Infection in the male reproductive tract. Impact, diagnosis and treatment in relation to male infertility

1993 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Purvis ◽  
E. Christiansen
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Sofikitis ◽  
Aris Kaltsas ◽  
Fotios Dimitriadis ◽  
Jens Rassweiler ◽  
Nikolaos Grivas ◽  
...  

The therapeutic range of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5) inhibitors is getting wider in the last years. This review study focuses on the potential employment of PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the therapeutic management of male infertility. The literature tends to suggest a beneficial effect of PDE5 inhibitors on Leydig and Sertoli cells secretory function. It also appears that PDE5 inhibitors play a role in the regulation of the contractility of the testicular tunica albuginea and the epididymis. Moreover scientific data suggest that PDE5 inhibitors enhance the prostatic secretory function leading to an improvement in sperm motility. Other studies additionally demonstrate a role of PDE5 inhibitors in the regulation of sperm capacitation process. Placebo-controlled, randomized, blind studies are necessary to unambiguously incorporate PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the pharmaceutical treatment of semen disorders and male infertility.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 10043
Author(s):  
Sulagna Dutta ◽  
Pallav Sengupta ◽  
Petr Slama ◽  
Shubhadeep Roychoudhury

Inflammation is among the core causatives of male infertility. Despite male infertility being a serious global issue, “bits and pieces” of its complex etiopathology still remain missing. During inflammation, levels of proinflammatory mediators in the male reproductive tract are greater than usual. According to epidemiological research, in numerous cases of male infertility, patients suffer from acute or chronic inflammation of the genitourinary tract which typically occurs without symptoms. Inflammatory responses in the male genital system are inextricably linked to oxidative stress (OS). OS is detrimental to male fertility parameters as it causes oxidative damage to reproductive cells and intracellular components. Multifarious male infertility causative factors pave the way for impairing male reproductive functions via the common mechanisms of OS and inflammation, both of which are interlinked pathophysiological processes, and the occurrence of any one of them induces the other. Both processes may be simultaneously found in the pathogenesis of male infertility. Thus, the present article aims to explain the role of inflammation and OS in male infertility in detail, as well as to show the mechanistic pathways that link causative factors of male reproductive tract inflammation, OS induction, and oxidant-sensitive cellular cascades leading to male infertility.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vegim Zhaku ◽  
Ashok Agarwal ◽  
Sheqibe Beadini ◽  
Ralf Henkel ◽  
Renata Finelli ◽  
...  

Within the male reproductive system, oxidative stress (OS) has been identified as prevailing etiology of male infertility. The effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on male fertility depend on the dimensions, “modus operandi” of the ROS and the oxido-reduction potential (ORP) of the male reproductive tract. Hereupon, for an adequate response to OS, the cells of our body are endowed with a well-sophisticated system of defense in order to be protected. Various antioxidant enzymes and small molecular free radical scavengers, maintain the delicate balance between oxidants and reductants (antioxidants), crucial to cellular function and fertility. Therapeutic use of antioxidants is an optimal and coherent option in terms of mitigating OS and improving semen parameters. Therefore, recognizing and managing OS through either decreasing ROS levels or by increasing antioxidant force, appear to be a requesting approach in the management of male infertility. However, a clear defined attitude of the experts about the clinical efficacy of antioxidant therapy is still deprived. Prominently, antioxidant such as coenzyme Q10, vitamin C and E, lycopene, carnitine, zinc and selenium have been found useful in controlling the balance between ROS production and scavenging activities. In spite of that, healthy lifestyle, without smoke and alcohol, everyday exercise, reduction of psychological stress and quality well-designed meals, are habits that can overturn male infertility.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Roberts ◽  
Keith Jarvi

An adequate semen volume of ejaculate fluid is required to transportsperm into the female reproductive tract and allow for fertilizationof the oocyte. Thus, seminal fluid volume is an importantpart of the semen analysis done to investigate male infertility. Inthis article, we review the anatomy and physiology of ejaculation,the various etiologies of low-volume ejaculation (artifactual,structural, functional). We then present a comprehensive algorithmfor the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of the infertileman presenting with low semen volume.Un volume suffisant de liquide séminal dans l’éjaculat est nécessairepour transporter les spermatozoïdes dans les voies reproductricesde la femme et permettre la fécondation de l’ovule.Ainsi, le volume de liquide séminal est une partie importante del’analyse du sperme effectuée afin d’évaluer la fertilité mâle. Dansnotre article, nous passons en revue l’anatomie et la physiologiede l’éjaculation et les diverses causes (artéfactuelles, structuraleset fonctionnelles) d’un faible volume d’éjaculat. Nous présentonsensuite un algorithme complet pour l’évaluation, le diagnostic etle traitement de l’infertilité dans les cas de faible volume de li -quide séminal.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Yoo-Jin Park ◽  
Myung-Geol Pang

Mitochondria are structurally and functionally distinct organelles that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), to provide energy to spermatozoa. They can also produce reactive oxidation species (ROS). While a moderate concentration of ROS is critical for tyrosine phosphorylation in cholesterol efflux, sperm–egg interaction, and fertilization, excessive ROS generation is associated with male infertility. Moreover, mitochondria participate in diverse processes ranging from spermatogenesis to fertilization to regulate male fertility. This review aimed to summarize the roles of mitochondria in male fertility depending on the sperm developmental stage (from male reproductive tract to female reproductive tract). Moreover, mitochondria are also involved in testosterone production, regulation of proton secretion into the lumen to maintain an acidic condition in the epididymis, and sperm DNA condensation during epididymal maturation. We also established the new signaling pathway using previous proteomic data associated with male fertility, to understand the overall role of mitochondria in male fertility. The pathway revealed that male infertility is associated with a loss of mitochondrial proteins in spermatozoa, which induces low sperm motility, reduces OXPHOS activity, and results in male infertility.


1984 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 721 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Marsh ◽  
GE Heinsohn ◽  
TD Glover

The anatomy and histology of the male reproductive tract of the dugong (Dugong dugon) is described. Each testis and its adjacent epididymis lie immediately caudal to the corresponding kidney. The seminal vesicles are large but there is no discrete prostate gland and the bulbo-urethral glands are also diffuse. Both qualitative and quantitative examination of the testes and epididymides of 59 males whose ages have been estimated from tusk dentinal growth layer counts indicate that the male dugong does not produce spermatozoa continuously, despite the absence of a distinct breeding season. Individual dugongs were observed with testes at all stages between complete quiescence and full spermatogenesis, and only 10 of the 40 mature males had fully spermatogenic testes and epididymides packed with spermatozoa. Androgenic and spermatogenic activity of the testes appeared to be in phase, but the testicular histology of some old males suggested that they may have been sterile for long periods.


2009 ◽  
Vol 189 ◽  
pp. S145
Author(s):  
Betzabet Quintanilla-Vega ◽  
Patricia Espíritu-Gordillo ◽  
Yuliana Palacios-Gil ◽  
Margarita Guaderrama-Díaz ◽  
María de Jesús Solís-Heredia ◽  
...  

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