Infertility Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Infertility, including details on male and female infertility, treatment, causes, pregnancy.

Malondialdehyde levels in sperm and seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic and its relationship with semen parameters.

Tavilani H, Doosti M, Saeidi H

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.

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.

Published 6 June 2005 in Clin Chim Acta, 356(1): 199-203.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Infertility Research Today. All Rights Reserved.