Korean J Reprod Med.  2009 Mar;36(1):35-43.

Seminal Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Level and Sperm Nuclear DNA Integrity in Healthy Donors

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea.
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea. blasto@snubh.org
  • 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
Seminal concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) relevant to sperm nuclear DNA integrity has not been studied. The present study aimed to evaluate seminal concentration of TNF-alpha in correlation with sperm parameters and nuclear DNA integrity in asymptomatic healthy donors.
METHODS
Semen samples were obtained by masturbation from forty-five healthy donors.
RESULTS
Sperm quality was assessed by computer-assisted semen analysis and nuclear DNA integrity measured by the TUNEL assay in raw semen. TNF-alpha concentrations were measured by ELISA in frozen-thawed seminal plasmas. Sperm DNA fragmentation rates were ranged between 1.9% and 53.0% (mean+/-SD, 12.4+/-9.6%). Univariate analysis revealed that DNA fragmentation rate was not associated with sperm concentration or motility but had a correlation with linearity negatively (r=-0.325, p=0.03) and age positively (r=0.484, p=0.001). The mean seminal concentration of TNF-alpha was 4.9 pg/mL with a range from 1.1 to 22.6 pg/mL. The TNF-alpha concentration had no correlation with clinically relevant parameters of sperm quality or nuclear DNA fragmentation rate.
CONCLUSION
Our results indicate that sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation may be not associated with seminal TNF-alpha level or sperm quality in asymptomatic healthy donors.

Keyword

Sperm; Nuclear integrity; DNA fragmentation; TUNEL; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha

MeSH Terms

DNA
DNA Fragmentation
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
In Situ Nick-End Labeling
Masturbation
Semen
Semen Analysis
Spermatozoa
Tissue Donors
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
DNA
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
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