Sperm Quality and Oxidative-Antioxidant Profile in Men Living in Different Regions of Siberia

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the sperm quality and oxidative-antioxidant profile in men living in different regions of Siberia Materials and Methods: The study involved 125 men of reproductive age: 40 men (mean age of 24.8 years) living in Ulan-Ude, 35 men (mean age of 24.1 years) in Irkutsk, and 50 men (mean age of 24.6 years) in Novosibirsk. All men belonged to the Caucasian race and were physically healthy. Methods of standard clinical examination of fertile and infertile men included: an ultrasonic scan of scrotum and prostate, macroscopic and microscopic examination of ejaculate, and biochemical analysis. The semen analysis was performed in accordance with the WHO recommendations (2010). The study of sperm quality included measuring the volume and pH of the ejaculate, the concentration of spermatozoa, the proportion of motile sperm of categories A and B, and lipid peroxidation-antioxidant activity products. Of the participants in the study, the group of somatically healthy men living in Irkutsk had the highest sperm count (mln per ml): 1.5 times more than men in Novosibirsk and 1.3 times more than men in Ulan-Ude. At the same time, in the group of men in Irkutsk, a significant increase in the concentration of α-tocopherol was revealed: 1.6 times more than the men in Ulan-Ude and 1.8 times more than the men in Novosibirsk. Conclusion: The conducted studies of the quality of ejaculate and the characteristics of LPO processes in men from different cities of Siberia show that place of residence and ecological-geographical position are not the main reasons determining reproductive dysfunction, but can be important factors affecting the functioning of the reproductive system and determining the heterogeneity of male infertility in conditions of anthropogenic pressure.