@2024 Afarand., IRAN

---

ISSN: 2251-8215    Sarem Journal of Reproductive Medicine 2017;1(2):59-62

Background
Infertility has known and unknown variety of reasons. In almost 50% of infertility cases, male factors ‎are involved alone or in combination with female factors [1].‎
Previous Studies
‎... [2, 3]. The decrease in the number and percentage of moving sperm or reduction in the number of ‎fast and progressive sperms is called osteospermum. Various causes such as sperm structure ‎problems, genitourinary tract infection, anti-spasm antibodies, and relative obstruction of sperm ‎passage can reduce sperm motility [4]. If there is no cause for low sperm motility, it is referred to as a ‎‎"low motility with unknown cause". Previous research suggests that if semen plasma of semen is ‎added to the low motility sperm, it will increase their movement. In other words, there are factors or ‎factors in the plasma of normal semen that affect sperm motility [5-7]. Semen plasma is the result of ‎epididymis secretions and sexually transmitted glands, mainly seminal vesicles and prostate. ‎Carnitine, fructose and zinc are three compounds that have a very high concentration in the plasma of ‎semen in comparison with other body fluids, the main source of which is epididymis, seminal vesicles ‎and prostate [7, 8]. When sperm is produced in the testicle, it is motile and produces the property of ‎fertility through epididymis. By measuring carnitine in semen plasma, the epididymis can be ‎monitored [9, 10]. Seminal vesicles secretion has the largest contribution to the formation of semen, ‎and one of its main components is fructose.‎ Fructose is considered as an energy source for sperm [11]. After seminal vesicles, the prostate has the ‎largest contribution to the formation of semen volume. Zinc is one of the compounds that are high in ‎semen and prostate secretions. Zinc measurements have been proposed as a test to measure prostate ‎activity [5]. There are various hypotheses regarding the role of zinc in male reproductive physiology. ‎Zinc can inhibit oxygen consumption in the sperm [12]. ... [13-17].‎
Aim(s)
Previous studies have reported contradictory results on the effects of these three factors on moving ‎motile sperms. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the amounts of ‎carnitine, fructose and zinc in seminal plasma in people with non-causative asteospermum compared ‎to healthy subjects.‎
Research type
This research is an observational and case-control study.‎
Research society, place and time
Patients with impaired sperm motility without any cause and healthy subjects were examined from ‎patients referring to Sarem Medical Center in a 7-month period.‎
Sampling method and number
In the selection of the patients group, the subjects who had spermogram tests were examined. If sperm ‎motility was poor and the patients have no clinical disorder or complication, they were given another ‎spermogram and hormonal tests for the next week. Hormonal tests included T3, T4, TSH, testosterone, ‎prolactin, LH and FSH, that all of them except sperm motility were in the normal range. Data and ‎demographic characteristics of patients were also collected through a questionnaire. 101 patients were ‎examined. Finally, with regard to the clinical signs, hormonal findings, supplementary tests and the ‎result of the spermogram that were performed to investigate the causes of sperm low motility, 43 ‎cases were diagnosed as low motility sperm with no cause and entered to the study. To select the ‎control group, those healthy individuals who had referred to the Sarem Medical Center and the reason ‎of infertility was their wives (female infertility) were selected. They were also evaluated for clinical ‎signs, hormonal findings and spermogram results, and if all the criteria were normal, they were ‎selected as healthy subjects. Matching of the control group was based on age-related variables. Finally, ‎‎36 people were selected as the control group and entered the study.‎
Used devices&materials
Sampling and analysis of semen: Semen specimens were collected with Masturbation following 3 to ‎‎6 days of non-intercourse and were collected in sterile plastic single-use dishes. Samples were placed ‎immediately at 37 ° C until the clot was opened. Then some samples were used for routine diagnostic ‎tasks such as semen analysis. The samples were then poured into plastic tubes and centrifuged for 20 ‎minutes at a speed of 200 rpm, and the plasma was transferred into four separate tubes to measure ‎carnitine, fructose and zinc and a sample of storage. Zinc, fructose and carnitine were measured by ‎atomic absorption spectrophotometry [18]. Sperm motility evaluation, in addition to quantity, is also ‎important in the quality of sperm movement. In terms of motility, the sperms were divided in to four ‎groups: Immotile groups (sperms that had no motility), low (sperms that had a slight movement in ‎their place, had no forward movement, or they were turning around), Sluggish (those had forward ‎movement but with slow speed and large deviation to the sides) and Full (sperms that had fast moving ‎forward without deviations or they had slight deviations to the sides); If a sample had less than 50% of ‎motile sperm , or lacking full motion, it was considered as the osteospermum sample. ‎
Findings by Text
There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of semen volume and sperm ‎counts in milliliters, but there was a significant difference between the total sperm count (× 106/ ejac), ‎the percentage of moving sperm and percentage of progressive movement, that all three variables were ‎less in the group of patients with osteospermum without a specific cause (Table 1).‎ Mean concentration of zinc (mg/dl) and fructose (mg/dl) were not significantly different between the ‎two groups, but the mean of carnitine concentration (nmol/ml) was significantly lower in the patients ‎that in those of healthy subjects (p=0.015; Table 2).‎ No significant correlation was found between total zinc and fructose in seminal plasma with the ‎percentage of moving sperm and percentage of progressive movement, while there was a direct and ‎significant correlation between total carnitine content and total percentage of sperm motility (p = ‎‎0.001). Also, there was a direct and significant correlation between total carnitine content and ‎percentage of progressive movement (p = 0.001).‎
Main comparison to the similar studies
Studies have shown that if seminal plasma of healthy people is added to the low motile sperm, the ‎sperm movement increases. This suggests that the combination of seminal plasma of normal people ‎with this group of patients is different or have some differences [5, 7]. In this study, there was a ‎positive and significant correlation between plasma carnitine concentration and sperm motility (p ‎‎<0.01) and progressive movement (p <0.01). Previous studies have confirmed this relationship [14, ‎‎19]. Also, in assessing the amount of total carnitine, a positive and significant relationship was found ‎between total carnitine content and sperm motility (p <0.01), as well as between total carnitine content ‎with progressive movement percentage (p <0.01). Previous studies by Carpino, Pruneda, and Fabris ‎have also emphasized this correlation [5, 6, 8]. According to the results obtained in this study, it can be ‎concluded that the low motility of sperms in patients undergoing research is due to reduction of ‎carnitine in seminal plasma or reduction of epididymal function.‎ In this study, the mean zinc concentration in seminal plasma of healthy individuals was 13.7 mg / dl ‎and in subjects with sperm low motility, it was 12.7 mg / dl, which was not significantly different. ‎Considering that there was no significant difference in the amount of zinc present in the seminal ‎plasma of normal individuals and people with osteospermum without a specific cause, and ‎considering that zinc value in semen is known as a sign of prostate activity, it can be concluded that ‎the patients studied in The study did not have a specific disorder for prostate function. Also, ‎considering that the patients in the study did not differ from normal subjects in terms of the amount of ‎fructose present in the seminal plasma, it can be said that they have no problems in terms of seminal ‎vesicles.‎
Suggestions

Limitations

Conclusions
Reducing carnitine with a potential mechanism for epididymal function decreases sperm motility. ‎Since several interfering factors are effective in sperm movement, comparing different parameters of ‎the seminal fluid simultaneously can be very useful and enlightening for sperm motility against ‎different concentrations of these compounds in vitro. In addition, other seminal fluid factors can be ‎compared simultaneously.‎
Acknowledgments

Conflict of interest

Ethical Permissions

Funding Sources

TABLES and CHARTS

Show attach file