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. 2021 Jun 2;18(11):5977.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115977.

The Negative Impact of Varicocele on Basic Semen Parameters, Sperm Nuclear DNA Dispersion and Oxidation-Reduction Potential in Semen

Kamil Gill  1 , Michal Kups  1   2   3 , Patryk Harasny  1   4 , Tomasz Machalowski  1   5 , Marta Grabowska  1 , Mariusz Lukaszuk  6   7 , Marcin Matuszewski  8 , Ewa Duchnik  9 , Monika Fraczek  10 , Maciej Kurpisz  10 , Malgorzata Piasecka  1
Affiliations

The Negative Impact of Varicocele on Basic Semen Parameters, Sperm Nuclear DNA Dispersion and Oxidation-Reduction Potential in Semen

Kamil Gill et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Since varicocele is so common in infertile men, this study intends to analyse the relationships between varicocele and conventional semen characteristics, sperm nuclear DNA dispersion and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) in semen. Varicocele-positive and varicocele-negative infertile men (study groups) showed significantly lower standard sperm parameters and higher sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and ORP in semen than healthy volunteers and subjects with proven fertility (control groups). A lower proportion of low SDF levels (0-15% SDF) and higher incidence of high SDF levels (>30% SDF), as well as a higher prevalence of high ORP values (>1.37 mV/106 sperm/mL), were found in the study groups vs. the control groups. Moreover, infertile men had significantly lower odds ratios (ORs) for low SDF levels and significantly higher ORs for high SDF levels and high ORP. SDF and ORP were negatively correlated with sperm number, morphology, motility and vitality. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between SDF and ORP. The obtained results suggest that disorders of spermatogenesis may occur in varicocele-related infertility. These abnormalities are manifested not only by reduced standard semen parameters but also by decreased sperm DNA integrity and simultaneously increased oxidative stress in semen.

Keywords: infertility; oxidative stress; sperm DNA fragmentation; varicocele.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study design, results and suggested pathomechanism associated with abnormalities of spermatogenesis in varicocele subjects.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Micrograph of sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD) results obtained by light microscopy. Sperm cells with large halos (green arrow) and medium-sized halos (yellow arrow) have normal integrity of nuclear DNA, and sperm cells with small halos (orange arrow), without halos (red arrow) or without halos and degraded chromatin (violet arrow) have fragmented nuclear DNA.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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