RESUMO
Semen from infertile men (n = 23) has been compared with that of control subjects (n = 25). Whereas the concentrations of morphologically normal, motile sperms, Mg, Ca and Zn fell within the acceptable limits for all the control subjects, only two infertile men qualified by all five parameters. Of the patient group, seven were abnormal on all counts; sperm motility, Mg and Zn were low in 16, Ca in 19 and abnormal morphology was encountered in 12. Since there was no linear correlation between any two parameters, it is possible that each factor may singly or jointly influence the physiological integrity of the spermatozoa. The results are discussed from a consideration of pathological manifestations known to occur in deficiency of these trace elements à propos their role in determining the fertility index of the semen.