scholarly journals The role of obesity in male fertility

Author(s):  
Meltem Mermer ◽  
Yasemin Akdevelioğlu

Obesity causes many health problems as well as having negative effects on fertility. There is a multifaceted relationship between obesity and male infertility. Male fertility is associated with sperm concentration, motility and morphology. Testosterone (total and free) and gonadotropin levels were low and estrogen levels were found to be high in obese men. The decrease in androgen levels varies based on the degree of obesity. High body mass index is inversely related to total sperm count, sperm concentration, sperm morphology and number of motile sperm. Leptin and ghrelin are hormones that influence body weight regulation and eating behaviors. Serum leptin level, which is high in obese infertile men, showed a significant positive correlation with abnormal sperm morphology, serum FSH, LH, prolactin level and showed a significant negative correlation with sperm concentration, sperm motility and serum testosterone level. Further research is needed on the effects of ghrelin levels on male infertility. The relationship between obesity and erectile dysfunction can be explained by decreased testosterone levels and elevation of some proinflammatory cytokine levels. Decreased physical activity due to obesity, long-term sitting increases testicular temperature and affects sperm production negatively. There is a multifaceted relationship between obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes and serum testosterone and SHBG. Diet and exercise showed improvement in testosterone levels and sperm concentration due to decreased body weight. However, studies on this subject are extremely limited. The possible effects of weight loss on successful infertility treatment of obese men should not be ignored.

Author(s):  
Hozaifa K. Elsawah ◽  
Mohamed M. Kandiel ◽  
Aziza A. Amin ◽  
Haitham M. Mokhimar ◽  
AbuBakr M. El Mahmoudy

Background: Many drugs are implicated in male infertility and screening for medication history is an important for diagnosis and treatment of the problem. The aim is to study amikacin effect on male reproductive system in comparison to gentamicin.Methods: Twenty-five male wister rats weighted 220±20 gm and aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into five groups of five. The first group received gentamicin in dose 18.25 mg/kg/day once daily (OD) (therapeutic dose). The second group received gentamicin with double dose of the first group. The third group received amikacin in dose 54.75 mg/kg/day OD (therapeutic dose). The Fourth group received amikacin with double dose of the third group. However, the fifth group served as a control and received normal saline (NS) OD. All treatments were administered intraperitoneally (IP) for 14 days. On the 15th day, blood samples and reproductive organs were obtained from all animals. Testicular tissues were prepared for genetic testing and chemical and microscopical examination.Results: Amikacin and gentamicin negatively affected reproductive organs weights, sperm parameters, serum follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone (LH) level relative to control (p<0.05). However, serum testosterone level was only affected with gentamicin (p<0.05). A significant difference between gentamicin and amikacin was found in sperm count, testis and epididymis weights and serum testosterone and LH level (p<0.05). Testicular histopathological changes were also found with the two drugs with different degrees. Effects of both gentamicin and amikacin were dose-dependent.Conclusions: Both gentamicin and amikacin adversely affect andrological function that should be monitored and controlled during application of these drugs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Guo ◽  
Jiao-jiao Li ◽  
Ya-ling Ma ◽  
Yu-tao Zhao ◽  
Jian-guo Liu

Abstract Background: Letrozole (LE) or anastrozole (AZ) is clinically beneficial in male infertility patients with a low testosterone-estradiol ratio (T/E2). Many scholars believe it has the potential to become one of the effective drugs to treat male infertility. But some relevant research results are different or even the opposite. Study Question: The purpose of this report is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of letrozole or anastrozole in the treatment of specific male infertility patients. Data Sources: We performed a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang Date through August 2021 for all studies.Study Design: We conducted a systematic review with meta- analysis of the all available literature reporting sperm conventional parameters, gonadotropin and testosterone levels, and/or the pregnancy rate. Results: The total of 10 studies involving 280 patients were included. LE or AZ administration increased significantly sperm concentration, total sperm count, and serum luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone levels and T / E2 compared with baseline values, but E2 levels were significantly reduced. In contrast, LE or AZ did not have any significant effect on sperm concentration and motility and pregnancy rate, but improved total sperm count, sperm morphology, compared to the control group, which included studies done with Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SEMR) or testosterone undecanoate (TU). Conclusion: LE or AZ may be effective in the treatment of low T / E2 male infertility, perhaps better than other anti-estrogen or exogenous testosterone supplementation. In addition, we should pay special attention to the changes of E2 during treatment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 990-993
Author(s):  
AK Chaurasia ◽  
AK Sinha ◽  
P Upahdyay

