Journal of Andrology
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Published-Ahead-of-Print November 1, 2006, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.106.001164

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Beneficial Effects of Vitamin E in Sperm Functions in the Rat after Spinal Cord Injury

Shulun Wang , Guichun Wang , Beverly E Barton , Thomas F Murphy , and Hosea F.S. Huang *

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: huanghf{at}umdnj.edu.

Male infertility as a result of spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with abnormal semen qualities including low sperm counts, and poor sperm motility and morphology. Clinical studies suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related events might contribute to abnormal sperm functions after SCI. The current study examined whether impaired sperm functions after SCI can be ameliorated by an antioxidant, vitamin E. Vitamin E feeding of spinal cord transected (SCX) rats during the acute (maintenance) and chronic (restoration) phases of the injury partially preserved sperm viability and mitochondrial potential; similar effects were only seen in cord contused (SCC) rats during the chronic phase. A beneficial effect of vitamin E on sperm motility, however, was only observed in SCX rats during the chronic phase of the injury. These results suggest that ROS-related events might account for some of the effects of cord injury on sperm functions, pending on the extent of injury and time post injury. Furthermore, we found sperm heads from SCC and SCX rats were less condensed compared to that from sham control rats. Such effects were attenuated by vitamin E, suggesting that ROS-related events may also contribute to abnormal sperm morphology after SCI. Partial restoration of male accessory gland weights in those rats fed vitamin E further suggests its beneficial effects on functions of these glands. Conclusion: Vitamin E feeding attenuated some of the effects of spinal cord injury on sperm functions and male accessory glands in the rat. These results support a role of ROS-related events in deterioration of semen quality after cord injury. Further understanding the underlying mechanisms for the effects of vitamin E on sperm functions and male accessory glands will provide scientific rationale for the use of vitamin E or other antioxidant as therapeutic means to preserve sperm functions and semen quality in SCI men.


Key words: Reactive Oxygen • Sperm • cAMP • spinal cord injury • vitamin E




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R. Comitato, K. Nesaretnam, G. Leoni, R. Ambra, R. Canali, A. Bolli, M. Marino, and F. Virgili
A novel mechanism of natural vitamin E tocotrienol activity: involvement of ER{beta} signal transduction
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, August 1, 2009; 297(2): E427 - E437.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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