Coenzyme Q10 and oxidative stress markers in seminal plasma of Iraqi patients with male infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate seminal plasma coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels and oxidative stress in patients with different types of male infertility. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq from the period of November 2004 to July 2006. Sixty patients with male infertility were recruited from Al-Kadhimia Teaching Hospital, Baghdad and included in this study. The male patients were categorized according to their seminal fluid parameters to oligozoospermia (n=32), azoospermia (n=22), and asthenozoospermia (n=6). All obtained results from infertile men groups were compared with age-matched healthy volunteers as control group consisting of 39 subjects. Seminal plasma samples were analyzed for CoQ10 by an improved high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method and for malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of oxidative stress. RESULTS: The mean seminal plasma CoQ10 was 1.10+/-0.169 mg/L in oligozoospermia, 0.567+/-0.098 mg/L in azoospermia, 0.740+/-0.06 mg/L in patients with asthenozoospermia, and 1.652+/-0.139 mg/L in control group. The seminal plasma CoQ10 levels in all infertility groups showed a significant difference from the control group (p< or =0.0001). High significant increase (p < or =0.001) in the MDA levels was noted in the seminal plasma of oligozoospermia 11.37+/-1.64 micromole/L, azoospermia 13.87+/-1.62 micromole/L, and asthenozoospermia group 9.508+/-0.533 micromole/L whereas the level in the control group was 8.517+/- 0.622 mole/L. Seminal plasma CoQ10 was inversely and significantly correlated with MDA (r= -0.760; p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Elevated seminal plasma CoQ10 levels are associated directly with good semen parameters and inversely with the oxidative stress.

Development of a new high performance liquid chromatography method for measurement of coenzyme Q10 in healthy blood plasma.

OBJECTIVE: To improve a new high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) measurement in human plasma. METHODS: We conducted this study in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq from September 2004 to July 2005. Sixty healthy volunteers aged 28.51+/-7.30 years were participated in this study. All participants were non-smokers and under no any treatment for the last 3 days and fast for 12 hours before analysis. Coenzyme Q10 levels were measured by improved isocratic reversed phase HPLC technique after one-step ice-cold 1-propanol extraction step. RESULTS: The ultra violet (UV) detection, developed HPLC method gives a good linearity range between 0.1-4.0 mg/L. The coefficients of variations (CVs%) of within-day precision for CoQ10 in human plasma were 0.2-3.90%. Analytical recoveries were 95.5-101.30%, whereas the average CV% of CoQ10 reproducibility was 0.959%. CONCLUSION: A new improved rapid, precise, and sensitive HPLC method for the quantitation of CoQ10 is suitable for analysis of blood plasma samples.

Prolactin receptors in uterine leiomyomas.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the location of prolactin receptors in patients with uterine leiomyomas and their host myometrium as well as normal myometrium. METHODS: A case control study was conducted at the College of Medicine Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq during the period from 2004--2006. The samples were collected at Obstetrics and Gynecological Departments of 4 hospitals in Baghdad City (Al-Khadimiya Teaching Hospital, Al-Noor, Al-Kharch, and Al-Saadoon Hospital). Sections from large and small tumors (n=53) with their host myometriums and from normal myometriums (n=40) were stained immunohistochemically for prolactin receptors. RESULTS: Prolactin receptors were positively seen in all cases examined including patient and comparison tissues, in the form of dark brown staining. Staining was heterogenous and varied in intensity from one case to another and sometimes from one area to another in the same section. CONCLUSION: The increase in prolactin receptors in leiomyoma is expected given that the underlying host myometrium is abnormal.