scholarly journals Varicocele as one of the causes of the decreased male infertility

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-35
Author(s):  
T. M. Sorokina ◽  
M. V. Andreeva ◽  
V. B. Chernykh ◽  
L. F. Kurilo

Varicocele is one of the most common diseases of the male reproductive system. Despite the high prevalence of this pathology, the effect of varicocele on male fertility is still a controversial issue. Opinions of experts about the possible effects of varicocele on the male reproductive health, the causes and methods of treatment are contradictory, and the experimental data obtained often show directly opposed results. This article presents a review of the literature on the effects of varicocele on the male reproductive system and fertility.

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Rita Pinho ◽  
Sandra Rebelo ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Pereira

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are among nanoscale materials, attracting increasing attention owing to their exceptional set of characteristics, which makes these engineered nanoparticles a great option for improving the quality and effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment. The capacity of ZnO NPs to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA damage, and apoptosis represents a promise for their use in both cancer therapy and microbial treatment. However, their intrinsic toxicity together with their easy entrance and accumulation in organism have raised some concerns regarding the biomedical use of these NPs. Several studies have reported that ZnO NPs might induce cytotoxic effects on the male reproductive system, compromising male fertility. Despite some advances in this area, the knowledge of the effects of ZnO NPs on male fertility is still scarce. Overall, a brief outline of the major ZnO NPs biomedical applications and promises in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic use will also be explored. Further, this review intends to discuss the effect of ZnO NPs exposure on the male reproductive system and speculate their effects on male (in)fertility.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara C. Pereira ◽  
Pedro F. Oliveira ◽  
Sónia Rodrigues Oliveira ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Pereira ◽  
Marco G. Alves

Male reproductive tissues are strongly susceptible to several environmental and lifestyle stressors. In general, male reproductive health is highly sensitive to oxidative stress, which results in reversible and/or irreversible changes in testosterone-producing cells, spermatogenesis, and sperm quality. Chromium compounds are widely used in the +3 and +6 valence states, as food supplements, and in the industrial field, respectively. Chromium (III) compounds, i.e., Cr(III)-tris-picolinate, [Cr(pic)3], known as chromium picolinate, are used as nutritional supplements for the control of diabetes, body weight, and muscular growth. However, previous studies showed that animal models exposed to chromium picolinate experienced degenerative changes in spermatogenesis. Contradictory results are documented in the literature and deserve discussion. Furthermore, the long-term effects of chromium picolinate on the antioxidant system of treated subjects have not been properly studied. Comprehensive studies on the role of this compound will help to establish the safe and useful use of chromium supplementation. On the other hand, chromium (VI) compounds are widely used in several industries, despite being well-known environmental pollutants (i.e., welding fumes). Chromium (VI) is known for its deleterious effects on male reproductive health as toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic. Previous studies have demonstrated severe lesions to mouse spermatogenesis after exposure to chromium (VI). However, workers worldwide are still exposed to hexavalent chromium, particularly in electronics and military industries. Data from the literature pinpoints mechanisms of oxidative stress induced by chromium compounds in somatic and germ cells that lead to apoptosis, thus underlining the impairment of fertility potential. In this review, we analyze the benefits and risks of chromium compounds on male fertility, as well as the mechanisms underlying (in)fertility outcomes. Although supplements with antioxidant properties may maximize male fertility, adverse effects need to be investigated and discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Pacey

Abstract text Since the very early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, concern has been raised about the possibility of damage to the male reproductive system in those men who are infected with SARS-CoV-2. This was first raised by the early observation (January 2020) that the route of infection was via the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptor present on host cells. ACE-2 was first described in the year 2000 and subsequently shown in 2004 to be selectively expressed in the Leydig cells of the adult testis. This opens up the possibility that although COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory infection, it may also infect the male reproductive system. The authors of several review articles have proposed that male fertility may be theoretically impacted by SARS-CoV-2 in a number of ways. This includes alteration of: (i) testicular architecture; (ii) reproductive hormone profiles (LH/FSH); (iii) spermatogenesis as evidenced by changes to ejaculate quality; (iv) sperm function (e.g., DNA damage); (v) sexual/erectile function; or a combination of all five. Clearly each of these individually may impact on the chance of pregnancy or live birth either in natural or medically assisted reproduction. There is also the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 may be transmitted sexually if sufficient numbers of SARS-CoV-2 are found in semen. Reassuringly, of 14 studies published to date, there is little evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is present in semen and so the possibility of sexual transmission in patient or donor samples can probably be discounted. However, there is currently an incomplete picture of whether semen quality is affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection as studies are often limited by the fact that no pre-infection control samples are available for direct comparison or they are too short to identify any long-term effects. Nevertheless, the few case-controlled studies published which compare semen quality infected with non-infected (control) individuals suggest that there may be a statistically significant alteration in sperm concentration and motility, although it is not clear whether this is linked to infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus or simply a consequence of febrile illness and fever (or medication given to combat the infection). There is currently a lack of long-term data on any impact of COVID-19 on male reproductive hormones (although much speculation about the role that testosterone might play in the severity of disease). There are also emerging reports of increased risk of erectile dysfunction in men following SARS-CoV-2. In terms of birth rates, it is simply too early to tell whether these have been affected by the pandemic, given the possibility of lockdown affecting sexual behaviour in fertile couples and IVF clinic closures in infertile couples. In conclusion, although the COVID-19 pandemic has infected over 130 million people worldwide we still know too little about the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the male reproductive system. Given the incidence of long-COVID, and the asymptomatic nature of the infection for some, it is important to commission and conduct long-term studies which can monitor the reproductive outcomes of young men who have survived a SARS-CoV-2 infection.


