Influence of drugs with antioxidant properties on the state of the sperm antioxidant system in men with excretory-toxic forms of infertility

Abstract

Since the development of many disorders of the reproductive function in men involves processes of free radical oxidation, the purpose of this study was to form an evaluation of the pro- and antioxidant status of sperm and to restore its biological usefulness in men with excretory-toxic forms of infertility by using drugs with antioxidant properties. It is shown that excretory-toxic forms of infertility in men are mostly caused by such infectious agents as Chlamydia (22%), Chlamydia + Ureaplasma (16%), Chlamydia + Trichomonas (13%), Ureaplasma (10%). This reduces the total number of sperm in the ejaculate by 2.7 times, and motility by 1.8 times. The number of abnormal forms increases by 1.75 times. With the development of chronic inflammation of the male sex organs sperm lipid peroxidation increases by 1.3 times while the activity of glutathione peroxidase decreases (by 2.3 times) and that of glutathione reductase (by 1.7 times). We observed a close correlation between the low biological quality of sperm (low concentration, low number and motility of sperm in the ejaculate) with activation of lipid peroxidation and inhibition of activity of the glutathione antioxidant system. In the case of superoxide dismutase, the negative impact of reactive oxygen species on this enzyme was not observed. A course of drugs with antioxidant properties – vitamin E, vitamin C and zinc sulfate leads to improvement in the indicators on the spermagram (mostly sperm mobility and morphology), to reduction of the number of peroxide compounds and activation of the glutathione antioxidant system. In this case, the activity of glutathione peroxidase is increased by 1.5 times and the activity of glutathione reductase by 1.3 times. The activity of superoxide dismutase at the same time approaches the norm for zoospermia. The data obtained show that one of the pathogenic factors of the chronic inflammation of male sex organs, considered as a main developmental reason for infertility in its excretory-toxic form, is the increase in activity of the peroxide oxygen lipids of the sperm membrane and decompensation of the enzyme activity of the glutathione antioxidant system. Our data indicate that the use as medicines of vitamin E, vitamin C and zinc sulfate combined with antibiotic therapy would be highly effective in the treatment of male infertility.