The Effect of Antioxidant Supplementation on Operated or Non-Operated Varicocele-Associated Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Pyrgidis, Nikolaos; Sokolakis, Ioannis; Palapelas, V.; Tishukov, Maksim; Mykoniatis, Ioannis; Symeonidis, Evangelos N.; Zachariou, Athanasios; Kaltsas, Aris; Sofikitis, Nikolaos; Hatzichristodoulou, Georgios; Tsiampali, Chara; Dimitriadis, Fotios

doi:10.3390/antiox10071067

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Because of its potent antioxidant effects, this vitamin is particularly useful for protecting sperm DNA from damage caused by ROS [209]. Vitamin C levels are low, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels are high in the seminal plasma of males who have asthenozoospermia [210,211]. On the other hand, the level of vitamin C and sperm motility are related to one another in a manner that is depending on the dose.…”

Section: Non-enzymatic Antioxidantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Antioxidants of Natural Herbs in Management of Male Infertility

Gaznee¹,

Kohli²,

Kumar³

2023

J. Res. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol.

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If you and your spouse have been trying to conceive for a year and neither of you has been successful, there is a possibility that you are one of the 50–80 million people throughout the world who struggle with infertility. There is a male component present in approximately 20%-30% of these instances. It is common knowledge that low-quality sperm and oxidative stress (OS) both have a role in the aetiology of male infertility. Because of the oxidation of DNA, proteins, and lipids, excessive levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have the potential to disrupt the viability, motility, and morphology of sperm cells. ROS are responsible for these changes. Methods: Through the use of the PubMed interface, we searched the MEDLINE database for studies that had been completed and published during the past ten years that analysed the effect that antioxidants had on sperm in infertile guys (2012–2022). A number of different phrases, including infertility, alpha-lipoic acid, zinc, folate, coenzyme Q10, selenium, and vitamin, were utilised during the search. The study's findings indicate that inositol serves a purpose in a number of different mechanisms that foster contacts between sperm and oocytes, and that it also affects OS levels in sperm cells by way of its engagement in mitochondrial events. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) lessens the damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and improves the quality of sperm in a number of ways, including motility, morphology, and count. There might be a connection between not getting enough zinc in your diet and having low-quality sperm. Zinc and folate are two nutrients that can boost the quantity and quality of sperm. When taken orally, coenzyme Q10 increases the number of sperm as well as their overall motility and forward movement. A therapy with selenium (Se) results in an improvement in the sperm's overall quality, and this improvement is connected with an increase in ejaculatory production. Only vitamin B12 has been found to improve the quality of sperm; it does this by boosting sperm count and motility and by decreasing sperm DNA damage. Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that has been proved to do this. Conclusions: Dietary supplementation with antioxidants may improve sperm quality in men with low-quality semen by reducing OS-induced sperm damage and increasing hormone synthesis and spermatozoa concentration, motility, and morphology. This may be achieved in men who also have low levels of antioxidants in their semen. Antioxidants can exert their effects in a variety of ways; hence, it is important for researchers conducting future clinical trials to study the possibility of combining a number of antioxidants.

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Section: Non-enzymatic Antioxidantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Antioxidants of Natural Herbs in Management of Male Infertility

Gaznee¹,

Kohli²,

Kumar³

2023

J. Res. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol.

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“…As far as pregnancy rates are concerned, no significant differences were demonstrated after antioxidant treatment versus no treatment at three (OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 0.7-7.48) and six months (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 0.62-5.72) in patients who underwent varicocele surgical repair. Given the controversial finding for sperm concentration, morphology, motility, and DNA fragmentation, no definite conclusions regarding the optimal type, dosage, and treatment duration could be safely drawn [83].…”

Section: Antioxidant Treatment For Male Infertility-friend or Foe?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον”

