Correlation of nerve growth factor with antioxidants and sperm parameters among Iraqi infertile males

Abstract

The level of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the blood and seminal plasma of asthenozoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia patients were compared to normozoospermic males and the relationship between NGF with sperm parameters and seminal antioxidant capacity were estimated to determine the role of NGF in the etiology of male infertility. Eighty-one infertile males and 40 normospermic control subjects were included in this stud. NGF levels were measured in the blood and seminal plasma, and its correlation with total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels and sperm parameters were studied. There was a general trend of decreased in serum and seminal NGF concentrations of asthenozoospermic and oligoasthenozoospermic when compared to the normozoospermic samples. There was no significant association between NGF and seminal antioxidant status in asthenozoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia males. Nevertheless, CAT positively correlated with sperm concentration, total sperm motility, and normal sperm morphology but only showed a statistically significant correlation to total sperm motility in asthenozoospermic males. A strong positive association was detected between seminal plasma TAC activity and total sperm motility in both asthenozoospermic and oligoasthenozoospermia males. A decrease NGF levels in serum and seminal plasma could have a significant role in the etiology of impaired sperm functions.