title: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the outcome of diagnostic tests of sperm function.
abstract: Washed sperm suspensions from 64 out of 89 (72%) randomly selected infertility patients produced detectable reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to 17 out of 67 (25%) prospective semen donors (p < 0.01, Chi-square test). Among patients, the median sperm concentration in ejaculates which yielded sperm suspensions that generated detectable levels of ROS was lower than in those which did not: 36.2 (15.63-57.64) vs. 71.5 (22-108) x 10(6)/mL, respectively (median (interquartile range), p < 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test). In samples that produced ROS, the basal rate of production and the rates after stimulation with 50 mumol N-formyl met leu phe (N-FMLP) l-1 or with 100 nmol phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) l-1 were significantly and inversely correlated with sperm concentration in the ejaculate (r = -0.43, -0.41 and -0.35, respectively, p < 0.01 Spearman's rank correlation). The rate of ROS production showed no relationship to the motility of spermatozoa in semen, whether evaluated visually or via computer assisted semen analysis. However, there was a significant negative correlation (r = -0.370) between the motile, normal sperm concentration (MNSC) and basal ROS production, and when stimulated with N-FMLP (r = -0.311) or with PMA (r = -0.249) (all p < 0.05). In patient samples that generated detectable ROS, the ability of the spermatozoa to retain motility for 24 h after preparation on a 40/80% Percoll gradient was negatively correlated with basal ROS production (r = -0.310, p < 0.05). ROS production was also related to the outcome of in vitro sperm mucus penetration tests. Unstimulated levels of ROS production showed a significant (p < 0.05), negative correlation with the number of progressively motile spermatozoa present in mucus after 15 (r = -0.379) and 60 (r = -0.362) min. These results suggest that sperm samples with increased ROS tend to have poor semen quality and reduced performance in a number of routine, diagnostic sperm function tests.
authors.affiliation: University of Bristol, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Whittington
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D002470:Cell Survival; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000502:physiology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species