title: Relationship between reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation in human sperm suspensions and their association with sperm function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by human sperm suspensions could predict oxidative stress manifest as lipid peroxidation and if lipid peroxidation was a useful predictor of human sperm function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory associated with reproductive medicine clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three couples under evaluation for IVF donated the surplus from a diagnostic semen sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cells were separated from seminal plasma on a 30% Percoll gradient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation, sperm motility measured by computer-assisted semen analysis and ability of the sperm to acrosome react.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four samples exhibited ROS production < or =20 000 relative light units (rlu)/s/10(8) sperm and lipid peroxidation < or =40 nmol malondialdehyde/10(8) sperm. The remainder fell into two distinct groups; both exhibited a linear relationship between lipid peroxidation and ROS production but of markedly differing slopes. Abstinence time had no effect. Lipid peroxidation was a good predictor of sperm motility and their ability to acrosome react.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reactive oxygen species production in sperm suspensions is an index of overall oxidative stress experienced by sperm, but sperm divide into two classes of ability to resist oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation should be investigated as a clinical test of sperm function.
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Department of Clinical Science South Bristol, St. Michael's Hospital, Southwell Street, Bristol BS2 8EG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew Colin
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: William Christopher Liberty
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000502:physiology*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species