Author(s):  
Aleksander Giwercman

Male patients referred for infertility problems are often curious as to whether their problem may be caused by environmental influences, and thus whether their chances of becoming a father can be increased by a change in lifestyle or occupation. The present level of knowledge does not allow a definitive, evidence based recommendation to be made. Except for some very few, rather extreme, occupational (e.g. 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane; DBCP) or iatrogenic (e.g. irradiation, cytotoxic drugs) exposures known to cause temporary or even permanent sterility, it is difficult to point to specific environmental influences as definite causes of male infertility. Nevertheless, recent research has generated some interesting information regarding the possible impact of the environment on male reproductive functions (1). This research was stimulated by reports on a possible time-related decline in male fertility (2)—a question still remaining controversial. However, there is now a considerable amount of information showing that environmental and lifestyle related exposure during early fetal development is of crucial importance for reproductive health in adult life (3).


2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 639-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma Ben Abdallah ◽  
Hamadi Fetoui ◽  
Nassira Zribi ◽  
Feiza Fakhfakh ◽  
Leila Keskes

The synthetic pyrethroids are expected to cause deleterious effects on most of the organs and especially on the male reproductive system. The current study was performed to assess the adverse effect of lambda cyhalothrin (LC) on reproductive organs and fertility in male rats and to evaluate the protective role of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) in alleviating the detrimental effect of LC on male fertility. A total of 48 male rats were divided into 4 groups (12 rats each): control group received distilled water ad libitum and 1 ml of vehicle solution given intraperitoneally (i.p.); CAPE-treated group received a single i.p. dose of CAPE (10 μmol kg−1 day−1); LC-treated group received 668 ppm of LC through drinking water; and CAPE + LC-treated group received an i.p. injection of CAPE (10 μmol kg−1 day−1) 12 h before the LC administration. The experiment was conducted for 10 consecutive weeks. LC caused a significant increase in testicular malondialdehyde, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione- S-transferase activities, and sperm abnormalities and a significant reduction in testicular glutathione concentration, sperm count, sperm motility, and a live sperm percentage. Conversely, treatment with CAPE improved the reduction in the sperm characteristics, LC-induced oxidative damage of testes and the testicular histopathological alterations. Results indicate that LC exerts significant harmful effects on the male reproductive system and that CAPE reduced the deleterious effects of LC on male fertility.


2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-14
Author(s):  
Mustafa A.K. Al-Taie

This study was carried out to study the toxic effect of smut wheat on male reproductive system of mice. The experimental study was performed in the laboratory using 20 mice, which divided into two groups, one group feed on normal diet, the other fed on a mixture of 50% normal diet with 50% smut wheat. A histopathological study was done on the testes of Mice fed on smut wheat for 30 days. The histopathological study revealed thickness of basement membrane of semiriferous tubule of mice, and desquamation of the sertoli cells and spermatogonium from the basement membrane of seminiferous tubule and has adversely effect on male fertility.


BioChem ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 122-147
Author(s):  
Roberta V. L. Martins ◽  
Ana M. S. Silva ◽  
Ana Paula Duarte ◽  
Sílvia Socorro ◽  
Sara Correia ◽  
...  

The male reproductive system is highly susceptible to noxious influences, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, drugs, and even diseases that can induce germ cell damage and alterations in spermatogenesis. All of these factors, which are caused by actions at the testicular level and/or at the excurrent ducts and accessory glands, significantly affect sperm parameters and male fertility. For this reason, it is of major importance to investigate possible ways to protect the male reproductive system since males are exposed to these toxic factors constantly. For centuries, natural products have been used by humans in folk medicine as therapeutic agents, and because of their beneficial properties for human health, plenty of them have been introduced to the pharmaceutical market as supplementary therapies. The present review aims to compile available information regarding different natural exogenous factors that demonstrate potential useful activity in the male reproductive system. The studies presented here reopen the perspective of using natural products as protective agents and eventually as new supplementary therapeutic options for the recovery of hampered spermatogenesis and/or male infertility.


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