Spermatic and ultrasound characterization of young diabetic patients

Different authors showed clear correlations between diabetic disease and male reproductive damage (es. rate of nuclear DNA fragmentation, mithocondrial DNA mutations, increased of enzymatic glication products, etc...). The aim of this observational study carried out on a selected group of diabetic patients (average age 36) with primary infertility was to determine reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in sperm in connection with duration of disease, glicemic control and seminal vescicular emptying in the post ejaculatory.

All diabetic patients enrolled (20) were submitted to two consecutive spermiograms, ROS sperm analysis and transrectal ultrasound evaluation before and after ejaculation, performed according to standard conventional methods.

Diabetic patients with better glicometabolic compensation (HBAI C < 7%) and duration of disease <5 years showed spermatic rate of ROS production significantly lower regarding the group with worse glicemic control and greater duration of disease. Diabetic patients with altered vescicular emptying in the post ejaculatory showed spermatic rate of ROS production significantly higher regarding patients with normal vescicular emptying.

The degree of oxidative stress in sperm of diabetic patients follows the course of the other chronic complications, getting worse in connection with duration of disease and glicemic control. Altered vescicular emptying in the post ejaculatory could be an important mechanism for initiation of this higher response.