High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART Outcomes
Sperm membrane potential (<i>E</i>m) hyperpolarization during capacitation is a functional hallmark of fertilizing ability and has been proposed as a predictive biomarker for conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) success. However, it is unclear whether <i>E</i>m remains s...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Tomás J. Steeman Carolina Baro Graf Analia G. Novero Mariano G. Buffone Dario Krapf |
| author_facet | Tomás J. Steeman Carolina Baro Graf Analia G. Novero Mariano G. Buffone Dario Krapf |
| author_sort | Tomás J. Steeman |
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| description | Sperm membrane potential (<i>E</i>m) hyperpolarization during capacitation is a functional hallmark of fertilizing ability and has been proposed as a predictive biomarker for conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) success. However, it is unclear whether <i>E</i>m remains stable across ejaculates over time and can reliably guide assisted reproductive technology (ART) decisions in advance. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the temporal consistency of human sperm <i>E</i>m within individuals and assess its utility as a prognostic marker when measured days or weeks prior to IVF procedures. <i>E</i>m was assessed in capacitated and non-capacitated sperm from normospermic donors at three time points over 28 days, using a fluorometric assay. Capacitated values were compared to a −48.6 mV threshold previously associated with successful fertilization. Intra-donor <i>E</i>m variability and coefficients of variation (CV) were analyzed statistically. Our results showed that <i>E</i>m values exhibited significant intra-donor variability over time (<i>p</i> = 0.007), with approximately half of the donors crossing the −48.6 mV functional threshold across sessions. Capacitated sperm samples showed significantly greater variability than non-capacitated ones, with several donors exceeding a 30% CV cutoff. No consistent correlation was found between CV and mean <i>E</i>m values. While <i>E</i>m remains a promising functional marker when assessed on the day of IVF, its temporal variability undermines its reliability as a predictive tool for ART decisions made in advance. These findings underscore the importance of timing in functional sperm assessments and call for further studies to identify the physiological factors influencing <i>E</i>m stability. |
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| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-9a6f7154b9cd46edbcdac2b03ecc0f4c2025-07-25T13:15:11ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372025-07-0114785110.3390/biology14070851High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART OutcomesTomás J. Steeman0Carolina Baro Graf1Analia G. Novero2Mariano G. Buffone3Dario Krapf4Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR CONICET–UNR), Rosario 2000, ArgentinaInstituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR CONICET–UNR), Rosario 2000, ArgentinaInstituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR CONICET–UNR), Rosario 2000, ArgentinaInstituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME–CONICET), Buenos Aires 1428, ArgentinaInstituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR CONICET–UNR), Rosario 2000, ArgentinaSperm membrane potential (<i>E</i>m) hyperpolarization during capacitation is a functional hallmark of fertilizing ability and has been proposed as a predictive biomarker for conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) success. However, it is unclear whether <i>E</i>m remains stable across ejaculates over time and can reliably guide assisted reproductive technology (ART) decisions in advance. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the temporal consistency of human sperm <i>E</i>m within individuals and assess its utility as a prognostic marker when measured days or weeks prior to IVF procedures. <i>E</i>m was assessed in capacitated and non-capacitated sperm from normospermic donors at three time points over 28 days, using a fluorometric assay. Capacitated values were compared to a −48.6 mV threshold previously associated with successful fertilization. Intra-donor <i>E</i>m variability and coefficients of variation (CV) were analyzed statistically. Our results showed that <i>E</i>m values exhibited significant intra-donor variability over time (<i>p</i> = 0.007), with approximately half of the donors crossing the −48.6 mV functional threshold across sessions. Capacitated sperm samples showed significantly greater variability than non-capacitated ones, with several donors exceeding a 30% CV cutoff. No consistent correlation was found between CV and mean <i>E</i>m values. While <i>E</i>m remains a promising functional marker when assessed on the day of IVF, its temporal variability undermines its reliability as a predictive tool for ART decisions made in advance. These findings underscore the importance of timing in functional sperm assessments and call for further studies to identify the physiological factors influencing <i>E</i>m stability.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/7/851membrane potentialsperm capacitationhuman fertility |
| spellingShingle | Tomás J. Steeman Carolina Baro Graf Analia G. Novero Mariano G. Buffone Dario Krapf High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART Outcomes Biology membrane potential sperm capacitation human fertility |
| title | High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART Outcomes |
| title_full | High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART Outcomes |
| title_fullStr | High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART Outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART Outcomes |
| title_short | High Variability in Human Sperm Membrane Potential over Time Can Limit Its Reliability as a Predictor in ART Outcomes |
| title_sort | high variability in human sperm membrane potential over time can limit its reliability as a predictor in art outcomes |
| topic | membrane potential sperm capacitation human fertility |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/7/851 |
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