BackgroundLow concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) are necessary for the biology and physiology of spermatozoa, but high levels of NO are toxic and have negative effects on sperm functions. Although several studies have considered the relationship between infertility and semen NO concentrations, no study on the effects of asthenospermia treatments such as oral zinc supplementation on concentrations of NO, which are important in fertility, has been reported. Studies have shown that oral zinc supplementation develops sperm count, motility and the physical characteristics of sperm in animals and in some groups of infertile men. The present study was conducted to study the effect of zinc supplementation on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of semen, along with enzymes of the NO pathway in the seminal plasma of asthenospermic patients.MethodsSemen samples were obtained from 60 fertile and 60 asthenozoospermic infertile men of matched age. The subfertile group was treated with zinc sulfate; each participant took two capsules (220 mg per capsule) per day for 3 months. Semen samples were obtained (before and after zinc sulfate supplementation). After liquefaction of the seminal fluid at room temperature, routine semen analyses were performed. The stable metabolites of NO (nitrite) in seminal plasma were measured by nitrophenol assay. Arginase activity and NO synthase activity were measured spectrophotometrically.ResultsPeroxynitrite levels, arginase activity, NO synthase activity and various sperm parameters were compared among fertile controls and infertile patients (before and after treatment with zinc sulfate). Peroxynitrite levels and NO synthase activity were significantly higher in the infertile patients compared to the fertile group. Conversely, arginase activity was significantly higher in the fertile group than the infertile patients. Peroxynitrite levels, arginase activity and NO synthase activity of the infertile patient were restored to normal values after treatment with zinc sulfate. Volume of semen, progressive sperm motility percentage and total normal sperm count were increased after zinc supplementation.ConclusionsTreatment of asthenospermic patients with zinc supplementation leads to restored peroxynitrite levels, arginase activity and NO synthase activity to normal values and gives a statistically significant improvement of semen parameters compared with controls.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01684059

BackgroundZinc in human seminal plasma is divided into three types of ligands which are high (HMW), intermediate (IMW), and low molecular weight ligands (LMW). The present study was aimed to study the effect of Zn supplementation on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of semen along with Zinc Binding Protein levels in the seminal plasma in asthenozoospermic patients.MethodsSemen samples were obtained from 37 fertile and 37 asthenozoospermic infertile men with matched age. The subfertile group was treated with zinc sulfate, every participant took two capsules per day for three months (each one 220mg). Semen samples were obtained (before and after zinc sulfate supplementation). After liquefaction seminal fluid at room temperature, routine semen analyses were performed. For determination of the amount of zinc binding proteins, the gel filtration of seminal plasma on Sephadex G-75 was performed. All the fractions were investigated for protein and for zinc concentration by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Evaluation of chromatograms was made directly from the zinc concentration in each fraction.ResultsA significant high molecular weight zinc binding ligands percentage (HMW-Zn %) was observed in seminal plasma of fertile males compared with subfertile males. However, seminal low molecular weight ligands (LMW-Zn) have opposite behavior. The mean value of semen volume, progressive sperm motility percentage and total normal sperm count were increased after zinc sulfate supplementation.ConclusionsZinc supplementation restores HMW-Zn% in seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic subjects to normal value. Zinc supplementation elevates LMW-Zn% in seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic subjects to more than normal value.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01612403

A thiol group plays an essential role in sperm metabolism and the antioxidative defense state. Zinc is the second most abundant element in the human body, following iron. The present study was conducted to study the effect of zinc supplementation on the characteristics of semen along with thiol and thiol-related enzymes in semen of asthenospermic patients. Semen samples were obtained from 60 fertile and 60 asthenospermic men, from couples who had consulted the infertility clinic of Babil Hospital (Hillah city, Iraq). The subfertile group was treated with zinc; every participant took two 220 mg capsules of zinc sulfate per day for 3 months. Semen samples were obtained (before and after zinc supplementation). The levels of reduced thiol, oxidized thiol, thiol oxido-reductive index, and thiol-related enzymes activities were determined in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of patients and healthy groups. Oxidized thiol levels were significantly higher in the infertile patients compared to that in the fertile group. Conversely, reduced thiol level, sulfhydryl oxidase activity, and glutathione peroxidase activity significantly decreased in the infertile patients compared to that in the fertile group. Oxidized thiol levels, reduced thiol levels, and thiol-related enzymes activities of the infertile patients were restored to normal values after treatment with zinc. However, reduced and oxidized thiol levels in spermatozoa did not change significantly in the group treated with zinc. The quantitative values for RSH/RSSR and thiol-related enzymes may provide useful means to qualitatively express the oxidant/antioxidant balance in clinical and epidemiologic studies. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02985905.

