title: Effect of lipid peroxidation on cryopreserved semen quality in patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although pre-freeze and post-thaw semen quality in patients with cancer is poor, it is not clear whether lipid peroxidation affects semen quality. This study assessed (1) whether poor semen quality in patients with cancer is caused by lipid peroxidation, and (2) whether patient age or sperm motility is associated with lipid peroxidation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lipid peroxidation was measured by determining malonaldehyde levels using the thiobarbituric acid method. Malonaldehyde levels were measured in cryopreserved semen specimens from patients with testicular (n = 15) or nontesticular cancer (n = 16) and normal men (control subjects, n = 20). A computer-assisted semen analyzer was used to determine the sperm concentration and motility before and after cryopreservation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Malonaldehyde levels did not differ in frozen-thawed semen specimens among patients with testicular (25.90 +/- 1.00 nM/10(8) sperm/hr) or nontesticular cancer (24.48 +/- 1.66 nM/10(8) sperm/hr), and control subjects (24.86 +/- 1.43 nM/10(8) sperm/hr). Malonaldehyde levels did not correlate with post-thaw sperm motility or patient age in patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer. Post-thaw sperm motility from patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer was significantly lower than that in normal subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The poor post-thaw semen quality in patients with testicular or nontesticular cancer is not related to lipid peroxidation but may be caused by other factors such as sperm membrane stress induced during the freeze-thaw process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*