title: Acrosin activity as a potential marker for sperm membrane characteristics in unexplained male infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate sperm membrane system integrity in unexplained infertile male subjects with three consecutive conception failures on IUI even though semen clinical parameters were normal.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical biotechnology laboratory, School of Medical Science and Technology IIT Kharagpur, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine patients with unexplained infertility, 17 normal proven-fertile healthy donors, and 21 infertile males with low motility but with other semen parameters remaining normal.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen samples were collected from unexplained infertile patients as well as from healthy fertile donors after abstinence of 3-5 days and were analyzed according to World Health Organization guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Release of 5'-nucleotidase (plasma membrane marker), lactate dehydrogenase (mitochondrial marker) and free acrosin, proacrosin, and total acrosin (acrosomal membrane marker).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma membrane integrity and respiratory activity of sperm cells were comparable in all three groups. The proacrosin-acrosin system was adversely affected in unexplained infertile subjects despite high sperm motility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Total acrosin activity may be considered as a sensitive biochemical marker for clinical evaluation of unexplained infertility in males.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. koel@smst.iitkgp.ernet.in
authors.forename: Koel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chaudhury
authors.forename: Tuhin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Baidyanath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chakravarty
authors.forename: Asok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
mesh_terms: D015720:5'-Nucleotidase / Q000378:metabolism; D000176:Acrosin / Q000032:analysis*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000201:enzymology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D000176:Acrosin