Genotype and phenotype frequencies of paraoxonase 1 in fertile and infertile men.

Introduction: Paraoxonasel (PON1) is a glycoprotein associated with high density lipoprotein and has antioxidant activity. The impact of PON1 in various stages of spermatogenesis has also been suggested. Materials and Methods: Q192R variants of PONl were determined in 150 fertile and 150 infertile men using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Plasma arylesterase and paraoxonase activities were detected by spectrophotometry and malondialdehyde (MDA) level was measured using thiobarbituric acid. Results: Our results showed no significant difference in the distribution of PONl genotypes and alleles between fertile and infertile groups. However morphology and motility of sperm were associated with various genotypes of PONl. The number of fertile males with the BB phenotype (high activity) was significantly higher than that of infertile males, whereas the number of individuals with the AB phenotype (moderate activity) was statistically higher in infertile men compared with the fertile group. Additionally, MDA and arylesterase activity levels were significantly higher in infertile subjects compared with fertile men. Conclusion: We speculate that the low activity of PON 1 can be a risk factor for male infertility probably due to a decrease in antioxidant activity of PON 1 and increase in lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]