Decreased polyunsaturated and increased saturated fatty acid concentration in spermatozoa from asthenozoospermic males as compared with normozoospermic males

The lipid composition of the sperm membrane has been shown to exert a significant effect upon the functional quality of spermatozoa. We have studied fatty acid composition of the phospholipids in spermatozoa in asthenozoospermic and normozoospermic men and determined the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to saturated fatty acids of spermatozoa of these two groups. Fatty acid concentration of spermatozoa was determined in 15 asthenozoospermic and eight normozoospermic semen samples by thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography. The most abundant polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids in normozoospermic samples were docosahexaenoic acid (DHA 22: 6 ω3, 98.5 ± 4.5 nmol per 108 spermatozoa, mean ± SE) and palmitic acid (103 ± 17 nmol per 108 spermatozoa) respectively. The mean ± SE values of DHA and palmitic acid in asthenozoospermic samples were 53.9 ± 11.6 and 145 ± 14.7 nmol per 108 spermatozoa respectively. Compared with normozoospermic samples, asthenozoospermic samples showed lower levels of PUFA and higher amount of saturated fatty acids. The mean ± SE ratios of sperm PUFA/saturated fatty acids in asthenozoospermic and normozoospermic samples were 0.66 ± 0.06 and 1.45 ± 0.16 (P < 0.001) respectively. This study demonstrates that spermatozoa of asthenozoospermic men have lower levels of PUFA compared with saturated fatty acids. This may be contributory to the poor motility noted in samples from these men. © 2006 The Authors

Lipid composition of spermatozoa in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic males

Introduction: Lipids play an important role in the structural and functional activity of spermatozoa. We investigated the phospholipids composition and fatty acid-bound phospholipid of spermatozoa from asthenozoospermic and normozoospermic men. Patients and methods: Semen samples were analyzed in 15 asthenozoospermic and eight normozoospermic subjects and the sperm phospholipids and fatty acids were determined using high performance thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography, respectively. Results: The most abundant (mean±SE) phospholipids in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic samples were phosphatidylethanolamine (70.9±11.5 and 44.2±8.5 nmol/108 spermatozoa, respectively) and phosphatidylcholine (58.6±9.5 and 34.6±3.2 nmol/108 spermatozoa, respectively). Compared to normozoospermic samples, asthenozoospermic samples showed lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; p&lt;0.01) and higher levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA; p&lt;0.05). Discussion: Changes in content of phospholipids and its fatty acid composition of spermatozoa may be related to infertility in asthenozoospermic males. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved