Superoxide dismutase-like activity (SOD-like), isoenzyme lactate dehydrogenase-C4 (LDH-C4) and NADH-diaphorase activities in spermatozoa have been investigated from 58 normozoospermic and 27 oligozoospermic men. Significantly higher SOD-like, LDH-C4 and diaphorase activities (P < 0.01, P < 0.005 and P < 0.0001, respectively) were detected in spermatozoa from oligozoospermic men, compared to the activities found in normozoospermic samples. SOD-like activity (mean +/- SE) in oligozoospermic samples amounted to 8.3 +/- 1.6 U 10(-8) spermatozoa, while in spermatozoa in normozoospermic men with a sperm concentration above 20 million of spermatozoa per ml amounted to 4.2 +/- 0.5 U 10(-8). There was a close correlation between the SOD-like activity and biochemical indicators of the presence of residual cytoplasm i.e. isoenzyme LDH-C4 and NADH-diaphorase (r = 0.53 and r = 0.66 in normozoospermic and r = 0.63 and r = 0.54 in oligozoospermic men, respectively). A positive relationship between SOD-like activity and experimentally-induced lipid peroxidation was detected in 54 infertile men (r = 0.30; P < 0.05). These findings suggest that a higher level of superoxide dismutase-like activity may reflect a defect in the development or maturation of spermatozoa and, thereby, a decreased fertility potential. Hence, determination of SOD-like activity may give information on the state of maturity of human spermatozoa, while its role in the antioxidative protection remains to be determined.