Effect of serum and seminal plasma zinc levels on semen analysis of infertile men

Infertility has become a widely encountered health issue. But success in artificial reproductive technology still depends critically on right diagnosis and treatment indications.The evaluation of infertile men is initiated by obtaining detailed history with particular emphasis on factors that may affect fertility (coital frequency and timing, duration of infertility and previous fertility, childhood illnesses and developmental history, systemic illnesses and previous surgeries, sexual history including sexually transmitted infections and exposure to gonadal toxins). This should be followed by a physical examination (examination of secondary sex characteristics and the penis, palpation of both the testes, epididymides and vasa, measurement of testicular volume, presence of a varicocele and digital rectal examination ). Following this, the seminal evaluation and hormonal studies should be done in order to make clinical decisions regarding the strategy for infertility treatment.Several trace elements have been shown to be essential for testicular development and spermatogenesis. The concentration of zinc in human plasma is higher than in other tissues. In human semen, Zn plays an important role in spermatozoa physiology and testes development. Therefore its deficiency has been implicated in gonadal dysfunction, a decreased testicular weight, inadequate development of secondary sexual characteristics, impaired antioxidant defences and atrophy of seminiferous tubules.Smoking impairs most of the sperm parameters including sperm counting, concentration and motility. These eventually lead to a decrease in the fertilizing potential of men.The primary objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between zinc levels in serum and seminal plasma and sperm quality in infertile men. Also the effects of the smoking on the sperm parameters and serum and seminal plasma zinc levels are determined. One hundered and one infertile men were recruited. After semen analysis, the patients? blood and seminal plasma zinc levels were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results were correlated with the patients? spermiogram and serum hormonal levels in order to determine their relationship and significance in male infertility. The mean serum concentration of zinc was higher in normozoospermic males and lower in azoospermic males when compaired to other groups. Also the mean seminal plasma zinc level was higher in mild oligozoospermic patients and lower in severe oligozoospermic and azoospermic patients. But no significant differences were observed. However a significant positive correlation was observed between serum Zn and seminal Zn levels. No significant relation was established between the serum and seminal plasma zinc level and the motility of spermatozoa. But a trend was observed for a higher zinc levels in serum and semen of the cases whose sperms were motile. And also, a significant positive correlation was observed between serum Zn and +2 motility of the spermatozoa. The geometric means of the serum zinc concentration were insignificantly high in the smoking infertile group. A significant trend was observed for higher zinc levels in seminal plasma of the smokers compaired with nonsmokers. In conclusion, poor zinc nutrition may be an important risk factor for low quality of sperm and idiopathic male infertility.