Seminal reactive oxygen species-antioxidant relationship in fertile males with and without varicocele.

The aim of this study was to assess seminal reactive oxygen species (ROS)-antioxidants relationship in fertile and infertile men with and without varicocele. One hundred and seventy six males were studied; fertile healthy volunteers (n = 45), fertile men with varicocele (n = 45), infertile oligoasthenozoospermia (OA, n = 44) without varicocele and infertile OA with varicocele (n = 42). In their seminal plasma, two ROS parameters (malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide) and five antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, vitaminE, vitaminC) were estimated. Compared with fertile healthy men, in all other studied groups, estimated seminal ROS were significantly higher and estimated antioxidants were significantly lower. Infertile men with varicocele showed the same relationship as infertile men without varicocele. Sperm concentration, total sperm motility as well as sperm normal forms were negatively correlated with seminal malondialdehyde and were positively correlated with vitaminC. It is concluded that varicocele has an oxidative stress (OS) in fertile normozoospermic bearing conditions. This may allow understanding that, within men with varicocele, there is a threshold value of OS over which male fertility may be impaired.

alpha-1,4-Glucosidase activity in infertile oligoasthenozoospermic men with and without varicocele.

This work aimed to assess seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity in infertile oligoasthenozoospermic men associated with and without scrotal varicocele. Eighty men were investigated. They were divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 20), fertile normozoospermic men; group 2 (n = 30), oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele; and group 3 (n = 30), oligoasthenozoospermia without varicocele. The patients underwent medical history, clinical examination, conventional semen analysis and estimation of seminal plasma alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity by double-beam spectrophotometer method and serum testosterone by radioimmunoassay method. There was a significant decrease in the mean seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity levels in infertile men versus controls (mean +/- SD; 7.66 +/- 0.433, 2.088 +/- 0.565, 5.384 +/- 0.85 mU ml(-1) respectively). Mean serum testosterone levels demonstrated nonsignificant differences between studied groups. Seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity levels demonstrated significant correlation with sperm count, sperm motility percentage and serum testosterone in oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele group and demonstrated nonsignificant correlation in other groups. It is concluded that varicocele-induced hypoxia is the adverse effect that causes both oligoasthenozoospermia and decreased seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase levels.