Open AccessBeta‐endorphin in serum and seminal plasma in infertile men
Author(s) -
ElHaggar Shawky,
ElAshmawy Salah,
Attia Ahmed,
Mostafa Taymour,
Roaiah M. M. Farid,
Fayez Ashraf,
Ghazi Sherif,
Zohdy Wael,
Roshdy Nagwa
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
asian journal of andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1745-7262
pISSN - 1008-682X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-7262.2006.00180.x
Subject(s) - asthenozoospermia , azoospermia , obstructive azoospermia , male infertility , sperm , beta endorphin , andrology , sperm motility , oligospermia , medicine , endocrinology , vas deferens , infertility , semen , biology , pregnancy , genetics
Aim: To access beta‐endorphin levels in serum as well as seminal plasma in different infertile male groups. Methods: Beta‐endorphin was estimated in the serum and seminal plasma by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in 80 infertile men equally divided into four groups: non‐obstructive azoospermia (NOA), obstructive azoospermia (OA), congenital bilateral absent vas deferens (CBVAD) and asthenozoospermia. The results were compared to those of 20 normozoospermic proven fertile men. Results: There was a decrease in the mean levels of beta‐endorphin in the seminal plasma of all successive infertile groups (mean ± SD: NOA 51.30 ± 27.37, OA 51.88 ± 9.47, CBAVD 20.36 ± 13.39, asthenozoospermia 49.26 ± 12.49 pg/mL, respectively) compared to the normozoospermic fertile control (87.23 ± 29.55 pg/mL). This relation was not present in mean serum level of beta‐endorphin between four infertile groups (51.09 ± 14.71, 49.76 ± 12.4, 33.96 ± 7.2, 69.1 ± 16.57 pg/mL, respectively) and the fertile control group (49.26 ±31.32 pg/mL). The CBVAD group showed the lowest seminal plasma mean level of beta‐endorphin. Testicular contribution of seminal beta‐endorphin was estimated to be approximately 40%. Seminal beta‐endorphin showed significant correlation with the sperm concentration ( r = 0.699, P = 0.0188) and nonsignificant correlation with its serum level ( r = 0.375, P = 0.185) or with the sperm motility percentage ( r = 0.470, P = 0.899). Conclusion: The estimation of beta‐endorphin alone is not conclusive to evaluate male reproduction as there are many other opiates acting at the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis. Edited by Aleksander Giwercman