Estimation of Seminal MDA Levels in Infertility patients

Abstract

Background- Defective sperm function is the most common cause of infertility. There is growing evidence that damage to spermatozoa by Reactive Oxygen Species(ROS) play a key role in male infertility. Oxidative stress is a common pathology seen in approximately half of all infertile men. Mammalian spermatozoa are rich in poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and are very susceptible to attack by ROS, leading to a chain of chemical reactions called lipid peroxidation (LPO). Malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation represents level of lipid peroxidation. Objectives- The objective of this study was to estimate the levels of seminal Malondialdehyde(MDA) in patients of infertility and to compare these values in normozoospermic and oligozoospermic patients and to correlate these values with the seminal parameters. Methods- The study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Govt. Medical College, Aurangabad. n=60 men (30 normozoospermic and 30 oligozoospermic) between the age group of 20-45 years referred for semen analysis in the Department of Physiology from the infertility clinic were studied. The semen analysis was preformed according to WHO criteria. Seminal MDA levels were measured by using thiobarbituric acid assay (TBARS). The MDA levels were compared between the normozoospermic and oligozoospermic patients and correlated with various sperm parameters. Results- The MDA levels were increased in oligozoospermic patients and were inversely related to the sperm count and motility. Conclusion- We conclude that the MDA levels may be correlated for the pathophysiology of male infertility and its assessment may guide in the medical treatment of infertility.