SEMINAL MALONDIALDEHYDE LEVEL: AN OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKER IN INFERTILE MALES IN NORTH CENTRAL PART OF NIGERIA

*Olaniru Olumide, Adoga Godwin, Johnson Tililayo, Pam Ishaya, Ochalefu Dickson, Obeta Uchejeso

ABSTRACT

Aim: To evaluate the association between oxidative stress and male infertility with sperm quality and malondialdeyde concentration. Background: Infertility is a major problem affecting approximately 30% of the male population. Apart from known factors, it becomes very important to identify new and nonconventional factors that may play significant roles in male infertility. Oxidative stress has recently been identified as an underlying mechanism of numerous chronic diseases of which male infertility has been claimed to have a relationship. Materials and methods: A cross sectional prospective study of 80 (30 fertile and 50 infertile) men with age range between 25-50 years were enrolled in the study. WHO guidelines was used in seminalysis and thiobarbituric acid method for malondialdeyde analysis. Results: The mean ± SD malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in seminal plasma of infertile men (3.3 ± 0.4 nmol/ml) was significantly higher than fertile men (2.4 ± 0.2nmol/ml) (P-value ˂ 0.05) and had a negative relationship with sperm count. Conclusion: This study revealed that high level of MDA was associated with increase in lipid peroxidase with sperm membrane destruction.

Keywords: Seminal plasma, Male infertility, Sperm count, Lipid peroxidase, Malon dialdehyde (MDA).