Glutathione antioxidant protection system in ejaculated spermatozoa of infertile men with different forms of pathospermia

Abstract

The level of the products of lipid peroxidation measured as the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and activity of enzymes of glutathione antioxidant protection system in spermatozoa were studied. It was shown that mean levels of TBARS in sperm cells of infertile men with oligozoo-, astenozoo-, oligoastenozoo-and leucocytospermia were 1.6-, 2.0-, 2.0-and 2.7-fold higher, respectively, compared with such levels in the fertile men. The glutathione peroxidase activity was decreased 2.2-fold in patients with oligozoospermia, 2.8-fold in patients with astenozoo-and oligoastenozoospermia and 3.8-fold in patients with leucocytospermia. It was found that glutathione reductase activity in patients with oligozoo-, astenozoo-, oligoastenozoo-and leucocytospermia were 2.3-, 1.6-, 1.7-and 3.3-fold lower than that in normozoospermic men, respectively. In addition, the glutathione transferase activity was decreased 1.8-2.1-fold in patients with oligozoo-, astenozoo-and oligoastenozoospermia and 5.0-fold in patients with leuco cytospermia in comparison with healthy donors. The most significant changes were observed in the infertile men with leucocytospermia. This manifestation could be explained by the fact that white blood cells stimulate the formation of reactive oxygen species, induction and development of oxidative stress in sperm cells.

Glutathione content in sperm cells of infertile men

“…The intensity of free radical reactions and processes depends on the concentration of oxygen and the functioning of the enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant systems. In our previous studies (Onufrovych et al, 2016;Fafula et al, 2017) we found depletion of antioxidant systems in particular inhibition of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione transferase in spermatozoa of infertile men. Despite the fact that the enzymatic component of the antioxidant protection system is more sensitive to changes in prooxidant-antioxidant balance than nonenzymatic, both systems are closely related.…”

The relationships between changes in main biochemical parameters in sperm cells of infertile men

“…Our former [2][3][4]9] indicate a direction of changes in the biochemical parameters in sperm cells of the infertile men with various forms of semen abnormalities, although it is often a question of combining these forms according to certain criteria. It is known that cluster analysis allows grouping different studied groups at the same values of indices.…”

“…Inhibition of ouabainensitive Na + ,K + -ATPase activity in spermatozoa of the infertile men in all forms of pathospermia and decreased activity of tapsigarginsensitive (ERCA) and tapsigargineinsensitive (PMCA) Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ATPase compared to fertile men was detected. However, Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ATPase activity tended to an increase in patients with oligozoospermia [9].…”

“…For analysis, the results of our previous studies were used performed on sperm cells of the infertile men with different forms of semen abnormalities [2][3][4]9]. The data of 56 men who passed from January 2014 to April 2017 a primary infertility survey in a con sultative polyclinics of Lviv regional clinical hospital were analyzed.…”

“…In previous studies, we have shown that pathospermia was associated with the development of oxidative stress, expressed as an increase in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level in sperm cells of the infertile men and the inverse correlation between TBARS level and spermatozoa concentration in the ejaculate and their motility [4]. It was found that in sperm of infertile men with various forms of semen abnormalities the activity of constitutive isoforms of NO-synthase (cNOS) and arginase were suppressed and the activity of inducible form (iNOS) was increased compensatory [2].…”