Symeonidis

Evgeni²,

Palapelas

et al. 2021

Antioxidants

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Male infertility, a relatively common and multifactorial medical condition, affects approximately 15% of couples globally. Based on WHO estimates, a staggering 190 million people struggle with this health condition, and male factor is the sole or contributing factor in roughly 20–50% of these cases. Nowadays, urologists are confronted with a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from the typical infertile male to more complex cases of either unexplained or idiopathic male infertility, requiring a specific patient-tailored diagnostic approach and management. Strikingly enough, no identifiable cause in routine workup can be found in 30% to 50% of infertile males. The medical term male oxidative stress infertility (MOSI) was recently coined to describe infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters and oxidative stress (OS), including those previously classified as having idiopathic infertility. OS is a critical component of male infertility, entailing an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants. ROS abundance has been implicated in sperm abnormalities, while the exact impact on fertilization and pregnancy has long been a subject of considerable debate. In an attempt to counteract the deleterious effects of OS, urologists resorted to antioxidant supplementation. Mounting evidence indicates that indiscriminate consumption of antioxidants has led in some cases to sperm cell damage through a reductive-stress-induced state. The “antioxidant paradox”, one of the biggest andrological challenges, remains a lurking danger that needs to be carefully avoided and thoroughly investigated. For that reason, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) emerged as a viable ancillary tool to basic semen analysis, measuring the overall balance between oxidants and antioxidants (reductants). A novel biomarker, the Male infertility Oxidative System (MiOXSYS®), is a paradigm shift towards that goal, offering a quantification of OS via a quick, reliable, and reproducible measurement of the ORP. Moderation or “Μέτρον” according to the ancient Greeks is the key to successfully safeguarding redox balance, with MiOXSYS® earnestly claiming its position as a guarantor of homeostasis in the intracellular redox milieu. In the present paper, we aim to offer a narrative summary of evidence relevant to redox regulation in male reproduction, analyze the impact of OS and reductive stress on sperm function, and shed light on the “antioxidant paradox” phenomenon. Finally, we examine the most up-to-date scientific literature regarding ORP and its measurement by the recently developed MiOXSYS® assay.

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“…One of the suggested treatments is the use of antioxidant supplementation to neutralize the oxidative stress caused by the activated inflammatory pathways. However, in addition to the existence of contradictory literature, the authors of a recent was concluded that this approach does not seem to improve either seminal parameters or pregnancy rates [7]. More effective results seem to be obtained when varicocele is treated by surgical varicocelectomy [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Data Mining to Assist in Predicting Reproductive Outcomes Following Varicocele Embolization

Sousa

Santos-Pereira

Freire

et al. 2021

JCM

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We carried out a retrospective analysis of infertile couple data using several methodologies and data analysis techniques, including the application of a novel data mining approach for analyzing varicocele treatment outcomes. The aim of this work was to characterize embolized varicocele patients by ascertaining the improvement of some of their clinical features, predicting the success of treatment via pregnancy outcomes, and identifying data patterns that can contribute to both ongoing varicocele research and the more effective management of patients treated for varicocele. We retrospectively surveyed the data of 293 consenting couples undergoing infertility treatment with male varicocele embolization over a 10-year period, and sperm samples were collected before and at 3, 6, and 12 months after varicocele embolization treatment and analyzed with World Health Organization parameters—varicocele severity grades were assessed with medical assessment and scrotal ultrasound, patient personal information (e.g., age, lifestyle, and embolization complications) was collected with clinical inquiries, and varicocele embolization success was measured through pregnancy outcomes. Varicocele embolization significantly improved sperm concentration, motility, and morphology mean values, as well as sperm chromatin integrity. Following this study, we can predict that a male patient without a high varicocele severity grade (with grade I or II) has a 70.83% chance of conceiving after embolization treatment if his partners’ age is between 24 and 33 with an accuracy of 70.59%. Furthermore, male patients successful in achieving pregnancy following embolization are mostly characterized by having a normal sperm progressive motility before treatment, a normal sperm concentration after treatment, a moderate to low varicocele severity grade, and not working in a putatively hazardous environment.

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The Effect of Antioxidant Supplementation on Operated or Non-Operated Varicocele-Associated Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cited by 17 publications

References 42 publications

Role of Antioxidants of Natural Herbs in Management of Male Infertility

Role of Antioxidants of Natural Herbs in Management of Male Infertility

Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation—“Μέτρον ἄριστον”

Using Data Mining to Assist in Predicting Reproductive Outcomes Following Varicocele Embolization

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