The Key Role of Vitamin E in Enhancement of Semen Quality via Elevation Seminal Zinc Binding Proteins Levels in Iraqi Infertile Men

Background: The current research was designed to investigate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of semen along with Zinc Binding Protein levels in the seminal plasma in asthenozoospermic pa-tients. Zinc in human seminal plasma is divided into three types of ligands which are low (LMW), intermediate (IMW), and) high molecular weight ligands (HMW).Materials and Methods: Semen samples were obtained from 60 fertile and 60 asthenozoospermic infertile men with matched age. The subfertile group was treated with vitamin E. Semen samples were collected (before and after vitamin E supplemen-tation). After liquefaction seminal fluid at room temperature, routine semen analyses were performed. Sephadex G-75and Sephadex G-25 was performed for determination of the amount of zinc binding proteins, the gel filtration of seminal plasma on. All the fractions were investigated for protein and for zinc con-centration by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Evaluation of chromatograms was made directly from the zinc concentra-tion in each fraction.Results: The mean value of semen volume, progressive sperm motility percentage and total normal sperm count were in-creased after vitamin E sulfate supplementation. A significant high molecular weight zinc binding ligands percentage (HMW-Zn %) was observed in seminal plasma of fertile males com-pared with subfertile males. However, seminal low molecular weight ligands (LMW-Zn) have opposite behavior.Conclusion: Vitamin E supplementation elevates HMW-Zn% & LMW-Zn% in seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic sub-jects.

Keywords:

Vitamin E , Asthenozoospermia , Zinc Binding Pro-tein , Sephadex G-75 , Sephadex G-25