TY - JOUR
T1 - The protective role of ubiquinol-10 against formation of lipid hydroperoxides in human seminal fluid
AU - Alleva, Renata
AU - Scararmucci, Alessandra
AU - Mantero, Franco
AU - Bompadre, Stefano
AU - Leoni, Luciana
AU - Littarru, G. P.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Defective sperm function in infertile men has been associated with increased lipid peroxidation and impaired function of antioxidant defenses in spermatozoa. Evidence strongly suggests that CoQ10 a lipid-soluble component of the respiratory chain acts, in its reduced form (ubiquinol), as a potent antioxidant in various biological systems, such as lipoproteins and membranes. In this study we assayed CoQ10 content in both the reduced and oxidized form (ubiquinol/ubiquinone), and hydroperoxide levels in seminal plasma and seminal fluid from 32 subjects with a history of infertility. Our results showed a significant correlation between ubiquinol content and sperm count (r = 0.62; P <0.05) in seminal plasma. An inverse correlation between ubiquinol content and hydroperoxide levels both in seminal plasma and in seminal fluid (r= -0.56; P = 0.01) was found. Using multiple regression analysis we also found a strong correlation among sperm count, motility and ubiquinol-10 content (P <0.01) in seminal fluid. An inverse correlation between ubiquinol/ubiquinone ratio and percentage of abnormal morphology was also observed in total fluid. These results suggest that ubiquinol-10 inhibits hydroperoxide formation in seminal fluid and in seminal plasma. Since peroxidation in sperm cells is an important factor affecting male infertility, ubiquinol could assume a diagnostic and/or a therapeutic role in these patients.
AB - Defective sperm function in infertile men has been associated with increased lipid peroxidation and impaired function of antioxidant defenses in spermatozoa. Evidence strongly suggests that CoQ10 a lipid-soluble component of the respiratory chain acts, in its reduced form (ubiquinol), as a potent antioxidant in various biological systems, such as lipoproteins and membranes. In this study we assayed CoQ10 content in both the reduced and oxidized form (ubiquinol/ubiquinone), and hydroperoxide levels in seminal plasma and seminal fluid from 32 subjects with a history of infertility. Our results showed a significant correlation between ubiquinol content and sperm count (r = 0.62; P <0.05) in seminal plasma. An inverse correlation between ubiquinol content and hydroperoxide levels both in seminal plasma and in seminal fluid (r= -0.56; P = 0.01) was found. Using multiple regression analysis we also found a strong correlation among sperm count, motility and ubiquinol-10 content (P <0.01) in seminal fluid. An inverse correlation between ubiquinol/ubiquinone ratio and percentage of abnormal morphology was also observed in total fluid. These results suggest that ubiquinol-10 inhibits hydroperoxide formation in seminal fluid and in seminal plasma. Since peroxidation in sperm cells is an important factor affecting male infertility, ubiquinol could assume a diagnostic and/or a therapeutic role in these patients.
KW - Hydroperoxides
KW - Lipid peroxidation
KW - Seminal fluid
KW - Sperm motility
KW - Ubiquinol-10
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U2 - 10.1016/S0098-2997(97)00040-X
DO - 10.1016/S0098-2997(97)00040-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 9266525
AN - SCOPUS:0030843930
VL - 18
JO - Molecular Aspects of Medicine
JF - Molecular Aspects of Medicine
SN - 0098-2997
IS - SUPPL.
ER -