NAERINGSPH-Nærings-phd

I dagens samfunn er det et økende antall par i reproduktiv alder som oppsøker assistert befruktnings klinikker. Dette er i hovedsak forårsaket av at kvinner utsetter barnefødsler til et senere tidspunkt i livet enn tidligere, men også en økende påvirkning fra livsstilsfaktorer som fedme. I dette prosjektet ønsker vi å undersøke et molekyl - L-Carnitine - som normalt finnes i seminalplasma i sædprøver. L-carnitine har vist seg å være en viktig faktor i fettmetabolismen, det beskytter cellene mot skader og har betydning for mannens fertilitet. I denne studien etterstrebes en utvikling av redskapet til å gi en grundigere evaluering av den infertile mannen, og forbedre laboratorieprosedyrer som øker sannsynligheten for fødsel av et friskt barn.

L-carnitine is a molecule which plays an important role in fat metabolism.It is present in high amounts in seminal plasma,and has been found to affect sperm motility and to protect the cell membranes against damage induced by environmental stress. It is known that obesity negatively influences semen quality, therefore it is of importance to study the levels of seminal L-carnitine in overweight and obese men. As L-carnitine has been found to affect sperm motility and act as a protective factor for the spermatozoa, the effects of seminal L-carnitine levels on assisted reproduction treatment outcomes (e.g implantation rate, pregnancy rate) are of great scientific interest. Semen cryopreservation is a procedure to preserve sperm cells that can be used at a later time in ART. The freezing procedure commonly used at fertility clinics, negatively effects the semen sample and presents certain limitations. Cryopreservation reduces semen quality and subsequently the fertilization potential in ART. Therefore, improvements in the freezing technique are needed and the L-carnitine, in the light of its protective role for cellular membranes, may well be the molecule of interest. The optimal goal of this research project is to increase the probability of the couple to take home a healthy child. This study strives to develop and improve laboratory methods and procedures that could improve clinical outcomes included the recovery of sperm after freezing and thawing procedures, and may give the clinicians a powerful tool for a more accurate evaluation of the infertile male patient. The most critical R&D challenge to be faced would be the establishment of an standardized analytical method for the detection of L-carnitine levels in the seminal plasma, that can be used rutinely in assisted reproduction clinics.