5th International Conference on Gynecology and Obstetrics

To be Updated

Background: Conventional sperm preparation techniques, including swim-up, primarily select spermatozoa with favorable characteristics but may not directly address oxidative stress or cellular damage. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell–derived secretome (HUC-MSC secretome), containing various bioactive factors, may have the potential to improve sperm functional quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding HUC-MSC–derived secretome during swim-up preparation on sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and DNA fragmentation.

Methods: Semen samples from male patients undergoing infertility treatment at Halim Fertility Center, Stella Maris Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Indonesia, between April and September 2023 were analyzed. Each sample was divided into two portions: Group A, undergoing conventional swim-up without secretome, and Group B, undergoing swim-up with HUC-MSC–derived secretome diluted 1:9 in G-MOPS™ PLUS medium. Following incubation at 37°C for 45 minutes, sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were assessed. Comparisons were performed using analysis of variance, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Secretome supplementation did not significantly alter sperm concentration compared with conventional swim-up (35.74 ± 19.3 vs. 35.78 ± 18.4 million/mL; p = 0.972). However, total motility was significantly higher in the secretome group (97.52 ± 1.3%) than in the control group (88.12 ± 2.9%; p = 0.003). Secretome supplementation was also associated with a significantly lower DFI (3.48 ± 0.9% vs. 4.39 ± 1.1%; p = 0.024) and improved normal sperm morphology (4.27 ± 1.0% vs. 3.35 ± 0.8%; p = 0.013). Rapid progressive motility was also significantly increased following secretome-assisted swim-up.

Conclusion: The addition of HUC-MSC–derived secretome during swim-up sperm preparation significantly improved sperm motility, morphology, and DNA integrity without affecting sperm concentration. These findings suggest that secretome may serve as a promising adjunct to conventional sperm preparation for assisted reproductive technologies. Further prospective studies are required to determine whether these improvements translate into enhanced fertilization, embryo development, and pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells; secretome; sperm preparation; swim-up; sperm motility; DNA fragmentation; male infertility