ASCORBIC-ACID AND URATE IN HUMAN SEMINAL PLASMA - DETERMINATION AND INTERRELATIONSHIPS WITH CHEMILUMINESCENCE IN WASHED SEMEN

Peroxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been proposed as one of the major causes of defective sperm function. The R OS detected in semen reflect an imbalance between ROS generation and d egradation. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the oxidative and anti-oxidative potential in sem en of infertile patients and healthy donors. Specimens were obtained f rom 28 patients and 18 healthy donors (controls). A conventional sperm iogram, measurement of luminol-chemiluminescence (CL) in washed semen, and high performance liquid chromatography determination of ascorbic acid and mate concentrations in seminal plasma were performed. Oligozo ospermic patients exhibited higher CL signals than controls (P < 0.001 ). Normozoospermic patients showed lower ascorbic acid (mean +/- SE: 4 91 +/- 46 mu M, P < 0.04) and urate concentrations (320 +/- 22 mu M, P < 0.009) than controls (612 +/- 35 and 426 +/- 26 mu M respectively). Seminal plasma ascorbic acid was negatively correlated with the CL si gnals (P < 0.0006) and positively correlated with the percentage of sp ermatozoa with normal morphology (P < 0.006). This is the first-report of a correlation between the anti-oxidant ascorbic acid in seminal pl asma and ROS generation in human semen. Furthermore, the reduced ascor bic acid/urate concentrations found in semen of normozoospermic patien ts might be indicative of a reduced anti-oxidative protection.