Enhancement of mitochondrial membrane potential by
H2 treatment
Since sperm motility is dependent on ATP content, we
hypothesized that the improvement of sperm motility by
H2 treatment might be due to changes in mitochondrial
function. Therefore, after treatment with H2- or N2-
mixed gases for 30 min by the same method described
in Figures 1, 2 and 3, we stained sperm with TMRM, a
mitochondrial membrane potential-dependent dye, and
found that TMRM fluorescence increased (Figure 5),
suggesting that H2 treatment may enhance mitochondrial
function and sperm motility.