Seminal Antioxidant Capacity in Pre‐ and Postoperative Varicocele

Abstract

In order to explore the impact of surgical treatment on antioxidant defense system in varicocele (VAR), we evaluated seminal total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in 25 patients affected by VAR, in 14 patients studied 10-24 months after varicocelectomy (post-VAR) and separated into normo- and oligospermic groups, and in 24 non-VAR control patients with seminal parameters matched to patients with VAR in the oligo- and normospermic groups (7 subjects with idiopathic oligospermia and 17 normal fertile subjects). TAC was measured in seminal plasma with the system H(2)O(2)-metamyoglobin as a source of radicals, which interact with a chromogen 2,2',-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS), generating a radical cation spectroscopically detectable. The presence of antioxidants induces a lag time in the production of ABTS cation proportional to the concentration of antioxidant compounds. When whole groups of patients were analyzed, lag values were significantly higher in VAR vs non-VAR controls (mean +/- SEM, 106.6 +/- 8.8 seconds vs 78.7 +/- 8.8 seconds) but were not modified by surgery (mean +/- SEM, 105.8 +/- 8.6 seconds). In groups separated according to seminal parameters, oligospermic VAR presented significantly higher lag values than oligospermic controls. Finally, when exploring a possible association of TAC with seminal parameters, we found a significant correlation between lag and sperm motility only in patients with VAR who were in the normospermic group (r = 0.65, P <.01). This correlation was not yet manifest post-VAR. In conclusion, surgical treatment does not seem to modify absolute values of TAC but influences its fine regulation and relationships with sperm motility.

Study of the effect of varicocelectomy on sperm proteins expression in patients with varicocele and poor sperm quality by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

“…Several studies have demonstrated that the total seminal plasma antioxidant levels in patients with varicocele are decreased and DNA damage in these patients was increased [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Moreover, some studies have shown that varicocelectomy can improve DNA fragmentation and total antioxidant capacity [19,20]. Besides, our results in another study showed that after varicocelectomy, DFI significantly decreased compared with before surgery (Data not shown).…”

Seminal plasma reactive oxygen species-antioxidants relationship with varicocele grade

“…16.1 ± 2.1 12.1 ± 3.8 a 8.7 ± 2.5 a,b 7.7 ± 2.7 a,b GPx (U ml )1 ) 5.6 ± 0.9 3.8 ± 2.2 a 2.6 ± 1.4 a,b 2.0 ± 1.7 a,b,c Vit.C (mg dl )1 ) 0. conditions being negatively correlated with sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm normal forms percentage (Barbieri et al, 1999;Hendin et al, 1999;Mostafa et al, 2001;Mancini et al, 2004). In this study, seminal OS was investigated in infertile OAT subjects associated with their varicocele grade where there was significant increase in the investigated seminal ROS parameters and significant decrease in the studied seminal antioxidants in varicocele grades II and III cases compared with grade I cases.…”

Seminal reactive oxygen species-antioxidant relationship in fertile males with and without varicocele

“…Most of the articles that discussed the influence of varicocele in infertile males demonstrated increased seminal ROS in varicocele-associated conditions being negatively correlated with sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm normal forms percentage (Hendin et al, 1999;Mostafa et al, 2001;Mancini et al, 2004). In this study, this issue was investigated as well in fertile normozoospermic males with and without varicocele.…”