REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND ANTIOXIDANT IN SEMINAL PLASMA AND THEIR IMPACT ON MALE FERTILITY

Spermatozoa generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in physiological amounts, which play a role in sperm functions during sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction (AR), and oocyte fusion. In addition, damaged sperm are likely to be the source of ROS. The most important ROS produced by human sperm are hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals. Besides, human seminal plasma and sperm possess an antioxidant system to scavenge ROS and...