Metabolomic profiling reveals correlations between spermiogram parameters and the metabolites present in human spermatozoa and seminal plasma

PLoS One. 2019 Feb 20;14(2):e0211679. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211679. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

In 50% of all infertility cases, the male is subfertile or infertile, however, the underlying mechanisms are often unknown. Even when assisted reproductive procedures such as in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection are performed, the causes of male factor infertility frequently remain elusive. Since the overall activity of cells is closely linked to their metabolic capacity, we analyzed a panel of 180 metabolites in human sperm and seminal plasma and elucidated their associations with spermiogram parameters. Therefore, metabolites from a group of 20 healthy donors were investigated using a targeted LC-MS/MS approach. The correlation analyses of the amino acids, biogenic amines, acylcarnitines, lysophosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins and sugars from sperm and seminal plasma with standard spermiogram parameters revealed that metabolites in sperm are closely related to sperm motility, whereas those in seminal plasma are closely related to sperm concentration and morphology. This study provides essential insights into the metabolome of human sperm and seminal plasma and its associations with sperm functions. This metabolomics technique could be a promising screening tool to detect the factors of male infertility in cases where the cause of infertility is unclear.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amino Acids / analysis
  • Biogenic Amines / analysis
  • Carnitine / analogs & derivatives
  • Carnitine / analysis
  • Centrifugation, Density Gradient
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Humans
  • Lysophosphatidylcholines / analysis
  • Male
  • Metabolome*
  • Phosphatidylcholines / analysis
  • Semen / chemistry*
  • Semen / metabolism
  • Semen Analysis
  • Spermatozoa / chemistry*
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism
  • Sphingomyelins / analysis
  • Sugars / analysis

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Biogenic Amines
  • Lysophosphatidylcholines
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • Sphingomyelins
  • Sugars
  • acylcarnitine
  • Carnitine

Grants and funding

The study was funded by grants for SG and JS of the German Research Council (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, http://www.dfg.de/, grant numbers DFG GR 2075/7-1 and DFG Schi 476/12-2). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.