SELENIUM IN HUMAN MALE REPRODUCTIVE-ORGANS

The objective of the study was to obtain information on the concentrat ion and distribution of selenium throughout the human male reproductiv e tract. Material was removed at autopsy from 41 men who had died sudd enly and unexpectedly. Semen samples were also provided from 184 men a ttending an andrology clinic for fertility investigation and from 32 h ealthy volunteers. Significant positive correlations in the selenium c oncentration were demonstrated between the different reproductive orga ns, the testis having the highest concentrations. No correlation was f ound between the concentration of selenium in the genital organs and l iver, kidney or blood, suggesting that its uptake and/or biochemical a ctivity in the reproductive organs may be controlled by similar mechan isms not shared by the other organs. No significant age-dependent chan ges could be detected in tissue selenium concentrations. In a group of men under fertility investigation, a significant positive correlation was obtained between seminal plasma concentrations of selenium and co ncentrations of spermatozoa in the same ejaculate. A significant posit ive correlation between concentrations of zinc and selenium in the sam e ejaculates indicated that selenium may arise largely from the prosta te gland.