Confocal Raman microspectroscopy as an analytical tool to assess the mitochondrial status in human spermatozoa

摘要

Confocal Raman microspectroscopy was used to investigate human sperm cells. Raman mapping withna 532 nm excitation laser allowed to unambiguously characterize the nucleus, the neck, and, innparticular, the mitochondria-rich middle piece of a human sperm cell. The effect of ultraviolet radiationnon different organelles of the sperm was quantified by localized spectral Raman signatures obtainednwithin milliseconds. Chemical changes within the sub-cellular structure of the sperm cells were recordednas a function of ultraviolet light exposure time, showing the proof-of-principle that Ramannmicrospectroscopy can be a fast diagnostic method for detecting the mitochondrial and motility statusnof human spermatozoa.