ALTERATION OF SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS AND REGULATORY FACTORS IN HUMAN SEMEN WITH BACTERIAL-INFECTION

Semen samples (n = 40) obtained from males attending an infertility cl inic were subjected to bacteriological culture and categorized as bact eriologically negative (group I) and bacteriologically positive (group II) depending on the culture positivity. Semen samples from both grou ps were simultaneously analyzed for routine parameters such as volume, count, motility, viability, morphology, pH, and hypoosmotic swelling. Seminal plasma was assayed for levels of prolactin (PRL), prolactin-s uppressing factor (PSF), prostatic inhibin peptide (PIP) and zinc (Zn) . Patients in group II (n = 25) showed statistically significant alter ation (p < .01) in semen parameters such as motility, percent normal m orphological forms, and percent normal HOS test as compared to group I (n = 15). There was a negligible change in the sperm concentration be tween the two groups. The semen volume, viability, and pH did not show any variation. Among the regulatory factors assayed, there was a sign ificant change in the Zn, PSF (p < .05), and PIP (p =.01), while no su ch alterations were seen for PRL. The results suggest that bacterial i nfection affects fertility either by affecting the seminal characteris tics directly or by acting on the regulatory systems.