[Sperm quality and features of the antioxidant defense system in men living in various regions of Siberia].

Aim: To investigate the quality of sperm, total antioxidant activity, concentrations of -tocopherol and lipid peroxidation in men of reproductive age living in Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk, and Novosibirsk.

Materials And Methods: The analysis of sperm quality included measuring the volume and pH of the ejaculate, sperm cell count, the proportion of motile sperm cells of A and B categories.

Results: Healthy men living in Irkutsk were found to have 34.4 and 23.6% higher sperm count (millions per ml) compared to men living in the city of Novosibirsk and Ulan-Ude, respectively. They also had a 44 and 38% statistically significantly greater concentration of alpha-tocopherol than men living in Ulan-Ude and Novosibirsk, respectively. Men from Ulan-Ude had 16 and 11% greater counts of active spermatozoa than men from Novosibirsk, respectively, and 34 and 13% higher levels of total antioxidant activity of ejaculate, respectively.

Conclusion: The findings on quality of the ejaculate and features of lipid peroxidation in men living in various Siberian cities show that the place of residence and ecological and geographical location affect functioning of the reproductive system and the heterogeneity of male infertility under anthropogenic pressure.