OXIDATIVE STRESS AS INFERTILITY INDEX IN SEMINAL PLASMA OF OLIGOZOOSPERMIA PATIENTS
OXIDATIVE STRESS AS INFERTILITY INDEX IN SEMINAL PLASMA OF OLIGOZOOSPERMIA PATIENTS
Samira Malekzadeh,1,*Soghra Bahmanpour,2Sanaz Alaee,3Tahereh TalaeiKhozani,4
1. 1 Department of Biology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran 2. Stem Cell Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran 3. Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran 4. Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Introduction: The male germline is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress and DNA damage, affecting male fertility and normal embryonic development. There are many factors that influence normal semen parameters (sperm concentration, motility, morphology, count, etc.) and their abnormalities cause oligozoospermia. Oligozoospermia is defined as less than 15 106 sperm/mL of semen ejaculated. Oligozoospermia and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with male infertility.
Methods: Oligozoospermia may be due to testicular factors (chromosomal disorders, obstruction, testicular trauma, varicocele, etc.) or general health condition (obesity, smoking, drug and/or alcohol use, high fever, etc.). Oxidative stress has been implicated in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, brain disorders such as Alzheimers disease, and even female and male infertility. Spermatozoa susceptibility to oxidative damage and rapid loss of motility of spermatozoa -incubated in oxygen-rich environment confirmed that.
Results: Loss of motility due to overproduction of oxidants, increased catalase and sperm oxygen metabolism. Increased ROS activity in mitochondrial membranes and sperm plasma show protein damage, and lipid peroxidation including, hydroxyl radicals (OH), superoxide anion (O2), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). ROS cause male infertility, DNA damage of sperm, birth defects, pregnancy loss, impaired embryonic development, offspring defects like childhood cancer and autism.
Conclusion: Sperm plasma membranes are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid, which six double bonds per molecule creates an electron sink and are susceptible to oxidation and chemical and structural modifications. ROS modification causes loss of motility and impairment of membrane fusion events such as the acrosomal reaction and sperm–oocyte fusion. In addition, the level of DNA damage in mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of human spermatozoa have been identified by techniques such as sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL), measurement of the DNA oxidation adduct, and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Oxidative damage degree (endogenous or exogenous source) and ROS production associated with spermatogenesis disorders, male infertility, and azoospermia.