Oxidative stress biomarkers and hormonal profile in human patients undergoing varicocelectomy

HURTADO DE CATALFO, GRACIELA; RANIERI-CASILLA, ADALBERTO; MARRA, FERNANDO; ALANIZ, MARÍA J. T. DE; MARRA, CARLOS ALBERTO

International Journal of Andrology

Blackwell Publishing

Año: 2006

Qxidative stress biomarkers and sperm quality were studied in 36 patients with varicocele and 33 healthy men. Samples from peripheral blood and semen were taken before and after varicocelectomy. Computer-assistant semen analysis (CASA), oxidative-nitrative stress biomarkers, and hormonal determinations (RIE) were performed in all individuals. Production of nitrates + nitrites and TBARS were elevated in seminal plasma from patients before surgery. They were normalized 1month after varicocelectomy. Decreased levels of retinol, ascorbate, a-tocopherol, FRAP assay, and GSH / GSSG ratios were also observed. They were normalized after 3 months of varicocelectomy. Superoxide-dismutase, catalase, glutathion-transferase,-reductase, and –peroxidase activities  were elevated in patients compared to controls. Varicocelectomy normalized all enzyme activities at different times after surgery. Increased levels of Zn and Se in seminal plasma, protein carbonyls, and fragmented DNA in espermatozoa remained elevated up to 1 month after surgery. Complete recovery of the major sperm parameters was achieved 3 month  after varicocelectomy. Plasma testosterone was diminished in patients, but normalized soon after surgery. LH and FSH levels exhibited a biphasic behavior. This finding suggests a complex imbalance in the pituitary-gonadal endocrine system induced by surgical treatment of varicocele illness. Our results support a rationale for controlled clinical trials in antioxidant-supplemented infertile men with varicocele and suggest that oxidative-nitrative biomarkers may be appropriate in controlling the evolution of post-varicocelectomized patients.