Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Impaired Secretory Function of the Prostate in Men With Oligo‐Asthenozoospermia

AHLGREN, GÖRAN LU ; RANNEVIK, GUNNAR and LILJA, HANS LU orcid (1995) In Journal of Andrology 16(6). p.491-498
Abstract

ABSTRACT: The secretory function of the human prostate and the seminal vesicles is a prerequisite for gel formation and liquefaction of semen, but the relation to poor sperm motility and low sperm count in infertile men remains to be clarifyed. Our aim was to evaluate the secretory function of the prostate and the seminal vesicles in normozoospermic men (n=35) and in asthenozoospermic men, who were all also oligozoospermic (n=27). All 62 subjects belonged to couples undergoing routine infertility evaluation. In liquefied seminal fluid we measured the concentrations of fructose and protein C inhibitor (PCI) contributed by the seminal vesicles, PCI complexed to prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), and the prostatic contribution of zinc, PSA,... (More)

ABSTRACT: The secretory function of the human prostate and the seminal vesicles is a prerequisite for gel formation and liquefaction of semen, but the relation to poor sperm motility and low sperm count in infertile men remains to be clarifyed. Our aim was to evaluate the secretory function of the prostate and the seminal vesicles in normozoospermic men (n=35) and in asthenozoospermic men, who were all also oligozoospermic (n=27). All 62 subjects belonged to couples undergoing routine infertility evaluation. In liquefied seminal fluid we measured the concentrations of fructose and protein C inhibitor (PCI) contributed by the seminal vesicles, PCI complexed to prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), and the prostatic contribution of zinc, PSA, acid phosphatase (PAP), β‐microseminoprotein (β‐MSP), and Znα2‐glycoprotein (Znα2‐GP). The concentration of each prostatic secretory protein correlated significantly with that of zinc (P < 0.01) in both the normozoospermic (NZS) and oligo‐astheno‐zoospermic (OAZS) subgroups, but the PCI concentration did not correlate significantly with that of fructose. There was no significant difference between the NZS and OAZS subgroups in ejaculate volume or secretory contribution from the seminal vesicles, whereas the OAZS subgroup was characterized by significantly lower secretory contributions of Znα2‐GP (P = 0.001), Zn, PSA, PAP (P < 0.01), and β‐MSP (P < 0.05). The two subgroups did not differ significantly in the serum concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, or sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG). The results thus suggest the secretory contribution of major prostatic proteins and zinc per ejaculate to be significantly decreased in oligo‐asthenozoospermic men. The importance of this finding in relation to poor sperm count and motility as indicators of impaired gonadal function requires further investigation. 1995 American Society of Andrology

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
infertility, PSA, Seminal plasma, seminal vesicles
in
Journal of Andrology
volume
16
issue
6
pages
8 pages
publisher
American Society of Andrology
external identifiers
  • pmid:8867597
  • scopus:0029589437
ISSN
0196-3635
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fb9a8cef-fc20-446f-9b63-5eccd082502d
alternative location
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.1939-4640.1995.tb00569.x
date added to LUP
2022-12-06 16:39:09
date last changed
2024-01-03 19:29:43
@article{fb9a8cef-fc20-446f-9b63-5eccd082502d,
  abstract     = {{<p>ABSTRACT:  The secretory function of the human prostate and the seminal vesicles is a prerequisite for gel formation and liquefaction of semen, but the relation to poor sperm motility and low sperm count in infertile men remains to be clarifyed. Our aim was to evaluate the secretory function of the prostate and the seminal vesicles in normozoospermic men (n=35) and in asthenozoospermic men, who were all also oligozoospermic (n=27). All 62 subjects belonged to couples undergoing routine infertility evaluation. In liquefied seminal fluid we measured the concentrations of fructose and protein C inhibitor (PCI) contributed by the seminal vesicles, PCI complexed to prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), and the prostatic contribution of zinc, PSA, acid phosphatase (PAP), β‐microseminoprotein (β‐MSP), and Znα<sub>2</sub>‐glycoprotein (Znα<sub>2</sub>‐GP). The concentration of each prostatic secretory protein correlated significantly with that of zinc (P &lt; 0.01) in both the normozoospermic (NZS) and oligo‐astheno‐zoospermic (OAZS) subgroups, but the PCI concentration did not correlate significantly with that of fructose. There was no significant difference between the NZS and OAZS subgroups in ejaculate volume or secretory contribution from the seminal vesicles, whereas the OAZS subgroup was characterized by significantly lower secretory contributions of Znα<sub>2</sub>‐GP (P = 0.001), Zn, PSA, PAP (P &lt; 0.01), and β‐MSP (P &lt; 0.05). The two subgroups did not differ significantly in the serum concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, or sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG). The results thus suggest the secretory contribution of major prostatic proteins and zinc per ejaculate to be significantly decreased in oligo‐asthenozoospermic men. The importance of this finding in relation to poor sperm count and motility as indicators of impaired gonadal function requires further investigation. 1995 American Society of Andrology</p>}},
  author       = {{AHLGREN, GÖRAN and RANNEVIK, GUNNAR and LILJA, HANS}},
  issn         = {{0196-3635}},
  keywords     = {{infertility; PSA; Seminal plasma; seminal vesicles}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{491--498}},
  publisher    = {{American Society of Andrology}},
  series       = {{Journal of Andrology}},
  title        = {{Impaired Secretory Function of the Prostate in Men With Oligo‐Asthenozoospermia}},
  url          = {{https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.1939-4640.1995.tb00569.x}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{1995}},
}