Relevance of sex hormones levels with serum lipid profile and oxidative stress in infertile men

number: 
2538
English
department: 
Degree: 
Imprint: 
Chemistry
Author: 
Thualfeqar G. Mohammed
Supervisor: 
Dr. Salman A. Ahmad
year: 
2010
Abstract:

Infertility is the inability of a sexually active, non-contracepting couple to achieve pregnancy in one year. The causes of male infertility include, the testicular primary failure, deficient gonadotropin secretion, hyperprolactinemia or idiopathic male infertility. The present study was conducted to verify the relationship of male sex hormones changes with serum lipid profile and oxidative stress. To achieve this aim 75 infertile men with ages of 20-40 years and 35 fertile men with ages of 20-40 years (control group) were enrolled. Sex hormones (FSH, LH, PRL and total testosterone) were estimated by an enzyme immunoassay method with final fluorescent detection (Mini Vidas) and free testosterone was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while serum lipid profile (cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL-c, LDL-c and HDL-c) and MDA concentrations were determined by spectrophotometric methods. The results demonstrated significant increases of FSH (p<0.05), LH (p<0.05) and prolactin (p<0.01) levels and significant (P<0.01) decreases of total and free testosterone levels in the group of infertile men when compared with the control group. Serum lipid profile and malondialdehyde levels of infertile men indicated significant increases of cholesterol (p<0.05), LDL-c (p<0.01) and MDA (p<0.01) levels, and a significant decrease of HDL-c (p<0.01) levels when compared with the control group. The highest levels of FSH, LH, cholesterol, LDL-c and MDA, and the lowest levels of total and free testosterone, and HDL-c were observed in the group of azoospermia and oligozoospermia in comparison with other subgroups of the infertile patients. The linear regression analysis revealed significant negative correlations of total (r=-0.25, P<0.05) and free testosterone (r=-0.26, P<0.05) levels with ages of the infertile men. Serum lipid profile illustrated significant positive correlation of triglycerides (r=0.41, P<0.01), VLDL-c (r=0.41, P<0.01) and significant negative correlation of HDL-c (r=-0.25, P<0.05) with ages of the infertile men. However MDA was found to be significantly (r=0.30, P<0.01) correlated with ages during a comparable evaluation. Significant positive correlations was found between total (r=0.43, P<0.01) and free testosterone (r=0.36, P<0.01) levels with sperm number of the infertile men, and also a significant negative correlation was indicated among the sperm number(r=-0.78, P<0.01), sperm morphology (r=-0.54, P<0.01) and sperm motility (r=-0.50, P< 0.01) with MDA levels of the infertile men. These results suggested that changes of sex hormones in man are related to the alterations of serum lipid profile and oxidative stress. Such relationships must be considered in the management of the enrolled patients.