Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Male Fertility Potential: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Alcohol abuse disorder is a serious condition, implicating more than 15 million people aged 12 years and older in 2019 in the United States. Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) is mainly oxidized in the liver, resulting in the synthesis of acetaldehyde and acetate, which are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites, as well as in the generation of a reductive cellular environment. Moreover, ethanol can interact with lipids, generating fatty acid ethyl esters and phosphatidylethanol, which interfere with physiological cellular pathways. This narrative review summarizes the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on male fertility by describing its metabolism and how ethanol consumption may induce cellular damage. Furthermore, the impact of alcohol consumption on hormonal regulation, semen quality, and genetic and epigenetic regulations is discussed based on evidence from animal and human studies, focusing on the consequences on the offspring. Finally, the limitations of the current evidence are discussed. Our review highlights the association between chronic alcohol consumption and poor semen quality, mainly due to the development of oxidative stress, as well as its genotoxic impact on hormonal regulation and DNA integrity, affecting the offspring’s health. New landscapes of investigation are proposed for the identification of molecular markers for alcohol-associated infertility, with a focus on advanced OMICS-based approaches applied to the analysis of semen samples.

Local and Systemic Oxidative Stress Biomarkers for Male Infertility: The ORION Study

“…The question that arises is how the systemic state, such as proven lifestyle factors such as excessive alcohol use and smoking, influences male infertility [ 33 , 34 ]. Excessive alcohol consumption is reported to increase OS within the testis as a result of a significant reduction in testosterone, an increase in serum lipid peroxidation byproducts, and a decrease in antioxidants [ 35 ]. However, no study to date has directly examined the link between several lifestyle and environmental factors and local oxidative damage.…”

Lutein Can Alleviate Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis Induced by Excessive Alcohol to Ameliorate Reproductive Damage in Male Rats

“…Prior studies have suggested that ethanol-induced reproductive toxicity may be related to the excessive production of ROS and lipid peroxidation products [23]. MDA is a terminal metabolite produced by free radicals attacking cell membranes, a process known as lipid peroxidation.…”

Insights into Modifiable Risk Factors of Infertility: A Mendelian Randomization Study

“…We conducted a literature review of published studies on infertility (up to 31 May 2022) to identify risk factors for infertility. To be more specific, 3 obesity-related traits (BMI, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI) [ 5 , 6 , 14 ], 16 lifestyle and dietary factors (education [ 15 ], smoking [ 8 ], drinking [ 16 , 17 ], coffee intake [ 18 , 19 ], sleep duration [ 20 , 21 ], insomnia [ 22 ], physical activity [ 5 , 23 ], sedentary behavior [ 24 ], serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels [ 25 ], zinc [ 26 ], omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids [ 27 , 28 ], total fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids [ 29 , 30 ]), and 2 biochemical measures (HDL, LDL) were considered as underlying risk factors and were included in a two-sample MR analysis as an exploratory analysis. Table 2 provides details on modifiable risk factors.…”