Background: Semen analysis is used to evaluate male fertility. The aim of this study was to compare the results of semen analysis using manual method and automated sperm analyzer.Materials and Methods: This was a comparative study of 50 cases of semen analysis done in the Department of Pathology at the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences from March 2009 to March 2010. The automated sperm analyzer did not show the WHO parameters of patients who had functional sperm count (FSC) less than five hundred thousand (500,000). Semen analysis of each of the case included in the study was done by manual and automated method (using SQAII-P analyzer).Results: Out of 31 patients, the mean age of the patients was 28.56 years with youngest patient of 20 years and eldest of 45 year. Sensitivity and specificity was 100% in analysis of sperm concentration by both the methods. Sperm motility analysis showed 100% sensitivity and 81.81% specificity. Sperm morphology analysis showed 100% sensitivity and 34.48% specificity.Conclusion: It was observed that the automated method is much quicker and precise than the conventional, manual method for semen analysis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulqader Fadhil Abed ◽  
Yazun Bashir Jarrar ◽  
Hamzeh J Al-Ameer ◽  
Wajdy Al-Awaida ◽  
Su-Jun Lee

Background: Oxandrolone is a synthetic testosterone analogue that is widely used among bodybuilders and athletes. However, oxandrolone causes male infertility. Recently, it was found that metformin reduces the risk of infertility associated with diabetes mellitus. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of metformin against oxandrolone-induced infertility in male rats. Methods: Rats continuously received one of four treatments (n=7) over 14 days: control DMSO administration, oxandrolone administration, metformin administration, or co-administration of oxandrolone and metformin. Doses were equivalent to those used for human treatment. Subsequently, testicular and blood samples were collected for morphological, biochemical, and histological examination. In addition, gene expression of the testosterone synthesizing enzyme CYP11A1 was analyzed in the testes using RT-PCR. Results: Oxandrolone administration induced male infertility by significantly reducing relative weights of testes by 48%, sperm count by 82%, and serum testosterone levels by 96% (ANOVA, P value < 0.05). In addition, histological examination determined that oxandrolone caused spermatogenic arrest which was associated with 2-fold downregulation of testicular CYP11A1 gene expression. However, co-administration of metformin with oxandrolone significantly ameliorated toxicological alterations induced by oxandrolone exposure (ANOVA, P value < 0.05). Conclusion: Metformin administration protected against oxandrolone-induced infertility in male rats. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm the protective effect of metformin against oxandrolone-induced infertility among athletes.


Author(s):  
Thea Emily Benson ◽  
Anne Gaml-Sørensen ◽  
Andreas Ernst ◽  
Nis Brix ◽  
Karin Sørig Hougaard ◽  
...  

Bisphenol A (BPA) is considered an endocrine disruptor and has been associated with deleterious effects on spermatogenesis and male fertility. Bisphenol F (BPF) and S (BPS) are structurally similar to BPA, but knowledge of their effects on male fertility remains limited. In this cross–sectional study, we investigated the associations between exposure to BPA, BPF, and BPS and semen quality in 556 men 18–20 years of age from the Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) cohort. A urine sample was collected from each participant for determination of BPA, BPF, and BPS concentrations while a semen sample was collected to determine ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology. Associations between urinary bisphenol levels (continuous and quartile–divided) and semen characteristics were estimated using a negative binomial regression model adjusting for urine creatinine concentration, alcohol intake, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), fever, sexual abstinence time, maternal pre–pregnancy BMI, and first trimester smoking, and highest parental education during first trimester. We found no associations between urinary bisphenol of semen quality in a sample of young men from the general Danish population.


