Influence of low corrected seminal fructose levels on sperm chromatin stability in semen from men attending an infertility service

Abstract

Objective: To determine any correlation between sperm chromatin stability under sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and SDS-ethylendiamine tetraacetic acid (SDS and EDTA) conditions with levels of corrected seminal fructose, obtained multiplying logarithm of sperm count by seminal fructose concentration, in men attending an infertility service.

Design: Cross sectional study to compare semen parameters of two groups (control and experimental), one with normal levels of corrected fructose (control) and the second with low levels of corrected fructose (experimental). Subjects were also grouped according to number, motility and morphology of sperm, and according to results of hypo-osmotic test.

Setting: Andrology laboratory at the Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Lima, Perú.

Patient(s): Two hundred and twenty five male partners in infertile couples attending the Andrology Laboratory.

Intervention(s): None

Main outcome measure(s): semen analysis, hypo-osmotic swelling test, sperm chromatin stability after SDS, and SDS and EDTA, and seminal fructose.

Result(s): Seminal volume, sperm motility, and seminal fructose were significantly lower in samples from subjects with low levels of corrected fructose. Subjects with low levels of corrected fructose had also high sperm chromatin stability under SDS, and SDS and EDTA treatment. After SDS treatment, sperm chromatin stability was similar in normal samples and in those with oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, or abnormal hypo-osmotic swelling test. After SDS and EDTA treatment, a high sperm stability was observed in samples with asthenozoospermia. This hyper-stability is observed in asthenozoospermic samples with low corrected fructose levels, but not in asthenozoospermic samples with normal corrected fructose levels. The logistic regression analysis applied to asthenozoospermic data showed that chronological age, seminal volume, acid phosphatase per ejaculate and percent of stable sperm after SDS and EDTA treatment were significantly associated to levels of corrected fructose.

Conclusion(s): Low levels of corrected fructose were associated to low seminal volume, low sperm motility, and high sperm chromatin stability under SDS and EDTA treatment.