Resumen

RODRIGUEZ PENDAS, Bertha Victoria. Fragmentation of sperm DNA and male infertility. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2017, vol.28, n.3, pp. 1-17. ISSN 1561-2953.

Sperm DNA´s integrity is an important indicator of fertility and it is used as an additional variable to evaluate the quality of a seminal sample, together with the spermogram. This paper describes some interesting aspects related to the fragmentation of sperm DNA, whose etiology is multifactorial and is related to intrinsic factors, such as the abnormal packing of chromatin during spermiogenesis, defective apoptosis before ejaculation, and the excessive production of oxygen´s reactive species; and with extrinsic factors, such as changes in life habits, exposure to toxic agents, as well as aging. Fragmentation is associated with the deterioration of seminal variables, it also affects natural fertility and that produced by assisted reproduction treatments, so the implementation in the andrology laboratories of the technology to detect if the DNA of the sperm is intact or fragmented incorporates a new knowledge in the study of men with fertility disorders, which contributes to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of male infertility. To carry out this work, 122 articles were reviewed, of which 84 met the expected quality criteria. The search was made through the usual search engines.

Palabras clave : sperm DNA´s fragmentation; sperm quality; infertility; spermatozoon; male factor.

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