Increased lipid peroxidation and abnormal fatty acid profiles in seminal and blood plasma of normozoospermic males from infertile couples.
BACKGROUND
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for sperm function. However, excessive ROS production can impair sperm function and might be a factor contributing to male infertility.


METHODS
We investigated the levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as well as lipid peroxidation, as represented by thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), in blood and seminal plasma of 38 normozoospermic males from infertile couples (NSI-males), compared with that of 17 fertile volunteers (FV-males).


RESULTS
TBARS levels in blood and seminal plasma were higher in NSI-males than in FV-males (P < 0.0002, P < 0.0003, respectively), as were AA levels (P < 0.0003, P < 0.00004, respectively). On the contrary, the blood and seminal plasma levels of DHA were lower in NSI-males than in FV-males (P < 0.02 and P < 0.05, respectively). The AA/DHA ratios in blood and seminal plasma were higher in NSI-males than in FV-males (P < 0.003, P < 0.0007, respectively). Significant correlations between seminal and blood plasma levels of TBARS (P < 0.0001, r = 0.548), AA (P < 0.0001, r = 0.571) and DHA (P < 0.0001, r = 0.506) were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data provide new insight into lipid metabolism in male infertility and indicate that systemic oxidative stress resulting in increased lipid peroxidation and an altered fatty acid profile may be, at least in part, responsible for infertility even in normozoospermic males.
Oborna
I
I
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, I.P. Pavlova 6, Olomouc, Czech Republic. obornai@seznam.cz
Wojewodka
G
G
De Sanctis
J B
JB
Fingerova
H
H
Svobodova
M
M
Brezinova
J
J
Hajduch
M
M
Novotny
J
J
Radova
L
L
Radzioch
D
D
D000328:Adult; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism*
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid