α-1,4-Glucosidase activity in infertile oligoasthenozoospermic men with and without varicocele

Summary This work aimed to assess seminal α‐1,4‐glucosidase activity in infertile oligoasthenozoospermic men associated with and without scrotal varicocele. Eighty men were investigated. They were divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 20), fertile normozoospermic men; group 2 (n = 30), oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele; and group 3 (n = 30), oligoasthenozoospermia without varicocele. The patients underwent medical history, clinical examination, conventional semen analysis and estimation of seminal plasma α‐1,4‐glucosidase activity by double‐beam spectrophotometer method and serum testosterone by radioimmunoassay method. There was a significant decrease in the mean seminal α‐1,4‐glucosidase activity levels in infertile men versus controls (mean ± SD; 7.66 ± 0.433, 2.088 ± 0.565, 5.384 ± 0.85 mU ml−1 respectively). Mean serum testosterone levels demonstrated nonsignificant differences between studied groups. Seminal α‐1,4‐glucosidase activity levels demonstrated significant correlation with sperm count, sperm motility percentage and serum testosterone in oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele group and demonstrated nonsignificant correlation in other groups. It is concluded that varicocele‐induced hypoxia is the adverse effect that causes both oligoasthenozoospermia and decreased seminal α‐1,4‐glucosidase levels.