title: Total antioxidant capacity in patients with varicoceles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore a possible molecular defect linked to infertility, studying total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of seminal plasma in varicocele (VAR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-series study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteers in an academic research environment and out-patients in clinical service.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five VAR patients (9 oligospermic and 16 normospermic) vs 24 non-VAR controls (7 subjects with idiopathic oligospermia and 17 normospermic subjects).
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of seminal plasma TAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  TAC was measured using myoglobin, as a source of radicals, which interact with a chromogen 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS), whose radical cation is spectroscopically detectable. The latency phase (Lag) in the accumulation of ABTS cation is proportional to antioxidant concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lag showed significantly greater values in the all VAR patients vs non-VAR subjects. Oligospermic-VAR patients showed the greatest values. Lag and sperm motility significantly correlated in VAR normospermic patients. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) showed significant inverse association with Lag in same group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The augmented Lag values could indicate an ineffective utilization of antioxidants in oligospermic-VAR, while in normo-VAR the direct correlation between TAC and motility suggest a potential protective role toward sperm motility. In the same group, the inverse correlation with FSH suggests that greater FSH levels induce a better utilization of antioxidants by spermatozoa.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meucci
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milardi
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mordente
authors.forename: Giuseppe Ettore
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Martorana
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giacchi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Marinis
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014646:Varicocele / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013739:Testosterone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone