Effects of autoimmunity to the prostate on the fertility of the male rat.

MOTRICH RD, MACKERN-OBERTI JP, MACCIONI M, RIVERO VE.

FERTILITY AND STERILITY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Año: 2009 vol. 91 p. 2273 - 2280

0015-0282

OBJECTIVE: To study the putative direct consequences of autoimmunity to theprostate on male semen quality and fertility potential. DESIGN: Experimentalanimal study. SETTING: Immunology, CIBICI-CONICET, National University ofCordoba, Argentina. ANIMAL(S): Twelve male and 24 female Wistar rats.INTERVENTION(S): Autoimmune prostatitis was induced following a standardprotocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Citric acid, zinc, sperm vitality, reactiveoxygen species levels, total antioxidant capacity, DNA fragmentation, and lipidperoxidation were analyzed in semen samples. Mating studies were also performed, and different fertility parameters (potency, fecundity index, fertility index,fetus size, and preimplantation and postimplantation embryo loss) were assayed.RESULT(S): Citric acid and zinc levels were decreased in seminal samples fromautoimmune rats. Increased reactive oxygen species values and lower levels oftotal antioxidant capacity were shown in semen samples from autoimmune animals.Moreover, decreased levels of sperm vitality, high percentages of damaged DNAsperm cells, and elevated lipid peroxidation levels also were shown in semen fromautoimmune rats. A significant decrease in the fertility index and augmentedpercentages of embryo loss were observed in the autoimmune group. CONCLUSION(S): An autoimmune response to the prostate impairs its functionality and inducesimportant alterations in seminal oxidative balance, producing higher levels oflipid peroxidation and sperm DNA damage. Moreover, autoimmunity to the prostategland seriously compromises male fertility