Zinc supplementation restores oxido-sensitive index and catalase-like activity in semen of asthenozoospermic subjects to normal ranges.

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Methamphetamine (METH) is an addictive drug causes toxicity and degeneration in the brain. Several evidence have demonstrated that METH toxicity results oxidative stress that regulate an intracellular signaling cascade that leads to cell death. In this paper we studied the effect of METH on calcium levels because of its great importance on human health. Calcium, is a messenger of extracellular signals in a great variety of cells; it regulates several neuronal functions, such as neurotransmitter synthesis and release, neuronal excitability, phosphorylation. Calcium is also involved in long-term processes, like memory. As well, we highlighted sodium levels to find out the main course in nerve function and to keep body fluids in balance. The study was conducted on eighty people divided into three groups, thirty non addicted men as a control group(G1), taking into account and excluding, cigarette smoking, age, social and cultural conditions, and chronic diseases, also thirty people addicted to methamphetamine(G2), and twenty people addicted to methamphetamine and other narcotic substances (mix)(G3), whose ages ranged between (15-45) years and the period of methamphetamine abuse ranged between (1-7) years. Calcium levels were highly significant in addicts group (P < 0.05), as compared to non addicts group. as well, when dividing by age, Calcium level were higher in METH and MIX addicts group (A2) as compared to addicts group (A1) and (A3) (P >0.05). Also, Calcium level were higher in METH and MIX addicts group (D3) as compared to addicts group (D1) and (D2) (P >0.05). We have noticed Increased duration of abuse Increases calcium levels. In addition to, Sodium levels were highly significant in addicts group (P < 0.05), as compared to non addicts group. During the study, it was found that age had an effect on sodium levels, Sodium level were higher in METH addicts group (A1) as compared to addicts group (A2) and (A3) (P> 0.05). While, Sodium level were higher in MIX addicts group (A2) as compared to addicts group (A1) and (A3) (P> 0.05). As well, Sodium level were higher in METH and MIX addicts group (D2) as compared to addicts group (D1) and (D3) (P> 0.05). Indeed, the difference in the duration of the abuse affects the sodium levels.

Recently, employing vegetable peel waste in green biosynthetic methods has received increased attention. It has low toxicity levels, is safe for the environment, and is simple to produce. The purpose of this research was to develop a sustainable technique of synthesizing SeNPs from an aqueous extract of eggplant peel. Because of this, selenium nanoparticles were produced in a single step utilizing an aqueous extract of peel Solanum melongena L. as a reducing and capping agent. The nanoparticles, which were studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy, had a surface Plasmon resonance centered at 320 nm. Nanoparticles sized between 50 and 150 nm were observed using a scanning electron microscope, while X-ray diffraction patterns revealed their amorphous, face-centered structure. Current research looks into how optimizing factors like reaction time, temperature, pH, selenous acid concentration, and reactant mixing ratio affect the quality of produced selenium nanoparticles. We found that 30 mM selenous acid, 30 degrees Celsius, pH 4, 9 days of incubation, and a 2:10 ratio of aqueous extract to selenous acid produced the highest quality selenium nanoparticles.

Sulfhydryl oxidase was studied using a spectrofluorometric assay. The current protocol operates by using a combination of hemoglobin (HB) and hematin (HT) as a peroxidase mimic to catalyze the H2O2-dependent oxidation of thiamine. The response surface methodology is used to optimize the new method (RSM). The current method is very accurate, sensitive, and linear up to 200 IU. When compared to the colorimetric method, the method produced a satisfactory correlation. The novel protocol is being used to evaluate asthenospermic patients' and fertile men's seminal SHO activity. The current protocol was used to determine reference values for seminal sulfhydryl oxidase activity.Due to the fact the newly developed spectrofluorometric method is more sensitive and precise than other colorimetric methods, and because thiamine is less expensive than other types of probes used in colorimetric and spectrofluorometric methods, it is likely to find widespread use among scientists studying SHO activity in biological tissues.The present method's analytical recovery yielded high specific findings.