Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis impairs male fertility

RUBEN D. MOTRICH; MARIANA MACCIONI; GERARDO A. GATTI; JUAN P. MACKERN OBERTI; VIRGINIA E. RIVERO

Teheran, Iran

Congreso; Royan Twin Congress: 7th International Congress on Reproductive Biomedicine 2nd International Congress on Stem Cell Biology & Technology; 2005

The Royan Institute (Theran, Iran), European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Middle East Fertility Society (MEFS) y The British Andrology Society (BAS)

Introduction: We recently reported that animals that developed Autoimmune Prostatitis showed striking alterations in their semen quality, increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, NO and ROS in seminal plasma, decreased prostate functionality and elevated levels of apoptosis in seminal sperm. On the other hand, epididymal sperm remained intact, evidencing that the observed alterations were originated when prostatic fluids joined sperm at the moment of the ejaculation.
Materials and methods: In order to investigate if the semen alterations could have any impact in male fertility, we performed mating experiments and evaluated several fertility parameters such as potency, fecundity and fertility index, pre and post-implantation embryo loss on day 21 of pregnancy.
Results: In concordance with the decreased levels of sperm concentration, motiliy and viability observed previously, we found a significant decrease in the fecundity and fertility indexes. Besides, increased percentages of pre and post-implantation embryo loss were also observed, suggesting an altered ability of the sperm from autoimmune animals to achieve a successful pregnancy.
Conclusion: In the present work we reproduce our previous findings and confirm that the semen alterations present in animals that bears autoimmune prostatitis can seriously affect male fertility, reducing the ability of sperm to fertilize an ovocyte and, if this occurred, to achieve a successful pregnancy and to give birth.