title: Malondialdehyde levels in sperm and seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic and its relationship with semen parameters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxic lipid peroxides are known to cause various impairments of sperm cells and may play a major role in the etiology of male infertility. We determined the level of lipid peroxidation as indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) in the spermatozoa and seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic and normozoospermic males.
  
  
  METHODS
  MDA of spermatozoa and seminal plasma was determined in 35 asthenozoospermic and 15 normozoospermic men by spectrofluorometry. Semen analysis was done according to the WHO standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MDA concentration in the spermatozoa of asthenozoospermic was significantly higher than in normozoospermic males (0.14+/-0.059 and 0.09+/-0.04 nmol/10 x 10(6) spermatozoa respectively). The mean+/-S.D. MDA value in the seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic and normozoospermic were 1.35+/-0.42 and 1.2+/-0.3 nmol/ml seminal plasma respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lipid peroxidation has a deleterious effect on the semen quality and MDA is an index of lipid peroxidation which may be a diagnostic tool for the analysis of infertility in the asthenozoospermic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Heidar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tavilani
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doosti
authors.forename: Hojatollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saeidi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008315:Malondialdehyde