Zini A, Kamal K M, Phang D
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Urology. 2001 Jul;58(1):80-4. doi: 10.1016/s0090-4295(01)00997-9.
To examine the levels of sperm protamine free sulfhydryl or thiol (SH) groups and DNA denaturation (DD) in semen from fertile and infertile men.Methods. Semen samples were obtained from consecutive nonazoospermic men presenting for infertility evaluation (n = 66) and fertile men presenting for vasectomy (n = 10). The standard semen parameters (sperm concentration, motility, and morphology), sperm DD, and SH content were monitored. Sperm DNA integrity was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis of acridine orange-treated spermatozoa and expressed as the percentage of spermatozoa demonstrating denatured DNA.
The mean (+/- SE) levels of sperm SH groups and the percentage of spermatozoa with DD were significantly higher in the infertile men than in the fertile men (SH groups 1083 +/- 97 and 570 +/- 101 nmol/10(6) spermatozoa, respectively; and DD 21% +/- 1.7% and 8.9% +/- 1.9%, respectively). The levels of sperm SH groups and DD correlated positively (r = 0.53). Also, the levels of sperm SH groups and DD correlated negatively with the standard semen parameters.
Our data demonstrate that sperm SH content correlates positively with sperm DD and that significantly higher levels of sperm DD and SH content are found in infertile men than are found in fertile men. These data suggest that the enhanced susceptibility of sperm DNA to denaturation in infertile compared with fertile men may be associated with incomplete oxidation of the sperm SH groups.
检测生育能力正常和不育男性精液中精子鱼精蛋白游离巯基或硫醇（SH）基团水平以及DNA变性（DD）情况。方法：连续纳入前来评估不育情况的非无精子症男性（n = 66）以及前来接受输精管切除术的生育能力正常男性（n = 10），获取其精液样本。监测标准精液参数（精子浓度、活力和形态）、精子DD及SH含量。通过吖啶橙处理精子的流式细胞术分析评估精子DNA完整性，并以显示变性DNA的精子百分比表示。结果：不育男性精子SH基团的平均（±标准误）水平及出现DD的精子百分比显著高于生育能力正常男性（SH基团分别为1083±97和570±101 nmol/10⁶精子；DD分别为21%±1.7%和8.9%±1.9%）。精子SH基团水平与DD呈正相关（r = 0.53）。此外，精子SH基团水平和DD与标准精液参数呈负相关。结论：我们的数据表明，精子SH含量与精子DD呈正相关，不育男性的精子DD和SH含量显著高于生育能力正常男性。这些数据表明，与生育能力正常男性相比，不育男性精子DNA对变性的易感性增强可能与精子SH基团的不完全氧化有关。
