INVESTIGADORES
MOTRICH Ruben Dario
artículos
Título:
Effects of autoimmunity to the prostate on the fertility of the male rat
Autor/es:
MOTRICH RD; MACKERN-OBERTI JP; MACCIONI M; RIVERO VE
Revista:
FERTILITY AND STERILITY
Editorial:
Elsevier
Referencias:
Lugar: Los Angeles; Año: 2009 vol. 91 p. 2273 - 2280
ISSN:
0015-0282
Resumen:
OBJECTIVE: To study the putative direct consequences of autoimmunity to
the prostate on male semen quality and fertility potential. DESIGN:
Experimental animal study. SETTING: Immunology, CIBICI-CONICET,
National University of Cordoba, Argentina. ANIMAL(S): Twelve male and
24 female Wistar rats. INTERVENTION(S): Autoimmune prostatitis was
induced following a standard protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Citric
acid, zinc, sperm vitality, reactive oxygen species levels, total
antioxidant capacity, DNA fragmentation, and lipid peroxidation 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 from autoimmune rats. Increased reactive
oxygen species values and lower levels of total antioxidant capacity
were shown in semen samples from autoimmune animals. Moreover,
decreased levels of sperm vitality, high percentages of damaged DNA
sperm cells, and elevated lipid peroxidation levels also were shown in
semen from autoimmune rats. A significant decrease in the fertility
index and augmented percentages of embryo loss were observed in the
autoimmune group. CONCLUSION(S): An autoimmune response to the prostate
impairs its functionality and induces important alterations in seminal
oxidative balance, producing higher levels of lipid peroxidation and
sperm DNA damage. Moreover, autoimmunity to the prostate gland
seriously compromises male fertility.