The association of seminal plasma antioxidant levels and sperm
chromatin status with genetic variants of GSTM1 and GSTP1 (Ile105Val and
Ala114Val) in infertile men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia
Affiliations: Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research
Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran | Department of Genetic, Faculty of Biological Sciences,
Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran | Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna
Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran | Iranian Tissue Bank Research and Preparation Center,
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran | Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research
Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
Note: [] Corresponding author: Mohammad Reza Sadeghie, Monoclonal
Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
Tel.: +98 2122432020; Fax: +98 2122432021; E-mail: Sadeghi@avicenna.ac.ir
Abstract: In this study we aimed to examine the effects of genetic variants of
GSTM1 and GSTP1 (Ile105Val and Ala114Val) on GST activity, seminal oxidative
stress and sperm chromatin status in infertile men with
oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT). The study population (n=121) consisted of
95 infertile men with OAT and 26 controls with normozoospermia. Multiplex
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction
fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods were utilized to detect the
aforesaid genetic variants. We measured GST activity and total antioxidant
capacity (TAC) of seminal plasma by spectrophotometry. Sperm chromatin
integrity and maturity were assessed using toluidine blue and chromomycin
A_3 (CMA_3-positive sperm) staining,
respectively. The analysis showed that subgroups of GSTM1 null and GSTP1
C/T+T/T genotypes in comparison with GSTM1 present and GSTP1 wild type (C/C)
genotypes did not have statistically significant differences in both OAT or
normozoospermic men considering sperm concentration and motility, percentage of
CMA_3-positive sperm, seminal plasma TAC, sperm chromatin
integrity and GST activity. Thus, the findings of our study suggest that there
are no significant associations between GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms and sperm
parameters at conventional or at molecular levels including OS status, sperm
chromatin integrity or maturity in Iranian infertile men with OAT and
normozoospermia. However, these polymorphisms could be related to the fertility
status of the studied population but not evaluated in this study.
