Background: Little is known about the potential role of central obesity among men. Our first aim was to confirm what is already known from prior research, namely that both BMI and WHR are inversely associated with selected semen parameters. Our second aim was to examine the potential role of central obesity by assessing if there was a difference between BMI and WHR regarding their relationships to these selected semen parameters. Methods: In this cross-sectional study between January 2011 to January 2018, we analyzed semen samples from 1169 patients who visited an andrology clinic in Budapest for infertility reasons. Variables assessed were: body measurements (height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference), and the results of semen analysis (sperm concentration, total sperm count, progressive sperm motility, and normal sperm morphology). Results: The mean height and weight were 180.6 cm and 87.3 kg, respectivelythe mean BMI was 26.8. The mean waist and hip circumferences were 100.9 cm and 94.8 cm, respectivelythe mean waist to hip ratio was 0.94. The mean sperm concentration, total sperm count, and percents of progressive motility and normal morphology were 48.7 M/ml, 165 million, 21.2, and 4.8%, respectively. Both BMI and WHR were significant correlates in all semen parameter regression models. When comparing the parameter estimates for BMI with those for WHR for each semen parameter, the parameter estimate for WHR was significantly lower (indicating a stronger negative association) than that for BMI for progressive motility and total sperm count, but not for normal morphology or concentration. Conclusions: Our study is the first to examine, using a large patient sample, the potential role of central obesity by comparing the difference between BMI and WHR as they relate to selected semen parameters. Our findings indicate a potential role of central obesity for progressive motility and total sperm count, but not for normal morphology and concentration. Despite the limitations and the exploratory nature of this study, we can conclude that our results point to a potential role of central obesity in male infertility, but this finding should be confirmed and further explored in future research.

Background: Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are required for intact spermatogenesis and sperm function, but excessive levels will cause oxidative stress, impairing sperms and sperm function due to membrane damage and DNA fragmentation. Objective: Theoretically, antioxidant supplementation may act as a protecting system against free radicals. Since infertile males have higher levels of ROS, nutritional supplements are widely used for protecting sperms. In the recent review authors summarize the most recent data regarding the effect of antioxidant treatment and draw an attention of the limitations of antioxidant use in male infertility. Methods: The recent review gives an update of antioxidant treatment in male infertility. Results: Improvement of sperm parameters was reported in the majority of studies. Comparing different antioxidants versus placebo showed low certainty of evidence with a serious risk of bias, and there is a lack regarding certain doses, pregnancy rate, and live birth rate outcomes. Various clinical studies and randomized control trials reported even negative outcomes. Conflicting findings lead the attention to the study of biochemical features of the oxidant vs. antioxidant equilibrium. Higher exposure to antioxidants will result in „reductive stress”, which has harmful effects on sperm function, moreover can negatively influence embryo development. Reductive stress is as dangerous as oxidative stress and may act as a cause of different human pathologies. Conclusion: An intact balance of oxidant and antioxidant systems is required to normal sperm function. No guideline exists for the antioxidant dose regimen and treatment duration. Overdosing can result in reductive stress, which is also harmful to fertility and can cause several diseases. Assessment of the pre-treatment redox status can be recommended before the administration of exogenous antioxidants.

Blood flow increases in arteries of the skeletal muscles involved in active work. Our aim was to investigate the gender differences as a result of adaptation to sport in the femoral arteries. Vascular reactivity and histology of animals were compared following a 12-week swimming training. Animals were divided into sedentary male (MS), trained male (MTr), sedentary female (FS), and trained female (FTr) groups. Isolated femoral artery rings were examined by wire myography. Contraction induced by phenylephrine (Phe) did not differ between the four groups. The contractile ability in the presence of indomethacin (INDO) was decreased in both sedentary groups. However, we found a specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) role only in FS rats. After exercise training, we observed increased vasoconstriction in both sexes, when nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was present. The COX-dependent vasoconstriction effect disappeared in MTr animals, and the COX-2-dependent vasoconstriction effect disappeared in FTr ones. Relaxation was reduced significantly, when L-NAME was present in MTr animals compared to in FTr rats. The training was associated with greater endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression in males, but not in females. The present study proves that there are gender differences regarding adaptation mechanisms of musculocutaneous arteries to sports training. In males, relaxation reserve capacity was markedly elevated compared to in females.

A molaterhesség a terhességi trophoblastbetegségek közé sorolt, rendkívül ritka kórkép. A kórkép patogenezise egyedülálló, hiszen az anyai daganat eredete maga a terhességi szövet. Előfordulását tekintve főleg a reproduktív korú nőket érinti. Esetbemutatásunkban egy 53 éves nőbeteg postmenopausalis vérzési rendellenességet okozó panaszainak hátterében igazolódott molaterhesség. A molaterhesség fokozott kockázattal járó veszélyállapot, mely esetén a mihamarabbi befejezés alapját a megfelelő diagnosztika adja. Kezdeti tünetei megtévesztőek lehetnek, ectopiás terhességet vagy inkomplett abortuszt, anovulációs vérzési rendellenességet utánozhatnak. Esetismertetésünk célja, hogy felhívja a figyelmet a molaterhesség atipikus megjelenésére; postmenopausalis nőbetegünk kapcsán áttekintjük a molaterhesség kezelésének alapelveit, és bemutatjuk egy sikeresen kezelt eset diagnosztikus és terápiás lépéseit. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(7): 273–277.

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