Low-level laser therapy to recovery testicular degeneration in rams: effects on seminal characteristics, scrotal temperature, plasma testosterone concentration, and testes histopathology

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to recovery testicular degeneration in rams. In the first study, rams were induced to testicular degeneration by scrotal insulation, and then, they were treated using LLLT at 28 J/cm(2) (INS28) or 56 J/cm(2) (INS56) energy densities.

Sperm kinetics, morphology, and membranes integrity as well as proportion of lumen area in seminiferous tubule were assessed. In the second study, rams were submitted or not to scrotal insulation and treated or not by the best protocol of LLLT defined by experiment 1 (INS28). In this study were evaluated sperm kinetics, morphology, membranes integrity, ROS production, and DNA integrity. Testosterone serum concentration and proportion of lumen area in seminiferous tubule were also analyzed. Insulation was effective in promoting sperm injuries in both experiments. Biostimulatory effect was observed in experiment 1: INS28 presented smaller proportion of lumen area (P = 0.0001) and less degeneration degree (P = 0.0002). However, in experiment 2, there was no difference between the groups (P = 0.17). In addition, LLLT did not improve sperm quality, and there was a decreasing for total and progressive motility (P = 0.02) and integrity of sperm membranes (P = 0.01) in LLLT-treated groups. Moreover, testosterone concentration was not improved by LLLT (P = 0.37). Stimulation of aerobic phosphorylation by LLLT may have led to a deregulated increase in ROS leading to sperm damages. Thus, LLLT at energy of 28 J/cm(2) (808 nm of wavelength and 30 mW of power output) can induce sperm damages and increase the quantity of cells in seminiferous tubule in rams.

Lasers in medical science. 2016 Feb 25 [Epub ahead of print]

Maíra Bianchi Rodrigues Alves, Rubens Paes de Arruda, Leonardo Batissaco, Shirley Andrea Florez-Rodriguez, Bruna Marcele Martins de Oliveira, Mariana Andrade Torres, Gisele Mouro Ravagnani, Renata Lançoni, Tamie Guibu de Almeida, Vanessa Martins Storillo, Vinicius Silva Vellone, Celso Rodrigues Franci, Helder Esteves Thomé, Carolina Luz Canella, André Furugen Cesar De Andrade, Eneiva Carla Carvalho Celeghini

Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Semen Biotechnology and Andrology, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Andrology and Embryo Technology, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Andrology and Embryo Technology, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Semen Biotechnology and Andrology, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Reproduction, Department of Physiology - Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Andrology and Embryo Technology, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP, Brazil., Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Pathology of Reproduction, Center of Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, 13635-900, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil.