P-110: Effect of Oral Zinc Supplementation on Total Antioxidants Status and An-tiperoxidant Activity in Spermatozoa of Patients with Oligoasthenospermia

Background: Oligoasthenospermia (OAS) is a condition characterized by low sperm count associated with low sperm motility. Medical treatment is not known in allopathic system for treatment of oligoasthenospermia. Homeopathic medicine is effective in more than 95% patients. Oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant levels have been projected as a potential factors involved in the pathophysiology of diverse male infertility types, including oligoasthenospermia. Oxidative stress plays a key role in male infertility. For this reason, it is essential to estimate the level of oxidative stress for determination if it is a considerable contributor to sperm dysfunction in a given patient. In the present study, the effect of zinc supplementation on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of semen along with total antioxidants status and antiperoxidant activity in the seminal plasma of oligoasthenospermic patients. Materials and Methods: Semen samples were obtained from 25 fertile (age 27.5 ± 5.5 year) and 25 subfertile (age 28 ± 7.2 year) men with asthenozoospermia between July 2012 to July 2013, from couples who had consulted the Infertility Clinic of Babylon Teaching Hospital of Maternity (Hilla city/ Iraq). The sub-fertile group treated with zinc sulfate. Every participant took two capsules of zinc sulfate per day for three months (each one 220 mg). Semen samples were obtained (before and after zinc sulfate supplementation). After liquefaction, seminal fluid at room temperature, routine semen analyses were performed. Total antioxidants status, antiperoxidant activity and various sperm parameters were compared among fertile controls and infertile patients (before and after treatment with zinc sulfate). Results: Compared with healthy controls, the value of total antioxidants status and antiperoxidant activity was found to decrease significantly in seminal plasma and spermatozoa of patients with oligoasthenozoospermia compared with that of healthy controls. Zinc supplementation restores total antioxidants status and antiperoxidant activity in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of asthenozoospermic subjects to normal ranges. Volume of semen, progressive sperm motility percentage, and total normal sperm count were increased after zinc sulfate supplementation. Conclusion: Zinc sulfate supplementation is an effective treatment to male suffer infertility.