Chymotrypsin effects on the determination of sperm parameters and seminal biochemistry markers.

BACKGROUND

Few reports of the effects of treatment with chymotrypsin on the determination of sperm parameters and seminal biochemistry markers are documented.

METHODS

Sperm parameters of 63 liquefied and 27 non-liquefied samples, untreated or treated with chymotrypsin, were evaluated using computer-assisted semen analysis. In addition, biochemistry markers such as gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, alpha-glucosidase and fructose in 50 liquefied and 39 non-liquefied samples, untreated or treated with chymotrypsin, were determined.

RESULTS

Treatment with chymotrypsin had no effect on sperm concentration, motility, motility a and b, straightness, curvilinear velocity, straight line velocity, average path velocity and beat cross frequency in both liquefied and non-liquefied semen. However, linearity (p=0.025) decreased and the amplitude of the lateral head (p=0.029) increased significantly in non-liquefied semen after treatment with chymotrypsin. The levels of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, alpha-glucosidase and fructose in seminal plasma were unaffected by chymotrypsin, regardless of liquefaction status.

CONCLUSIONS

Chymotrypsin had no effects on the detection of sperm parameters and biochemistry markers, and could be used to treat non-liquefied samples before semen analysis in the andrology laboratory.