COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF REDUCED GLUTATHIONE AND PENTOXYFILLINE ON SPERM FUNCTTON TESTS AND MOTILTT'Y IN INFERTİLE MALES

Abstract

Abstract

To compare the effects of reduced glutathione which is an antioxidant and pentoxyfiline which is a phosphodi- esterase inhibitor on sperm functional tests, vitality and motility.

30 infertile couple who attended to Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, In-Vitro Fertilization Center were included in this study. Every semen sample taken for sperm washing process were divided into three and incubated with glutat- hione (10 umol), pentoxyfilline (1 mg/ml) and glutathione * pentoxyfilline (10 umol * I mg/ml) respectively. Befo- re and after the sperm washing process, hypoosmotic swelling test, acrosome reaction test (AR test), sperm-human oocyte penetration test (SHOP) results and motility were compared.

There was an increase and the difference was statistically significant, when motility, vitality and AR test re- sults were compared before and after the incubation with glutathione, pentoxyfilline and glutathione * pentoxyfilli- ne. The increase was more obvious With glutathione * pentoxyfilline combination. Four of twelve patients with ne- gative SHOP test became positive after incubation jith glutathione * pentoxyfilline, while only one SHOP test beca- me posilive in each other groups.

This study revealed that stimulation of sperm with glutathione * pentoxyfilline combination has increased sperm motility and improved sperm function test resujts better than glutathione and pentoxyfiline alone. Therefore, we think that it may be helpful to use glutathione * pentoxyfilline combination to increase sperm motility and sup-

port capacitization during assisted reproductive technigues.