title: The effect of chymotrypsin on the determination of total alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma and the correlation between alpha-glucosidase level and semen parameters.
abstract: To evaluate the effect of chymotrypsin on the examination of alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma, thirty-nine samples of fresh liquefied semen with or without chymotrypsin and forty-eight samples of fresh un-liquefied semen with chymotrypsin were determined for the total alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma. The total alpha-glucosidase level of each sample was assayed by the method of glucose oxidase. The correlations between alpha-glucosidase level and semen parameters, including semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, grade a and b motility and total motility, were analyzed with SPSS 11.0 software. The results showed that chymotrypsin had no effect on seminal alpha-glucosidase activity determination. Chymotrypsin could improve the liquefaction for un-liquefied semen, and there was no significant difference of alpha-glucosidase activity between liquefied and un-liquefied semen samples. There were significantly positive correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase activity (U/ml) and sperm concentration (r = 0.338, p = 0.015) and between total alpha-glucosidase activity (U/ejaculate) and semen volume (r = 0.677, p = 0.000). However, there was no significant correlation between alpha-glucosidase level (U/ml) and semen volume, pH, sperm motility or grade a and b motility (r = -0.234 approximately 0.077, p = 0.099 approximately 0.993). The data indicated that chymotrypsin could be added into the un-liquefied semen samples for alpha-glucosidase activity determination, and there were different correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase level and various semen parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproduction and Genetics, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: H-R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y-F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: N-Q
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000201:enzymology*; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013081:Sperm Motility; D000520:alpha-Glucosidases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000520:alpha-Glucosidases; D002918:Chymotrypsin