Impact of Vitamin D3 and Reactive Oxygen Species on Sperm Functional Parameters in Patients with Grade III Varicocele

This study aimed to investigate the impact of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and vitamin D3 on sperm parameters in patients diagnosed with grade III varicocele. This case-control study included 70 patients diagnosed with varicocele grade III and 70 volunteers as the control group. These subjects were matched in age, BMI, geographical location, and socioeconomic background to minimize variances related to healthcare access, nutrition, and environmental factors, but not in those with varicocele. Semen parameters were assessed using an automatic CASA sperm analyzer. Semen ROS levels were measured using a fluorescence assay of 2’,7’-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay (DCFH-DA), and vitamin D3 was quantified using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the effect of vitamin D3 and ROS on sperm parameters. Findings showed significant alteration of semen parameters in patients with grade III varicocele, reduced mean concentration of vitamin D3 (14.61 ng/ml) compared to control (25.13 ng/ml) (P 0.001), and increased mean ROS in semen (4791.29 RFU) compared to control (1607 RFU) (P 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that vitamin D3 positively affected sperm concentration (β = 0.219, P = 0.006) and total sperm motility (β = 0.178, P = 0.016). ROS negatively affected sperm concentration (β = -0.418, P 0.001), total motility (β = -0.534, P 0.001), progressive motility (β = -0.518, P 0.001), and sperm morphology (β = -0.318, P 0.001). Lower vitamin D3 and higher semen ROS levels have a significant negative impact on sperm parameters in grade III varicocele patients. Treatment with antioxidant supplementation, specifically vitamin D3, could improve semen quality in these patients.