Analysis of lipid peroxidative levels in seminal plasma of infertile men by high-performance liquid chromatography

For the purpose to evaluate the significance of lipid peroxidative products on male infertility, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), which is one of the final products of lipid peroxidation in seminal plasma, were determined. Ninety-three male infertile patients were divided into obstructive azoospermic group (12 cases), non-obstructive azoospermic group (15 cases), oligozoospermic group (21 cases), asthenozoospermic group (19 cases), oligoasthenozoospermic group (16 cases) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic group (10 cases). Eighteen fertile males were included in the control group. MDA concentrations of seminal plasma in the fertile and infertile men were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the concentration of MDA in seminal plasma differed significantly between the control group and all the infertile groups (P < 0.01) except the obstructive azoospermic group, between the oligoasthenozoospermic group and the oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic groups (P < 0.01), and between the oligoasthenoteratozoospermic group and the oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic groups (P < 0.01). MDA concentration of seminal plasma in the oligoasthenoteratozoospermic group differed significantly from that in the oligoasthenozoospermic group (P < 0.05). The results suggested that detection of MDA concentrations in seminal plasma by HPLC has an indicative value on the diagnosis of male infertility induced by overproduction of reactive oxygen species in male reproductive system.