男子不妊症患者精漿中トコフェロール同族体濃度

Abstract

Vitamin E was discovered in 1922 as antisterility vitamin. Recently it has been known to have an effect of antioxidation as free radical scavenger that prevents from damage of cellular membrane subsequently to production of free radical. In order to know what part vitamin E takes in idiopathic male infertility, vitamin E levels of plasma and seminal plasma were measured in 33 patients by highspeed liquid chromatography. There was no significant correlationship between vitamin E concentrations in plasma and seminal plasma (r=0.14). One case was excluded from following analyses because of an extraordinarily high serum level of 33.8 µg//ml. Alpha-tocopherol concentration was 8.77 ±2.93 µg//ml in plasma and 0.22±0.09 µg//ml in seminal plasma. Plasma concentration of (3- and r-tocopherol was 0.08±0.04 and 0.82±0.36 µg/ml, respectively. These two types of tocopherol were undetectable in seminal plasma. Delta-tocopherol was not detected both in plasma and seminal plasma. When the 32 patients were classified into 3 groups of sperm concentration of more than 40 X I06/ml, from 39 to 20×106/ml and less than 19×106/ml, and 2 groups of motility rate of more than 60% and from 59 to 30%, and when relationships between either of a-tocopherol level in plasma or seminal plasma and sperm concentration or motility rate were analyzed, none of significant difference was noted. Plasma concentration of a-tocopherol after oral administration of tocopherol acetate of 150 to 300 mg a day for 14 to 42 days was about 2 times as high as concentration before the administration in each of 5 patients. Seminal plasma concentration of a-tocopherol after the administration was almost the same as concentration before the administration in 4 patients and about 2 times as high as in other 2 patients.