Reactive oxygen species and antioxidants relationship in the internal spermatic vein blood of infertile men with varicocele

Aim:To assess the relation of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and antioxidants in the internal spermatic vein blood compared to the peripheral venous blood.Methods:Sixty-eight infertile oligoasthenozoospemic patients associated with varicocele were investigated.During inguinal varicocelectomy,blood samples of internal sper- matic as well as median cubital veins were withdrawn.Three ROS factors(malondialdehyde[MDA],hydrogen peroxide H_2O_2,nitric oxide[NO])and four antioxidants(superoxide dismutase[SOD],catalase[Cat],glutathione peroxidase[GPx] and vitamin C)were estimated in these blood samples.Results:Mean levels of tested ROS factors were significantly higher in the internal spermatic venous blood compared to those in the peripheral one (mean±SD)(MDA 18.7±1.4 nmol/mL vs.15.4±1.4 nmol/mL,H_2O_2 43.6±8.0 μmol/mL vs.30.8±8.1 μmol/mL,NO 2.3±0.5 nmol/L vs.1.6±0.4 nmol/L,P<0.01).Mean levels of tested antioxidants were significantly lower in the internal spermatic venous blood compared to those in the peripheral one(superoxide dismutase 1690.7±130.0 U/mL vs.1818.5±143.0 U/mL,catalase 38.9±6.1 mol/L vs.47.9±10.2 mol/L,GPx 20.4±8.1 U/mL vs.23.0±8.4 U/mL,vita- min C 0.3±0.1 vs.0.4±0.1 mg/dL,P<0.05).Conclusion:Internal spermatic venous blood of infertile male cases associated with varicocele demonstrated elevated levels of ROS and decreased levels of antioxidants compared to peripheral venous circulation.(Asian J Androl 2006 Jul;8:451-454)