Fructose, prostatic acid phosphatase and zinc levels in the seminal plasma of varicoceles

The function of sex accessory glands in 95 varicocele patients was investigated by determining the fructose, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), and zinc levels in the seminal plasma. These biochemical substances are, in fact, markers of the seminal vesicles and prostate, respectively. It was observed that both the PAP and zinc levels were significantly lower (P less than .002) in varicoceles than in the control group, while both fructose and PAP levels were particularly low in a small subgroup of the older patients. The authors suggest that the impaired sex accessory gland functions could arise from decreased venous drainage in the vesico-prostatic plexus. The fructose/zinc ratio appears to be negatively related to sperm motility (r = .31, P = .01); this suggests that in varicocele the impaired sex accessory gland secretions could themselves influence the motility of ejaculated spermatozoa.