Superoxide dismutase in human sperm suspensions: Relationship with cellular composition, oxidative stress, and sperm function

Sensitive techniques have been developed for monitoring superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities inhuman sperm preparations. In contradiction to the protective role normally assigned to SOD, populations of defective spermatozoa recovered from the low density region of Percoll gradients were found to ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Free radical biology & medicine 1996, Vol.21 (4), p.495-504
Main Authors: Aitken, R.John, Buckingham, Donna W., Carreras, Alfonso, Stewart Irvine, D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acrosome - physiology
Animals
Cell Fusion
Cell Separation - methods
Centrifugation, Density Gradient - methods
Creatine Kinase - analysis
Cricetinae
Female
Free radicals
Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase - analysis
Human seminal plasma
Human spermatozoa
Humans
In Vitro Techniques
Infertility
Leukocytes - cytology
Lipid Peroxidation
Luminescent Measurements
Male
Oxidative Stress
Povidone
Sensitivity and Specificity
Silicon Dioxide
Sperm Count
Sperm Motility
Sperm-oocyte fusion
Sperm-Ovum Interactions
Spermatozoa - cytology
Spermatozoa - enzymology
Spermatozoa - physiology
Superoxide dismutase
Superoxide Dismutase - analysis
Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism
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Summary:Sensitive techniques have been developed for monitoring superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities inhuman sperm preparations. In contradiction to the protective role normally assigned to SOD, populations of defective spermatozoa recovered from the low density region of Percoll gradients were found to have three times more SOD than functionally competent preparations pelleting in high density Percoll. SOD activity was negatively correlated with the movement characteristics of human spermatozoa and their capacity for oocyte fusion, and positively associated with the induction of peroxidative damage. SOD activity was also highly correlated with other markers of the cytoplasmic space, creatine kinase (CK), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH). We conclude that while SOD may play a physiological role in maintaining a balance between O2.- and H202, high levels of this enzyme are associated with impaired sperm function because (a) the human spermatozoon is highly susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of H202, (b) 02- is an important mediator of normal sperm function, and (c) high SOD activities reflect errors in spermatogenesis associated with germ cell exfoliation and the retention of excess residual cytoplasm by the spermatozoa.
ISSN:0891-5849
1873-4596
DOI:10.1016/0891-5849(96)00119-0