Author(s):  
Gabriel O. Oludare ◽  
Gbenga O. Afolayan ◽  
Ganbotei G. Semidara

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to access the protective effects of d-ribose-l-cysteine (DRLC) on cyclophosphamide (CPA) induced gonadal toxicity in male rats. Methods Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups of eight rats each. Group I the control, received distilled water (10 ml/kg), Group II received a single dose of CPA 100 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally (i.p), Groups III and IV received a single dose of CPA at 100 mg/kg (i.p) and then were treated with DRLC at 200 mg/kg bodyweight (b.w) and 400 mg/kg b.w for 10 days, respectively. Rats in Groups V and VI received DRLC at 200 and 400 mg/kg b.w for 10 days, respectively. DRLC was administered orally. Results Results showed that CPA increased percentage of abnormal sperm cells and reduced body weight, sperm count, sperm motility, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone levels (p<0.05). CPA also induced oxidative stress as indicated by the increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reduced activities of the oxidative enzymes measured (p<0.05). Liver enzymes were elevated while the blood cells production was decreased in the rats administered CPA. DRLC supplementation enhanced the antioxidant defence system as indicated in the reduced MDA levels and increased activities of the antioxidant enzymes when compared with CPA (p<0.05). Bodyweight, sperm count, sperm motility, FSH, and testosterone levels were increased in the CPA + DRLC II group compared with CPA (p<0.05). Conclusions The results of this present study showed that DRLC has a potential protective effect on CPA-induced gonadotoxicity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
ZU Naher ◽  
SK Biswas ◽  
FH Mollah ◽  
M Ali ◽  
MI Arslan

Infertility is a worldwide problem and in almost 50% of cases infertility results from abnormality of the male partners. Apart from endocrine disorders, definitive cause and mechanism of male infertility is not clear in many cases. Recent evidence indicates that imbalance between pro-oxidant stress and antioxidant defense plays an important role in the pathogenesis of male infertility. Among the endogenous antioxidant systems, reduced glutathione (GSH) plays a significant role in the antioxidant defense of the spermatogenic epithelium, the epididymis and perhaps in the ejaculated spermatozoa. The current study was therefore designed to evaluate any association that may exist between GSH levels and male infertility. Infertile male patients (having female partners with normal fertility parameters; n=31) and age- matched healthy male fertile control subjects (n=30) were included in this study. In addition to medical history, semen analyses including semen volume, sperm count, motility and morphology were done for each subject. As a measure of antioxidant capacity erythrocyte and seminal plasma GSH concentrations were measured by Ellman's method in fertile and infertile male subjects. The infertile subjects were similar to fertile subjects in terms of age. However, semen volume and sperm count was found significantly lower (p<0.001) in infertile males compared with healthy fertile male subjects. Percentage of subjects with abnormal sperm morphology and motility were found higher in infertile group compared with fertile group. The median (range) erythrocyte GSH level did not differ between the two groups (12.62 (0.67-29.82) versus 13.93 (2.10-21.08) mg/gm Hb). However, the seminal plasma GSH level was found markedly suppressed in infertile group (1.64 (0.23-7.50)) compared with fertile group (4.26 (2.32-7.50)) mg/dl (p<0.001). In the present study seminal plasma GSH level was found markedly suppressed along with abnormal values for semen volume, sperm concentration and sperm morphology and motility in infertile subjects compared with fertile subjects. This finding indicates that low level of seminal plasma GSH level may be associated with male infertility. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v4i2.13772 Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2011; 4(2): 20-25


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan P. Lewandowski ◽  
Gabrijela Dumbović ◽  
Audrey R. Watson ◽  
Taeyoung Hwang ◽  
Emily Jacobs-Palmer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundSeveral long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to function as central components of molecular machines that play fundamental roles in biology. While the number of annotated lncRNAs in mammalian genomes has greatly expanded, their functions remain largely uncharacterized. This is compounded by the fact that identifying lncRNA loci that have robust and reproducible phenotypes when mutated has been a challenge.ResultsWe previously generated a cohort of 20 lncRNA loci knockout mice. Here, we extend our initial study and provide a more detailed analysis of the highly conserved lncRNA locus, Taurine Upregulated Gene 1 (Tug1). We report that Tug1 knockout male mice are sterile with complete penetrance due to a low sperm count and abnormal sperm morphology. Having identified a lncRNA loci with a robust phenotype, we wanted to determine which, if any, potential elements contained in the Tug1 genomic region (DNA, RNA, protein, or the act of transcription) have activity. Using engineered mouse models and cell-based assays, we provide evidence that the Tug1 locus harbors three distinct regulatory activities – two noncoding and one coding: (i) a cis DNA repressor that regulates many neighboring genes, (ii) a lncRNA that can regulate genes by a trans-based function, and finally (iii) Tug1 encodes an evolutionary conserved peptide that when overexpressed impacts mitochondrial membrane potential.ConclusionsOur results reveal an essential role for the Tug1 locus in male fertility and uncover three distinct regulatory activities in the Tug1 locus, thus highlighting the complexity present at lncRNA loci.


