Thirty–seven amino acids and three related nitrogen compounds in human seminal plasma: multivariate analyses reveal strong correlations among asparagine, glutamine, and ammonia with sperm parameters

Masatoki Katayama; Satoru Kaneko; Takahiro Tsukimura; Kiyoshi Takamatsu; Tadayasu Togawa

Volume : V, Issue : IX, September - 2015

Thirty–seven amino acids and three related nitrogen compounds in human seminal plasma: multivariate analyses reveal strong correlations among asparagine, glutamine, and ammonia with sperm parameters

Masatoki Katayama, Satoru Kaneko, Takahiro Tsukimura, Kiyoshi Takamatsu, Tadayasu Togawa

Abstract :

We assessed the relationship of 40 amino acids and nitrogen compounds in human seminal plasma with three sperm parameters – concentration, motility, and morphology. The amino acid content of seminal plasma was different from serum, for example, Sar and β–Ala at very low levels. In particular, Asn and Gln were found at levels below 1/20th of those of Asp and Glu, the opposite relationship in serum. Using ANOVA, we revealed significant differences in Asp, Glu, Gln, γ–ABA, NH3 , and Car. Next, we conducted a regression analysis and found that Asp, NH3 , γ–ABA, and Orn were highly correlated with sperm parameters. Gln and HCys showed negative correlations. Asp, Asn, Glu, Gln, and Orn showed correlations with NH3 , and were extracted by principal component analysis. The findings suggest that amino acids and sperm concentration could be used for diagnostic purposes, in particular amino acids related to NH3 metabolism, Asn, Gln, and NH3 .