Revista de bioanálisis y biomedicina

Assessment of the Effects of Oxidative Stress on Some Reproductive Hormones in Male Hypertensive Subjects at NAUTH, Nnewi

Abstract

Emmanuel Ikechukwu Onwubuya, Nkiruka Rose Ukibe*, Ofia Anya Kalu, Bonaventure Sunday Agbo, Solomon Nwabueze Ukibe, Ifeoma Nwamaka Monago and Obiageli Fidelia Emelumadu

Background: This is a prospective case control study, aimed at assessing the effect of oxidative stress using Malondialdehyde (MDA) Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) on some reproductive hormones Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Testosterone (TT) in male hypertensive subjects at NAUTH Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Methods: 90 newly diagnosed adult male hypertensive and sixty normotensive control subjects aged between 30-65 (49.98 ± 9.90) years were randomly recruited for the study. Blood sample were collected from all the participants, separated and stored frozen at �?�??20°C until assayed for male sex hormones using standard ELISA methods and oxidative stress markers (MDA, SOD and TAC) using Spectrophotometric method. Blood pressures were measured using accosson sphygmomanometer and stethoscope, and high blood pressure was considered when systolic blood pressure (SBP) is greater than 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) greater than 90 mmHg persistently for three days. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to ascertain the bio-data and anthropometric index of all the participants.
Results: SBP and DBP were significantly higher in hypertensive male subjects 157.10 ± 15.40, 99.40 ± 8.94) compared to controls (114.50 ± 8.3, 76.60 ± 5.90) (p=0.000 respectively). FSH and LH (11.94 ± 4.14, 8.46 ± 2.54) were significantly higher while TT (3.19 ± 1.63) was significantly lower in hypertensive subjects compared to controls (7.16 ± 3.40, 3.31 ± 1.74) (7.32 ± 2.54) (p=0.000 respectively). More so, the mean levels of MDA and SOD in hypertensive subjects (1.43 ± 0.45, 15.36 ± 6.15) were significantly higher compared to control (0.63 ± 0.29, 5.28 ± 2.70) (p=0.000) while TAC in hypertensive subjects (18.19 ± 5.46) was significantly lower compared to control subjects (36.93 ± 7.55) (p=0.000). Significant positive correlation was observed between SBP, DBP and FSH, LH, SOD, MDA while significant negative correlation existed between SBP, DBP and TT, TAC. TT and LH were significantly positively correlated with TAC and MDA.
Conclusion: Hypertensive male subjects showed significantly higher levels of FSH and LH with lower testosterone levels which suggest hypogonadism and significantly higher MDA and SOD with lower levels of TAC indicating some degree of oxidative stress with suppressed body’s antioxidant defense. The positive and negative correlation observed in blood pressure, male sex hormones and oxidative stress markers also showed that oxidative stress may contribute significantly to the hypogonadism observed which may affect the reproductive potentials in these subjects.