Background: Obesity, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health .The effects of obesity on male reproduction have been less well studied than those on female reproduction, but there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that obesity has an adverse effect on male reproduction However, a little is known about the effect of obesity on male reproductive system and infertility. Infertility is defined as inability to achieve conception within one year. It has not yet been clearly established how excess adiposity relates to the biological changes that underlie male infertility, although there are several theories worth exploring. The endocrine abnormalities associated with obesity in women are well known with an increase in androgen metabolism and changing in reproductive hormones in over weight and obese men. Objective: The study aim at assessing the role of obesity in infertile males through measurement of BMI, some of sex hormones. Methods: This study was carried out in Tikrit Teaching Hospital, on the adult male population aged 17-45 years, from September 2013 to April 2014. The recruited cases divided into 90 infertile obese male and 30 normal weights infertile as pathological control group and 30 normal weight fertile men as normal control group.The serum samples willed collect of the patients and measure the concentrations of the sex hormones (FSH, LH, INHB) by using ELISA technique. Body Mass Index Calculation Height (m) and weight (kg). Results: There was no significant correlation between BMI (30.1±93.45, 21.40±5.24,23.24±1.42)kg/m2 in patients group, pathological control group and control group and serum LH level (22.35±12.79, 19.31±9.94, 13.90±8.33) ml U/ml in all three group respectively. There was a significant negative correlation (P< 0.03) between BMI (23.24±1.42)kg/m2 and serum FSH level (7.10±3.77) ml U/ml, in control group. While there was no significant correlation between BMI (30.19±3.45,21.40 ±5.24) kg/m2 and serum FSH level (13.59±15.72, 11.58±14.06) ml U/ml in both patients' group and pathological control group respectively.There was no significant correlation between BMI (30.19±3.45, 21.40±5.24,23.2±1.42) kg/m2and serum INHB level in the patients group, pathological control group and control group (88.8±57.96, 108.51±78.39, 141.65±63.95) pg/ml respectively. Conclusions: The BMI did not correlated with some reproductive hormones (LH, FSH,INHB) in obese infertile males, but there was a significant correlation between the FSH and BMI in control group. In infertile obese group found the highest level of LH, FSH, and the lowest level of INHB comparing with other group in this study.
The toxic effect of drugs and environmental chemicals on the human reproductive system has become a major health concern. Lead is recognized as the most dangerous of the toxic metals and a major threat to the biological systems of both human and animals. In this study we detect the effect of two types of antioxidants: flaxseed and zinc, on the toxicity of low dose of lead acetate on reproductive organs of male mice, this study was conduct. Two groups of mature male mice,exposed to low dose of lead, were administered either zinc sulphate (0. 5mg/kg body weight/day) or flaxseed oil (2.5% of total daily food intake), for 6 weeks. The results showed that lead caused a significant reduction in the total body weight, testicular weights & adverse effects on sperm parameters, while the concomitant administration of antioxidants caused elevation in these weights with significant improvement in sperm quality as compared to the only lead treated group. It is concluded that lead, like all other heavy metals, could induce oxidative stress and the concomitant administration of antioxidants (zinc or flaxseed) can ameliorate the toxic effect of lead on reproduction.
Background: Leptin is an adipocyte —secreted protein that participates in the regulation of energy homeostasis. It prevents the body from storing fat, controls hunger and cravings, regulates food intake and energy expenditure, provides the body with an index of nutritional status and controls the whole body fat metabolism. Leptin is a product of ob gene created by adipocytes. It seems to signal metabolic information to the reproductive system. Objective: The aim of this study to evaluate the relationship between serum leptin and infertility in oligozoospermic men. Materials and Methods: Seventy men were investigated; fertile normozoospermic as a control (n=35) and infertile oligozoospermic (n=35). The patients underwent estimation of body weight (kg), height body mass index (BMI), semen analysis, serum FSH, LH, testosterone and leptin, lipid profile and serum malondialdehyde (MDA). The infertile group was given a treatment course of clomiphene citrate (50 mg) and vitamin E (400mg) and then all the previous parameters were reevaluated after 3 months. Results: Mean body weight was significantly higher in infertile oligozoospermia compared to controls. The height showed no significant difference between the groups. Hormonal profile revealed significant (P=0.0001) difference in FSH between control group and oligozoospermic group (7.04±4.20 versus 3.35±1.47 mIU/ml), but after treatment with clomiphene citrate and vitamin E there is a slight non-significant (P=0.231) decrease in the level of FSH in oligozoospermic group. The level of testosterone showed a statistically significant (P=0.0001) difference between fertile normozoospermic (5.52 ±1.29 ng/ml) and infertile oligozoospermic. This hormone showed a significant (P<0.0001) increase in its level after treatment with clomiphene citrate and vitamin E (3.48±1.56 ng/ml). Other hormone showed non significant difference between the two groups pre and post treatment. Lipid profile showed no significant difference between the two groups. There was no significant (P=0.477) difference in serum MDA between the control and the infertile groups (4.69±1.32 vs. 5.18±1.19 µmol/L) respectively, but after treatment the results showed a mild significant (P=0.026) decrease in comparison to the level in the control group and also a significant (P=0.0001) decrease in comparison to the level before treatment. Infertile oligozoospermic had significantly higher serum leptin level (8.03±1.22 ng/ml) than control (3.62 ± 1.00 ng/ml). Conclusion: Serum leptin demonstrated a significant positive correlation with age, body weight, BMI and a significant inverse correlation with serum testosterone. It had nonsignificant correlation with the height and sperm concentration. These results are suggestive of a link between the adipocyte derived hormone leptin and male reproduction.