Biochemical analysis of electroejaculates in spinal cord injured men: comparison to normal ejaculates

To address the consistent finding of asthenospermia in spinal cord injured men we compared the biochemical constituents of antegrade fractions of electroejaculates of 6 such patients with the manual ejaculates of 6 volunteers. Semen samples in each group were analyzed for 19 biochemical parameters, pH and osmolality. Organic components included triglycerides, glucose, fructose, uric acid, creatinine, urea, total protein, albumin and cholesterol. Metabolic enzymes, including glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, were measured. Inorganic constituents included chloride, sodium, potassium, zinc and phosphorous. Although not significant, higher levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were demonstrated in most electroejaculates suggesting urinary contamination of the antegrade specimens. In electroejaculates significantly lower levels (p less than 0.05) of fructose, albumin, GOT and alkaline phosphatase as well as significantly higher levels (p less than 0.05) of chloride were noted. No significant difference in osmolality or pH was found. Moreover, in the electroejaculates the levels of glucose, uric acid and all inorganic constituents approached their corresponding levels in serum. We conclude that biochemical abnormalities of the seminal plasma may contribute to seminal dysfunction of spinal cord injured men and may result from neurological injury to the accessory sex glands or from the electroejaculation procedure itself.