Contributory Effect of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) To Male Infertility

Abstract

Infertility comes at a cost to the couples/spouses as the associated trauma ranges from depression to rejection, emotional imbalance to mention a few. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plays very significant function in sperm function. Any disruption in ATP production or action contribute significantly to male infertility. The aim of this study was to determine the contributory effects of ATP on fertilization by the spermatozoa. This was a cross-sectional study that randomly selected 45 male partners of infertile couples as test participants and 45 male partners of fertile couples as controls all aged between 30 years and 55 years. Semen samples were received from the participants immediately after production through masturbation for semen analysis which was done on the day of ejaculation. ATP value in the semen samples were estimated using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. Independent’s t-test was used to determine the difference in ATP values between male partners of infertile couples and male partners of fertile couples as well ATP values in male partners of infertile couples with normal and abnormal sperm motility. ANOVA was used to determine the differences in ATP values among male partners of infertile couples with normal and abnormal sperm counts. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. The mean ± SD ATP value in male partners of infertile couples (598.27 ± 67.90 nmol/L) was significantly lower than the mean ± SD ATP value in male partners of fertile couples (838.86± 74.77 nmol/L), p<0.0001). The mean ± SD ATP value in male partners of infertile couples with abnormal sperm motility (559.62 ± 57.38 nmol/L)) was significantly lower than the mean ± SD ATP value in male partners of fertile couples with normal motility (638.68 ± 53.52 nmol/L), p<0.0001). On ANOVA statistics, the mean ± SD ATP value in male partners of infertile couples with zero sperm count was significantly lower than mean ± SD ATP value in male partners of infertile couples with sperm count greater than 20 sperm cells/ml (p = 0.043). However, there were no significant differences in the mean values of ATP in male partners of infertile couples with sperm count less than 10 sperm cells/ml, less than 20 sperm cells per ml and sperm count greater than 20 sperm cells/ml (p>0.05). This study observed that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration in male partners of fertile couples was higher than ATP concentration in male partners of infertile couples and male partners of infertile couples with abnormal motility of spermatozoa had lower concentration of ATP than those who had normal motility. Reduced levels of ATP in semen which may be caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, or metabolic defects contributes largely to male infertility due to impairment of spermatozoa motility and capacitation incapability which hinders fertilization of the oocyte by the spermatozoa.