ABSTRACT
Background: Oxidative stress affects women fertility and influences on the spermquality by alterating activities of cholinesterases, a molecular marker of stressrelatedinfertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of acetylcholinesterase[AChE], butyrylcholinesterase [BuChE] activities and phenotypes inpatients with unexplained infertility [idiopathic]. It's possible association with inflammationmarker C-reactive protein [CRP] and other oxidative stress markers, i.e.before and after intra uterine insemination [IUI]
Methods: In this study, blood samples of 60 patients with unexplained infertilitywere collected the day before and 24 hr after IUI [between 8 AM and 9 AM after theovernight fasting] and activities of BuChE, AChE, catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase[SOD] and glutathione peroxidase [GpX] and serum levels of thiol proteins[TP], C-reactive protein [CRP], total antioxidant capacity [TAC] were measured.Statistical significance was assumed at p<0.05
Results: Before IUI, there was a significant [p=0.048] positive correlation betweenBuChE activity and plasma TAC and a significant difference in the CAT activity betweenvarious BuChE [UU and non-UU] phenotypes. However, after IUI, a significantnegative correlation between the AChE activity and BuChE activity was found[p=0.045] and the level of RBC AChE activity was significantly reduced [382.4 +/- 163.19 vs. 586.7 +/- 384 IU/grHb, p=0.025]. Meanwhile, after IUI, the activities ofSOD [1568 +/- 847.5 IU/grHb vs. 1126 +/- 229.3, p=0.031] and CAT [310 +/- 53.4 IU/grHbvs. 338 +/- 73, p=0.025] were increased
Conclusion: This study suggests that decline in cholinesterases activities may be responsiblefor stimulation of oxidative stress and inflammation and reduction in fertilityrates by IUI