Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolaseh levels elevated in semen of men with spinal cord injury

Written By : Dr Nirali Kapoor |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2023-03-22T20:00:33+05:30 | Updated On 23 March 2023 1:27 PM IST

Platelet-activating factor [1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine; PAF] is present in human sperm and its content has a significant and positive relationship with motility. PAF-acetylhydrolase (PAFah), the enzyme that removes the acetyl group (responsible for PAF’s activity), is present in semen and serves as a decapacitating factor. Semen from men with spinal cord injury (SCI) contains sperm with poor motility and this condition may be a result of abnormal PAFah activity in the semen. The study objective was to determine the relationship between PAFah content in semen and sperm motility in men with SCI compared to non-SCI men.

Using a between-subjects design, semen PAF-AH activity was compared in semen specimens from control versus SCI subjects. PAFah activity levels were correlated with sperm motility in each group.

Semen was obtained from 10 men with SCI and 10 age-matched healthy fertile men as control subjects. Sperm motility was determined (WHO, 1999) prior to measurement of PAFah activity (spectrophotometric analysis; AZWELL Inc, Japan). Data were analyzed by Student’s t-test and linear regression.

Mean (±SEM) seminal PAFah content was significantly higher in SCI subjects (1,068.4 ± 163.78 IU/L, range 589.0 - 1,881 IU/L) compared to controls (413.5 ± 40.99 IU/L; range 192.0 - 691.0 IU/L, p < 0.001). Mean sperm motility was significantly lower in SCI subjects (27.9

4.56%, range 4 52%) compared to controls (63.9 ± 3.13%; range 54 - 80%, p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between PAFah content in semen and sperm motility (R= 0.212, p < 0.05). Regression analysis demonstrated a biological correlation between PAFah and sperm motility in SCI subjects (R= 0.45, p 0.058) and control subjects (R= 0.383; p 0.056).

PAFah activity levels are elevated in semen of men with SCI compared to age-matched healthy control subjects. PAFah was negatively correlated with sperm motility in SCI and control subjects. Additional studies will elucidate the role of PAFah in semen on sperm motility and determine if high PAFah activity contributes to low sperm motility in men with SCI.

Source: Zhu, N. L. Brackett, T. Aballa, D. B; FERTILITY & STERILITY doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.07.221

Platelet-activating factormale infertilitySpinal Cord Injury

Source : FERTILITY & STERILITY

Dr Nirali Kapoor

MBBS, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr Nirali Kapoor has completed her MBBS from GMC Jamnagar and MD Obstetrics and Gynecology from AIIMS Rishikesh. She underwent training in trauma/emergency medicine non academic residency in AIIMS Delhi for an year after her MBBS. Post her MD, she has joined in a Multispeciality hospital in Amritsar. She is actively involved in cases concerning fetal medicine, infertility and minimal invasive procedures as well as research activities involved around the fields of interest.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751