EN
Oxidative stress has a significant impact on the quality of the mammalian semen. An excessive amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in the environment of the spermatozoa, which rises as a result of prooxidative-antioxidative balance disorders, leads inter alia to a decrease of semen motility, changes in the conformation of the spermatozoa membrane, acrosome damage, decrease of mitochondrial activity, and appearance of the lipid peroxidation, which can become a cause of reduced fertility or infertility. For this reason the estimation of the influence of oxidative stress on semen can turn out to be a very useful tool in diagnostics of problems with fertility. Nowadays, in order to evaluate the intensity of the oxidative stress it is possible to use the direct method and indirect method that evaluate both the amount of ROS in the semen and the increase of changes in the spermatozoa caused by this compound. A precise analysis of the changes, resulting from prooxidative-antioxidative balance disorders with use of a suitable method of analysis is a base for accurate diagnosis.