The Antioxidant Effect of Rebamipide in Human Semen Specimens

Park, Nam Cheol; Sim, Sang Bo; Yan, Bo Quan; Cha, Chang Seok; Ha, Hong Koo

Abstract

PURPOSE
Rebamipide is a propionic acid derivative that inhibits superoxide production and removes hydroxyl radicals. This study was performed to investigate the effects of adding rebamipide to semen, in an effort to determine if reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lipid peroxidation of the sperm cell membrane as well as an improvement in seminal parameter and fertilizing capacity under oxidative stress was inhibited. MATERIALS AND MTHODS: Semen was collected from 30 normal healthy volunteers by masturbation after at least 48 hours abstinence. After liquefaction of the semen at room temperature, the prepared sperm was diluted with a sperm wash media to a uniform density of 20x106/ml. The semen was treated with 0.25ml of 0.2mM FeSO4 and 1mM sodium ascorbate for 60 min in the presence of various rebamipide concentrations (0, 10, 30, 100, and 300microM). ROS production, sperm motility, vitality, fertilizing capacity and the level of lipid peroxidation were analyzed by chemiluminescence, computer assisted semen analysis, eosin-nigrosin staining, a hypo-osmotic swelling test and the thiobarbituric acid method, respectively.
RESULTS
Rebamipide at 100 and 300microM increased the sperm motility (p<0.05) but did not affect the sperm vitality. The ROS production and lipid peroxidation in the sperms treated with FeSO4/sodium ascorbate were inhibited by rebamipide in a dose-dependent fashion (p<0.05 in each). The total swelling rate of the hypo-osmotic swelling test was also increased by high rebamipide concentrations (100 and 300microM), respectively 49.2 17.9 and 50.8 21.7% (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest rebamipide is an effective free radical scavenger and may be useful as an oral antioxidant in patients with male infertility due to increased ROS generation. However, further study to be possible the clinical use of rebamipide for improve the fertilizing capacity in male infertility is required.