Study of Sperm Mitochondrial Functional Diversity in human Fertile Males

Abstract

In the present study, mitochondrial functional diversity patterns are studied in the spermatozoa of normal healthy males of the age 26-40 years. They are divided into the age groups of 26-30 years, 31-35 years and 36-40 years. As we know that the main function of mitochondria is to generate ATP. The midpiece of the spermatozoa contains 72- 80 mitochondria on an average and energy generated by mitochondria helps in motility of sperm and in penetrating zona pellucida of egg cell during fertilization. Any kind of mutation in the mitochondrial DNA or its proteins, may cause mitochondrial dysfunction leading to male infertility. In the present study, the basic criteria of selecting the semen samples were checking their appearance, pH and semen analysis is performed. The selected samples were then subjected to functional tests of sperm and the enzymatic activities in seminal plasma to ascertain the normal functionality of the sperm both structurally and biochemically. The sperm pellet obtained from the separation of seminal plasma was sonicated and was used for the determination of the activities of sperm mitochondrial enzymes. The functional tests of sperm gave results above normal levels. Among the enzymes of seminal plasma and sperm, the antioxidants levels in both, were found to be decreasing as the age of the individual increases. The levels of the markers enzymes of accessory organs of male reproductive system i.e., prostate gland and the seminal vesicles, were found to be decreasing except Acid Phosphatase. Among the sperm mitochondrial enzymes, the activity of succinate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase seems to be fluctuating with increasing age of the individual. SNEHA S. BINIWALE, 2010-11 Page 10 Results of SDS-PAGE showed that the protein profiling of the sonicated cells had three prominent bands of 49 kDa, 23 kDa and an intermediate molecular weight protein. The presence and the density of these proteins changes with an increase in the age group. It can thus be concluded that these is an evident increase in the prostate gland activity in the individuals of 30-35 age groups as represented by elevation in the acid phosphatase activity while all other seminal plasma parameters like antioxidant species as well as marker enzymes decreases with increase in age.