Semen Biochemical Components in Varicocele, Leukocytospermia, and Idiopathic Infertility

Giulia Collodel, Cinzia Signorini, Fabiola Nerucci, Laura Gambera, Francesca Iacoponi, Elena Moretti, Giulia Collodel, Cinzia Signorini, Fabiola Nerucci, Laura Gambera, Francesca Iacoponi, Elena Moretti

Abstract

The evaluation of the seminal plasma plays a relevant role in the definition of male infertility and in assisted reproduction outcomes; for this reason, it would be recommended to find biochemical markers able to characterize sperm pathology. In this study, 53 infertile patients (grouped by the presence leukocytospermia, idiopathic infertility, or varicocele) and 10 fertile men were selected. Spermiogram was performed by light microscopy, and sperm ultrastructure was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) mathematically elaborated. Testosterone (TESTO), estradiol (E2), ferritin (FERR), iron (Fe), transferrin (TRSF), triglycerides (TRG), cholesterol (CHOL), and isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs) were detected in seminal plasma. Sperm characteristics and biochemical components were correlated by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient in the whole population and in each group. The levels of TESTO and E2 were positively correlated with sperm quality in particular, and E2 was correlated with fertility index expressing the number of sperm free of ultrastructural defects evaluated by TEM. On the contrary, the indices of iron metabolism (FERR, Fe, and TRSF) were positively associated with low sperm quality and sperm necrosis, particularly in leukocytospermia and varicocele groups, pathologies in which an inflammatory status and oxidative stress condition are present. The study of the seminal plasma composition deserves attention because the levels of the various components seem to be associated with specific reproductive pathologies.

Keywords: Iron metabolism; Isoprostanes; Leukocytospermia; TEM; Testosterone; Varicocele.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
TEM micrographs of longitudinal sections of spermatozoa. In a, two necrotic spermatozoa are shown, the chromatin (dCh) appears disrupted, the plasma membranes are broken (arrow), and the axonemal components are absent (aAx). An immature sperm is represented in b, the chromatin is uncondensed (uCh), the acrosome (A) reduced and far from the nucleus, the tail is coiled into a cytoplasmic residue (CR), and mitochondria (M) are disassembled. An apoptotic sperm is shown in c, the chromatin is marginated (mCh), the tail is coiled but the axonemal components are well assembled (Ax); acrosome (A); and cytoplasmic residue (CR). a–c Bar, 1 μm

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