Transaminase activity in human ejaculates was measured by a colorimetric method of Reitman-Frankel. Unspecific enhancement of absorption at 505mU was observed by addition of 2.4-dinitrophenylhydrasine to the ejaculate. Therefore, control incubation with corresponding specimen itself appeared indispensable for determination of the enzyme activity inhuman ejaculate. The activity thus determined was designated as corrected activity (C. A.). Meanwhile, transaminase activity assayed with water blank as usually adopted for the determination of the activity in serum was designated as apparent activity (A. A.) in the present paper. Consequently, A. A. was higher than C. A.
C. A. and A. A. of GOT revealed a significant correlation (r=0.75, p<0.001) while no correlation was found between both values of GPT. Averages of GOT activity (C. A.) in human ejaculates were
305.6±17.7 R. F. unit/ml (n=16) in normospermias,
116.8±12.5 R. F. unit/ml (n=30) in oligospermias and
70.9±7.3 R. F. unit/ml (n=25) in azospermias (mean±S.E.).
While mean GPT activity in the ejaculate was 15.9±2.4 R. F. unit/ml (n=34), which was similar to the normal level of serum. Furthermore, GOT activities showed a significant correlation to either sperm concentration (C. A. r=0.87 and A. A. r=0.59, p<0.001) or sperm motility (C. A. r=0.32, p<0.05). No such a correlation was recognized in GPT activity.
When each ejaculate was separated to seminal plasma and spermatozoa by centrifugation at 100xg for 5 minutes, approximately all GOT activity of each specimen were found to localize in the respective seminal plasma. The suspended spermatozoa in physiological saline contained extremely low GOT activity after washed three times with saline solution, which showed no correlations with the concentration of spermatozoa.
The results above indicate that the major part of GOT activity in human ejaculates would be supplied by the secretion of the seminal tract and not by spermatozoa. The presumption is also supported by the following result in the present study that very low GOT activity in the ejaculate of a castrated adult has obviously increased after androgen administration.
GOT activities in ejaculates were reduced to 44-80% after vasectomy. Therefore, it appears likely that the seminal tract proximal to the vas deference might play an important role in supplying the enzymes in ejaculates. All of accessory sexual organ tissues contained high GOT activities in comparison with those in bladder epithelium or smooth muscular tissue.
In conclusion, since investigations recently reported indicate that spermatogenesis is regulated by androgens as well as FSH, GOT activity in human ejaculates would be a good indicator for clinical evaluation of the quality of the ejaculate.
View full abstract