Thermodynamic study of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase enzyme heterogeneity in human seminal plasma.
Clin Chim Acta, 2005/5;355(1-2):55-60.
Casal JA[1], Vizcaíno L, Garcia-Devesa J, Tutor JC
Affiliations
PMID: 15820478
Impact factor: 6.314
Abstract
background: It has been suggested that the activity of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase (Hex) in seminal plasma may be used as a biochemical marker of azoospermia. The purpose of our study was to evaluate this hypothesis using a thermodynamic procedure developed to determine total Hex activity and that of its isoenzymes in this biological fluid.
methods: Using the substrate 3,3'-dichlorophenolsulphoftaleinil N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide, a highly significant difference (p<0.001) is found between the activation energy of Hex A (41.5 kJ/mol) and of Hex B (72.3 kJ/mol), making it possible to determine the activity of these isoenzymes from the apparent activation energy of the total Hex in seminal plasma.
results: A significant difference between the normozoospermic and azoospermic groups was only found for Hex A isoenzyme activity (p<0.05), although with considerable overlapping between the values of both groups. Significant partial correlations were found for the total Hex, Hex A and Hex B activities with the immobile spermatozoa count (p<0.01) and for total Hex and Hex B with the dead spermatozoa count (p<0.05). In turn, Hex A had a significant partial correlation with the live spermatozoa count (p<0.05); however, Hex activity in seminal plasma of acromosomal origin appears to be of little importance in quantitative terms.
conclusions: It was not possible to confirm that total Hex activity in seminal plasma, or even of its isoenzymes Hex A and Hex B, is a suitable biochemical marker of azoospermia (efficiency< or =67%). The thermodynamic procedure described may be a useful alternative for the study of the Hex enzyme heterogeneity in spermatozoa.
MeSH terms
Adult; Enzyme Activation; Hexosaminidase A; Hexosaminidase B; Humans; Isoenzymes; Male; Middle Aged; Oligospermia; Semen; Thermodynamics; Vasectomy; beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases
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