Oxidative Stress and Male Fertility: Role of Antioxidants and Inositols (original) (raw)

Antioxidant Supplementation and Duration of Antioxidant in Male Infertility -A Systemic Review

IRJPMS, 2024

Infertility, a global health issue affecting 187 million couples, is primarily caused by oxidative stress, particularly in males. High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) impair sperm quality, leading to oxidation of DNA, proteins, and lipids. Multi-antioxidant supplementation is effective in improving male fertility parameters. Natural molecules like myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol also improve sperm quality. This review explores these processes and their mechanisms. Antioxidant treatment may improve sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) values in idiopathic infertility cases, prolonging treatment duration may enhance success, but side effects, cost, patient compliance, and partner condition should be considered. Antioxidant supplementation (AS) positively impacts male fertility, with beneficial ingredients like carnitines, Vitamin E, and zinc. Environmental factors may also influence fertility, requiring further studies to determine optimal combinations.

Role of oxidative stress and antioxidants in male infertility: An interventional study

Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, 2019

Oxidative stress results from the imbalance between production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the protective effect of the antioxidant system responsible for their neutralization and removal. An excess of ROS causes a pathological reaction resulting in damage to cells and tissues. Spermatozoa are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of ROS. Oxidative stress affects their activity, damages DNA structure, and accelerates apoptosis, all of which consequently decrease their numbers, hinders motility and development of normal morphology, and impairs function. This leads to disturbances in fertility or embryo development disorder. The main cellular source of ROS in the semen are immature sperm cells and white blood cells. The increase in the number of leukocytes may be due to infection and inflammation, but can also be secondary to harmful environmental factors, long sexual abstinence, or varicocele. The protective antioxidant system in the semen is composed of enzymes, as well as nonenzymatic substances, which closely interact with each other to ensure optimal protection against ROS. Non-enzymatic antioxidants include vitamins A, E, C, and B complex, glutathione, pantothenic acid, coenzyme Q10 and carnitine, and micronutrients such as zinc, selenium, and copper. It seems that a deficiency of any of them can cause a decrease in total antioxidant status. In vitro and in vivo that studies demonstrate many antioxidants possess a beneficial effect on fertility and, therefore, their use is recommended as supportive therapy for the treatment of infertility in men.

Oxidative Stress and Role of Antioxidants in Male Infertility

2010

With regular cohabitation without any protection if women do not conceive for at least a period of one year is labelled as infertility. It is based on the observation that most of the normal couples achieve conception within a year of initiation of regular sex. Infertility affects approximately 15% of all couples trying to conceive. It’s a major clinical problem, affecting people medically and psychologically. Male factor infertility is the major cause in roughly half of the cases, and no identifiable cause can be found in over 25% of infertile males. Out of many causes of male infertility Oxidative stress (OS) has been attributed to affect the fertility status and thus, it has been studied extensively in recent years. Excessive production of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) can damage sperm and ROS has been extensively studied as one of the major mechanism of infertility

Optimizing male fertility: oxidative stress and the use of antioxidants

World Journal of Urology, 2019

Purpose Management of male infertility is always a difficult task, with pathophysiology and available treatments often poorly understood. The purpose of this review was to summarize current evidence regarding the use of protective agents against reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as antioxidants that may be useful in the treatment of male factor infertility. Methods For this publication, a search of studies concerning oxidative stress, male infertility and antioxidant therapy was performed using the search engines ScienceDirect, OVID, PubMed and MEDLINE. Articles published in languages other than English were not considered. Results An interest in the physiologic and pathologic effects of ROS has grown. Nevertheless, use of antioxidants is challenging, considering the balance between physiological ROS activity and detrimental oxidative stress level. Several studies have shown positive outcomes in terms of semen parameters, with others having failed to do so. Available evidence is still limited in pregnancy and live birth rates. Conclusions Protective agents against ROS, such as antioxidants, may have positive effects on semen parameters in some patients, although a widespread indication is still restricted by practical aspects, including unknown physiological levels of ROS and controversy regarding different concentrations and combinations of drugs.

Male Infertility, Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants

Vitamin E in Health and Disease - Interactions, Diseases and Health Aspects, 2021

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 ...

Antioxidant Intervention against Male Infertility: Time to Design Novel Strategies

Biomedicines

Infertility is a highly prevalent condition, affecting 9–20% of couples worldwide. Among the identifiable causes, the male factor stands out in about half of infertile couples, representing a growing problem. Accordingly, there has been a decline in both global fertility rates and sperm counts in recent years. Remarkably, nearly 80% of cases of male infertility (MI) have no clinically identifiable aetiology. Among the mechanisms likely plausible to account for idiopathic cases, oxidative stress (OS) has currently been increasingly recognized as a key factor in MI, through phenomena such as mitochondrial dysfunction, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and fragmentation and finally, sperm apoptosis. In addition, elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in semen are associated with worse reproductive outcomes. However, despite an increasing understanding on the role of OS in the pathophysiology of MI, therapeutic interventions based on antioxidants have not yet provided a consistent b...

