title: Leukocytospermia is associated with increased reactive oxygen species production by human spermatozoa.
abstract: To investigate the role of increased seminal leukocytes in enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by human spermatozoa.A prospective study. Male infertility clinic.Forty-eight infertile men. Standard semen analysis. Assessment of sperm nuclear DNA damage by sperm chromatin structure assay. Incubation of spermatozoa from nonleukocytospermic samples with blood neutrophils. Spontaneous and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced ROS production in pure-sperm suspensions (after removal of leukocytes) as measured by a chemiluminescence assay. Levels of spontaneous and PMA-induced ROS production in pure-sperm suspensions from the infertile men with a diagnosis of leukocytospermia (n = 16) were significantly higher compared with the case of infertile men without leukocytospermia (n = 32) and with the case of a control group of healthy volunteers (n = 13). A similar pattern of increased ROS was observed when spermatozoa were incubated with blood neutrophils. Leukocytospermia was associated with a significant decrease in sperm motility and increase in DNA damage. Increased seminal leukocytes may play a role in stimulating ROS production by human spermatozoa. Such stimulation may be mediated via direct cell-cell contact or by soluble products released by leukocytes. Poor sperm quality in leukocytospermic samples may be due to leukocyte-mediated oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Human Reproduction, Infertility, and Sexual Function, Urological Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation., Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Ramadan A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kandirali
authors.forename: Rakesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Essam A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Nada
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Evenson
authors.forename: Juan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Alvarez
mesh_terms: D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate