ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the role of oxidative stress in sperm dysfunction in Turkish idiopathic infertile men. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Medical laboratory. PATIENT(S): Semen samples from 28 idiopathic infertile men and 14 fertile men. INTERVENTION(S): Sperm DNA fragmentation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were assayed with the terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) test and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein, respectively. Seminal plasma protein carbonyl groups (PC), nitrotyrosine (NT), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total thiol (SH) levels and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were determined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Sperm DNA fragmentation in relation to ROS formation and seminal plasma oxidative parameters. RESULT(S): The number of TUNEL-positive spermatozoa from idiopathic infertile men was higher than from fertile men, and ROS formation was increased as well in infertile males. A positive correlation was detected between TUNEL-positive cells and ROS content. Seminal plasma MDA, PC, and NT levels were elevated in idiopathic infertile males. No difference was observed in the total SH content and FRAP. Seminal plasma MDA levels correlated positively with both NT and PC levels. Positive correlations were detected between DNA fragmentation and MDA, NT, and PC of seminal plasma, and between sperm ROS content and MDA levels. CONCLUSION(S): The results of this study support the presence of oxidative stress in sperm dysfunction in Turkish idiopathic infertile men.
Subject(s)
Infertility, Male/etiology , Infertility, Male/metabolism , Oxidative Stress/physiology , Spermatozoa/metabolism , Adult , DNA Fragmentation , Humans , In Situ Nick-End Labeling , Infertility, Male/epidemiology , Male , Prospective Studies , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Risk Factors , Semen/metabolism , Sperm Motility/physiology , Spermatozoa/pathologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To clarify the role of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp 70) and its relation with DNA damage in male infertility. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Andrology laboratory of Istanbul Medical Faculty. PATIENT(S): Semen samples from 37 infertile men and 13 fertile men (as controls). INTERVENTION(S): The percentage of DNA fragmentation was assayed with the use of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL). Sperm Hsp 70 expression was determined by using Western blot analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Both the percentages of sperm DNA fragmentation and Hsp 70 expression were correlated with semen analysis parameters. RESULTS: TUNEL-positive spermatozoa in the infertile group (18.7% for asthenospermics and 13.0% for oligoasthenospermics) were higher than the fertile group (4.9%). Significant inverse correlations were detected between percentage of TUNEL-positive cells and both concentration (r = -0.487) and motility (r = -0.377) of spermatozoa. No expression of Hsp 70 was observed in azospermic group, whereas Hsp 70 levels were found increased significantly in infertile group (U = 62 for asthenospermics and U = 38 for oligoasthenospermics) compared to fertile group as analyzed by using Mann-Whitney U Wilcoxon rank sum test. Furthermore, significant positive correlation was found between percentage of TUNEL-positive cells and Hsp 70 expression (r = 0.357). CONCLUSION(S): Hsp 70 expression may have been increased as a protective mechanism against apoptosis in spermatozoa of infertile men.
