The relationship between varicocele and semen nitric oxide concentrations

We investigated the relationship between seminal plasma nitric oxide (NO) c oncentrations and conventional semen parameters in patients with varicocele . Semen samples were obtained from infertile patients with varicocele (n = 55) and from normal controls (n = 48). The mean NO concentration in the sem inal plasma of patients with varicocele was significantly higher than that of the controls (P < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was noted be tween NO and sperm motility (r = -0.29, P = 0.003), NO and sperm concentrat ion (r = -0.26, P = 0.008) and NO and normal morphology (normal %) (r = -0. 25, P = 0.01). It was concluded that increased NO production may influence sperm production, motility and morphology in patients with varicocele.