title: Altered levels of seminal nitric oxide, nitric oxide synthase, and enzymatic antioxidants and their association with sperm function in infertile subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between specific reactive nitrogen species and sperm function among infertile subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fertility clinic at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proven fertile volunteers and subjects attending the above clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tests for hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS), nuclear chromatin decondensation (NCD), acrosomal status (AS) were performed, and total nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase were assayed in infertile subjects subgrouped on the basis of routine sperm parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Correlation between sperm function and total NO, SOD, catalase, and NOS levels in semen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the infertile subjects were found to possess high NO and NOS activity in the semen. Leukocytospermic subjects, despite having normal sperm motility and viability, demonstrated subnormal sperm function scores. Nitric oxide in semen was inversely associated with sperm function in normospermia, asthenospermia, leukocytospermia, leukocytoasthenospermia, and teratospermia. In oligospermia with normal or subnormal motility, NO was positively associated with sperm function. Attenuated activities of either SOD or catalase or both were observed in all infertile subjects except those with normospermia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subnormal sperm function in normospermia, asthenospermia, and leukocytospermia may be due to the cytotoxic effect of increased NO, whereas in oligospermia the same may be due to low or suboptimal levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biomedicine, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ramya
authors.forename: Man Mohan
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Misro
authors.forename: Devabrata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Deoki
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nandan
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mithal
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002843:Chromatin; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002374:Catalase; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase