title: [Gammaglutamyl-transferase activity in human semen. Application to fertility studies (author's transl)].
abstract: The enzymatic activity of gammaglutamyl-transferase was measured in the semen of 79 male subjects undertaking fertility studies. The mean value obtained at 30 degrees C was 4898 +/- 2185 (mean +/- SD), which is 250 times the normal mean value in serum measured under identical conditions. No significant correlation was found between gammaglutamyl-transferase activity and sperm density, active lineal motility, and number with normal motility. Nor was a correlation found between gammaglutamyl-transferase activity and the concentration of citric acid, a marker of prostatic function, or fructose, a marker of seminal vesicle function. Very high levels of gammaglutamyl-transferase (25,000 and 16,850 U/l), and of citric acid (4,000 and 3,500 mg/dl) were found in two cases of excretory azoospermia, indicating that the prostate is probably the main origin of the enzyme, as described by other authors. Therefore, gammaglutamyl-transferase enzymatic activity could be utilized as a parameter of prostatic function in studies of male fertility.
mesh_terms: D002951:Citrates / Q000032:analysis; D005632:Fructose / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000201:enzymology; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000032:analysis / Q000201:enzymology*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D005632:Fructose; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase
vernacular_title: Gammaglutamil-transferasa en plasma seminal humano en estudios de fertilidad.