Seminal plasma lipid pattern in male infertility

ABSTRACT

The asthenospermic, oligoasthenospermic and azoospermic groups showed significant decrease in total phospholipids, lecithin, sphingomyelin and lecithin/ sphingomyelin ratio in comparison with the normospermic group. This decrease may be attributed to the dysfunction of the epididymal epithelial cells which are the chief site of phospholipid synthesis and /or secretion. The dysfunction of the epididymal epithelial cells may be caused by male genital tract infection, decreased androgenic activity or chromosomal anomalies which are the common causes of asthenospermia, oligoasthenospermia and azoospermia. Also, there were significan increase in human seminal plasma triglycerides level and fructose content in asthenospermic, oligoasthenospermic, and azoospermic groups in comparison with the normospermic group. The inverse relationship between fructose level and triglyceride content of human seminal plasma, and the sperm count may be attributed to the decreased utilization by the decreased number of the asthenic spermatozoa, also, there may be a concomitent increase in the triglyceride synthesis by the epididymal epithelial cells at the expense of the decreased phospholipid synthesis. Total lipids, cholesterol, and free fatty acids levels in human seminal plasma showed insignificant differences between normospermic, asthenospermic, oligoasthenospermic, and azoospermic groups