title: [Study of zinc in protecting sperm from sodium nitroprusside damage].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the function of zinc in preventing human sperm from being damaged by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an external NO donor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses were made of the function of zinc in protecting sperm from being influenced by SNP in such aspects as sperm motility, head-tail connection and the breakage of sperm DNA chain by using phase-contrast microscope and single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sperm motility was obviously inhibited by SNP. The percentage of comet cells increased significantly but the stability of sperm head-tail connection decreased. Zinc could promote sperm motility, protect the DNA chain and prevent the sperm head-tail connection from breaking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zinc can protect sperm from being damaged by NO. Its mechanism may be related to the mercaptol group of sperm chromatin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xijing Hospital, Xián, Shaanxi 710033, China.
authors.forename: Maigui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhuying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Shanluan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Lihui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Ailing
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000633:toxicity; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000633:toxicity*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D015032:Zinc