Seminal Plasma Lipid Profiles and Lipid Peroxide Levels in Infertile Men

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the seminal plasma lipids and lipid peroxide levels in fertile and normospermic infertile, azoospermic, oligospermic and asthenospermic men. Spermatozoa and seminal plasma contain considerable amount of lipids, in particular cholesterol and phospholipids, and thus susceptible to oxidative damage. The results show a significant reduction in total lipid and phospholipid levels in normospermic infertile men. Alteration in the lipid content of seminal plasma may adversely affect the membrane structure required for the occurrence of capacitation and acrosome reaction and also lead to an altered sperm function. Moreover, the results also showed significantly elevated seminal plasma lipid peroxide levels in all infertile men, remarkably in normospermic infertile men. It Is concluded that in unexplained infertile couples, one of the reasons for failure of normal fertilisation process may be the perturbed seminal plasma lipid content brought about by free radical mediated lipid peroxidation.