Evaluation of intracellular anion superoxide level, heat shock protein A2 and protamine positive spermatozoa percentages in teratoasthenozoospermia

Background: Teratoasthenozoospermia (TA) is a severe form of male infertility with no clear etiology. Objective: To compare the level of intracellular anion superoxide (O2–), heat shock protein A2 (HSPA2) and protamine deficiencies in ejaculated spermatozoa betweenteratoasthenozoospermic and normozoospermic men. Materials and Methods: In this case- control study, semen samples of 20 infertile men, with TA (with normal morphology lower than 4%_ and total motility lowerthan 40% ) as the case group and 20 normozoospermic fertile men as the control group were evaluated for intracellular O2 – and HSPA2 by flow cytometry andprotamine deficiency by Chromomycin A3 (CMA3) test. Results: The rate of CMA3+ spermatozoa in the case group was higher than controls (p=0.001). The percentages of HSPA2+ spermatozoa in the cases weresignificantly lower than controls (p=0.001). Also, intracellular O2 – levels in the case group were significantly higher than controls (p=0.001) and had positive correlations with sperm apoptosis (r=0.79, p=0.01) and CMA3 positive sperm(r=0.76, p=0.01), but negative correlations with normal morphology (r=-0.81, p=0.01) and motility (r=-0.81, p=0.01). There was no significant correlation betweenintracellular O2 – and HSPA2 in the case group (r=0.041, p=0.79). Conclusion: We suggest that the increase in intracellular O2 –, decrease in spermatozoa HSPA2+, and high percentages of spermatozoa with immature chromatin might be considered as etiologies of infertility in TA patients.

کلیدواژه های Evaluation of intracellular anion superoxide level, heat shock protein A2 and protamine positive spermatozoa percentages in teratoasthenozoospermia:

Male infertility ، Sperm chromatin ، HSPA2 ، Protamine deficiency