Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T19:22:40.310Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Vitamin B12 and potential fertility in male lactovegetarians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Rashmi Hirwe ,
V. S Jathar ,
Shantha Desai  and
R. S Satoskar
Rashmi Hirwe
Affiliation:
Biochemistry Research Laboratory, University of Bombay, Kalina, Santacruz (East), Bombay
V. S Jathar
Affiliation:
Biochemistry Research Laboratory, University of Bombay, Kalina, Santacruz (East), Bombay
Shantha Desai
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacology, TN Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, Byculla, Bombay, India
R. S Satoskar
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacology, TN Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, Byculla, Bombay, India
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Semen and serum vitamin B12 levels in Indian lactovegetarian and non-vegetarian subjects were estimated along with routine semen examination. Lactovegetarians had distinctly lower serum and semen vitamin B12 levels than the non-vegetarians. However, in normal and oligospermic subjects the ratio of semen vitamin B12 to serum vitamin B12 in the various diet groups was not significantly different and was always greater than one. In azoospermic subjects the serum vitamin B12 levels were always higher than the corresponding semen vitamin B12 values. Although semen vitamin B12 content was related to serum vitamin B12 level and sperm concentration in the normal and oligospermic groups. Further, in healthy lactovegetarians with low serum and semen vitamin B12 content and oligospermia, treatment with hydroxocobalamin produced no significant improvement in semen quality.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , July 1976 , pp. 221 - 227
Copyright
Copyright © 1976, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Banerjee, D.K. & Chatterjea, J.B. (1960) Serum vitamin B12 in vegetarians. Br. med. J. ii, 992.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blair, J.H., Stearns, H.E. & Simpson, G.M. (1948) Vitamin B12 and fertility. Lancet, i, 49.Google Scholar
Chanarin, I. (1969). The Megaloblastic Anaemias, p. 575. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.Google Scholar
Cannon, D.C. (1969). Examination of semina lfluid. In: Clinical Diagnosis by Laboratory Methods, 14th edn. Edited by Davidsohn, I and Henry, J. B.Saunders, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Dhopeshwarkar, G.S., Trivedi, J.C., Kulkarni, B.S., Satoskar, R.S. & Lewis, R.A. (1956) The effect of vegetarianism and antibiotics upon proteins and vitamin B12 in the blood. Br. J. Nutr. 10, 105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodhope, C.D. (1961) The treatment of oligospermia with stilbestrol and vitamin B. Fert. Steril. 12, 469.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gornall, A.G., Bardawill, C.J. & David, M.M. (1949) Determination of serum proteins by means of the biuret reaction. J. biol. Chem. 177, 751.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jathar, V.S., Inamdar-Deshmukh, A.B., Rege, D.V. & Satoskar, R.S. (1975) Vitamin B12 and vegetarianism in India. Acta haemat. 53, 90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mann, T. (1964) The Biochemistry of Semen and of the Male Reproductive Tract, 2nd edn, p. 3. Methuen, London.Google Scholar
Mehta, B.M., Rege, D.V. & Satoskar, R.S. (1964) Serum vitamin B12 and folic acid activity in lactovegetarian and nonvegetarian healthy adult Indians. Am. J. clin. Nutr. 15, 77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pardanani, D.S., Kher, Y.R., Mahendrakar, M.N., Kirtane, S.T. & Jaytilak, P.G. (1972) Effects of testosterone-vitamin B12 (aquaviron B12) therapy in cases of oligospermia, Ind. J. Surg. 34, 89.Google Scholar
Ross, G.I.M. (1952) Vitamin B12 assay in body fluids using Euglena gracilis. J. clin. Path. 5, 250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharp, A.A. (1962) Seminal vitamin B12 and sterility. Lancet, ii, 779.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, E.L. (1965) Vitamin B12 in animal and human nutrition. In: Vitamin B12, 3rd edn. Methuen, London.Google Scholar
Watson, A.A. (1962) Seminal vitamin B12 and sterility. Lancet, ii, 644.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, W.W. (1964) Sterility: The Diagnostic Survey of the Infertile Couple, 3rd edn. p. 11. Williams, Springfield, Mass, USA.Google Scholar
Wintrobe, M.M. (1967) Clinical Haematology, 6th edn, pp. 410–459. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia.Google Scholar