) energy densities when compared with the control groups. The NIR laser resulted in no significant difference in sperm viability between the control and experimental groups. At 120 min after exposure, treatment with the red+NIR and red lasers at 2.4 J/cm² density significantly increased DFI compared to the control groups (LSD test, p = 0.000, p = 0.007). Conclusions: In this study, sperm motility, viability, and DFI data confirmed the superiority of the NIR laser at 0.6 J/cm² energy density compared with the red and red+NIR PBM protocols.

Keywords: photobiomodulation; semen analysis; sperm motility; sperm viability.

MeSH terms

Adult
Cell Culture Techniques
Cell Survival / radiation effects
DNA Fragmentation / radiation effects
Humans
Iran
Low-Level Light Therapy*
Male
Sperm Motility / radiation effects*
Spermatozoa / radiation effects*