title: The Relationship between Seminal Melatonin with Sperm Parameters, DNA Fragmentation and Nuclear Maturity in Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection Candidates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Melatonin, the chief secretory product of the pineal gland, regulates dynamic physiological adaptations that occur in seasonally breeding mammals as a response to changes in daylight hours. Because of the presence of melatonin in semen and the mem- brane melatonin receptor in spermatozoa, the impact of melatonin on the regulation of male infertility is still questionable. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of endogenous melatonin on human semen parameters (sperm concentration, motility and normal morphology), DNA fragmentation (DF) and nuclear maturity.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this clinical prospective study, semen samples from 75 infer- tile men were routinely analyzed and assessed for melatonin and total antioxidant capac- ity (TAC) levels using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and colorimetric assay kits, respectively. DF was examined by the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test. Acidic aniline blue staining was used to detect chromatin defects in the sperm nuclei.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant correlation between seminal plasma melatonin and TAC with sperm parameters and nuclear maturity. However, we observed a positive significant correlation between DF and melatonin level (r=0.273, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Melatonin in seminal plasma is positively correlated with damaged sperm DNA of infertile patients. The mechanism of this phenomenon needs further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharbatoghli
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezazadeh Valojerdi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hadi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bahadori
authors.affiliation: Department of Andrology, Reproductive Biomedicine Rersearch Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salman Yazdi
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila Rashki
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Ghaleno
keywords: Antioxidant; DNA Fragmentation; Melatonin; Sperm Maturation