A Practical Approach to Estimating the Effect of Synchrotron Radiation on Sperm Motility and Viability

Abstract

Studying the dynamics of sperm tail beating in 3D is important for understanding decreasing fertility trends related to motility. Syn-chrotron X-ray tomography (SXRT) shows promising results for imaging live biological samples in 3D and time, making it a candidate for imaging sperm tail beating patterns. However, the dose of ionizing radiation (IR) that the cells would receive during image acquisition is of concern as this is likely to affect essential cellular functions. The effect of IR on motility at the dose rates encountered in a synchrotron has never been assessed. Here, results are presented of analyzing the movement and viability of sperm cells exposed at varying durations at the TOMCAT beamline (Swiss Light Source (SLS)) which has the field of view and spatial resolution needed to reconstruct sperm cells coupled with sub-second exposure times. The results indicate that motility is affected long before viability and that sperm cell dynamics are affected very quickly by the beam.