Alteration of Semen Characteristics and Regulatory Factors in Human Semen with Bacterial Infection

Abstract

Semen samples (n = 40) obtained from males attending an infertility clinic were subjected to bacteriological culture and categorized as bacteriologically negative (group I) and bacteriologically positive (group II) depending on the culture positivity. Semen samples from both groups were simultaneously analyzed for routine parameters such as volume, count, motility, viability, morphology, pH, and hypoosmotic swelling. Seminal plasma was assayed for levels of prolactin (PRL), prolactin-suppressing factor (PSF), prostatic inhibin peptide (PIP) and zinc (Zn). Patients in group II (n = 25) showed statistically significant alteration (p < .01) in semen parameters such as motility, percent normal morphological forms, and percent normal HOS test as compared to group I (n = 15). There was a negligible change in the sperm concentration between the two groups. The semen volume, viability, and pH did not show any variation. Among the regulatory factors assayed, there was a significant change in the Zn, PSF (p < .05), and PIP (p = .01), while no such alterations were seen for PRL. The results suggest that bacterial infection affects fertility either by affecting the seminal characteristics directly or by acting on the regulatory systems.

Ability of Escherichia coli to produce hemolysis leads to a greater pathogenic effect on human sperm

“…Bacteria such as E. coli have been confirmed to cause infertility by reducing sperm vitality (2,29). However, here we observed distinct effects of the various E. coli isolates.…”

Distinct isolates of uropathogenicEscherichia colidifferentially affect human sperm parametersin vitro

“…Although seminal infection has been associated with poor sperm quality (Gopalkrishnan et al ., ; Sanocka‐Maciejewska et al ., ; Moretti et al ., ), the UPEC studied here were heterogeneous in their effects on sperm motility and did not affect vitality or ΔΨm. Our results show that not all UPEC decrease the sperm motility, vitality or ΔΨm.…”

Bacteria trigger oxygen radical release and sperm lipid peroxidation in in vitro model of semen inflammation

“…Many authors have speculated that the infectious process in the male genitourinary tract may limit fertility through testis damage and affect the biologic function of mature gametes (1,2). Most have suggested that the invasion of microorganisms into the male reproductive system could be detrimental to semen quality, sperm motility, and sperm viability and subsequently to sperm biologic function (3,4).…”