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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on May 12, 2005
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dei062
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org
Received September 29, 2004
Revised March 19, 2005
Accepted April 7, 2005

Article

Glutathione and free sulphydryl content of seminal plasma in healthy medical students during and after exam stress

S. Eskiocak 1*, A.S. Gozen 2, S.B. Yapar 1, F. Tavas 1, A.S. Kilic 2, and M. Eskiocak 3

1 Departments of Biochemistry, Trakya University, School of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey
2 Urology, Trakya University, School of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey and
3 Public Health, Trakya University, School of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
S. Eskiocak, E-mail: drseskiocak{at}hotmail.com


  Abstract

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that there is a relationship between stress and infertility. The mechanisms of stress-related semen quality alterations have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the effect of examination stress on seminal glutathione and free sulphydryl content and sperm quality. METHODS: Semen samples were collected from 34 healthy volunteers who were students of medical school in the fourth semester just before (stress period) and 3 months after (non-stress period) their final examinations. Their psychological examination stress was measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. After standard semen analysis, semen samples were centrifuged at 10 000g for 15 min. Glutathione and free sulphydryl concentration of seminal plasma were measured. RESULTS: During the period of examination stress, the glutathione and free sulphydryl content of seminal plasma and the motility index of spermatozoa were significantly lower, whereas the percentage of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa was higher, than during the non-stress period (P<0.001, for all). An association between seminal plasma glutathione and motility index was observed at both periods (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that glutathione and free sulphydryl levels in seminal plasma decreased in subjects undergoing examination stress. Furthermore, poor sperm quality may be due to loss of glutathione and free sulphydryl content of seminal plasma.

Keywords: examination stress; free sulphydryl; glutathione; semen quality.
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