Testicular spermatozoa have statistically significantly lower DNA damage compared with ejaculated spermatozoa in patients with unsuccessful oral antioxidant treatment

<bold>Objective: </bold>To compare DNA damage in ejaculated and testicular spermatozoa in patients with previously unsuccessful oral antioxidant treatment.<bold>Design: </bold>Prospective clinical study.<bold>Setting: </bold>University-affiliated teaching hospital.<bold>Patient(s): </bold>Twelve men with persistently high sperm DNA damage.<bold>Intervention(s): </bold>Evaluation of DNA damage of ejaculated and testicular spermatozoa by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay.<bold>Main Outcome Measure(s): </bold>The DNA damage of ejaculated spermatozoa compared with that of testicular spermatozoa, both samples collected on the day of intracytoplasmic sperm injection.<bold>Result(s): </bold>Ejaculated spermatozoa showed a threefold higher DNA damage when compared with testicular samples (39.7% +/- 14.8 vs. 13.3% +/- 7.3).<bold>Conclusion(s): </bold>Our results indicated that in patients with previously unsuccessful oral antioxidant treatment the retrieved testicular spermatozoa had a lower degree of DNA damage compared with ejaculated sperm collected on the same day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]