Mechanisms of Male Infertility: Role of Antioxidants

Current Drug Metabolism, 2005

Defective sperm function is the most common cause of infertility, and until recently, was difficult to evaluate and treat. Mammalian spermatozoa membranes are rich in poly unsaturated fatty acids and are sensitive to oxygen induced damage mediated by lipid peroxidation. Hence, free radicals and reactive oxygen species [ROS] are associated with oxidative stress and are likely to play a number of significant and diverse roles in reproduction. The excessive generation of reactive oxygen species by abnormal spermatozoa and by contaminating leukocytes [leukocytospermia] has been identified as one of the few defined etiologies for male infertility. Moreover, and environmental factors, such as pesticides, exogenous estrogens, and heavy metals may negatively impact spermatogenesis since male sperm counts were declined. In addition, aging is also likely to further induce oxidative stress. Limited endogenous mechanisms exist to reverse these damages. In a normal situation, the seminal plasma contains antioxidant mechanisms which are likely to quench these ROS and protect against any likely damage to spermatozoa. However, during genitourinary infection/inflammation these antioxidant mechanisms may downplay and create a situation called oxidative stress. Assessment of such oxidative stress status [OSS] may help in the medical treatment of male infertility by suitable antioxidants. The cellular damage in the semen is a result of an improper balance between ROS generation and scavenging activities. Therefore, numerous antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10, have proven beneficial effects in treating male infertility. A multi-faceted therapeutic approach to improve male fertility involves identifying harmful environmental and occupational risk factors, while correcting underlying nutritional imbalances to encourage optimal sperm production and function.

The role of antioxidant therapy in the treatment of male infertility: an overview

Asian Journal of Andrology, 2011

In recent years, many studies have focused on the effect of oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants on the male eproductive system. Under physiological conditions, sperm produces small amounts of ROS, which are needed for fertilisation, acrosome reaction and capacitation. However, if an increased production of ROS is not associated with a similar increase in scavenging systems, peroxidative damage of the sperm plasma membrane and loss of DNA integrity typically occur, which leads to cell death and reduced fertility. Furthermore, since there is no linear correlation between sperm quality and pregnancy rates, an improvement in semen parameters should not be the sole outcome considered in studies of antioxidant therapies. A definitive conclusion regarding the benefit of these therapies is difficult to obtain, as most of the previous studies lacked control groups, considered different antioxidants in different combinations and doses, or did not evaluate pregnancy rates in previously infertile couples. Even if beneficial effects were reported in a few cases of male infertility, more multicentre, double-blind studies performed with the same criteria are necessary for an increased understanding of the effects of various antioxidants on fertility.

Antioxidants in the treatment of male infertility

Health of Man, 2018

By affecting the process of spermatogenesis, several genetic, environmental, physiological and nutritional factors can reduce sperm quality and quantity and cause male infertility. The present study aimed to summarize studies conducted on the epidemiological and pathophysiological causes of male infertility, the effects of oxidative stress on poor sperm function and the role of antioxidants in the treatment of male infertility. In the present meta-analysis, the following key words were searched on PubMed, Google scholar, Scopus and Web of Science (1993-2013): male reproductive, male infertility, treatment for male infertility, antioxidant, role of antioxidant therapy, oxidative stress, antioxidant treatment in male fertility, oxidative stress and male infertility and effects of oral antioxidants on sperm quality. Oxidative stress is created by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) or free radicals. Although small amounts of ROS are required for sperm functioning, high levels of ROS can affect semen quality which is responsible for %25 of male infertility cases. However, there are antioxidants that have control over the production of ROS and the process of lipid peroxidation by collecting ROS and balancing useful oxidants creating oxidative stress. Thus, using these antioxidants has been recommended for the treatment of male infertility. the administration of L-Carnitine, Selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Glutathione and coenzyme Q10, as antioxidants, has been proven effective for improving sperm parameters.

Antioxidants as potential pharmacotherapeutic agents in managing male infertility

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciencess., 2022

Globally, infertility affects 8-12% of couples of reproductive age. Infertility among males accounts for 20%-30% of global infertility cases. Most male infertility cases are idiopathic, with oxidative stress as the underlying mechanism. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), in high concentrations, can outweigh the endogenous antioxidant capacity and interfere with male reproductive processes. Excess ROS levels adversely affect male fertility, but their physiological concentration is vital to mediate the normal sperm functions. The current review aims to evaluate the potential role of antioxidants in the pharmacotherapy of infertility among males.