AIMTo assess the relation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants in the internal spermatic vein blood compared to the peripheral venous blood.

METHODSSixty-eight infertile oligoasthenozoospemic patients associated with varicocele were investigated. During inguinal varicocelectomy, blood samples of internal spermatic as well as median cubital veins were withdrawn. Three ROS factors (malondialdehyde [MDA], hydrogen peroxide H(2)O(2), nitric oxide [NO]) and four antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [Cat], glutathione peroxidase [GPx] and vitamin C) were estimated in these blood samples.

RESULTSMean levels of tested ROS factors were significantly higher in the internal spermatic venous blood compared to those in the peripheral one (mean+/-SD) (MDA 18.7+/-1.4 nmol/mL vs. 15.4+/-1.4 nmol/mL, H(2)O(2) 43.6+/-8.0 micromol/mL vs. 30.8+/-8.1 micromol/mL, NO 2.3+/-0.5 nmol/L vs. 1.6+/-0.4 nmol/L, P<0.01). Mean levels of tested antioxidants were significantly lower in the internal spermatic venous blood compared to those in the peripheral one (superoxide dismutase 1 690.7+/-130.0 U/mL vs. 1 818.5+/-143.0 U/mL, catalase 38.9+/-6.1 mol/L vs. 47.9+/-10.2 mol/L, GPx 20.4+/-8.1 U/mL vs. 23.0+/-8.4 U/mL, vitamin C 0.3+/-0.1 vs. 0.4+/-0.1 mg/dL, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONInternal spermatic venous blood of infertile male cases associated with varicocele demonstrated elevated levels of ROS and decreased levels of antioxidants compared to peripheral venous circulation.

Adult ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Ascorbic Acid ; blood ; Catalase ; blood ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; blood ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; metabolism ; Infertility, Male ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Prospective Studies ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Spermatic Cord ; blood supply ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Varicocele ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Veins ; enzymology ; metabolism

AIMTo access beta-endorphin levels in serum as well as seminal plasma in different infertile male groups.

METHODSBeta-endorphin was estimated in the serum and seminal plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in 80 infertile men equally divided into four groups: non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), obstructive azoospermia (OA), congenital bilateral absent vas deferens (CBVAD) and asthenozoospermia. The results were compared to those of 20 normozoospermic proven fertile men.

RESULTSThere was a decrease in the mean levels of beta-endorphin in the seminal plasma of all successive infertile groups (mean +/- SD: NOA 51.30 +/- 27.37, OA 51.88 +/- 9.47, CBAVD 20.36 +/- 13.39, asthenozoospermia 49.26 +/- 12.49 pg/mL, respectively) compared to the normozoospermic fertile control (87.23 +/- 29.55 pg/mL). This relation was not present in mean serum level of beta-endorphin between four infertile groups (51.09 +/- 14.71, 49.76 +/- 12.4, 33.96 +/- 7.2, 69.1 +/- 16.57 pg/mL, respectively) and the fertile control group (49.26 +/- 31.32 pg/mL). The CBVAD group showed the lowest seminal plasma mean level of beta-endorphin. Testicular contribution of seminal beta-endorphin was estimated to be approximately 40%. Seminal beta-endorphin showed significant correlation with the sperm concentration (r = 0.699, P = 0.0188) and nonsignificant correlation with its serum level (r = 0.375, P = 0.185) or with the sperm motility percentage (r = 0.470, P = 0.899).

CONCLUSIONThe estimation of beta-endorphin alone is not conclusive to evaluate male reproduction as there are many other opiates acting at the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis.

Asthenozoospermia ; blood ; metabolism ; Azoospermia ; blood ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Semen ; chemistry ; Vas Deferens ; abnormalities ; beta-Endorphin ; blood ; metabolism