Relationship of antioxidant system and reactive oxygen species with clinical semen parameters in infertile men

Abstract

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the correlation of antioxidant system and reactive oxygen species with clinical parameters in infertile semen samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen sample of fifty infertile men were divided into three groups: (1) Group I - Normospermic (count >15 million/ml), Group II - Asthenospermic (motility <32%), and Group III - Oligospermic (counts <15 million/ml) subjects based on the sperm count and sperm motility. The samples were also divided into two groups: (1) Group IV with semen pH >7.2 (25 samples) and Group V - Semen pH <7.2 (25 samples). The grouping was based on the WHO guideline for semen analysis (12). The semen antioxidant parameters like glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) (spectrophotometric method Kornberg and Horecker, 1955). Catalase (Maehly and Chance 1954), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) (Rotruck method), glutathione (GSH) (dithiobisnitro-benzoate method), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (direct method), and malondialdehyde (MDA) (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay kit method) were investigated. Mann-Whitney U-test was applied to compare the findings. RESULTS: < 0.001) in semen of asthenospermic subjects compared to normospermic and oligospermic subjects. CONCLUSION: The current study concludes that there is a significant relationship of ROS and semen parameters. Further studies will be needed in such subjects regarding role of effectiveness of dietary antioxidants in improving semen qualities.