Prostaglandins in semen and their relationship to male fertility: a study of 145 men.
Prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha and PGE were measured in 163 semen samples from 145 men attending our male infertility clinic. In addition, each semen sample was analyzed for 13 different fertility parameters. Blood plasma levels of testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone were also determined in many of the patients. The data obtained were then analyzed using multiple regression analyses on each PG for all of the parameters studied. The results indicate seminal PGF2 alpha and PGE concentrations were 2.78 +/- 0.24 micrograms/ml and 46.0 +/- 4.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. The seminal parameters that were significant predictors of seminal PGF2 alpha included: Ca++ concentration (P less than 0.001), Zn++ concentration (P less than 0.01), and percentage of tapered sperm (P less than 0.05). The seminal parameters that were significant predictors of seminal PGE included: Ca++ concentration (P less than 0.01) and sperm motility (P less than 0.05). Plasma testosterone was also a significant predictor of seminal PGE (P less than 0.05). These results suggest that seminal PGs are important to the human male fertility potential in that their levels are significantly interdependent with specific parameters of male fertility.