Roles of reactive oxygen species and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme X in changes of sperm mitochondrial membrane in patients with varicocele-induced infertility.
- Author:
Xiao-Xia ZHANG
1
;
Ru-Yao LI
1
;
Liang-Liang YU
1
;
Jun ZHOU
1
Author Information
1. Department of Laboratory, Ningbo Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Zhejiang University of Chinese Medicine, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, China .
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
varicocele-induced infertility;
reactive oxygen species;
lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme X;
sperm mitochondrial membrane potential
- MeSH:
Humans;
Male;
Infertility, Male/etiology*;
Varicocele/metabolism*;
Adult;
Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism*;
Spermatozoa/metabolism*;
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism*;
Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial;
Isoenzymes/metabolism*;
Case-Control Studies;
Young Adult;
Mitochondrial Membranes/metabolism*
- From:
National Journal of Andrology
2025;31(1):19-24
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:To explore the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme X (LDH-X) in the changes of sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in infertility patients with varicocele (VC).
METHODS:This study included 38 infertility patients with VC (VCinf), 35 non-VC infertile males (NVCinf), and 30 normal fertile men as controls. We obtained the routine semen parameters using the sperm quality analysis system, examined the contents of LDH-X in the seminal plasma and sperm with the automatic biochemical analyzer, measured the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in seminal plasma by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) colorimetry, and determined the expressions of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and LDH-X mRNA in the sperm using JC-1 fluorescence probe and RT-PCR.
RESULTS:No statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups of subjects in age, semen pH value, semen volume and sperm concentration (P > 0.05). Compared with the normal fertile controls, the patients in the VCinf and NVCinf groups showed significantly decreased sperm motility (［52.36 ± 12.48］% vs ［34.74 ± 15.23］% vs ［25.76 ± 13.73］%, P< 0.05), percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (［42.54 ± 13.58］% vs ［29.10 ± 14.17］% vs ［20.95 ± 12.33］%, P< 0.05), sperm LDH-X (［16.46 ± 5.47］ vs ［13.63 ± 4.50］ vs ［10.18 ± 3.00］ mU/106, P< 0.05), sperm MMP (［48.04 ± 11.62］% vs ［40.86 ± 12.69］% vs ［34.41 ± 13.93］%, P< 0.05) and expression of sperm LDH-X mRNA (P< 0.05). but increased seminal plasma LDH-X (［935.36 ± 229.48］ vs ［1241.05 ± 337.07］ vs ［1425.08 ± 469.35］ U/L, P< 0.05), seminal plasma/whole sperm LDH-X (［1.06 ± 0.35］ vs ［1.40 ± 0.34］ vs ［1.63 ± 0.66］, P< 0.05), and content of seminal plasma MDA (［1.10 ± 0.19］ vs ［1.59 ± 0.27］ vs ［2.00 ± 0.22］ nmol/ml, P< 0.05).
CONCLUSION:Excessive ROS in the reproductive system of VCinf patients reduces the content of MMP and causes the overflow of LDH-X out of sperm cells. Therefore the decrease of sperm LDH-X may be accompanied by that of MMP.
