Correlation of seminal plasma zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein with semen quality in obese males / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To investigate the relationship between seminal plasma zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein (ZAG) and semen quality in obese males.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study included 130 obese male patients with idiopathic infertility Based on the concentration of seminal plasma ZAG, we divided the patients into three tertile groups: tertile 1 (T1, 73.45－97.15 μg/ml, n = 43), T2 (97.16－115.46 μg/ml, n = 44), and T3 (115.47－220.11 μg/ml, n = 43). We measured the concentrations of seminal plasma zinc (SPZ) and ZAG of the patients by ELISA, obtained the semen parameters, and analyzed the correlation of semen quality with the levels of SPZ and ZAG and the influence of obesity on SPZ, ZAG and semen quality.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean level of seminal plasma ZAG in the 130 obese male patients was (111.29 ± 26.50) μg/ml. There were statistically significant differences in sperm concentration and total sperm count among the three tertile groups (P < 0.05). The level of seminal plasma ZAG was correlated negatively with the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), sperm concentration and sperm count (P < 0.01), that of SPZ positively with BMI and WC (P < 0.05) but negatively with semen volume and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (P < 0.05). The level of serum ZAG, however, exhibited no correlation with SPZ, seminal plasma ZAG or semen quality. Obesity was found to be associated with significantly decreased concentration of seminal plasma ZAG and percentage of progressively motile sperm but remarkably increased level of SPZ (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Obesity may induce the metabolic disorder of SPZ and ZAG, change the microenvironment of seminal plasma, and consequently affect semen quality.</p>

Correlation of insulin resistance with male reproductive hormone levels and semen parameters / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To investigate the influence of insulin resistance on male reproductive hormones and semen quality.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using the electrochemiluminescence method, we measured the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) in the serum of 83 infertile males. We detected the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin (FINS) and calculated the insulin resistance index presented as homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Based on HOMA-IR, we divided the patients into three tertile groups, T1 (HOMA-IR 0.36－0.55, n = 27), T2 (HOMA-IR 0.56－0.80, n = 28) and T3 (HOMA-IR 0.81－1.97, n = 28), obtained their semen parameters by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) and analyzed the correlation of HOMA-IR with male reproductive hormone levels and semen parameters.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>With the elevation of HOMA-IR, the patients of the T1, T2 and T3 groups showed significant decreases in the serum T level (［14,26 ± 4.27］ vs ［14.75 ± 5.00］ vs ［11.62 ± 3.68］ nmol/L, P <0.05) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (［51.04 ± 15.10］% vs ［48.04 ± 16.24］% vs ［37.84 ± 18.23］%, P <0.05). HOMA-IR was correlated negatively with the serum T level (r = －0.333, P = 0.002), semen volume (r = －0.23, P = 0.029) and PMS (r = －0.27, P = 0.015), and so was FINS with the serum T level (r = －0.327, P = 0.003) and PMS (r = －0.315, P = 0.004), while the semen volume was correlated positively with the levels of serum T (r = 0.221, P = 0.048) and FSH (r = 0.222, P = 0.047). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that HOMA-IR was an independent influencing factor for PMS and the body mass index (BMI) was that for the semen volume and total sperm count.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Insulin resistance may reduce semen quality by changing the levels of male reproductive hormones.</p>