title: Rapid and slow hydroxylators of seminal E prostaglandins among men in barren unions.
abstract: E prostaglandins are formed in seminal vesicles and can be oxygenated by (omega-1)-hydroxylation catalysed by cytochrome P450 to 19(R)-hydroxy metabolites. The latter are not further metabolized. Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), PGE2, 19-hydroxy-PGE1 and 19-hydroxy-PGE2 were measured in seminal fluid of 95 men, who attended the clinic for infertility. After extractive isolation, the E prostaglandins were converted to B prostaglandins by alkali treatment and analysed by high performance liquid chromatography on beta-cyclodextrin silica with 17-phenyl-PGE2 as an internal standard. The relative amount of 19-hydroxy E-prostaglandins varied between 26% and 97%. Most (86%) of the men were classified as rapid or normal hydroxylators with PGE/19-hydroxy PGE ratios below 0.75, while 14% were slow hydroxylators. The relative amount of 19-hydroxy E1 and 19-hydroxy E2 showed a 96% covariation, which supports that a common enzymatic mechanism is operating on both E1 and E2 prostaglandins and that this mechanism is the major determinant for formation of 19-hydroxy compounds. We conclude that the relative amounts of PGE1, PGE2, 19-hydroxy-PGE1 and 19-hydroxy-PGE2 in seminal fluid vary, possibly due to polymorphic expression of this enzymatic mechanism. Total output of 19-hydroxy-PGE compounds, but not the primary PGE compounds was correlated with the output of seminal fructose, supporting that the 19-hydroxy prostaglandins are the normal end products of the seminal vesicles. Low sperm concentration found among men with high output of E prostaglandins could here simply be explained by dilution of spermatozoa by a high output of seminal vesicular fluid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pourian
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kvist
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Björndahl
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Oliw
mesh_terms: D000527:Alprostadil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005632:Fructose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006900:Hydroxylation; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000378:metabolism*; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011458:Prostaglandins E; D005632:Fructose; C025128:19-hydroxyprostaglandin E1; C048823:19-hydroxyprostaglandin E2; D000527:Alprostadil; D015032:Zinc; D015232:Dinoprostone