2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
Ali A. Abd

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of age and season on the epididymal sperm and level of testosterone in camel. A total 103 camel testes samples were collected from Al-Najaf slaughter house during a cold season (December 2012, January and February 2013) and moderatehot season (March, April and May, 2013). Testes were divided into 3 Gs according to camel age, G1 included the testes of 2-3years, G 2 (3 – 4years) and over 4 years (G 3). Blood samples were collected for determination of serum testosterone level. The sperms were obtained from the tail of epididymis from all animals groups and the results of the sperms individual motility percentage was increased at the level of (P< 0.05) significantly with age progress in both seasons. Also, sperm motility of G3 recorded a significantly higher than those of G1 and G2 in cold and moderate-hot seasons .The live percentage of G 3 animals was 90.01% in cold season with a significantly higher than those of other Gs and in both seasons. However, the live sperm percentage of G 3 during moderate-hot season was 87.82% and G 2 during moderate-hot and cold seasons were 88.58 and 88.72% respectively, showed significantly higher than those of G1 during cold and moderate-hot seasons .The concentration of sperm obtained from epididymis tail of bulls camel significantly increase with age progress in both seasons. However, the mean of the sperm concentration in cold season showed significance higher than those in moderate-hot season in animals of G 1 and 3, respectively. The abnormal morphologically sperm percentage of animals G 1 in both cold and moderate-hot seasons were significantly higher than those of G3.The testosterone levels of the young animals (under 4 years) increased gradually and reached its peak in February 2.28 ng/ml and March 2.27ng/ml. In the same trend older animal (more than 4 years) was showed 8.14 and 7.35 ng/ml, respectively. The older animals showed a significantly monthly, higher values than those of the younger animals in their testosterone level started from January up to May. In conclusions during cold months the camel over 4 years shows higher percentage of epididymal sperms parameters (live and individual motility) and sperms concentration as well as serum testosterone level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
S. N. Shankhwar ◽  
A. A. Mahdi ◽  
A. V. Sharma ◽  
Kishan Pv

Aim. The present study aimed to assess the effects of Nano Leo, a prosexual nutrient formulation, on libido, erection, and orgasm in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). Methods. This was a prospective, single-center, phase IV efficacy study. Patients received two capsules for 7 days and thereafter one capsule through 90 days. Main outcome measures: primary endpoint was change in erectile function assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. Secondary endpoints included improvement in testosterone levels, FSH, LH, and prolactin levels; seminal parameters; and overall quality of life (QoL). Results. Our study included 99 men (mean age 32.2 ± 4.71 years). Mean erectile function domain score increased from 18.9 ± 5.67 at baseline to 23.7 ± 4.01 on day 90 (P<0.001). Similar improvements were observed in orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction domains of IIEF score which was seen as early as day 30. Improved IIEF corroborated with improvement in all QoL domains. From baseline to day 90, treatment with Nano Leo increased testosterone levels (5.04 ± 2.22 vs. 5.57 ± 1.53 ng/mL, P<0.001). Seminal parameters like sperm concentration (44.07 ± 48.28 vs. 56.21 ± 50.45 million/mL) and total sperm count per ejaculate (130.40 ± 156.05 vs. 142.5 ± 161.23 million/mL) significantly increased on day 90 compared to baseline. No changes were observed in hepatic and renal function parameters, and no adverse events were reported which promise the safety of the product, Nano Leo. Conclusion. Nano Leo showed improved libido, erection, and orgasm as evaluated by IIEF and QoL and was well tolerated. Therefore, Nano Leo could be an effective and safe pronutrient supplement in managing ED.


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